NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M vs NVIDIA Quadro K1200 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two NVIDIA professional and consumer mobile parts into distinct roles. The GeForce GTX 870M claims the only head-to-head victory, and it does so with authority. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 870M scores 12,630 against the Quadro K1200's 8,831, a 43% advantage. That is the sole recorded direct comparison, and it defines the use-case split: the GTX 870M is the compute-oriented part, while the Quadro K1200 has no recorded benchmark win in the database.

The GTX 870M's average benchmark score of 9,959 places it in the 48th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals cluster tightly around it: the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M averages 10,013 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro K5100M averages 10,043 (0.8% higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M375 averages 10,070 (1.1% higher). The NVIDIA Quadro 6000 trails at 9,846, putting the GTX 870M 1.1% ahead. This is a GPU sitting in a crowded mid-range band where percentage differences are small, yet its raw OpenCL score shows it can pull away when the workload is compute-heavy.

The Quadro K1200, by contrast, averages 8,265 and sits in the 43rd percentile. Its nearest rivals also bunch together: the AMD Radeon R9 M375X averages 8,325 (0.7% higher), while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 averages 8,167 (1.2% lower), the GeForce GTX 950M averages 8,135 (1.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M360 averages 8,129 (1.7% lower). The K1200 is not a standout in raw compute, but its placement among these rivals suggests it occupies a different performance tier entirely, one where the GTX 870M's OpenCL result simply does not belong.

The practical split is straightforward: for OpenCL acceleration, the GTX 870M wins outright. For everything else, the database records no comparative benchmark, so the Quadro K1200's strengths must be inferred from its architecture and feature set rather than measured wins.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architectures and different design philosophies. The GTX 870M uses the GK104 chip built on the Kepler architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process. It packs 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million per mm². The Quadro K1200 uses the GM107 chip on the Maxwell architecture, also on a 28 nm process, but with 1,870 million transistors on a much smaller 148 mm² die, giving a slightly higher density of 12.6 million per mm². The K1200 is the newer design, released later, and it achieves more transistors per area despite having fewer total resources.

The core configurations diverge sharply. The GTX 870M has 1,344 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. The Quadro K1200 has only 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That is a 2.6x difference in shader count and a 3.5x difference in TMUs, explaining why the GTX 870M's compute throughput is so much higher. The GTX 870M's texture rate is 108.3 GTexel/s and its pixel rate is 27.08 GPixel/s, while the K1200 manages 33.06 GTexel/s and 16.53 GPixel/s respectively. The GTX 870M also delivers 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus the K1200's 1,057.8 GFLOPS.

Memory configurations also favor the GTX 870M in bandwidth but the K1200 in capacity. The GTX 870M has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, producing 120.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The K1200 has 4 GB on a 128-bit bus, yielding only 80.19 GB/s. Clock speeds are close: the GTX 870M runs at 941 MHz base and 967 MHz boost, while the K1200 runs at 954 MHz base and 1033 MHz boost. Memory clocks are nearly identical at 1250 MHz and 1253 MHz respectively, both 5 Gbps effective.

Power and physical design differ substantially. The GTX 870M is an MXM Module with a 100 W TDP and no power connectors, designed for portable devices with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." The K1200 is a single-slot card, 160 mm long and 69 mm tall, with a 45 W TDP, a suggested 200 W PSU, and four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The K1200 connects via PCIe 2.0 x16, while the GTX 870M uses MXM-B (3.0). The K1200 also supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 870M supports Vulkan 1.2.175; both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion for compute workloads: the GeForce GTX 870M is the stronger GPU. Its 43% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is decisive, and its average benchmark score of 9,959 versus 8,265 confirms that the GTX 870M operates in a higher performance class. The GTX 870M's 48th percentile ranking versus the K1200's 43rd percentile reinforces this gap, even if both sit in the middle of the overall GPU distribution.

However, the selection depends on the use case. The Quadro K1200 is a professional card with 4 GB of memory, four display outputs, and a 45 W TDP that makes it suitable for compact, low-power workstations. Its single-slot form factor, PCIe interface, and 200 W PSU suggestion indicate a desktop-oriented product for multi-monitor professional setups. The GTX 870M is a mobile module for laptops, with no fixed display outputs and a higher 100 W TDP, but it brings far more compute horsepower.

For users who need raw OpenCL performance, the GTX 870M is the only choice based on recorded benchmarks. For users who need a low-profile, multi-display professional card with more memory, the K1200 offers architectural advantages that the benchmark data does not capture, such as its 4 GB capacity and four mini-DisplayPort outputs. There is no recorded head-to-head win for the K1200, so any recommendation in its favor must rely on its feature set rather than measured performance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M scores 12,630 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA Quadro K1200 scores 8,831. The GTX 870M wins by 43%.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 870M has an average benchmark score of 9,959, placing it in the 48th percentile of all GPUs. The Quadro K1200 averages 8,265, placing it in the 43rd percentile.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The GTX 870M has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 120.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Quadro K1200 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 80.19 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more shading units and texture units?

A: The GTX 870M has 1,344 shading units and 112 TMUs. The Quadro K1200 has 512 shading units and 32 TMUs.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The GTX 870M has a 100 W TDP and uses an MXM Module form factor. The Quadro K1200 has a 45 W TDP and is a single-slot card with a suggested 200 W PSU.

Q: Which card supports more display outputs?

A: The Quadro K1200 supports four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The GTX 870M's display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they vary by the laptop manufacturer.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a decisive victory for the GeForce GTX 870M. The GTX 870M scores 12,630 against the Quadro K1200's 8,831, a 43% delta. This margin is substantial and consistent with the architectural differences: the GTX 870M has 1,344 shading units versus 512, 112 TMUs versus 32, and 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput versus 1,057.8 GFLOPS. The GTX 870M also has 120.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth versus 80.19 GB/s, a 50% advantage that further explains the OpenCL gap.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The GTX 870M's 9,959 average is 20.5% higher than the K1200's 8,265. In the percentile rankings, the GTX 870M sits at 48 versus the K1200's 43, a five-point gap that places them in different performance tiers. When comparing to their respective nearest rivals, the GTX 870M's closest competitor, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, is only 0.5% higher, while the Quadro K1200's closest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 M375X, is 0.7% higher. This shows the GTX 870M is competitive within a slightly higher performance band than the K1200.

The Quadro K1200 has no recorded wins in the head-to-head data. Its strengths are architectural: a smaller die (148 mm² versus 294 mm²), lower power draw (45 W versus 100 W), more memory (4 GB versus 3 GB), and a newer Vulkan version (1.4 versus 1.2.175). But in the only measured comparison, the GTX 870M is the clear winner, and the delta of 43% is too large to ignore for any compute-oriented use case. The data does not show any scenario where the K1200 outperforms the GTX 870M in a recorded benchmark.