NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 vs NVIDIA Tesla C2070 Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 and NVIDIA Tesla C2070 are both end-of-life NVIDIA products, but they serve entirely different purposes and come from different eras. The GTX 1080 is a Pascal-based consumer gaming card from 2016, while the Tesla C2070 is a Fermi-based professional compute card from 2011. The benchmark data shows a single shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, where the GTX 1080 scores 51,204 against the Tesla C2070’s 9,716, a 427% difference. This gap reflects the generational leap in architecture, memory technology, and compute throughput, but the Tesla C2070 still holds relevance in specific legacy compute workloads due to its design focus.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1080 wins the only head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 51,204 versus the Tesla C2070’s 9,716, a 427% advantage. This is a compute-oriented test, so the result indicates that the GTX 1080’s Pascal architecture delivers far higher raw parallel processing throughput than the older Fermi design. For any modern workload, from gaming to general-purpose GPU compute, the GTX 1080 is the clear performer.

The Tesla C2070, however, does not win any recorded benchmark against the GTX 1080. Its sole benchmark entry is the same Geekbench OpenCL test, where it scores 9,716. In the database’s overall percentile ranking, the Tesla C2070 sits at the 47th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 1080 sits at the 51st percentile. This means the Tesla C2070 is below average in the current database landscape, while the GTX 1080 is just above average. The Tesla C2070’s strength lies not in raw speed but in its original purpose: professional compute with error-correcting memory and a 384-bit bus, though these features do not translate to benchmark wins in the recorded data.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 1080 uses the GP104 chip built on a 16 nm process at TSMC, packing 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die. The Tesla C2070 uses the GF100 chip built on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC, with 3,100 million transistors on a much larger 529 mm² die. This is a fundamental generational difference: the GTX 1080’s 16 nm node allows for a transistor density of 22.9M per mm², while the Tesla C2070’s 40 nm node achieves only 5.9M per mm². The GTX 1080 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, versus the Tesla C2070’s 448 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 48 ROPs.

Memory architecture differs substantially. The GTX 1080 uses 8 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 320.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla C2070 uses 6 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 384-bit bus, but only achieves 143.4 GB/s due to lower memory clocks (747 MHz, 3 Gbps effective versus 1251 MHz, 10 Gbps effective). The GTX 1080 also supports newer APIs: DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the Tesla C2070 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 but has no Vulkan support. The GTX 1080 includes display outputs (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Tesla C2070 has only a single DVI output, reflecting its compute-only heritage.

Power and connectivity also differ. The GTX 1080 has a 180 W TDP with a single 8-pin power connector and a suggested 450 W PSU, while the Tesla C2070 has a 238 W TDP with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors and a suggested 550 W PSU. The GTX 1080 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Tesla C2070 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The GTX 1080 is physically longer at 267 mm versus the Tesla C2070’s 248 mm.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The GTX 1080. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 51,204 versus the Tesla C2070’s 9,716, a 427% advantage. The GTX 1080’s FP32 throughput is 8.873 TFLOPS against the Tesla C2070’s 1,027.7 GFLOPS.

Q: Does the Tesla C2070 have any advantage in memory bandwidth?

A: No. The Tesla C2070 has a wider 384-bit bus, but its GDDR5 memory runs at 747 MHz (3 Gbps effective), yielding 143.4 GB/s. The GTX 1080’s 256-bit GDDR5X at 1251 MHz (10 Gbps effective) delivers 320.3 GB/s, more than double the bandwidth.

Q: Are these cards compatible with the same PCIe slots?

A: No. The GTX 1080 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Tesla C2070 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. They are physically similar, but the older card cannot take advantage of the newer PCIe 3.0 bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The GTX 1080. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Tesla C2070 only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The GTX 1080 has an average benchmark score of 11,960, while the Tesla C2070 has an average of 9,716. The GTX 1080 is about 23% higher in this metric.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1080’s closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A, with an average score of 11,998, a -0.3% delta. The Tesla C2070’s closest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla M10, with an average score of 9,724, a -0.1% delta.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 | NVIDIA Tesla C2070 |

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

| Architecture | Pascal | Fermi |

| Process Node | 16 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 7,200 million | 3,100 million |

| Die Size | 314 mm² | 529 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 22.9M / mm² | 5.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1607 MHz | null |

| Boost Clock | 1733 MHz | null |

| Memory Clock | 1251 MHz, 10 Gbps effective | 747 MHz, 3 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 6 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5X | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 320.3 GB/s | 143.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 448 |

| TMUs | 160 | 56 |

| ROPs | 64 | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 110.9 GPixel/s | 16.07 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 277.3 GTexel/s | 32.14 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 8.873 TFLOPS | 1,027.7 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64) | null |

| TDP | 180 W | 238 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 550 W |

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

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

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

| Vulkan | 1.4 | null |

| Length | 267 mm | 248 mm |

| Release Date | 2016-05-26 | 2011-07-24 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 1080 scores 51,204, while the Tesla C2070 scores 9,716. The delta is 427%, meaning the GTX 1080 is more than five times faster in this compute workload. This is the largest gap in the database for these two cards and reflects the combined effect of architectural improvements: the GTX 1080 has 2,560 shading units versus 448, a 16 nm process versus 40 nm, and 320.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth versus 143.4 GB/s.

In terms of average benchmark scores, the GTX 1080 achieves 11,960, placing it at the 51st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the GTX 960A at 11,998 (-0.3%), meaning the GTX 1080 is effectively tied with that card. The Tesla C2070’s average score is 9,716, at the 47th percentile, with its nearest rival being the Tesla M10 at 9,724 (-0.1%). This shows that while the Tesla C2070 is slower than the GTX 1080, it is not an outlier in its own performance class; it sits within 1% of several other professional and consumer cards.

The GTX 1080’s wins are not limited to compute. Its pixel rate of 110.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 277.3 GTexel/s dwarf the Tesla C2070’s 16.07 GPixel/s and 32.14 GTexel/s. In any graphics-intensive task, the GTX 1080 will render frames and process textures at a far higher rate.

The Verdict

The GTX 1080 is the better card for virtually any workload measured in the database. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 427%, has a higher average score (11,960 versus 9,716), and supports modern APIs like Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1). Its 8 GB GDDR5X memory with 320.3 GB/s bandwidth is more than double the Tesla C2070’s bandwidth, and its 2,560 shading units provide massive parallel compute capability. For gaming, rendering, or general compute, the GTX 1080 is the clear choice, and its launch MSRP was 599 USD.

The Tesla C2070, however, has its place in legacy systems. It was designed for professional compute in 2011, and its 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, while slower, may still be required for specific older applications that expect Fermi architecture behavior. Its single DVI output and lack of Vulkan support make it unsuitable for modern gaming or display workloads. If you are building a new system, the GTX 1080 is the only rational pick from this pair. If you are maintaining an old compute node, the Tesla C2070’s 238 W TDP and dual power connectors (1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin) are considerations, but the performance data shows it is over five times slower in OpenCL compute.

Choose the GTX 1080 for performance, modern API support, and higher memory bandwidth. Choose the Tesla C2070 only if you have a specific legacy requirement for a Fermi-based compute accelerator with its exact 448 shading unit configuration. For everyone else, the benchmark data is unambiguous: the GTX 1080 is the superior product.