NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 vs NVIDIA Quadro P5000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a decisive overall victory for the NVIDIA Quadro P5000, which secures 8 wins out of the 10 recorded head-to-head tests. The most dramatic difference appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the Quadro P5000 scores 1330 against the GeForce GTX 970's 369, a 260.4% advantage. This is the single largest performance gap in the entire comparison, indicating that the Quadro's architecture is substantially more capable in modern, DirectX 12 workloads that stress raw compute and memory throughput.

The Quadro P5000 also dominates in compute-oriented benchmarks. In Geekbench OpenCL, it records 52509 points versus 29982 for the GTX 970, a 75.1% lead. PassMark GPU Compute shows a similar trend, with the Quadro scoring 6508 compared to 4073, a 59.8% advantage. These results align with the expectation that a workstation-oriented card would excel in general-purpose compute tasks, which often rely heavily on shading units and memory bandwidth.

In DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 legacy tests, the Quadro P5000 maintains clear superiority. PassMark DirectX 10 shows 77 versus 46, a 67.4% lead, while PassMark DirectX 11 records 102 versus 71, a 43.7% advantage. Even in DirectX 9, the oldest API tested, the Quadro leads 170 to 143, an 18.9% margin. The PassMark G3D score, which aggregates overall 3D rendering performance, also favors the Quadro at 12634 versus 9638, a 31.1% lead.

However, the GeForce GTX 970 does secure two notable wins. The most striking is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the GTX 970 scores 20005 against the Quadro's 6342, a 68.3% deficit for the Quadro. This is a substantial reversal, suggesting that the GTX 970's Maxwell architecture has a particular strength in Vulkan workloads that the Pascal-based Quadro does not match. The other GTX 970 victory comes in PassMark G2D, a 2D graphics test, where it scores 764 versus 674, an 11.8% lead. This indicates better raw 2D rasterization performance, which may be relevant for desktop and productivity tasks.

The PassMark DirectX 12 test is the closest contest, with the Quadro P5000 scoring 44 versus 41, a modest 7.3% lead. This narrow margin suggests that in some modern API scenarios, the two cards are far more evenly matched than the 3DMark result implies.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct architectural generations from NVIDIA. The Quadro P5000 is built on the Pascal architecture using the GP104 chip, manufactured on a 16 nm process at TSMC. The GeForce GTX 970 uses the older Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM204 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. This process node difference is significant, as the 16 nm node allows for much higher transistor density. The Quadro P5000 packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, resulting in a density of 22.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 970, by contrast, has 5,200 million transistors spread across a larger 398 mm² die, yielding a density of just 13.1 million per square millimeter.

The shading resources differ substantially. The Quadro P5000 features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The GTX 970 has 1664 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 56 ROPs. These raw resource counts explain much of the Quadro's advantage in texturing and pixel throughput. The Quadro delivers 277.3 GTexel/s texture rate and 110.9 GPixel/s pixel rate, while the GTX 970 manages 122.5 GTexel/s and 65.97 GPixel/s respectively.

Memory configuration is another major divergence. The Quadro P5000 comes with 16 GB of GDDR5X memory, while the GTX 970 has 4 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 256 bit memory bus, but the Quadro's GDDR5X modules run at 1127 MHz with 9 Gbps effective speed, producing 288.5 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 970's GDDR5 memory runs at 1753 MHz with 7 Gbps effective speed, yielding 224.4 GB/s. The Quadro's bandwidth advantage of roughly 28.6% is notable, but the capacity difference is far more dramatic, with the Quadro offering four times the memory.

Clock speeds also differ, with the Quadro P5000 running at a base clock of 1607 MHz and boost of 1733 MHz. The GTX 970 has a base clock of 1050 MHz and boost of 1178 MHz. These higher clocks, combined with the larger shading unit count, produce a substantial FP32 throughput difference: 8.873 TFLOPS for the Quadro versus 3.920 TFLOPS for the GTX 970, a 126.4% advantage. The Quadro also lists FP16 performance at 138.6 GFLOPS with a 1:64 ratio, while the GTX 970 has no recorded FP16 specification.

Power requirements differ as well. The Quadro P5000 has a TDP of 180 W with a single 8-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 450 W. The GTX 970 is more power-efficient in absolute terms, with a TDP of 148 W, dual 6-pin connectors, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. Both cards are dual-slot designs with identical dimensions of 267 mm length and 111 mm height, though the GTX 970 also lists a width of 40 mm.

Display outputs differ in configuration. The Quadro P5000 offers 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 970 provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2. The Quadro's DisplayPort 1.4a support is newer than the GTX 970's DisplayPort 1.2.

The Verdict

The recorded data makes a clear case for the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 as the superior performer in most scenarios. Its 260.4% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 75.1% lead in OpenCL, and 59.8% lead in compute benchmarks demonstrate a card that is fundamentally more capable in demanding workloads. The Quadro also wins the aggregate PassMark G3D test by 31.1%, which is a strong indicator of overall 3D rendering performance.

The GeForce GTX 970's wins should not be dismissed. Its 68.3% advantage in Geekbench Vulkan is substantial and suggests that for Vulkan-specific applications, the GTX 970 may actually be the better choice. The 11.8% lead in PassMark G2D also indicates an edge in 2D tasks, which could matter for desktop use or certain professional applications.

