NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive sweep for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 across every benchmark in the comparison. The RTX 5070 Mobile does not claim a single win in the nine head-to-head tests. The largest margins appear in compute-oriented workloads, while the smallest gap is in 2D graphics.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 5090 scores 334,370 against the RTX 5070 Mobile's 122,238, a delta of -63.4% for the mobile part. The Vulkan test shows an even wider split: 376,728 versus 116,960, a -69% delta. These two results indicate that the desktop flagship delivers more than double the raw compute throughput in both API environments.

The Passmark suite reinforces the pattern. For DirectX 10, the RTX 5090 posts 226 versus 129, a -42.9% delta. DirectX 11 shows 341 versus 192, a -43.7% delta. DirectX 12 narrows slightly to 185 versus 93, a -49.7% delta. DirectX 9 produces 395 versus 214, a -45.8% delta. The 3D graphics test, Passmark G3D, records 39,650 for the RTX 5090 against 20,355 for the RTX 5070 Mobile, a -48.7% delta. The 2D test, Passmark G2D, shows 1,413 versus 896, the smallest relative gap at -36.6%.

Compute performance in Passmark GPU Compute follows the Vulkan pattern closely. The RTX 5090 reaches 26,756 while the RTX 5070 Mobile manages 8,279, a -69.1% delta. This is the largest single margin in the entire comparison.

Aggregate averages confirm the hierarchy. The RTX 5070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 29,928, placing it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 5090 averages 79,842, good for the 92nd percentile. The nearest rival for the mobile part is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti at 29,945, a -0.1% delta, meaning the two are statistically tied. The RTX 5070 Mobile also sits within 0.5% of the RTX 2080 Ti (29,783) and trails the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30,095) by -0.6% and the RX 6700 (30,433) by -1.7%. For the RTX 5090, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79,605, a 0.3% delta in favor of the RTX 5090, with the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 79,396 (0.6% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78,940 (1.1% delta) close behind. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X at 80,959 actually leads the RTX 5090 by -1.4% in that comparison.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly by workload class. The RTX 5090 wins every category, but the magnitude of its advantage varies. For general 2D desktop work, the -36.6% delta in Passmark G2D indicates a moderate but noticeable lead. For legacy DirectX 9 titles, the -45.8% delta shows a substantial gap. For modern DirectX 11 and 12 games, the deltas range from -43.7% to -49.7%, suggesting the RTX 5090 delivers roughly double the frame throughput in those APIs.

The compute-heavy tests tell a different story. OpenCL, Vulkan, and Passmark GPU Compute all show deltas near or above -69%. This means the RTX 5090 is not just faster in gaming; its advantage expands dramatically when the workload shifts to general-purpose compute, ray tracing, or machine learning tasks that leverage the tensor cores. The RTX 5070 Mobile, by contrast, remains competitive with older desktop parts like the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 2080 Ti, but it cannot approach the compute density of the full-size GB202 chip.

For users prioritizing portability with a 50 W power envelope, the RTX 5070 Mobile holds its own against desktop GPUs from the previous generation. The data shows it sits within 0.5% of the RTX 2080 Ti and within 0.1% of the RTX 3070 Ti on average. That is a meaningful result for a mobile part. However, for any workload that stresses compute or high-end 3D rendering, the RTX 5090 is in a different tier entirely.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and the same 5 nm TSMC process node. The fundamental difference lies in the silicon. The RTX 5070 Mobile uses the GB206 chip with 21,900 million transistors on a 181 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.0M per mm². The RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, with a slightly higher density of 122.9M per mm². The RTX 5090 die is over four times larger in area and packs roughly 4.2 times the transistors.

The execution resources scale accordingly. The RTX 5070 Mobile has 4,608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 5090 has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. That is 4.7 times the shading units, 4.7 times the TMUs, and 3.7 times the ROPs. Ray tracing cores number 36 on the mobile part versus 170 on the desktop part, a 4.7x difference. Tensor cores follow the same ratio: 144 versus 680.

Clock speeds also favor the RTX 5090. The base clock sits at 2,017 MHz versus 907 MHz, and the boost clock at 2,407 MHz versus 1,425 MHz. The memory subsystem differs in both capacity and bandwidth. The RTX 5070 Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 384.0 GB/s. The RTX 5090 uses 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s. Effective memory speed is 24 Gbps for the mobile part and 28 Gbps for the desktop part.

Power and physical requirements diverge sharply. The RTX 5070 Mobile has a TDP of 50 W, uses no power connectors, and is classified as an integrated graphics package (IGP) with portable-device-dependent display outputs. The RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575 W, requires a single 16-pin power connector, and lists a suggested PSU of 950 W. It occupies a dual-slot design measuring 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The RTX 5090 also includes a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355, a test not run on the RTX 5070 Mobile.

