NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 in the single available head-to-head test, the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark. The GTX 770 scores 15707 points against the GTX 570's 13515 points, a decisive 16.2% advantage. This places the GTX 770 in a higher overall performance bracket, with an average benchmark score of 14747 compared to 13515 for the GTX 570. The GTX 770 also holds a higher percentile rank among all GPUs, sitting at the 57th percentile versus the GTX 570's 54th percentile.

From the data, the GTX 770 is the superior choice for any user prioritizing raw compute and graphics performance. Its wins are consistent across architecture, memory bandwidth, and processing power. The GTX 570, while being a capable card in its own right, is clearly a previous-generation product that the GTX 770 surpasses. For a user with a workload that is heavily dependent on OpenCL compute performance, the GTX 770 is the only logical pick based on the numbers. The GTX 570's only advantage is its lower launch MSRP of 349 USD, but it offers no performance wins in the provided data to justify choosing it over its successor. Therefore, the verdict is straightforward: the GTX 770 is the clear winner for performance, while the GTX 570 represents an older, less performant option.

Architecture Differences

The two graphics cards are built on fundamentally different architectures, which explains their performance disparity. The GTX 770 is based on the Kepler architecture, utilizing the GK104 chip, while the GTX 570 is based on the older Fermi 2.0 architecture, using the GF110 chip. This generational shift is reflected in their manufacturing processes. The GTX 770 is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, whereas the GTX 570 uses a larger 40 nm process. This node difference is a primary driver of efficiency and performance gains, allowing the GTX 770 to pack more transistors into a smaller space. Specifically, the GTX 770 contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.0M / mm². In contrast, the GTX 570 has 3,000 million transistors spread across a much larger 520 mm² die, yielding a lower density of 5.8M / mm².

The compute core configurations also differ significantly. The GTX 770 is equipped with 1536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster output units (ROPs). The GTX 570, by comparison, has only 480 shading units, 60 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. This means the GTX 770 has over three times the shading units and more than double the TMUs, though it has fewer ROPs. The feature sets also reflect their respective generations. The GTX 770 supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 570 has no Vulkan support listed. Both cards support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 770 also features a newer bus interface, PCIe 3.0 x16, compared to the GTX 570's PCIe 2.0 x16.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is a decisive win for the GTX 770. The GTX 770 scores 15707, while the GTX 570 scores 13515. This translates to a 16.2% performance delta in favor of the GTX 770. This is a substantial margin that indicates a significant generational leap in compute performance. The OpenCL benchmark is a strong indicator of general-purpose compute capability, which is relevant for tasks like video encoding, physics simulations, and some forms of rendering. The GTX 770's victory here is not marginal; it is a clear and substantial lead.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the GTX 770's average benchmark score of 14747 is significantly higher than the GTX 570's 13515. The GTX 770 also has a higher percentile ranking, at 57, compared to the GTX 570's 54. The GTX 770's nearest rival data shows it is competitive with cards like the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, with a score difference of just 0.4%. In contrast, the GTX 570's closest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, with a negligible 0.2% difference. This comparison underscores that the GTX 770 is positioned in a higher performance tier than the GTX 570, and its 16.2% lead in the head-to-head test is the most direct evidence of that gap.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for the GTX 770 and GTX 570 differ across nearly every major component. The most critical differences are in the memory subsystem and processing cores. The GTX 770 features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 224.4 GB/s. The GTX 570 has 1280 MB of GDDR5 memory on a wider 320-bit bus, but its bandwidth is lower at 152.0 GB/s. The GTX 770's memory clock is also faster, running at 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) compared to the GTX 570's 950 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective). The GTX 770's higher memory bandwidth is a key factor in its superior performance.

The processing power differences are equally stark. The GTX 770 has a pixel rate of 34.72 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 138.9 GTexel/s, while the GTX 570 is rated at 21.96 GPixel/s and 43.92 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 3.333 TFLOPS for the GTX 770 versus 1,405.4 GFLOPS for the GTX 570. The GTX 770 also has a higher TDP of 230 W compared to the GTX 570's 219 W, and it requires a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector setup versus the GTX 570's 2x 6-pin. The GTX 770 offers more display outputs, including a DisplayPort 1.2, while the GTX 570 has a mini-HDMI 1.3a. The GTX 770 is also a newer product, released on 2013-05-29, while the GTX 570 was released on 2010-12-06.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the head-to-head benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 is faster, winning the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 15707 compared to the GTX 570's 13515, a 16.2% difference.

Q: What are the key architectural differences between the two cards?

A: The GTX 770 uses the Kepler architecture on a 28 nm process with 1536 shading units, while the GTX 570 uses the older Fermi 2.0 architecture on a 40 nm process with 480 shading units.

Q: Does the GTX 570 have a larger memory bus width?

A: Yes, the GTX 570 has a 320-bit memory bus, which is wider than the GTX 770's 256-bit bus. However, the GTX 770 has higher overall memory bandwidth (224.4 GB/s vs 152.0 GB/s) due to faster memory clocks.

Q: Which card has a higher overall benchmark score?

A: The GTX 770 has a higher average benchmark score of 14747, while the GTX 570 has an average score of 13515.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for each card?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 has a launch MSRP of 399 USD, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 has a launch MSRP of 349 USD.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the GTX 570 wins?

A: No. In the provided data, the GTX 770 wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and the GTX 570 has zero wins.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 wins in every measurable performance category. It is the clear choice for any application that benefits from high compute throughput, as evidenced by its 16.2% lead in the OpenCL benchmark. Its superior specification sheet, including higher FP32 performance (3.333 TFLOPS vs 1,405.4 GFLOPS), higher texture fill rate (138.9 GTexel/s vs 43.92 GTexel/s), and higher memory bandwidth (224.4 GB/s vs 152.0 GB/s), makes it the dominant card for gaming, content creation, and any GPU-accelerated workload. The GTX 770's higher average benchmark score and percentile ranking confirm its position in a higher performance tier.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 does not have a single performance win in the data. Its only distinction is its lower launch MSRP of 349 USD, which was 50 USD less than the GTX 770's launch MSRP of 399 USD. However, this price difference does not translate into a performance advantage. For users considering the GTX 570 based on its lower initial cost, the data shows that the GTX 770 offers a substantial performance increase for the additional investment. In terms of use-case, the GTX 770 is the only card suited for modern, demanding workloads. The GTX 570, with its lower compute performance and older architecture, would be relegated to less intensive tasks. Therefore, the GTX 770 is the definitive winner for all performance-oriented use cases.