NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents a clear split between two very different NVIDIA products. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, a desktop Pascal part from 2017, wins 9 of 10 head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, an Ampere laptop chip from 2021. The average benchmark score of the GTX 1070 Ti sits at 14277, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile averages 12940. That is a 9.4% gap in average score favoring the desktop card. The GTX 1070 Ti also holds a higher percentile rank among all GPUs at 56, versus 53 for the mobile chip.

However, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is not without its own territory. It wins the Geekbench OpenCL test by 15% (57915 versus 49219), and it brings architecture features the GTX 1070 Ti lacks entirely: 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. The GTX 1070 Ti has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile also carries a much lower TDP of 75 W versus 180 W, and it is an integrated-class part (IGP slot width) with no power connectors, making it suitable for thin portable devices. The GTX 1070 Ti requires a dual-slot cooler, a single 8-pin power connector, and a 450 W suggested power supply, with a 267 mm board length.

For desktop users with power headroom and physical space, the GTX 1070 Ti delivers more raw performance in almost every measured category. For laptop buyers who need a capable, low-power GPU with modern feature support, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is the only viable choice, because the GTX 1070 Ti is a desktop-only card by shape and power requirements. The database shows the GTX 1070 Ti as the stronger overall performer, but the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile as the more efficient and feature-forward option.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins more benchmark comparisons?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti wins 9 out of 10 head-to-head benchmark tests. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile wins only 1 test.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 14277, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile averages 12940. That represents a 9.4% advantage for the GTX 1070 Ti.

Q: Does the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile have any performance advantage?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 57915, which is 15% higher than the GTX 1070 Ti's score of 49219. That is the only head-to-head test the mobile card wins.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The GTX 1070 Ti also has higher memory bandwidth: 256.3 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s.

Q: Are the two cards from the same generation?

A: No. The GTX 1070 Ti is from the GeForce 10-series (Pascal architecture, 16 nm process, TSMC foundry). The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is from the GeForce 30 Mobile series (Ampere architecture, 8 nm process, Samsung foundry).

Q: What is the power draw comparison?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti has a TDP of 180 W and requires a 450 W power supply. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile has a TDP of 75 W and does not list a suggested PSU because it is an integrated-class part with no power connectors.

Architecture Differences

The architecture gap between the two cards is substantial. The GTX 1070 Ti is built on the Pascal architecture using the GP104 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile uses the Ampere architecture with the GA106 chip, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The transistor counts reflect the process jump: the GTX 1070 Ti packs 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die (density 22.9 million per mm²), while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile packs 12,000 million transistors on a smaller 276 mm² die, achieving 43.5 million per mm². That is almost double the transistor density.

Feature support also differs sharply. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile includes 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores, which enable hardware ray tracing and AI-accelerated tasks. The GTX 1070 Ti has neither. The API support also shows the generational gap: the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 1070 Ti supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, but the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile's DX12 Ultimate tier is higher.

Memory technology also changes. The GTX 1070 Ti uses GDDR5, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile uses GDDR6. The GTX 1070 Ti has a wider 256-bit memory bus, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile uses a 128-bit bus. This directly affects the memory bandwidth figures, which favor the GTX 1070 Ti.

The interface also differs. The GTX 1070 Ti uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The mobile card also has no display outputs of its own; it is noted as "Portable Device Dependent", meaning it relies on the laptop's internal display and output routing.

Specification Differences

• Process node: GTX 1070 Ti at 16 nm (TSMC) versus RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 8 nm (Samsung)
• Transistors: 7,200 million versus 12,000 million
• Die size: 314 mm² vs 276 mm²
• Transistor density: 22.9M / mm² vs 43.5M / mm²
• Base clock: 1607 MHz vs 735 MHz
• Boost clock: 1683 MHz vs 1035 MHz
• Memory clock: 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) vs 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective)
• Memory size: 8 GB vs 4 GB
• Memory type: GDDR5 vs GDDR6
• Memory bus: 256 bit vs 128 bit
• Memory bandwidth: 256.3 GB/s vs 192.0 GB/s
• Shading units: 2432 vs 2560
• Texture mapping units: 152 vs 80
• Render output units: 64 vs 32
• RT cores: 0 vs 20
• Tensor cores: 0 vs 80
• Pixel rate: 107.7 GPixel/s vs 33.12 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 255.8 GTexel/s vs 82.80 GTexel/s
• FP32: 8.186 TFLOPS vs 5.299 TFLOPS
• FP16: 127.9 GFLOPS (1:64) vs 5.299 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 180 W vs 75 W
• Slot width: Dual-slot vs IGP
• Power connectors: 1x 8-pin vs None
• Suggested PSU: 450 W vs None
• Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 vs PCIe 4.0 x16
• Dimensions: 267 mm length vs no dimensions listed
• DirectX: 12 (12_1) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2)

The GTX 1070 Ti has much higher raw rate metrics (pixel, texture, FP32). The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile has more shading units (2560 vs 2432) and doubles the FP16 throughput, matching its FP32 at 1:1 ratio, while the GTX 1070 Ti has FP16 at a severely limited 1:64 ratio.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data reveals a dominant performance lead for the GTX 1070 Ti in legacy and general workloads. The largest single win is in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the GTX 1070 Ti scores 1471 versus 469, a 213.6% advantage. This is not a close race; it is a 3x difference in score.

The PassMark suite also heavily favors the GTX 1070 Ti. In DirectX 9, it scores 207 versus 120 (a 72.5% lead). In DirectX 10, it scores 90 versus 60 (a 50% lead). In DirectX 11, it scores 107 versus 76 (a 40.8% lead). Even in DirectX 12, where the mobile card has a newer API, the GTX 1070 Ti wins by a slim 51 to 49, a 4.1% margin.

The G2D and G3D tests also go to the GTX 1070 Ti. In G2D, it scores 876 versus 498, a 75.9% lead. In G3D, it scores 14674 versus 10093, a 45.4% lead. The GPU compute test shows a 66.4% advantage (7165 versus 4305). In Vulkan, the GTX 1070 Ti scores 61006 versus 55812, a 9.3% win.

The only win for the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is in Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 57915 versus 49219, a 15% margin. This is notable because it shows the Ampere architecture's compute strength in a specific API. The GTX 1070 Ti also has a Geekbench Metal score of 22180, but the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile does not have a Metal score listed.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1070 Ti wins in raw rasterization performance, memory bandwidth, and overall compute output. It leads in every PassMark test (DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, G2D, G3D, GPU compute), in Vulkan, and in the heavy 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 workload. If a user needs maximum frame throughput in traditional rasterization games, especially at higher resolutions, the GTX 1070 Ti is the stronger choice. Its 8 GB of memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth also give it a clear edge for texture-heavy workloads and larger datasets.

The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile wins in OpenCL compute, which suggests its Ampere architecture with tensor cores and 1:1 FP16 performance is better suited for certain compute APIs. It also carries hardware ray tracing (20 RT cores) and tensor cores (80), which the GTX 1070 Ti completely lacks. For software that supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and ray tracing effects, the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is the only card that can even attempt them. Its 75 W TDP and IGP form factor make it the only option for thin laptops, since the GTX 1070 Ti requires a dual-slot desktop slot, a 180 W power draw, and an external power connector.

The GTX 1070 Ti also has a higher percentile rank among all GPUs (56th versus 53rd), and its nearest rivals are older cards like the GTX TITAN and AMD Radeon Vega 11. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 and the GTX 1660 SUPER, which shows it sits in a different performance tier. The data indicates the GTX 1070 Ti is a desktop workhorse, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is a mobile solution with features that the desktop card cannot match, but lower overall raw performance.