NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 vs NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 leads with an average benchmark score of 9780, while the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 trails at 9665. Both cards sit at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, placing them in the same performance tier overall.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the most demanding modern API test?

A: In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Quadro P4000 scores 1115 versus the GTX 1070's 1082, a 3% margin in favor of the Quadro. This is the closest head-to-head result between the two, with the Quadro narrowly ahead.

Q: Which card wins in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The GTX 1070 dominates OpenCL, scoring 44700 compared to the Quadro P4000's 36212. That represents a 23.4% advantage for the GeForce card, the largest single-test win in the entire comparison.

Q: Is the Quadro P4000 faster in Vulkan?

A: Yes, decisively. The Quadro P4000 scores 41786 in Geekbench Vulkan versus the GTX 1070's 22121, a 47.1% lead. This is the biggest margin of victory for either card across all benchmark tests.

Q: How do the two cards compare in DirectX legacy tests?

A: The GTX 1070 wins every DirectX test: 24.2% in DX10, 16.3% in DX11, 20% in DX12, and 8.8% in DX9. The Quadro P4000's sole wins come in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and Geekbench Vulkan.

Q: What are the physical differences in power and size?

A: The GTX 1070 has a 150 W TDP and requires a dual-slot cooler with a 1x 8-pin power connector, while the Quadro P4000 draws 105 W and fits in a single slot with a 1x 6-pin connector. The GTX 1070 is also longer at 267 mm versus 241 mm for the Quadro.

Where Each One Wins

The data splits cleanly along API and workload lines. The GTX 1070 claims 8 of 10 head-to-head benchmark wins, establishing itself as the stronger all-around performer in most legacy and current-generation workloads. Its OpenCL margin of 23.4% and PassMark GPU Compute lead of 24.2% show that raw compute throughput favors the GeForce card significantly.

The Quadro P4000's two victories are concentrated in specific modern-API scenarios. Its 3% edge in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (1115 vs 1082) is narrow but real, and its 47.1% blowout in Geekbench Vulkan (41786 vs 22121) is the single most lopsided result in the entire comparison. For users whose primary workload leverages Vulkan, the Quadro is the clear choice.

DirectX performance tells a one-sided story. The GTX 1070 leads by 8.8% in DX9, 16.3% in DX11, 20% in DX12, and 24.2% in DX10. The PassMark G3D score reinforces this, with the GTX 1070 at 13498 versus 11466 for the Quadro, a 17.7% advantage. The GeForce card is also ahead in 2D workloads (846 vs 786, a 7.6% edge), which matters for desktop and productivity tasks.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the same fundamental architecture: NVIDIA's Pascal design built on TSMC's 16 nm process, using the GP104 chip. Both pack 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.9 million per square millimeter. They also share the same 256-bit memory bus and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory.

The key architectural difference lies in the compute configuration. The GTX 1070 enables 1920 shading units and 120 texture mapping units, while the Quadro P4000 ships with 1792 shading units and 112 TMUs. Both retain 64 ROPs. This 128-shader-unit and 8-TMU deficit for the Quadro directly explains its lower peak throughput figures.

Clock speeds amplify the gap. The GTX 1070 runs at a 1506 MHz base clock and boosts to 1683 MHz, while the Quadro P4000 is clocked lower at 1202 MHz base and 1480 MHz boost. Memory clocks differ too: the GTX 1070 operates at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) versus 1901 MHz (7.6 Gbps effective) for the Quadro. Neither card features ray tracing or tensor cores, as both predate those architectures.

