The difference between Nvidia and AMD’s latest graphics cards – Pascal versus Polaris

The next generation of graphics processing has arrived, with Nvidia and AMD releasing graphics cards based on their brand-new architectures.

AMD’s Polaris and Pascal cards are aimed at different markets, although both technologies offer increased performance-per-watt over previous graphics generations.

Below is a summary of the two architectures, including the specifications and South African pricing of the new graphics cards.

Technology

AMD’s Polaris architecture uses a 14nm FinFET manufacturing process, while Nvidia’s Pascal architecture uses 16nm FinFET.

The difference in manufacturing process does not equate to a difference in performance, which can only be measured by comparison of specifications and benchmarks.

Pascal and Polaris cards are engineered for increased performance and support DirectX 12 and Vulkan.

The DirectX 12 and Vulkan APIs function similarly, improving performance on multi-core processors and allowing games to make full use of newer gaming systems.

The increasingly-popular Vulkan API is the more open of the two APIs and is usable on multiple platforms, as opposed to DirectX 12 – which is only compatible with Windows 10.

Both AMD and Nvidia have traditionally used different technologies to improve gaming performance and offer better features.

While Nvidia uses it’s closed GameWorks to include features such as HairWorks into games, AMD’s GPUOpen platform also features similar technology using an open-source platform.

This means that it is easier and more effective for developers to make use of GPUOpen technology to implement graphics technology in their games, instead of paying for a Nvidia GameWorks license for similar results.

With AMD’s Polaris cards offering an inexpensive mid-range GPU solution, more developers may opt to use GPUOpen in order to ensure smooth performance across all graphics cards.

Performance

Nvidia and AMD’s new graphics cards are aimed at vastly different performance markets.

Nvidia’s Pascal GPUs are aimed at high-end PC gamers and hardware enthusiasts, offering exceptional single-card performance for up to 4K gaming.

On the other hand, AMD’s Polaris graphics cards aim to fulfill the hardware needs of value-oriented PC gamers, using the latest GPU technology to offer superior performance at a reasonable price.

Nvidia has revealed two Pascal cards so far – the GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080, which both offer record-breaking performance.

Below are the specifications and benchmarks of the two Nvidia Pascal cards:

Pascal Graphics Card Specifications and Benchmark Scores
	GTX 1080	GTX 1070
Boost Clock	1,733MHz	1,600MHz
Memory Bandwidth	320GB/s	256GB/s
Memory Speed	10Gbps	8Gbps
VRAM amount	8GB GDDR5X	8GB GDDR5
Memory Interface	256-bit	256-bit
TDP	180W	150W
3D Mark 11	24,867	21,560
Fire Strike Ultra	5,142	4,290

AMD has revealed the Radeon RX 480 Polaris 10 GPU, and thanks to leaked benchmarks and specifications, we have a general idea of its performance.

Below are the specifications and benchmarks of the AMD Radeon RX 480:

Polaris Graphics Card Specifications and Benchmark Scores
	Radeon RX 480
Boost Clock	1,266MHz
Memory Bandwidth	256GB/s
Memory Speed	8Gbps
VRAM amount	8GB GDDR5
Memory Interface	256-bit
TDP	150W
3D Mark 11	14,461
Fire Strike Ultra	3,515

Pricing

Nvidia’s Pascal cards offer insane performance at a relatively high price, while AMD’s Polaris graphics cards aim to bring VR-Ready graphics processing to the mainstream PC gaming market.

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 are priced at R13,000 and R9,000 respectively, depending on aftermarket model.

The AMD Radeon RX 480 is priced at around R6,000 locally.