AMD Radeon RX 570X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a decisive picture: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 wins all three recorded head-to-head tests against the AMD Radeon RX 570X. The largest gap appears in the PassMark G3D test, where the GTX 1080 scores 15,586 against the RX 570X’s 1,923. That is a delta of 87.7 percent in favor of NVIDIA, meaning the GTX 1080 delivers roughly eight times the raw 3D graphics performance in this particular workload. This is not a narrow margin; it is a generational chasm in rasterization throughput.

The Geekbench OpenCL test also favors the GTX 1080, with a score of 51,204 versus 38,939 for the RX 570X. The delta here is 24 percent, a substantial lead but far less dramatic than the G3D result. OpenCL is a compute-oriented workload, and while the RX 570X’s GCN architecture is competent at general-purpose compute, the GTX 1080’s Pascal design still outpaces it by a quarter. The 2D test, PassMark G2D, shows a narrower advantage: 888 for NVIDIA against 750 for AMD, a 15.5 percent difference. This suggests that in less GPU-intensive tasks, the gap tightens, though the GTX 1080 still holds the edge.

Looking at the broader database context, the RX 570X’s average benchmark score is 13,871, which places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile at 13,821 (0.4 percent behind) and the AMD Radeon 660M at 13,812 (0.4 percent behind). Interestingly, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT sits at 13,745, a 0.9 percent deficit, while the NVIDIA Tesla K10 leads it by 1.1 percent at 14,029. These tight margins indicate that the RX 570X is clustered in a mid-range performance band where small differences separate competitors.

The GTX 1080, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 11,960, which places it in the 51st percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A at 11,998 (0.3 percent ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT at 11,842 (1 percent behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 at 11,680 (2.4 percent behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT at 11,627 (2.9 percent behind). This is a curious situation: the GTX 1080’s average score is lower than the RX 570X’s, yet it wins every direct head-to-head test. The explanation lies in the test suite composition. The RX 570X has only three recorded benchmarks, all of which are relatively weak for it, while the GTX 1080 has eleven benchmarks, including several legacy DirectX tests where it scores low (e.g., PassMark DirectX 9 at 211, DirectX 10 at 93, DirectX 11 at 124, DirectX 12 at 55). These low scores drag down its average, masking its true strength in modern workloads.

In the head-to-head comparisons, the GTX 1080’s dominance in PassMark G3D is the standout metric. A score of 15,586 versus 1,923 is not a marginal improvement; it is a 710 percent advantage. This single test alone tells the story: for gaming and 3D rendering, the GTX 1080 is in a different league. The OpenCL result, while still a win for NVIDIA, shows that compute performance is closer, with the RX 570X achieving 76 percent of the GTX 1080’s score. The G2D result, with an 88 percent ratio, reinforces that 2D tasks are less differentiated.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the most benchmark tests against the other?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 wins all three recorded head-to-head tests: Geekbench OpenCL, PassMark G2D, and PassMark G3D. The AMD Radeon RX 570X has zero wins in these comparisons.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the most demanding 3D test?

A: In the PassMark G3D test, the GTX 1080 scores 15,586 while the RX 570X scores 1,923. This represents an 87.7 percent delta, meaning the GTX 1080 is roughly eight times faster in raw 3D graphics performance.

Q: Does the RX 570X have any advantage in average benchmark scores?

A: Yes. The RX 570X has an average benchmark score of 13,871, which is higher than the GTX 1080’s 11,960. However, this is due to the GTX 1080’s broader test suite including many low-scoring legacy DirectX tests, which drag down its average.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in compute workloads like OpenCL?

A: The GTX 1080 leads with a Geekbench OpenCL score of 51,204 against the RX 570X’s 38,939. The delta is 24 percent, showing a clear NVIDIA advantage but a closer margin than in pure 3D tests.

Q: What are the percentile rankings of each GPU in the database?

A: The RX 570X sits in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 1080 sits in the 51st percentile. Despite the GTX 1080’s lower percentile, it wins every direct comparison where both have been tested.

Q: Which GPU has a higher PassMark G2D score?

A: The GTX 1080 scores 888 in PassMark G2D, while the RX 570X scores 750. The delta is 15.5 percent, making this the closest head-to-head test between the two cards.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is fundamental. The AMD Radeon RX 570X is built on GCN 4.0 architecture, specifically the Polaris 20 chip, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The GTX 1080 uses NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture, built on the GP104 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. Both are single-generation designs, but they represent different design philosophies: AMD’s GCN is a compute-oriented architecture that scales across workloads, while Pascal is optimized for gaming efficiency and raw throughput.

The transistor counts tell a story of scale. The RX 570X packs 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². The GTX 1080 has 7,200 million transistors on a larger 314 mm² die, with a slightly lower density of 22.9 million per mm². The larger die and higher transistor count give NVIDIA more room for execution units, but the density figures suggest AMD achieved better packing on its 14 nm process.

Shading units differ significantly: the RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, while the GTX 1080 has 2,560. Texture mapping units follow the same pattern, with 128 on the AMD card versus 160 on the NVIDIA card. The ROP count is where the gap widens dramatically: the RX 570X has 32 ROPs, while the GTX 1080 has 64. This doubling of ROPs directly contributes to the GTX 1080’s massive lead in pixel rate, 110.9 GPixel/s versus 39.81 GPixel/s for the RX 570X.

