NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL. The results are decisive: the GTX 1080 scores 51,204 while the GTX 570 scores 13,515. That is a delta of -73.6% from the perspective of the GTX 570, meaning the GTX 1080 is roughly 3.8 times faster in this compute workload. In practical terms, this is a generational leap, not a marginal improvement.

Looking at the broader database context, the GTX 570's OpenCL score places it at the 54th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13,536, delta -0.2%), the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (13,543, delta -0.2%), and the NVIDIA P106-090 (13,470, delta +0.3%). The GTX 570 is essentially tied with these cards, trading blows within a single percentage point. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 sits slightly behind at 13,407, which is 0.8% slower than the GTX 570.

The GTX 1080, by contrast, holds a 51st percentile ranking overall. Its nearest rivals tell a different story. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A scores 11,998, which is 0.3% faster than the GTX 1080's average. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 11,842 (1% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 scores 11,680 (2.4% slower), and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT scores 11,627 (2.9% slower). The GTX 1080 sits at the top of this cluster, though the margins are small. The GTX 1080's average benchmark score across all tests is 11,960, which is dragged down by its weaker DirectX 9 and compute results relative to its strong OpenCL and Vulkan showings.

The head-to-head record is one win for the GTX 1080 and zero for the GTX 570. In the OpenCL test, the GTX 1080's 51,204 versus 13,515 is not close. To put that in perspective, the GTX 570's score is about 26% of the GTX 1080's score. That gap is consistent with a card from 2010 facing one from 2016. The GTX 1080 also posts strong results in other database tests: 30,398 in Geekbench Vulkan, 23,824 in Geekbench Metal, 15,586 in Passmark G3D, and 7,614 in Passmark GPU Compute. The GTX 570 has no comparable entries in those tests, so the database only offers the single OpenCL comparison.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural eras. The GTX 570 uses the GF110 chip, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 1080 uses the GP104 chip, built on the Pascal architecture, also at TSMC but on a 16 nm process. That process shrink is the single biggest enabler of the performance gap. The GTX 570 packs 3,000 million transistors into a 520 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 5.8 million per mm². The GTX 1080 fits 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, which is 22.9 million per mm². The GTX 1080 has more than double the transistors in a smaller physical area.

The memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The GTX 570 has 1,280 MB of GDDR5 on a 320-bit bus, with memory clocked at 950 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 152.0 GB/s. The GTX 1080 has 8 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, with memory at 1,251 MHz (10 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 320.3 GB/s. The GTX 1080 has over twice the bandwidth and 6.25 times the memory capacity. The bus width is narrower on the GTX 1080, but the faster memory type and clock more than compensate.

Compute resources scale dramatically. The GTX 570 has 480 shading units, 60 texture mapping units, and 40 ROPs. The GTX 1080 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Pixel rate goes from 21.96 GPixel/s to 110.9 GPixel/s, a 5x improvement. Texture rate goes from 43.92 GTexel/s to 277.3 GTexel/s, a 6.3x jump. FP32 compute rises from 1,405.4 GFLOPS to 8.873 TFLOPS, roughly 6.3x higher. The GTX 1080 also has FP16 capability at 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the GTX 570 has no listed FP16 support.

Power and connectivity differ as well. The GTX 570 has a 219 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, 2x 6-pin power connectors, and a 550 W suggested PSU. The GTX 1080 has a 180 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, 1x 8-pin connector, and a 450 W suggested PSU. Despite being far faster, the GTX 1080 draws less power. The GTX 570 uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the GTX 1080 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs: the GTX 570 has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a; the GTX 1080 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

API support also diverges. The GTX 570 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan listed. The GTX 1080 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 1080's higher DirectX feature level matters for modern titles.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The GTX 1080 wins the only direct benchmark by a 73.6% margin. It also offers more memory, higher bandwidth, more shaders, faster pixel and texture rates, and better API support. The GTX 570 is end-of-life and was replaced by the GeForce 600 series, while the GTX 1080's successor is the GeForce 20 series. If you are choosing between these two for any modern workload, the GTX 1080 is the only rational pick.

Who should pick the GTX 570? Only someone constrained by legacy software that specifically requires Fermi-era behavior, or a collector. The database shows it is competitive with cards like the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA P106-090, which are all low-end or mobile-class parts. That is the performance tier the GTX 570 sits in today. It is not a card for gaming, compute, or content creation in 2025.