The Quadro P5000's 41st percentile ranking among all GPUs, compared to the GTX 970's 39th percentile, shows that both cards sit in a similar overall tier despite the Quadro's higher average benchmark score of 8039 versus 7157. The nearest rivals in the database for the Quadro include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (8040 average score, 0% delta), while the GTX 970's closest rival is the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (7170 average score, -0.2% delta).

For users prioritizing compute performance, modern API workloads, or memory capacity, the Quadro P5000 is the clear choice based on the data. For Vulkan-specific tasks or 2D-heavy workflows, the GTX 970's benchmark wins make it a viable alternative. The Quadro's 16 GB memory capacity versus 4 GB is a decisive factor for large datasets, though the GTX 970's lower power draw may be advantageous in constrained systems.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge across nearly every major specification category:

• Chip and Architecture: Quadro P5000 uses GP104 on Pascal; GTX 970 uses GM204 on Maxwell 2.0
• Process Node: 16 nm versus 28 nm
• Transistors: 7,200 million versus 5,200 million
• Die Size: 314 mm² versus 398 mm²
• Transistor Density: 22.9M per mm² versus 13.1M per mm²
• Base Clock: 1607 MHz versus 1050 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1733 MHz versus 1178 MHz
• Memory Speed: 1127 MHz (9 Gbps effective) versus 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective)
• Memory Size: 16 GB versus 4 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR5X versus GDDR5
• Memory Bandwidth: 288.5 GB/s versus 224.4 GB/s
• Shading Units: 2560 versus 1664
• TMUs: 160 versus 104
• ROPs: 64 versus 56
• Pixel Rate: 110.9 GPixel/s versus 65.97 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 277.3 GTexel/s versus 122.5 GTexel/s
• FP32 Performance: 8.873 TFLOPS versus 3.920 TFLOPS
• FP16 Performance: 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64) versus not specified
• TDP: 180 W versus 148 W
• Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin versus 2x 6-pin
• Suggested PSU: 450 W versus 300 W
• Display Outputs: 1x DVI, 4x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2
• Width: Not specified versus 40 mm
• Release Date: 2016-09-30 versus 2014-09-18
• Predecessor: Quadro Maxwell versus GeForce 700
• Successor: Quadro Volta versus GeForce 10

FAQ

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro P5000 has 288.5 GB/s bandwidth, which is 28.6% higher than the GeForce GTX 970's 224.4 GB/s.

Q: Does the GeForce GTX 970 win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the GTX 970 wins two tests: Geekbench Vulkan (20005 versus 6342, a 68.3% advantage) and PassMark G2D (764 versus 674, an 11.8% advantage).

Q: What is the FP32 performance difference?

A: The Quadro P5000 delivers 8.873 TFLOPS, which is 126.4% higher than the GTX 970's 3.920 TFLOPS.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The Quadro P5000 has 22.9 million transistors per mm², compared to the GTX 970's 13.1 million per mm².

Q: Are both cards the same physical size?

A: Both cards are 267 mm long and 111 mm high, but the GTX 970 also specifies a width of 40 mm while the Quadro P5000's width is not listed.

Q: Which card supports newer display outputs?

A: The Quadro P5000 supports DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 970 supports DisplayPort 1.2. The Quadro provides 4 DisplayPort outputs versus 3 on the GTX 970.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro P5000 wins in the majority of benchmark categories. Its most significant victories come in modern API tests, with the 260.4% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 being the standout result. The Quadro also dominates in compute workloads, as shown by the 75.1% OpenCL advantage and 59.8% compute lead. Legacy DirectX performance is consistently stronger, with leads ranging from 18.9% in DirectX 9 to 67.4% in DirectX 10. The 31.1% G3D advantage confirms that the Quadro is the better overall 3D performer.

The Quadro's 16 GB memory capacity, 288.5 GB/s bandwidth, and 8.873 TFLOPS FP32 throughput make it well-suited for large-scale compute tasks, high-resolution texture workloads, and professional rendering scenarios. Its 180 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate it requires more substantial power delivery, but the performance gains justify this for demanding applications.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 wins in two specific areas. The 68.3% Vulkan advantage suggests that for Vulkan-based games or applications, the GTX 970 may provide better performance despite its older architecture. The 11.8% G2D lead indicates stronger 2D rasterization, which could benefit desktop productivity or applications that rely heavily on 2D graphics acceleration.

The GTX 970's 148 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU make it a more power-efficient option in absolute terms. Its 4 GB memory may be sufficient for older titles or less demanding workloads, but the database records show it trails the Quadro in the vast majority of tests. The GTX 970's nearest rivals in the database, such as the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 with a -0.2% delta, highlight that it sits in a different performance class than the Quadro, whose closest rival is the GeForce GTX 880M.

For users choosing between these two cards, the decision hinges on workload priorities. The Quadro P5000 is the clear winner for compute-intensive tasks, modern API performance, and memory-heavy applications. The GTX 970's Vulkan and 2D advantages make it a niche option for those specific scenarios, but the overall benchmark record favors the Quadro P5000 by a substantial margin.