RTX 2080 vs GTX 1070 Max-Q
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | RTX 2080 | GTX 1070 Max-Q | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 3,524 | 1,581 | +122.9% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 43 | 30 | +43.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 25 | 16 | +56.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 13 | 8 | +62.5% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 10.1 | 4.5 | +122.8% |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 448 | 224 | +100.0% |
| TDP (W) | 215 | 67 | — |
- RTX 2080 averages 25 fps at 1440p versus 16 fps — about 56% faster.
- GTX 1070 Max-Q draws less power (67W vs 215W).
Verdict: RTX 2080 or GTX 1070 Max-Q?
RTX 2080 advantages
- 1440p gaming (+36%)
- 4K gaming (+38%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+55%)
- Memory bandwidth (+50%)
GTX 1070 Max-Q advantages
- Power efficiency (+69%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RTX 2080 if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the GTX 1070 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the RTX 2080 if you game at 4K or drive a high-resolution display.
RTX 2080 vs GTX 1070 Max-Q: which should you choose?
RTX 2080 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2018, Turing) with 8 GB of GDDR6, averaging 25 fps at 1440p; launched at $699.
GTX 1070 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2016, Pascal) with 8 GB of GDDR5, averaging 16 fps at 1440p.
RTX 2080 vs GTX 1070 Max-Q: RTX 2080 is faster for gaming. RTX 2080 averages 25 fps at 1440p versus 16 fps — about 56% faster. GTX 1070 Max-Q draws less power (67W vs 215W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RTX 2080 averages 25 fps against 16. At 4K (13 vs 8 fps) VRAM (8GB vs 8GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 215 W versus 67 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 RTX 2080 better than the GTX 1070 Max-Q?
RTX 2080 is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RTX 2080 averages 25 fps at 1440p versus 16 fps — about 56% faster.
What is the main difference between the RTX 2080 and the GTX 1070 Max-Q?
RTX 2080 averages 25 fps at 1440p versus 16 fps — about 56% faster. GTX 1070 Max-Q draws less power (67W vs 215W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RTX 2080 if you game at 1440p. Choose the GTX 1070 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
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.