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AMD Instinct MI210 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI: Comparison
What is the difference between AMD Instinct MI210 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI?
Start with memory bandwidth, because it is the widest measured gap between them: AMD Instinct MI210 1600 GB/s against NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI 256 GB/s, 84% in favour of AMD Instinct MI210. Slot width runs the same way, 2 on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 4 on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI, another win for AMD Instinct MI210. Memory bus width runs the same way, 4096 bit on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 256 bit on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI, another win for AMD Instinct MI210.
Who each one is for
Buy the AMD Instinct MI210 for double-precision workloads that don't need MI250X-level throughput, though it is not built for any desktop or workstation build - compute-only, no display output and maximum-throughput HPC nodes (use MI250X instead). The same goes for HPC and AI deployments in standard PCIe-slot servers without OAM sled support. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI suits retro PC builders recreating a specific 2016-2017 dual-GPU rig and enthusiasts experimenting with legacy SLI-supported titles specifically, though it is the wrong buy for anyone wanting reliable gaming performance in modern titles and buyers hoping VRAM pools across both cards (it doesn't). It also earns its place with compute workloads in the few applications that still split work across multiple GPUs explicitly. It is not the one for practical builds - a single modern GPU is simpler and usually faster.
Frequently asked questions
Do the AMD Instinct MI210 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI differ on boost clock?
Yes. Boost Clock reads 1700 MHz on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 1683 MHz on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI.
Is the Card Length the same on the AMD Instinct MI210 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI?
It is. Both are listed at 267 mm, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI210
- AMD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- NVIDIA
Series
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Instinct MI200
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- GeForce GTX 10
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI210
- AMD Reference (PCIe dual-slot card, data center/OEM only)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- Varies (2x matched AIB cards + SLI bridge)
VRAM
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 64 GBBest
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 2x 8GB GDDR5 (not pooled; ~8GB effective)
Tier
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Datacenter / AI Accelerator
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- High-End Multi-GPU (2016, legacy)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI210
- HBM2E
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- GDDR5Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1700 MHzBest
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 1683 MHz-1%
Ray Tracing Support
- AMD Instinct MI210
- No
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- No
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 300 W
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- ~300W combined (150W per card)
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI210
- CDNA 2 (single Graphics Compute Die)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- Pascal
Card Length
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 267 mm
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 267 mm
Slot Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2Best
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 4-100%
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 4096 bitBest
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 256 bit-94%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1600 GB/sBest
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 256 GB/s-84%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI210
- PCIe 4.0 x16
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- PCIe 3.0 x16 per card + SLI bridge
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2022-03
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 2016-06
Display Outputs
- AMD Instinct MI210
- N/A - compute-only, no display output
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
- 3x DisplayPort + 1x HDMI + 1x DVI per card (only primary card's outputs typically used)
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI210 if you want the higher VRAM (64 GB vs 2x 8GB GDDR5 (not pooled; ~8GB effective)), the higher boost clock (1700 MHz vs 1683 MHz) and the lower card length (267 mm vs 267 mm).
Choose NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
AMD Instinct MI210
7.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
3.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A legacy curiosity, not a practical setup - SLI support has withered enough that a single modern-generation GPU beats it with far less complexity.