GeForce GTX 470 vs Tesla C2070

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 470

2010Core: 607 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla C2070

2011Core: 574 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 470 vs Tesla C2070 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 470 vs Tesla C2070: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 470

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 332.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.0 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Measures 241mm instead of 248mm, a 7mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Tesla C2070

2011

Why buy it

  • 380% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).
  • More future proof: Fermi (2010−2014) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 329.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.1 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 470 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (3,145 vs 3,121), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 470 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 470 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,150 cheaper on MSRP at $349 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 332.8% (9.0 vs 2.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 470 vs Tesla C2070 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 470

The GeForce GTX 470 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,145 points. Launch price was $349.

NVIDIA

Tesla C2070

The Tesla C2070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 25 2011. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 574 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 238W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,121 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 470 scores 3,145 and the Tesla C2070 reaches 3,121 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 470 is built on Fermi while the Tesla C2070 uses Fermi, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 448 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 448 (Tesla C2070). Raw compute: 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 470) vs 1.028 TFLOPS (Tesla C2070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 470Tesla C2070
G3D Mark Score
3,145
3,121
Architecture
Fermi
Fermi
Process Node
40 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
448
448
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.089 TFLOPS+6%
1.028 TFLOPS
ROPs
40
48+20%
TMUs
56
56
L1 Cache
896 KB
896 KB
L2 Cache
640 KB
768 KB+20%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 470 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Tesla C2070 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470Tesla C2070
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 470 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla C2070 carries 6 GB. Tesla C2070 gives you 380% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 470 and 64-bit on the Tesla C2070. L2 Cache: 640 KB (GeForce GTX 470) vs 768 KB (Tesla C2070) — the Tesla C2070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470Tesla C2070
VRAM Capacity
1.25 GB
6 GB+380%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
640 KB
768 KB+20%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 12 (11_0) (Tesla C2070). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 1.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470Tesla C2070
DirectX
11.0
12 (11_0)+9%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
2+100%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GTX 470) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Tesla C2070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 470Tesla C2070
Encoder
None
Decoder
PureVideo VP4
Codecs
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470 draws 215W versus the Tesla C2070's 238W — a 10.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 470 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 470) vs 350W (Tesla C2070). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 248mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 470Tesla C2070
TDP
215W-10%
238W
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
241mm
248mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
93
Perf/Watt
14.6+11%
13.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 470 came in at $349, while the Tesla C2070 launched at $1499. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 470 was 76.7% cheaper ($1150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 2.1 (Tesla C2070) — the GeForce GTX 470 offers 328.6% better value. The newer card here is Tesla C2070 (2011 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTX 470Tesla C2070
MSRP
$349-77%
$1499
Performance per Dollar
9.0+329%
2.1
Codename
GF100
GF100
Release
March 26 2010
July 25 2011
Ranking
#572
#575

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