AMD Radeon HD 8870M vs NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data available for these two GPUs comes from different test suites, which complicates direct comparison. The NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition has scores in both Passmark G2D and G3D tests, while the AMD Radeon HD 8870M only has a Geekbench OpenCL score. This means no direct head-to-head test results exist between the two cards. However, the aggregate benchmark scores provide a basis for analysis.

The TITAN V CEO Edition posts an average benchmark score of 9037, while the HD 8870M averages 8462. That difference of 575 points represents a 6.8% advantage for the NVIDIA card. In percentile terms, the TITAN V CEO Edition sits at the 45th percentile of all GPUs, while the HD 8870M sits at the 43rd percentile — a narrow gap of two percentile points. The data suggests these are not dramatically different in overall benchmark standing, despite the massive architectural gulf between them.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card clarifies their positioning. The TITAN V CEO Edition's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, which scores 9022 — a mere 0.2% difference. The GTX 560 is 0.2% ahead of the TITAN V CEO Edition at 9058. The AMD Radeon 550X trails by 1.3% at 8918, while the AMD Radeon 890M leads by 1.9% at 9210. This clustering within a 3.2% band indicates the TITAN V CEO Edition's average benchmark performance is firmly mid-pack, not the flagship-class showing its specifications might suggest.

The HD 8870M's rivals show similar tight grouping. The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 scores 8458, just 0.1% behind. The AMD Radeon 880M is 0.3% ahead at 8436. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX leads by 0.4% at 8427. The Intel Arc A380 is the outlier, sitting 1.1% ahead at 8558. This places the HD 8870M in a very competitive cluster of older and entry-level GPUs.

The TITAN V CEO Edition's Passmark G3D score of 16988 is substantial in absolute terms, but its G2D score of 1086 is comparatively modest. The HD 8870M's sole Geekbench OpenCL score of 8462 represents its entire benchmark profile. Without overlapping test suites, the most reliable comparison comes from the average benchmark scores and the percentile rankings, which show the TITAN V CEO Edition holding a modest edge.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition has an average benchmark score of 9037, compared to the AMD Radeon HD 8870M's 8462. This gives the NVIDIA card a 6.8% advantage.

Q: How do these GPUs rank against all other GPUs?

A: The TITAN V CEO Edition sits at the 45th percentile of all GPUs, while the HD 8870M sits at the 43rd percentile. Both are near the middle of the overall distribution, with the NVIDIA card holding a two-percentile-point edge.

Q: What are the closest rival GPUs for each card?

A: For the TITAN V CEO Edition, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 at 9022 (0.2% difference). For the HD 8870M, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 at 8458 (0.1% difference).

Q: Do the two GPUs share any benchmark test results?

A: No. The TITAN V CEO Edition has Passmark G2D and G3D scores, while the HD 8870M has a Geekbench OpenCL score. The head-to-head benchmark list is empty, so no direct test comparison exists.

Q: Which GPU has the better percentile ranking relative to its nearest competitors?

A: The TITAN V CEO Edition's nearest rivals are all within a 3.2% band (8918 to 9210), while the HD 8870M's rivals span a 1.5% band (8427 to 8558). Both cards sit near the center of their respective competitive clusters.

Q: Is the performance gap between these cards consistent with their release dates?

A: The TITAN V CEO Edition was released on 2018-06-20, while the HD 8870M was released on 2013-03-31 — roughly five years apart. Despite this, the average benchmark scores differ by only 6.8%, suggesting the older card remains competitive in aggregate benchmark terms.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark. The TITAN V CEO Edition uses the GV100 chip built on Volta architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It packs 21,100 million transistors into an 815 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.9 million per square millimeter. The HD 8870M uses the Venus chip on GCN 1.0 architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a 28 nm process. It contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, with a transistor density of 12.2 million per square millimeter.

