NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 represent two distinct eras of GPU design, separated by seven years of architectural evolution. The data reveals a decisive performance gap: in the single shared benchmark test, the GTX 1070 Ti scores 49,219 in Geekbench OpenCL against the GTX 480's 13,300, a 270.1% advantage. The GTX 1070 Ti also carries a higher average benchmark score of 14,277 compared to 13,300 for the GTX 480, though the older card's percentile ranking at 53 versus 56 for the newer model shows both sit in the mid-range of all GPUs. This head-to-head comparison highlights how generational leaps in process technology and architecture translate into dramatic real-world performance differences.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark between these two cards is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are lopsided. The GTX 1070 Ti produces a score of 49,219, while the GTX 480 manages 13,300. This translates to a 270.1% delta in favor of the Pascal-based card, meaning the newer GPU delivers roughly 3.7 times the compute performance in this workload. Such a margin is not incremental; it represents a complete generational reset in capability.

Looking at the broader benchmark suite available for the GTX 1070 Ti, its performance profile spans multiple DirectX versions and compute workloads. In PassMark tests, the card scores 207 in DirectX 9, 107 in DirectX 11, and 51 in DirectX 12, while DirectX 10 yields 90. The PassMark G3D score stands at 14,674, with GPU compute at 7,165 and G2D at 876. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test produces a score of 1,471. Geekbench Metal and Vulkan scores are 22,180 and 61,006, respectively. These figures paint a picture of a versatile card that handles legacy APIs admirably while remaining competitive in modern workloads.

The GTX 480, by contrast, has only one benchmark entry in the data: the same Geekbench OpenCL score of 13,300. Its nearest rivals in the database — AMD Radeon Pro 555X at 13,321, AMD FirePro M6100 at 13,354, AMD Radeon RX 5500M at 13,356, and AMD Radeon HD 8950M at 13,376 — all cluster within 0.6% of its score. This tight grouping suggests the GTX 480's compute performance aligns with mid-range mobile and workstation GPUs from later generations, not with modern desktop parts. The GTX 1070 Ti's nearest rivals, meanwhile, include Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics at 14,315 (-0.3%), AMD Radeon Vega 11 at 14,352 (-0.5%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN at 14,373 (-0.7%), and AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 at 14,385 (-0.7%). These deltas are all within 0.7%, indicating the GTX 1070 Ti's average score sits in a dense performance cluster where small margins separate competitors.

The average benchmark score metric reinforces the gap: 14,277 for the GTX 1070 Ti versus 13,300 for the GTX 480, a difference of 977 points or roughly 7.3%. While the OpenCL head-to-head shows a 270.1% advantage, the average scores narrow the perceived gap because the GTX 1070 Ti's suite includes lower-performing legacy API tests that drag its mean downward. Nevertheless, the GTX 1070 Ti wins the only direct comparison and holds a higher average, giving it a clean sweep in this dataset.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in Geekbench OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti scores 49,219 against the GTX 480's 13,300, a 270.1% advantage. This is the only benchmark where both cards have directly comparable results.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 14,277, while the GTX 480 averages 13,300. The newer card leads by 977 points, though its percentile ranking of 56 versus 53 for the GTX 480 shows both sit in similar overall standing among all GPUs.

Q: What are the nearest competitors for each card?

A: For the GTX 1070 Ti, the closest rivals are the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14,315, -0.3%), AMD Radeon Vega 11 (14,352, -0.5%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373, -0.7%), and AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14,385, -0.7%). For the GTX 480, the nearest are the AMD Radeon Pro 555X (13,321, -0.2%), AMD FirePro M6100 (13,354, -0.4%), AMD Radeon RX 5500M (13,356, -0.4%), and AMD Radeon HD 8950M (13,376, -0.6%).

Q: Which card offers more shading units?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti packs 2,432 shading units, while the GTX 480 has 480. This five-fold difference in shader count partially explains the massive compute performance gap observed in OpenCL.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti features 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 256.3 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 480 has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 177.4 GB/s bandwidth. Despite the narrower bus, the newer card delivers 44.4% more bandwidth.

Q: How do power requirements differ?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti has a TDP of 180 W and requires a 450 W suggested PSU with a single 8-pin connector. The GTX 480 has a 250 W TDP, needs a 600 W suggested PSU, and uses a 6-pin plus 8-pin connector arrangement.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The GTX 1070 Ti uses the GP104 chip based on Pascal architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 16 nm process. It contains 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.9 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the GTX 480 uses the GF100 chip with Fermi architecture, built on a 40 nm process. This older chip packs 3,100 million transistors onto a much larger 529 mm² die, resulting in just 5.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The process node shrink from 40 nm to 16 nm is the primary enabler of the GTX 1070 Ti's higher transistor count and density.

