NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M Comparison

The GeForce GTX 780M and GeForce GTX 1070 represent two very different eras of NVIDIA mobile and desktop graphics. The 780M is a Kepler-generation notebook part from 2013, while the 1070 is a Pascal-generation card from 2016. The benchmark data in the database shows a clear and substantial performance gap, but the nature of that gap, and the architectural reasons behind it, reveal a more nuanced story than a simple generational leap.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are unambiguous: the GeForce GTX 1070 wins all three recorded benchmark comparisons. In the Geekbench Metal test, the GTX 1070 scores 18,801 against the GTX 780M's 8,319. This is a delta of -55.8% from the 1070's perspective, meaning the 780M trails by more than half. The score difference of 10,482 points is the smallest absolute gap of the three tests, but the percentage deficit is still severe.

The OpenCL test shows the most lopsided result. The GTX 1070 scores 44,700, while the GTX 780M manages 12,769. The delta here is -71.4%, indicating that the 780M delivers less than 30% of the 1070's compute performance in this workload. This is a massive margin, and it points to fundamental differences in raw throughput capabilities rather than just clock speed advantages.

The Vulkan test narrows the gap somewhat, but not enough to change the outcome. The GTX 1070 scores 22,121, and the GTX 780M scores 12,696, a delta of -42.6%. While this is the smallest percentage deficit for the 780M, it still represents a 9,425-point advantage for the 1070. The database records zero wins for the 780M across all compared tests, with the 1070 taking all three.

These numbers suggest that the 1070 is not merely faster, but that it operates in a different performance class entirely. The average benchmark score for the 1070 is 9,780, while the 780M averages 11,261. Interestingly, the 780M has a higher average score despite losing every head-to-head test. This is because the 780M's benchmark suite consists only of Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan tests, all of which are relatively strong for it, whereas the 1070's suite includes additional PassMark tests that pull its average down. The percentile rankings reflect this: the 780M sits at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, while the 1070 ranks at the 47th percentile. The 780M's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200 (average score 11,228, only 0.3% behind) and the AMD FirePro W4300 (11,225, also 0.3% behind). The 1070's closest competitors are the AMD FirePro W5000 (9,803, 0.2% ahead) and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9,832, 0.5% ahead). The data indicates that the 780M is tightly clustered with professional workstation GPUs of its era, while the 1070 sits near other mid-range professional and datacenter parts.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. The 780M uses the GK104 chip built on Kepler architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The 1070 uses the GP104 chip on Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node shrink from 28 nm to 16 nm is a major factor in the performance difference, as it allows for significantly higher transistor density and clock speeds.

The transistor counts tell a striking story. The 780M packs 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, giving a density of 12.0 million transistors per square millimeter. The 1070 contains 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die, achieving a density of 22.9 million per square millimeter. The 1070 nearly doubles the transistor count while only increasing the die size by 20 mm², a direct consequence of the more advanced process node.

Clock speeds also differ dramatically. The 780M has a base clock of 771 MHz and a boost clock of 797 MHz. The 1070 starts at 1,506 MHz base and boosts to 1,683 MHz. That is roughly double the clock frequency, which alone would explain a large portion of the performance gap. The memory clocks follow the same pattern: the 780M runs GDDR5 at 1,250 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the 1070 runs GDDR5 at 2,002 MHz (8 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystems differ in capacity but share the same bus width. The 780M has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, achieving 256.3 GB/s. The doubling of memory capacity and the 60% bandwidth increase are consistent with the 1070's higher performance ceiling.

Compute resources scale up as well. The 780M has 1,536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The 1070 has 1,920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Notably, the 1070 has fewer TMUs (120 vs. 128), but its much higher clocks more than compensate. The pixel rate is 25.50 GPixel/s for the 780M versus 107.7 GPixel/s for the 1070, and the texture rate is 102.0 GTexel/s versus 202.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 2.448 TFLOPS for the 780M and 6.463 TFLOPS for the 1070, a 2.6x advantage. The 1070 also has a listed FP16 rate of 101.0 GFLOPS (at a 1:64 ratio), a feature the 780M does not report.

API support also differs. The 780M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The 1070 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The newer API revisions on the 1070, particularly the higher Vulkan version and the more advanced DirectX 12 feature level, allow it to handle modern workloads more efficiently. The 1070 also has a much higher TDP at 150 W compared to the 780M's 122 W, reflecting its greater power draw for substantially higher performance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M has a higher average benchmark score of 11,261, compared to the GeForce GTX 1070's 9,780. However, this is because the 780M's benchmark set includes only three Geekbench tests, while the 1070's set includes additional PassMark tests that lower its average.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1070 in Vulkan workloads?

A: In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the GTX 1070 scores 22,121 against the GTX 780M's 12,696, a delta of -42.6%. The 1070 is roughly 74% faster in this specific test.

Q: What are the memory capacities of these two GPUs?

