GeForce GTX 780 — Specs, Rank & Tuning
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 700 · Kepler · 2013 · Entry (tier 31/100)
GeForce GTX 780 — key specifications
| Brand / series | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 700 |
|---|---|
| Architecture / class | Kepler |
| Launch year | 2013 |
| Shaders / cores | 2,304 |
| Memory | 3 GB GDDR5 · 384-bit · 288.4 GB/s |
| Boost clock | 863 MHz |
| TDP | 250 W |
| Relative tier | 31/100 — Entry |
Specs: vendor datasheets / TechPowerUp database, retrieved 2026-08-29. Tier is a TweakGearPro relative performance index (estimate), not a benchmark guarantee.
Relative performance estimate
TweakGearPro anchors the desktop gpu category to its flagship (highest tier) and expresses GeForce GTX 780 as an estimated percentage of that flagship, derived from the relative-performance index (tier 0–100). Planning estimate, not a benchmark.
| Desktop GPU (nearby tier) | Tier /100 | Est. relative perf. |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | 45 | 45% |
| GeForce GTX 1660 Super | 44 | 44% |
| Radeon RX Vega 56 | 44 | 44% |
| Radeon RX 5600 XT | 43 | 43% |
| Intel Arc A580 | 43 | 43% |
| GeForce GTX 980 Ti | 42 | 42% |
| GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | 41 | 41% |
Method: relative performance % = (part tier ÷ flagship tier) × 100, using the TweakGearPro tier index built from public benchmark / spec-class data. Source: vendor datasheets / TechPowerUp database, retrieved 2026-08-29. Real-world performance varies by workload, drivers and cooling.
Build compatibility & pairing guidance
Practical build notes derived from this part's dataset fields and TweakGearPro reference constants. Planning guidance, not purchase advice.
| Estimated system PSU | ≈ 500 W (this part's 250 W TDP + ~150 W system overhead, with 20% headroom). Confirm with the PSU Wattage Calculator. |
|---|---|
| Cooler / thermal | Plan cooling rated above this part's 250 W TDP; typical desktop safe ceiling is ~90°C (TweakGearPro reference). Check the Thermal Headroom tool. |
| Pairing balance | Match with a CPU whose tier is within ~20 of this part's tier (31/100) to avoid a bottleneck. Run the Bottleneck Estimator. |
| VRAM fit | 3 GB GDDR5 — for gaming/ML sizing see the VRAM Recommendation tool. |
Reference constants (PSU headroom 20%, safe CPU/GPU ceiling 90°C) from the TweakGearPro PC reference dataset, retrieved 2026-08-29. Adapter/case clearance and exact board power vary by model — verify with vendor datasheets.
Tune & power-plan your build
Input your cooling, case airflow and goal to generate a printable tuning sheet, or size your whole-system PSU.
Silicon-level tuning sheet
Estimates from typical thermal behavior — always verify with your own stress tests.
My GeForce GTX 780 tuning sheet
Air cooler: modest OC is fine; consider an undervolt first for better sustained clocks.
Stability checklist
- Record your current temps at load (HWiNFO or the vendor tool) as the baseline.
- Apply a +0.06 V voltage offset in BIOS/Afterburner (overclock).
- Test with a 10-minute stress run (OCCT / Cinebench for CPU, FurMark/3DMark for GPU) — stop if temps exceed 90 °C.
- Expected sustained clock change: +10.8% (estimate).
- If unstable, step the offset back by half and retest; stability wins over a few hundred MHz.
- Re-check after driver updates — reapply and re-verify.
Generated at TweakGearPro · 2026-09-13
Whole-system power plan
Typical board-power sums; exact figures vary by model and workload.
My power plan — GeForce GTX 780
PSUs are most efficient at 50–70% load. For transient GPU spikes, choose a quality 80 PLUS Gold+ unit. Generated at TweakGearPro · 2026-09-13
Release & generational notes
GeForce GTX 780 launched in 2013 on the Kepler architecture as part of the GeForce GTX 700 family, sitting at tier 31/100 (Entry).
| Series | GeForce GTX 700 |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Kepler |
| Launch year | 2013 |
| Successor | GeForce GTX 750 Ti (2014, tier 21/100) |
In the GeForce GTX 700 series
GeForce GTX 760
2013 · Kepler · tier 26/100
Open →GeForce GTX 770
2013 · Kepler · tier 28/100
Open →GeForce GTX 780 Ti
2013 · Kepler · tier 34/100
Open →GeForce GTX 750 Ti
2014 · Maxwell · tier 21/100
Open →Generational context is summarized from official release year and architecture only; TweakGearPro does not invent patch or refresh dates. For the full generational ranking, see the Desktop GPU Tier List.
Related hardware to compare
Same-tier peers plus a pairing from another category — open any profile.
Sources & methodology
- Specifications: vendor datasheets (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Samsung, WD, Crucial, Corsair, Seagate, Noctua, ASUS, LG, Dell and others) and the TechPowerUp database, retrieved 2026-08-29.
- Relative-performance index: TweakGearPro estimate built from public benchmark / spec-class data; flagship-anchored percentages are planning estimates, not measured scores.
- Reference constants (PSU headroom, safe thermal ceiling) from the TweakGearPro PC reference dataset, retrieved 2026-08-29.
- Tuning, PSU and VRAM figures are planning estimates — verify with your own stress tests and the component vendor's documentation.
How this page's estimates are computed
The relative-performance percentage anchors the category flagship (highest tier) at 100 and scales each part by its tier ratio. The estimated system PSU adds a base system overhead to the part's TDP and applies a 20% headroom from the reference dataset, rounded to a common PSU rating. The tuning sheet estimates load temperature from TDP, cooling class and case airflow, then suggests a voltage offset and expected clock delta — always confirm with a stress test. The LLM planner converts model parameters and quantization to an approximate VRAM footprint (weights + KV-cache) and divides by the card's usable VRAM to suggest a card count. None of these outputs are benchmark guarantees. For non-CPU/GPU parts the tier reflects the part's spec class relative to the best current model in that category.