NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 vs NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 records an average benchmark score of 21,629, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 records 18,789. The Quadro sits at the 67th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 2070 sits at the 63rd percentile.

Q: How do the two cards compare in raw compute workloads?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 leads in PassMark GPU compute with a score of 6,525 versus 6,411 for the RTX 2070, a 1.8% advantage. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2070 edges ahead with 79,966 versus 78,999, a 1.2% margin.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, double the 8 GB found on the RTX 2070. Both use a 256-bit bus and deliver identical memory bandwidth at 448.0 GB/s.

Q: Are both cards based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use NVIDIA's Turing architecture and are fabricated on TSMC's 12 nm process. The Quadro RTX 5000 uses the TU104 chip, while the RTX 2070 uses the TU106 chip.

Q: Which card wins in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The RTX 2070 wins the PassMark DirectX 12 test with a score of 60 versus 59 for the Quadro RTX 5000, a 1.7% difference. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has a 230 W TDP and requires a 550 W suggested power supply with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors. The RTX 2070 has a 175 W TDP and requires a 450 W suggested power supply with a single 8-pin connector.

The Verdict

The data tells a clear story of two different priorities. The Quadro RTX 5000 is the workstation-oriented card, with double the memory capacity, more shading units, more ray tracing cores, and higher clock speeds. Its average benchmark score of 21,629 places it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, and it wins 4 of the 9 head-to-head benchmark comparisons.

The RTX 2070, meanwhile, wins 5 of the 9 comparisons, including the Geekbench OpenCL test, PassMark DirectX 12, DirectX 9, G2D, and G3D tests. Its average score of 18,789 sits in the 63rd percentile. The RTX 2070 also comes with a substantially lower TDP of 175 W versus 230 W, and a smaller physical footprint at 229 mm length versus 267 mm.

For users who need maximum memory capacity and compute throughput, the Quadro RTX 5000 is the choice. Its 16 GB frame buffer is double what the RTX 2070 offers, and its FP32 throughput of 11.15 TFLOPS is significantly higher than the RTX 2070's 7.465 TFLOPS. The Vulkan performance gap is particularly notable, with the Quadro leading by 11.9%.

For users who prioritize lighter power draw, smaller size, and a slight edge in several DirectX and 2D workloads, the RTX 2070 makes sense. It wins the G3D test with 16,094 versus 15,616, a 3% margin, and the G2D test with 819 versus 709, a 13.4% margin. It also wins the OpenCL test, which is relevant for general compute applications that favor that API.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win in the comparison belongs to the Quadro RTX 5000 in Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 92,309 against the RTX 2070's 82,521. That is an 11.9% advantage, the biggest delta in either direction across all tested workloads. This suggests the Quadro's additional hardware resources translate into meaningful gains in Vulkan-based applications.

The RTX 2070's biggest win is in PassMark G2D, scoring 819 versus 709, a 13.4% margin. This is a 2D graphics test, and the RTX 2070's advantage here is notable given that the Quadro has higher raw compute specifications. The RTX 2070 also wins PassMark DirectX 9 by a 7.6% margin, scoring 211 against 195.

In the DirectX 11 test, the Quadro RTX 5000 takes the lead with 140 versus 129, an 8.5% advantage. This is the second-largest margin in the entire comparison and indicates that the Quadro's additional shading units and texture units deliver measurable gains in this API.

The DirectX 10 test goes to the Quadro RTX 5000 by a narrow 1.8% margin, with scores of 113 and 111. The DirectX 12 test goes to the RTX 2070 by a similarly narrow 1.7% margin, with scores of 60 and 59. These near-ties suggest that both cards handle the latest DirectX API at comparable levels despite their different hardware configurations.

In PassMark G3D, the RTX 2070 wins with 16,094 versus 15,616, a 3% margin. This is a general 3D performance metric, and the RTX 2070's win here is significant because it suggests that in typical gaming-style 3D workloads, the consumer card holds its own against the workstation card.

The GPU compute test goes to the Quadro RTX 5000 at 6,525 versus 6,411, a 1.8% margin. The OpenCL test goes to the RTX 2070 at 79,966 versus 78,999, a 1.2% margin. These two compute-oriented results are close, indicating that neither card dominates the other in general-purpose compute across all APIs.

The final tally is 5 wins for the RTX 2070 and 4 wins for the Quadro RTX 5000. However, the magnitude of the Quadro's Vulkan win is larger than any single RTX 2070 win, and the Quadro's average score across all benchmarks is higher.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially in their core configurations. The Quadro RTX 5000 has 3,072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 2070 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Both cards share the same ROP count, but the Quadro has 33% more shading units and 33% more texture mapping units.