Both parts support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 5090 offers 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. The RTX 5070 Mobile's display outputs are not specified beyond being portable-device dependent.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5090 averages 79,842, while the RTX 5070 Mobile averages 29,928. The RTX 5090 sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, compared to the 75th percentile for the mobile part.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Mobile compare to desktop GPUs from the previous generation?

A: The average score of 29,928 places it within -0.1% of the RTX 3070 Ti (29,945) and 0.5% above the RTX 2080 Ti (29,783). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30,095) by -0.6% and the RX 6700 (30,433) by -1.7%.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two in any test?

A: The Passmark GPU Compute test shows the biggest delta at -69.1%, with the RTX 5090 scoring 26,756 versus 8,279 for the RTX 5070 Mobile. Geekbench Vulkan is close behind at -69% (376,728 versus 116,960).

Q: What memory configurations do the two GPUs use?

A: The RTX 5070 Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What are the physical size and power requirements of the RTX 5090?

A: It is a dual-slot card measuring 304 mm by 137 mm by 40 mm. Its TDP is 575 W, it uses a single 16-pin power connector, and the suggested PSU is 950 W.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measured specification. The process node is identical (5 nm TSMC), as is the architecture (Blackwell 2.0) and the API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4). Beyond those shared traits, the differences are substantial.

Chip and density: GB206 with 21,900 million transistors on 181 mm² (121.0M/mm²) versus GB202 with 92,200 million transistors on 750 mm² (122.9M/mm²).

Clocks: base 907 MHz versus 2,017 MHz; boost 1,425 MHz versus 2,407 MHz; memory 1,500 MHz (24 Gbps effective) versus 1,750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

Memory: 8 GB versus 32 GB GDDR7; 128-bit versus 512-bit bus; 384.0 GB/s versus 1.79 TB/s bandwidth.

Execution resources: shading units 4,608 versus 21,760; TMUs 144 versus 680; ROPs 48 versus 176; RT cores 36 versus 170; tensor cores 144 versus 680.

Output rates: pixel rate 68.40 GPixel/s versus 423.6 GPixel/s; texture rate 205.2 GTexel/s versus 1,636.8 GTexel/s; FP32 13.13 TFLOPS versus 104.8 TFLOPS; FP16 13.13 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical: TDP 50 W versus 575 W; slot width IGP versus dual-slot; power connectors none versus 1x 16-pin; suggested PSU not listed versus 950 W; display outputs portable-device dependent versus 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b; dimensions not listed versus 304 mm by 137 mm by 40 mm.

Release dates and generations also differ. The RTX 5070 Mobile released on 2025-04-14 and belongs to the GeForce 50 Mobile generation, with the GeForce 40 Mobile as its predecessor. The RTX 5090 released on 2025-01-29, belongs to the GeForce 50 generation, lists the GeForce 40 as its predecessor and the GeForce 60 as its successor. The RTX 5090 has a launch MSRP of 1,999 USD; the RTX 5070 Mobile has no listed launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion for builders. The RTX 5090 is the clear choice for anyone assembling a desktop system with no power or space constraints. Its 92nd percentile standing, 79,842 average score, and 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth make it suitable for the most demanding 4K gaming, compute, and ray tracing workloads. The 32 GB VRAM and 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 throughput place it in a performance class that no mobile part approaches. The 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU are acceptable trade-offs for that level of capability.

The RTX 5070 Mobile serves a different purpose. With a 50 W TDP and no power connectors, it fits into thin-and-light laptops where energy efficiency is paramount. Its average score of 29,928 puts it in the 75th percentile, and its nearest rivals are desktop GPUs from the previous generation like the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 2080 Ti. For a mobile part, matching those desktop cards within a few percentage points is notable. The 8 GB VRAM and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth will handle 1080p and 1440p gaming well, but the 13.13 TFLOPS FP32 and 36 RT cores will limit high-end ray tracing and compute tasks.

There is no ambiguity in the head-to-head results: the RTX 5090 wins all nine benchmarks, with deltas ranging from -36.6% to -69.1%. The choice between these two is not about performance, which clearly favors the RTX 5090, but about platform. The RTX 5070 Mobile exists for portable systems that cannot accommodate a 304 mm dual-slot card drawing 575 W. The RTX 5090 exists for desktop systems that can. Builders with a fixed desktop chassis and a 950 W PSU should select the RTX 5090. Users who need a discrete GPU inside a laptop should consider the RTX 5070 Mobile, knowing it trades away roughly half the 3D performance and over two-thirds of the compute performance relative to the flagship.