The compute resources diverge sharply. The GTX 1070 Ti has 2,432 shading units, 152 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 480 features only 480 shading units, 60 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. These differences manifest in pixel and texture rates: the GTX 1070 Ti achieves 107.7 GPixel/s and 255.8 GTexel/s, while the GTX 480 manages 21.03 GPixel/s and 42.06 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance tells a similar story, with the Pascal card delivering 8.186 TFLOPS FP32 versus 1,345.0 GFLOPS for Fermi. The GTX 1070 Ti also supports FP16 at 127.9 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the GTX 480 has no FP16 capability listed.

Clock speeds and memory technology also differ. The GTX 1070 Ti runs at a base clock of 1607 MHz with a boost of 1683 MHz, and memory at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The GTX 480 has no base or boost clock listed, but its memory operates at 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective). Both use GDDR5, but the newer card's higher effective memory speed compensates for its narrower 256-bit bus, resulting in superior bandwidth: 256.3 GB/s versus 177.4 GB/s.

Interface and connectivity reflect their respective eras. The GTX 1070 Ti uses PCIe 3.0 x16, supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The GTX 480 uses PCIe 2.0 x16, supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 but no Vulkan, and provides 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a outputs. The GTX 1070 Ti also lists full dimensions (267 mm length, 112 mm height, 40 mm width), while the GTX 480 only specifies length at 267 mm.

The Verdict

The data presents an unambiguous case for the GTX 1070 Ti as the superior performer. Its 270.1% lead in the sole head-to-head benchmark, combined with a higher average score (14,277 versus 13,300) and superior percentile ranking (56 versus 53), leaves no room for interpretation. The GTX 1070 Ti wins the only direct comparison and demonstrates broader API support, higher memory bandwidth, and more compute resources. The GTX 480's nearest rivals are all mobile or mid-range parts from later generations, underscoring its position as a legacy product.

For users seeking modern gaming or compute performance, the GTX 1070 Ti is the clear choice based on every measurable metric in this dataset. Its 8 GB memory capacity, 8.186 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, and PCIe 3.0 interface make it suitable for contemporary workloads. The GTX 480, with 1536 MB memory and 1,345.0 GFLOPS FP32, belongs to a different performance class entirely. Its Fermi architecture and 40 nm process limit its efficiency and capability, as reflected in the 250 W TDP versus 180 W for the newer card despite the latter's far higher performance.

The GTX 480's sole advantage is historical: it launched with a 499 USD MSRP compared to 399 USD for the GTX 1070 Ti, yet delivers a fraction of the performance. Neither card is in production, but the GTX 1070 Ti remains a viable option for those seeking Pascal-era performance, while the GTX 480 is best regarded as a collector's item or a piece of computing history. Benchmark results consistently favor the newer architecture across every available metric.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 |

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

| Architecture | Pascal | Fermi |

| Process Node | 16 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 7,200 million | 3,100 million |

| Die Size | 314 mm² | 529 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 22.9M / mm² | 5.9M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 2432 | 480 |

| TMUs | 152 | 60 |

| ROPs | 64 | 48 |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 1536 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.3 GB/s | 177.4 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) | 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective) |

| Base Clock | 1607 MHz | Not specified |

| Boost Clock | 1683 MHz | Not specified |

| Pixel Rate | 107.7 GPixel/s | 21.03 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 255.8 GTexel/s | 42.06 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 8.186 TFLOPS | 1,345.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 127.9 GFLOPS (1:64) | Not specified |

| TDP | 180 W | 250 W |

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

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | Not specified |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a |

| Dimensions (Length) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Release Date | 2017-11-01 | 2010-03-25 |

| Launch MSRP | 399 USD | 499 USD |

The specification table underscores the generational leap: the GTX 1070 Ti achieves higher performance with fewer transistors per area than the GTX 480, thanks to the 16 nm process. The newer card also offers more memory, higher bandwidth, and better API support, while consuming 70 W less power. The GTX 480's only specifications that exceed the newer card are die size (529 mm² versus 314 mm²) and memory bus width (384 bit versus 256 bit), both of which fail to translate into performance advantages.