NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile Comparison

The GeForce GTX 780 Ti and the GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile represent two distinct eras of NVIDIA engineering, separated by a decade of architectural evolution. The data shows a decisive generational shift: the RTX 5060 Mobile dominates in raw compute benchmarks, while the GTX 780 Ti, despite its age, remains a surprisingly competitive desktop part in average scoring. This analysis compares their benchmark results, architectural foundations, and practical use-case scenarios based strictly on the provided specifications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison is limited to two compute-centric tests, and the results are unambiguous. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 5060 Mobile scores 96,969 against the GTX 780 Ti's 27,326. This translates to a delta of -71.8% for the older card, meaning the RTX 5060 Mobile is roughly 3.5 times faster in this workload. The Geekbench Vulkan test shows an identical pattern: 96,451 for the RTX 5060 Mobile versus 27,238 for the GTX 780 Ti, again a -71.8% delta. These are not marginal gains; they represent a fundamental leap in compute throughput.

However, the broader benchmark picture is more nuanced. The GTX 780 Ti holds an average benchmark score of 24,236, which places it in the 70th percentile of all GPUs. This is actually higher than the RTX 5060 Mobile's average of 22,435 (67th percentile). The discrepancy arises because the average scores are drawn from different test suites. The GTX 780 Ti’s average is composed solely of Geekbench Metal (18,144), OpenCL (27,326), and Vulkan (27,238) scores. The RTX 5060 Mobile’s average includes a much broader set of tests, including Passmark DirectX 9 (203), DirectX 10 (119), DirectX 11 (168), DirectX 12 (87), G2D (876), G3D (18,852), and GPU Compute (7,607), along with its two dominant Geekbench scores. The RTX 5060 Mobile’s overall average is dragged down by the low Passmark scores, which are likely measured under different driver or workload conditions.

Looking at nearest rivals, the GTX 780 Ti sits within a tight cluster. It is 0.2% behind the GTX 1630 (24,277) and 0.3% ahead of the RTX 2080 SUPER (24,170), with the RX 6800S (24,063) and RX 6600 XT (24,442) also within a 1% band. This suggests that in the aggregate, the GTX 780 Ti’s compute capabilities are still competitive with much newer mid-range and high-end cards from the past few years. The RTX 5060 Mobile, meanwhile, is 1.3% behind the RTX 4060 Mobile (22,729) and 0.5% behind the RX 7700 XT (22,549), while sitting 1.2-1.3% ahead of the RX 5700 (22,170) and RX 6700S (22,154). This positions the mobile chip as a solid mid-range performer, but not a top-tier outlier.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast, reflecting over a decade of process and design innovation. The GTX 780 Ti uses the GK110B chip on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 7,080 million transistors packed into a 561 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 12.6M per mm². In contrast, the RTX 5060 Mobile uses the GB206 chip built on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC, with 21,900 million transistors in a much smaller 181 mm² die. That translates to a density of 121.0M per mm² — roughly ten times higher. The smaller die with triple the transistor count confirms process scaling.

Memory configurations also differ sharply. The GTX 780 Ti features 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 336.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5060 Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus, but achieves a higher 384.0 GB/s bandwidth thanks to faster memory clocks. The newer card’s smaller bus width is compensated by the much higher effective memory speed of GDDR7.

The compute core counts tell a story of shifting priorities. The GTX 780 Ti has 2,880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 5060 Mobile has 3,328 shading units, but only 104 TMUs and 48 ROPs. Despite having more shaders, the RTX 5060 Mobile’s texture rate is lower at 151.3 GTexel/s versus 222.7 GTexel/s for the GTX 780 Ti. However, the RTX 5060 Mobile’s FP32 throughput is 9.684 TFLOPS, nearly double the GTX 780 Ti’s 5.345 TFLOPS. The RTX 5060 Mobile also adds dedicated hardware: 26 RT cores and 104 tensor cores, which the GTX 780 Ti lacks entirely.

