GTX 1070 vs RTX 2080 Max-Q
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 1070 | RTX 2080 Max-Q | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 2,261 | 2,467 | -8.4% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 35 | 36 | -2.8% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 19 | 20 | -5.0% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 10 | 11 | -9.1% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 6.5 | 7.1 | -8.4% |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR5 | 8 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 448 | -50.0% |
| TDP (W) | 150 | 96 | — |
- RTX 2080 Max-Q averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 5% faster.
- RTX 2080 Max-Q draws less power (96W vs 150W).
Verdict: GTX 1070 or RTX 2080 Max-Q?
GTX 1070 advantages
- No decisive advantage on the tracked metrics.
RTX 2080 Max-Q advantages
- 1440p gaming (+5%)
- 4K gaming (+9%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+8%)
- Memory bandwidth (+50%)
- Power efficiency (+36%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RTX 2080 Max-Q if you game at 1440p.
GTX 1070 vs RTX 2080 Max-Q: which should you choose?
GTX 1070 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2016, Pascal) with 8 GB of GDDR5, averaging 19 fps at 1440p; launched at $379.
RTX 2080 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2018, Turing) with 8 GB of GDDR6, averaging 20 fps at 1440p.
GTX 1070 vs RTX 2080 Max-Q: RTX 2080 Max-Q is faster for gaming. RTX 2080 Max-Q averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 5% faster. RTX 2080 Max-Q draws less power (96W vs 150W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RTX 2080 Max-Q averages 20 fps against 19. At 4K (10 vs 11 fps) VRAM (8GB vs 8GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 150 W versus 96 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 1070 better than the RTX 2080 Max-Q?
RTX 2080 Max-Q is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RTX 2080 Max-Q averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 5% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 1070 and the RTX 2080 Max-Q?
RTX 2080 Max-Q averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 5% faster. RTX 2080 Max-Q draws less power (96W vs 150W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RTX 2080 Max-Q if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.