A: The GTX 780M has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the GTX 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory. Both use a 256-bit memory bus.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The GTX 1070 has a transistor density of 22.9 million transistors per square millimeter, compared to the GTX 780M's 12.0 million per square millimeter. This is due to the 1070's more advanced 16 nm process versus the 780M's 28 nm process.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 1070 has a TDP of 150 W, while the GTX 780M has a TDP of 122 W. The 1070 consumes more power but delivers significantly higher performance.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to the GTX 780M in the database?

A: The GTX 780M's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200, which scores 11,228 (0.3% higher), and the AMD FirePro W4300, which scores 11,225 (0.3% higher). The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q and RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q are also close, both scoring 11,088 (1.6% lower).

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the GeForce GTX 1070 for any workload that demands raw performance. In every head-to-head benchmark, the 1070 wins by a margin ranging from 42.6% to 71.4%. The 1070's higher clock speeds, doubled transistor count, and newer architecture make it the superior choice for gaming, compute, and modern API workloads. The 8 GB memory capacity is double the 780M's 4 GB, and the 256.3 GB/s bandwidth is substantially higher, which matters for high-resolution textures and large datasets.

The GTX 780M is not without merit, however. Its average benchmark score of 11,261 is higher than the 1070's 9,780, and it sits at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, slightly above the 1070's 47th percentile. This suggests that in the specific Geekbench tests where it excels, it performs comparably to workstation cards like the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200. For users constrained by the MXM form factor, portable device power envelopes, or legacy software that does not benefit from Pascal's architectural improvements, the 780M remains a functional option. But the 1070's advantages in compute throughput, memory bandwidth, and API support make it the clear winner for nearly all modern use cases.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every major specification category. The 780M uses the GK104 chip on Kepler architecture, while the 1070 uses GP104 on Pascal. The process node is 28 nm for the 780M and 16 nm for the 1070, both from TSMC. Transistor counts are 3,540 million versus 7,200 million, and die sizes are 294 mm² versus 314 mm². Transistor density is 12.0M per mm² for the 780M and 22.9M per mm² for the 1070.

Clock speeds: the 780M runs at 771 MHz base and 797 MHz boost, while the 1070 runs at 1,506 MHz base and 1,683 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1,250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the 780M and 2,002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) for the 1070. Memory capacity is 4 GB versus 8 GB, both GDDR5 on 256-bit buses, with bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s versus 256.3 GB/s.

Shading units are 1,536 versus 1,920. TMUs are 128 versus 120. ROPs are 32 versus 64. Pixel rate is 25.50 GPixel/s versus 107.7 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 102.0 GTexel/s versus 202.0 GTexel/s. FP32 is 2.448 TFLOPS versus 6.463 TFLOPS. The 1070 also lists FP16 at 101.0 GFLOPS, which the 780M does not report.

TDP is 122 W for the 780M and 150 W for the 1070. The 780M uses an MXM Module slot with no power connectors, while the 1070 is a dual-slot card with 1x 8-pin power and a suggested PSU of 450 W. Bus interface is MXM-B (3.0) for the 780M and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the 1070. Display outputs are portable-device-dependent for the 780M, while the 1070 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The 1070 has dimensions of 267 mm length, 112 mm height, and 40 mm width, while the 780M lists no dimensions.

API support differs: DirectX 12 (11_0) for the 780M versus DirectX 12 (12_1) for the 1070. Vulkan is 1.2.175 for the 780M and 1.4 for the 1070. OpenGL is 4.6 for both. Release dates are May 2013 for the 780M and June 2016 for the 1070. The 1070 has a launch MSRP of 379 USD, while the 780M has no recorded MSRP.

Where Each One Wins

The GeForce GTX 1070 wins in all raw performance categories. It dominates the Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan tests, with its largest margin in OpenCL (71.4% faster) and its smallest in Vulkan (42.6% faster). Its higher pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s make it better suited for high-resolution rendering and texture-heavy workloads. The 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is more than double the 780M's 2.448 TFLOPS, making the 1070 the clear choice for general-purpose GPU compute, machine learning inference, and video encoding tasks. The 8 GB memory capacity and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth provide headroom for large assets and multi-tasking.

The GeForce GTX 780M wins in the context of its platform. It is an MXM module, designed for portable devices, which means it can fit in laptops where the 1070's dual-slot, 267 mm card cannot. Its lower TDP of 122 W (versus 150 W) makes it more suitable for systems with limited cooling and power delivery. The 780M's average benchmark score of 11,261 is higher than the 1070's 9,780, and it ranks at the 50th percentile versus the 1070's 47th, indicating that in its specific test suite, it outperforms a wide range of GPUs. Its nearest rivals are professional cards like the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200 and FirePro W4300, suggesting it holds its own in professional OpenCL and Metal workloads despite its age.

For users who need absolute performance, the 1070 is the only choice. For those restricted to MXM form factors or lower power budgets, the 780M remains a viable, if dated, option. The 1070s advantages in architecture, memory, and API support make it the superior GPU for any workload that can use them, while the 780M's strengths are confined to its niche mobile platform and specific compute tests.