The feature set is another major divider. The GTX 780 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The RTX 5060 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The newer card also has a much lower TDP of 45 W versus 250 W for the GTX 780 Ti, and it requires no power connectors, being an integrated GPU (IGP) for laptops. The GTX 780 Ti is a dual-slot desktop card needing a 600 W PSU and 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connectors. The RTX 5060 Mobile uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the GTX 780 Ti is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5060 Mobile wins decisively in compute-heavy workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are nearly identical to each other (96,969 and 96,451), indicating strong, balanced compute performance across APIs. This makes it the clear choice for tasks like machine learning inference, GPU-accelerated rendering, and any workload that can leverage its FP32 throughput of 9.684 TFLOPS. Its FP16 performance is also 9.684 TFLOPS (1:1), which is crucial for AI applications that use half-precision arithmetic. The presence of 104 tensor cores further enhances its suitability for AI and deep learning tasks, a capability the GTX 780 Ti simply does not have.

The GTX 780 Ti, while losing the compute battle, still holds its own in specific legacy scenarios. Its 222.7 GTexel/s texture fill rate is substantially higher than the RTX 5060 Mobile's 151.3 GTexel/s. This suggests that in older DirectX 9 or DirectX 11 games that are texture-bound and do not use modern compute shaders, the GTX 780 Ti could outperform the newer mobile chip. Its 55.68 GPixel/s pixel rate is lower than the RTX 5060 Mobile's 69.84 GPixel/s, so it loses in pure pixel-pushing, but the texture advantage is notable.

Another area where the GTX 780 Ti wins is in its average benchmark score. Its 24,236 average is higher than the RTX 5060 Mobile's 22,435, and its 70th percentile ranking is better than the 67th percentile of the newer card. This is partly a function of the test suites used, but it also indicates that the GTX 780 Ti is a very capable card for its era. In terms of nearest rivals, the GTX 780 Ti is competitive with the RTX 2080 SUPER, a much newer high-end desktop card, while the RTX 5060 Mobile is closer to the RX 5700 and RTX 4060 Mobile.

The Verdict

From the data, the choice is clear for users prioritizing modern compute performance: the RTX 5060 Mobile is the superior GPU. Its 71.8% lead in both Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan is a massive margin. The new card offers double the FP32 throughput, dedicated RT and tensor cores, and a far more memory-efficient design. Its 45 W TDP versus 250 W also makes it vastly more power-efficient, a critical factor in mobile form factors. The 8 GB GDDR7 memory is also double the capacity of the GTX 780 Ti's 3 GB, which is essential for modern game textures and datasets.

However, the GTX 780 Ti is not obsolete in every context. Its higher texture fill rate gives it an edge in specific legacy workloads, and its average benchmark score is actually higher than the RTX 5060 Mobile's. For users running older software that favors raw texture throughput, or for those who need a desktop card with a 384-bit memory bus, the GTX 780 Ti remains a functional option. Its 70th percentile ranking shows it still outperforms a significant portion of the GPU market. The RTX 5060 Mobile, despite its lower percentile, is the future-proof choice due to its architectural features and API support.

The verdict is straightforward: the RTX 5060 Mobile is the benchmark champion in compute, while the GTX 780 Ti retains niche strengths in texture-bound scenarios and overall average score. The RTX 5060 Mobile is the recommended pick for gaming, AI, and modern workloads. The GTX 780 Ti is only advisable for specialized legacy use cases where its texture rate is an advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile is significantly faster, scoring 96,969 versus the GTX 780 Ti's 27,326, a delta of -71.8% for the older card.

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

A: The GTX 780 Ti has an average score of 24,236, while the RTX 5060 Mobile has an average score of 22,435.

Q: Does the RTX 5060 Mobile support ray tracing?

A: Yes, it features 26 RT cores. The GTX 780 Ti has no RT cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile has a higher bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s, compared to the GTX 780 Ti's 336.6 GB/s.

Q: How do their transistor densities compare?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile has a density of 121.0M per mm², roughly ten times higher than the GTX 780 Ti's 12.6M per mm².

Q: Which GPU has a higher texture fill rate?

A: The GTX 780 Ti has a higher texture rate of 222.7 GTexel/s, whereas the RTX 5060 Mobile achieves 151.3 GTexel/s.