NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 vs NVIDIA Quadro K2200 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro K2200 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 represent two distinct generations of GPU design, one aimed at professional workstations and the other at high-end consumer gaming. The data available for direct comparison is limited to two benchmark suites, but the results are decisive, revealing a significant performance gulf. The GTX 1070 wins both head-to-head tests, but a closer look at the specifications and the context of each card's standing among its peers provides a fuller picture of their respective strengths and positions.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison between the Quadro K2200 and the GTX 1070 is stark. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 1070 scores 44,700, which is a massive 74.4% higher than the Quadro K2200's score of 11,431. This is not a marginal victory; it is a complete rout. The GTX 1070 delivers nearly four times the raw compute performance in this workload, which is a strong indicator of its superiority in tasks that leverage general-purpose GPU computing.

The second test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows a similar but slightly less pronounced gap. The GTX 1070 scores 22,121, compared to the Quadro K2200's 10,090, resulting in a 54.4% lead for the GeForce card. While the margin is smaller than in OpenCL, it still represents a doubling of performance. This result confirms that the GTX 1070's advantage is not limited to a single API but extends to modern, low-level graphics interfaces as well.

The data shows the GTX 1070 is the clear winner in both available benchmarks, with wins in 2 out of 2 head-to-head tests. While the Quadro K2200 is not without merit in its own right, these specific numbers leave no room for interpretation regarding raw performance. The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score of 9,780 places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, while the Quadro K2200's average score of 10,761 puts it in the 49th percentile. This is a fascinating data point: despite losing the head-to-head tests so decisively, the K2200 has a higher average score and percentile ranking. This suggests that the GTX 1070's score is dragged down by other tests in its benchmark pool, or that the K2200 performs relatively better in a wider range of workloads not covered by the head-to-head comparison.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental differences between these two cards are rooted in their respective architectures and process technologies. The Quadro K2200 is built on the Maxwell architecture, utilizing the GM107 chip fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. In contrast, the GTX 1070 uses the Pascal architecture with the GP104 chip, manufactured on a more advanced 16 nm process, also by TSMC. This process node advantage is a major factor in the GTX 1070's performance lead, allowing for a much higher transistor count and density.

The transistor counts tell a story of scale. The K2200 has 1,870 million transistors on a die size of 148 mm², resulting in a density of 12.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 1070, however, packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, achieving a density of 22.9 million transistors per square millimeter. This nearly four-fold increase in transistor count and significantly higher density is the physical basis for the GTX 1070's superior compute capabilities.

The memory subsystems also differ substantially. The K2200 comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 80.19 GB/s. The GTX 1070 doubles the memory capacity to 8 GB and doubles the bus width to 256-bit, which, combined with faster memory clocks, yields a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. This is a critical advantage for the GTX 1070, as higher bandwidth is essential for feeding its many more processing cores. The core configurations are also vastly different. The K2200 has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster output units (ROPs). The GTX 1070 features 1,920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, representing a three to four-fold increase in every category.

The Verdict

From the data, the verdict is clear for raw performance: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the overwhelmingly more powerful card. Its victories in the Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan tests are not close, with leads of 74.4% and 54.4% respectively. The architectural advantages—more transistors, a newer process node, more cores, and vastly superior memory bandwidth—all contribute to this outcome. For any task that demands significant computational throughput, the GTX 1070 is the only choice based on these benchmarks.

The Quadro K2200, however, should not be dismissed entirely. Its higher average benchmark score and 49th percentile ranking compared to the GTX 1070's 47th percentile suggests it may hold its own in other, unlisted workloads. Its status as a professional card, with a lower power draw of 68 W compared to the GTX 1070's 150 W, might make it a more sensible option for systems with strict power or thermal constraints. The GTX 1070 also requires a more substantial power supply, with a suggested 450 W PSU versus the K2200's 250 W.

Ultimately, the choice hinges on the user's priorities. If the goal is maximum compute performance in the tested APIs, the GTX 1070 is the definitive winner. If the priority is efficiency and professional-grade positioning with a lower power envelope, the K2200 has its own appeal. The data supports the GTX 1070 for performance, but the K2200 presents a different, more power-conscious profile. There are no benchmark wins for the K2200 in the head-to-head data, so any argument for it must be based on its efficiency and overall average score.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher score in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 has a significantly higher score of 44,700, compared to the NVIDIA Quadro K2200's score of 11,431, which is a 74.4% lead for the GTX 1070.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the Geekbench Vulkan benchmark?

A: The GeForce GTX 1070 again wins, scoring 22,121 versus the Quadro K2200's 10,090. This represents a 54.4% performance advantage for the GTX 1070.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two cards?

A: The GeForce GTX 1070 has a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s, which is substantially higher than the Quadro K2200's 80.19 GB/s. This is due to a wider 256-bit bus and faster memory.

Q: What are the TDPs for each card?

A: The Quadro K2200 has a lower TDP of 68 W, while the GeForce GTX 1070 has a TDP of 150 W. The K2200 also requires no power connectors and suggests a 250 W PSU, while the GTX 1070 needs a single 8-pin connector and a 450 W PSU.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score and percentile ranking?

A: The Quadro K2200 has a higher average benchmark score of 10,761 and sits in the 49th percentile, while the GeForce GTX 1070 has an average score of 9,780 and sits in the 47th percentile. This is despite the GTX 1070 winning the head-to-head tests.

Q: What are the process nodes of the two GPUs?

A: The Quadro K2200 uses a 28 nm process, while the GeForce GTX 1070 uses a more advanced 16 nm process. Both are manufactured by TSMC.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the winner in raw performance. It secures victories in both the Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan tests, showcasing a dominant lead in general-purpose and graphics compute. Its higher core count (1,920 vs 640 shading units), greater memory capacity (8 GB vs 4 GB), and superior bandwidth (256.3 GB/s vs 80.19 GB/s) make it the clear choice for demanding applications like high-resolution gaming, 3D rendering, and complex simulations that can leverage its compute power.

The NVIDIA Quadro K2200, while losing the head-to-head, has its own areas of advantage. Its lower TDP of 68 W and lack of a power connector make it a more power-efficient solution that can fit into systems with less robust power delivery. Its higher average benchmark score (10,761 vs 9,780) and percentile ranking (49th vs 47th) suggest that in a broader range of tests, it may be more consistent. Its single-slot design and smaller physical footprint (202 mm vs 267 mm in length) could also be beneficial in space-constrained chassis. For users prioritizing power efficiency and a professional line of cards, the K2200 offers a viable alternative.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key specifications where the two NVIDIA cards differ.

| Specification | NVIDIA Quadro K2200 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Chip | GM107 | GP104 |

| Architecture | Maxwell | Pascal |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 16 nm |

| Transistors | 1,870 million | 7,200 million |

| Die Size | 148 mm² | 314 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1046 MHz | 1506 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1124 MHz | 1683 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 80.19 GB/s | 256.3 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 1920 |

| TMUs | 40 | 120 |

| ROPs | 16 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 17.98 GPixel/s | 107.7 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 44.96 GTexel/s | 202.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,438.7 GFLOPS | 6.463 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 68 W | 150 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | 450 W |

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

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 2x DisplayPort 1.2 | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

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

| Release Date | 2014-07-21 | 2016-06-09 |

| Launch MSRP | Not available | 379 USD |