The compute capabilities also diverge sharply. The RX 570X delivers 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, and notably, it achieves the same 5.095 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. The GTX 1080 offers 8.873 TFLOPS of FP32, but its FP16 performance is a mere 138.6 GFLOPS, a 1:64 ratio. This means AMD’s card can handle half-precision workloads at full speed, while NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture cripples FP16 throughput. This is a significant architectural difference for compute-heavy applications that leverage FP16.

Memory architecture also differs. Both use a 256-bit bus, but the RX 570X employs GDDR5 memory at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective), delivering 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 1080 uses GDDR5X at 1251 MHz (10 Gbps effective), providing 320.3 GB/s. This 43 percent bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA is critical for high-resolution textures and data-intensive workloads.

API support shows a split. Both cards support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but the RX 570X supports DirectX 12_0 while the GTX 1080 supports DirectX 12_1, which includes additional features like conservative rasterization. Vulkan support also differs: AMD offers Vulkan 1.3, while NVIDIA offers Vulkan 1.4, a minor but notable version difference.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge across nearly every major specification. Starting with the process node, the RX 570X uses 14 nm from GlobalFoundries, while the GTX 1080 uses 16 nm from TSMC. The transistor counts are 5,700 million versus 7,200 million, and die sizes are 232 mm² versus 314 mm². Transistor density is 24.6M per mm² for AMD and 22.9M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds show a stark contrast. The RX 570X has a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. The GTX 1080 operates at 1607 MHz base and 1733 MHz boost. This 37 percent higher base clock and 39 percent higher boost clock for NVIDIA is a major factor in its performance advantage. Memory clocks differ as well: the RX 570X runs at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) while the GTX 1080 runs at 1251 MHz (10 Gbps effective). The effective data rate is higher on the GTX 1080 despite the lower physical clock.

Memory type is GDDR5 for AMD and GDDR5X for NVIDIA, both at 8 GB capacity on a 256-bit bus. Bandwidth is 224.0 GB/s versus 320.3 GB/s, a 43 percent advantage for NVIDIA. The RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the GTX 1080 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Pixel rate is 39.81 GPixel/s versus 110.9 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 159.2 GTexel/s versus 277.3 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS versus 8.873 TFLOPS, a 74 percent advantage for NVIDIA.

Power draw differs: the RX 570X has a TDP of 150 W with a single 6-pin power connector, while the GTX 1080 has a TDP of 180 W with a single 8-pin connector. Both suggest a 450 W power supply. Physical dimensions vary: the RX 570X is 241 mm (9.5 inches) long, while the GTX 1080 is 267 mm (10.5 inches) long, with a height of 112 mm (4.4 inches) and width of 40 mm (1.6 inches). Both are dual-slot cards with PCIe 3.0 x16 interfaces.

Display outputs are nearly identical, with both offering 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, and 3x DisplayPort. The HDMI version differs: the RX 570X has HDMI 2.0b while the GTX 1080 has HDMI 2.0. The RX 570X supports DirectX 12_0, while the GTX 1080 supports DirectX 12_1. Vulkan support is 1.3 for AMD and 1.4 for NVIDIA.

Release dates are far apart: the RX 570X launched on April 10, 2018, while the GTX 1080 launched on May 26, 2016, nearly two years earlier. Both are now end-of-life products. The RX 570X’s predecessor is Polaris and its successor is Vega, while the GTX 1080’s predecessor is GeForce 900 and its successor is GeForce 20.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 is the superior performer in every direct benchmark comparison. The 87.7 percent lead in PassMark G3D is overwhelming, and the 24 percent lead in OpenCL confirms that NVIDIA’s advantage extends beyond pure rasterization. The 15.5 percent lead in G2D, while smaller, still favors NVIDIA. For any workload where 3D graphics performance matters, the GTX 1080 is the unambiguous choice.

The AMD Radeon RX 570X does have a higher average benchmark score (13,871 versus 11,960), but this is a statistical artifact of the GTX 1080’s wider test suite, which includes many legacy DirectX tests where it scores poorly. In direct head-to-head comparisons, the RX 570X wins none of the three tests. The RX 570X’s FP16 capability at 1:1 ratio is a genuine architectural advantage for compute tasks that use half-precision, but this does not translate into any recorded benchmark win.

For buyers prioritizing 3D gaming or rendering, the GTX 1080 is the only rational choice from this data. Its 8.873 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 64 ROPs, and 320.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth give it a commanding lead. The RX 570X, with its lower clocks, fewer execution units, and narrower bandwidth, falls far behind. Even considering the GTX 1080’s older release date, its architecture has aged better in terms of raw performance.

The RX 570X may appeal to users who specifically need FP16 throughput or who prefer AMD’s GCN architecture for compatibility reasons. Its lower TDP of 150 W versus 180 W also makes it a more power-efficient option. However, these are niche advantages that do not offset the massive performance deficit. The database records no scenario where the RX 570X outperforms the GTX 1080, and the verdict reflects that reality. The GTX 1080 is the winner by a wide margin, and the RX 570X is a weaker alternative for most use cases.