Who should pick the GTX 1080? Anyone who needs a capable DirectX 12 (12_1) card with Vulkan 1.4 support, 8 GB of VRAM, and strong OpenCL compute. Its Passmark G3D score of 15,586 and Vulkan score of 30,398 indicate solid general-purpose graphics performance. The 51st percentile ranking means it sits in the middle of the database's GPU population, which is respectable for a card from 2016. It is a far better choice than the GTX 570 in every measured category.

Specification Differences

| Field | GTX 570 | GTX 1080 |

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

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | Pascal |

| Process node | 40 nm | 16 nm |

| Transistors | 3,000 million | 7,200 million |

| Die size | 520 mm² | 314 mm² |

| Transistor density | 5.8M / mm² | 22.9M / mm² |

| Base clock | Not listed | 1607 MHz |

| Boost clock | Not listed | 1733 MHz |

| Memory clock | 950 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective) | 1251 MHz (10 Gbps effective) |

| Memory size | 1280 MB | 8 GB |

| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR5X |

| Memory bus | 320 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 152.0 GB/s | 320.3 GB/s |

| Shading units | 480 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 60 | 160 |

| ROPs | 40 | 64 |

| Pixel rate | 21.96 GPixel/s | 110.9 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 43.92 GTexel/s | 277.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,405.4 GFLOPS | 8.873 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | Not listed | 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64) |

| TDP | 219 W | 180 W |

| Power connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

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

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

| Vulkan | Not listed | 1.4 |

| Release date | 2010-12-06 | 2016-05-26 |

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The GTX 1080 scores 51,204 versus 13,515 for the GTX 570, a 73.6% lead.

Q: Does the GTX 570 have more memory bandwidth than the GTX 1080?

A: No. The GTX 570 has 152.0 GB/s, while the GTX 1080 has 320.3 GB/s.

Q: Which card supports Vulkan?

A: The GTX 1080 supports Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 570 has no Vulkan support listed in the database.

Q: Is the GTX 1080 more power-hungry than the GTX 570?

A: No. The GTX 1080 has a 180 W TDP, while the GTX 570 has a 219 W TDP. The GTX 1080 also requires a lower suggested PSU (450 W vs 550 W).

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The GTX 570 has 1,280 MB, while the GTX 1080 has 8 GB, a 6.25x difference.

Q: How do they compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The GTX 570 is within 0.8% of the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, and NVIDIA P106-090. The GTX 1080 is within 2.9% of the GTX 960A, RX 6500 XT, GTX 1660, and RX 7800 XT, sitting near the top of that group.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1080 wins in every measurable category. The single head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, goes to the GTX 1080 by 73.6%. It also has higher pixel rate (110.9 vs 21.96 GPixel/s), higher texture rate (277.3 vs 43.92 GTexel/s), and higher FP32 throughput (8.873 TFLOPS vs 1,405.4 GFLOPS). For gaming, the GTX 1080's 8 GB VRAM and GDDR5X memory handle modern textures, while the GTX 570's 1,280 MB is a hard limitation. For content creation, the GTX 1080's OpenCL score of 51,204 is over 3.5 times the GTX 570's 13,515. For API compatibility, the GTX 1080's DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4 support future-proof it, while the GTX 570 is stuck at DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan.

The GTX 570 has no benchmark wins in the database. Its only advantage is historical context: it is the older card, from the GeForce 500 generation, and it was succeeded by the GeForce 600 series. Its nearest rivals are low-power or mobile parts like the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA P106-090, which shows its performance class today. The GTX 570 also has a wider memory bus (320-bit vs 256-bit), but that does not compensate for the GDDR5X speed advantage of the GTX 1080. The GTX 570's 2x 6-pin power connectors and 550 W PSU requirement are higher than the GTX 1080's 1x 8-pin and 450 W, so the older card is also less efficient.

In short, the GTX 570 is a card that belongs in a museum or a legacy system. The GTX 1080 is a card that can still handle modern workloads at reasonable settings. The database's percentile rankings confirm this: the GTX 570 sits at 54th percentile, the GTX 1080 at 51st, but those are global rankings. Within their own peer groups, the GTX 1080 leads its nearest rivals by up to 2.9%, while the GTX 570 is either tied or slightly behind its nearest rivals. The GTX 1080 is the clear pick for anyone who needs performance today.