Memory configurations diverge completely. The TITAN V CEO Edition features 32 GB of HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 868.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 8870M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 72.00 GB/s. The memory clock rates reflect this gap: the TITAN V CEO Edition runs at 848 MHz with 1696 Mbps effective, while the HD 8870M runs at 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective.

Compute resources show massive differences. The TITAN V CEO Edition has 5120 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation units, along with 640 tensor cores. The HD 8870M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with no tensor cores. Pixel rates are 186.2 GPixel/s for the TITAN V CEO Edition versus 12.40 GPixel/s for the HD 8870M. Texture rates are 465.6 GTexel/s versus 31.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 14.90 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card, while the AMD card delivers 992.0 GFLOPS. The TITAN V CEO Edition also supports FP16 at 29.80 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, a feature entirely absent from the HD 8870M.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The TITAN V CEO Edition has a base clock of 1200 MHz and a boost clock of 1455 MHz. The HD 8870M operates at 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost. Despite the lower clocks, the AMD card's much smaller compute footprint means the raw throughput delta remains enormous.

API support differs in key ways. The TITAN V CEO Edition supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The HD 8870M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA card has a more recent DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

The TITAN V CEO Edition has a TDP of 250 W, requires a 600 W suggested PSU, and uses a dual-slot cooler with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors. The HD 8870M has no TDP listed, no slot width, and no power connector information in the data. The TITAN V CEO Edition measures 267 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, while the HD 8870M has no dimensions listed.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition holds a modest but consistent advantage over the AMD Radeon HD 8870M. The 6.8% higher average benchmark score and the two-percentile-point better ranking both point in the same direction. However, the magnitude of that advantage is surprisingly small given the architectural differences.

For users focused on raw compute throughput, the TITAN V CEO Edition is the clear choice from the data. Its 5120 shading units, 640 tensor cores, and 14.90 TFLOPS FP32 performance dwarf the HD 8870M's 640 shading units and 992.0 GFLOPS. The 32 GB HBM2 memory with 868.4 GB/s bandwidth versus 2 GB GDDR5 with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth further cements the NVIDIA card's position for memory-intensive workloads.

The HD 8870M, despite its older architecture and far smaller specifications, posts an average benchmark score that is only 6.8% lower. This suggests that for the specific workloads captured in the average benchmark score, the gap is far narrower than the specification sheet implies. The HD 8870M's nearest rivals — MX330, 880M, GTX 675MX — are all within 1.1% of its score, indicating it holds its own among similarly positioned GPUs.

Users who prioritize the highest available compute resources, the largest memory pool, and the most advanced feature set should select the TITAN V CEO Edition. Users who need a GPU with a proven benchmark standing near the 43rd percentile and are not constrained by the TITAN V CEO Edition's power requirements or physical size may find the HD 8870M adequate. The data does not support a recommendation of the HD 8870M for any workload where the TITAN V CEO Edition's additional resources would be utilized, but the benchmark scores alone do not justify a wide performance gulf.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition | AMD Radeon HD 8870M |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | GV100 | Venus |

| Architecture | Volta | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 21,100 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 815 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 25.9M / mm² | 12.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1200 MHz | 725 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1455 MHz | 775 MHz |

| Memory Size | 32 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM2 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 4096 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 868.4 GB/s | 72.00 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 848 MHz / 1696 Mbps effective | 1125 MHz / 4.5 Gbps effective |

| Shading Units | 5120 | 640 |

| TMUs | 320 | 40 |

| ROPs | 128 | 16 |

| Tensor Cores | 640 | null |

| Pixel Rate | 186.2 GPixel/s | 12.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 465.6 GTexel/s | 31.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 14.90 TFLOPS | 992.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 29.80 TFLOPS (2:1) | null |

| TDP | 250 W | null |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | null |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | null |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | null |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | null |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2018-06-20 | 2013-03-31 |

| Dimensions | 267 mm x 112 mm x 40 mm | null |

| Average Benchmark Score | 9037 | 8462 |

| Percentile | 45 | 43 |