Ray tracing and tensor core counts follow the same pattern. The Quadro RTX 5000 has 48 RT cores and 384 tensor cores, while the RTX 2070 has 36 RT cores and 288 tensor cores. This represents a 33% advantage for the Quadro in both categories.

Clock speeds favor the Quadro as well. The Quadro has a base clock of 1620 MHz and a boost clock of 1815 MHz. The RTX 2070 has a base clock of 1410 MHz and a boost clock of 1620 MHz. The Quadro's boost clock is 195 MHz higher, which contributes to its higher pixel rate of 116.2 GPixel/s versus 103.7 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 348.5 GTexel/s versus 233.3 GTexel/s.

Memory capacity is the other major difference. The Quadro RTX 5000 ships with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 2070 ships with 8 GB. Both use a 256-bit bus and both achieve 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, with identical 1750 MHz memory clocks and 14 Gbps effective data rates.

Power and physical specifications differ as well. The Quadro has a 230 W TDP and requires a 550 W power supply, while the RTX 2070 has a 175 W TDP and requires a 450 W power supply. The Quadro uses 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors, while the RTX 2070 uses a single 8-pin connector. The Quadro measures 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the RTX 2070 measures 229 mm in length, 113 mm in height, and 35 mm in width.

Display outputs also differ. The Quadro RTX 5000 offers 4x DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x USB Type-C. The RTX 2070 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C. The RTX 2070 includes legacy DVI support, while the Quadro provides more DisplayPort outputs.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on NVIDIA's Turing architecture and use TSMC's 12 nm process. The Quadro RTX 5000 uses the TU104 chip with 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 25.0M per mm². The RTX 2070 uses the TU106 chip with 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.3M per mm².

The TU104 chip is physically larger and packs more transistors, which explains the Quadro's higher core counts and larger memory capacity. The die size difference of 100 mm² is substantial, and the Quadro's transistor count is 2,800 million higher.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both use PCIe 3.0 x16 as the bus interface. The memory technology is identical: GDDR6 in both cases, with the same 256-bit bus width and the same 448.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The production status for both is end-of-life. The Quadro RTX 5000 was released on 2018-08-12, with the Quadro Volta as its predecessor and Workstation Ampere as its successor. The RTX 2070 was released on 2018-10-16, with the GeForce 10 series as its predecessor and the GeForce 30 series as its successor.

The FP32 and FP16 compute figures highlight the Quadro's advantage. The Quadro delivers 11.15 TFLOPS FP32 and 22.30 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1). The RTX 2070 delivers 7.465 TFLOPS FP32 and 14.93 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1). The Quadro's FP32 throughput is roughly 49% higher, and its FP16 throughput follows the same ratio.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro RTX 5000 wins in scenarios that demand large memory capacity and high compute throughput. Its 16 GB frame buffer is the standout feature, making it the appropriate choice for workloads that exceed 8 GB of video memory. Its higher FP32 throughput of 11.15 TFLOPS and higher texture rate of 348.5 GTexel/s give it an edge in compute-heavy tasks.

The Vulkan benchmark result is the Quadro's clearest victory. With a score of 92,309 versus 82,521, it leads by 11.9%. Users running Vulkan-based applications should see tangible benefits from the Quadro's additional RT cores, tensor cores, and shading units. The DirectX 11 win of 8.5% (140 versus 129) also points to strength in older DirectX workloads.

The RTX 2070 wins in several specific areas. Its G2D score of 819 versus 709 is a 13.4% advantage, making it the stronger choice for 2D workloads and desktop compositing tasks. Its DirectX 9 win of 7.6% (211 versus 195) suggests better legacy API performance. The RTX 2070 also wins the G3D test by 3% (16,094 versus 15,616), indicating that general 3D rendering performance is competitive or slightly better on the consumer card.

The RTX 2070's OpenCL win, 79,966 versus 78,999, is narrow but relevant for users who rely on OpenCL-based compute. Its DirectX 12 win of 60 versus 59 is also narrow but shows parity in modern API workloads.

Power efficiency clearly favors the RTX 2070. Its 175 W TDP is 55 W lower than the Quadro's 230 W, and its suggested power supply requirement of 450 W is 100 W lower. The smaller physical size, 229 mm versus 267 mm, makes the RTX 2070 easier to fit into compact builds with limited space.

The RTX 2070's launch MSRP was 499 USD, and the Quadro RTX 5000's launch MSRP was 2,299 USD. Both cards are end-of-life, so availability depends on remaining inventory.

For users building a workstation with heavy compute, large datasets, or Vulkan-based rendering pipelines, the Quadro RTX 5000 is the stronger option. Its higher average score of 21,629, higher percentile rank of 67, and 4 benchmark wins support this. For users with lighter power budgets, limited case space, or workloads centered on DirectX and 2D performance, the RTX 2070 offers a compelling alternative with 5 benchmark wins and a lower power draw.