The practical results of these differences: the GTX 1070 achieves 6.463 TFLOPS FP32, 202.0 GTexel/s texture rate, and 107.7 GPixel/s pixel rate. The Quadro P4000 manages 5.304 TFLOPS FP32, 165.8 GTexel/s, and 94.72 GPixel/s. The GeForce card is roughly 18-22% ahead across these raw throughput metrics, consistent with its benchmark wins.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 | NVIDIA Quadro P4000 |

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

| Base clock | 1506 MHz | 1202 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1683 MHz | 1480 MHz |

| Memory clock | 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) | 1901 MHz (7.6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory bandwidth | 256.3 GB/s | 243.3 GB/s |

| Shading units | 1920 | 1792 |

| TMUs | 120 | 112 |

| Pixel rate | 107.7 GPixel/s | 94.72 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 202.0 GTexel/s | 165.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 6.463 TFLOPS | 5.304 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 101.0 GFLOPS | 82.88 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 150 W | 105 W |

| Slot width | Dual-slot | Single-slot |

| Power connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 300 W |

| Display outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Dimensions | 267 mm x 112 mm x 40 mm | 241 mm x 111 mm |

| Release date | 2016-06-09 | 2017-02-05 |

| Launch MSRP | 379 USD | 815 USD |

The GTX 1070 is newer by roughly eight months, yet carries a lower launch MSRP. The Quadro P4000 compensates with a single-slot form factor, lower power draw, and four DisplayPort outputs versus the GTX 1070's mixed output set. Both cards share the same 8 GB GDDR5 capacity, 256-bit bus, PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, DirectX 12 (12_1) support, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench Vulkan result is the story's outlier. The Quadro P4000's 41786 score nearly doubles the GTX 1070's 22121, a 47.1% gap that dwarfs every other delta in the comparison. This suggests the Quadro's driver stack or hardware configuration is substantially better optimized for Vulkan workloads, despite its lower raw compute specifications.

The GTX 1070 answers with a 23.4% win in Geekbench OpenCL (44700 vs 36212) and a matching 24.2% win in PassMark GPU Compute (6102 vs 4913). These two results confirm that when the workload uses general-purpose compute APIs, the GeForce card's higher shader count and clock speeds translate directly into performance.

DirectX results all favor the GTX 1070, with margins ranging from modest to large. The DX10 test shows 82 vs 66 (24.2%), DX11 shows 100 vs 86 (16.3%), DX12 shows 48 vs 40 (20%), and DX9 shows 197 vs 181 (8.8%). The PassMark G3D aggregate puts the GTX 1070 at 13498 versus 11466, a 17.7% advantage that reflects the overall DirectX picture.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is the only modern-API result where the Quadro wins with a meaningful score, taking it 1115 to 1082 (3%). This narrow margin suggests that in this particular workload, the Quadro's architectural tuning offsets its clock speed disadvantage. PassMark G2D also goes to the GTX 1070 (846 vs 786, 7.6%), covering 2D acceleration.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the faster card in the majority of workloads, winning 8 of 10 head-to-head benchmark tests. Its advantages in DirectX performance (ranging from 8.8% to 24.2%), OpenCL compute (23.4%), and overall 3D performance (17.7% in PassMark G3D) make it the stronger choice for general-purpose graphics and compute tasks.

The NVIDIA Quadro P4000 is the pick only when Vulkan performance is the priority. Its 47.1% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is enormous and cannot be ignored for Vulkan-centric applications. The Quadro also edges out the GTX 1070 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 by 3%, though this margin is small enough to fall within normal benchmark variance.

For users weighing physical requirements, the Quadro P4000's single-slot design, 105 W TDP, and 300 W suggested PSU make it far easier to integrate into compact or multi-GPU systems. The GTX 1070 needs a dual-slot cooler, 150 W, and a 450 W PSU. The Quadro also offers four DisplayPort outputs versus the GTX 1070's mixed DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort configuration, which may matter for multi-display professional setups.

Given the GTX 1070's lower launch MSRP of 379 USD versus 815 USD for the Quadro P4000, the GeForce card delivers superior performance in nearly every benchmark category at a fraction of the nominal cost. The Quadro's only compelling advantages are its Vulkan dominance, compact form factor, lower power draw, and multi-DisplayPort output. Buyers should choose based on these specific factors rather than overall performance, where the GTX 1070 is the clear winner.