GeForce 8800 GTS vs GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800 GTS

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce 8800 GTS vs GeForce RTX 3070 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 8800 GTS vs GeForce RTX 3070 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 8800 GTS vs GeForce RTX 3070: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 8800 GTS

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $50 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Draws 150W instead of 220W, a 70W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 321 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2008 hardware with 321 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.9 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 1996.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 4801.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 2455.9% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 321 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 46.7% higher power demand at 220W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1996.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5347.7% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 407), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 321 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 65nm, and 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4801.8% (44.4 vs 0.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 8800 GTS vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800 GTS

The GeForce 8800 GTS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 407 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 8800 GTS scores 407 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 5347.7%. The GeForce 8800 GTS is built on G9x while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 65 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score
407
22,172+5348%
Architecture
G9x
Ampere
Process Node
65 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
224
5888+2529%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce 8800 GTS is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce RTX 3070
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 8800 GTS has 321 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 2455.9% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 8800 GTS and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity
0.313 GB
8 GB+2456%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
448 GB/s
Bus Width
64-bit
256-bit+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: None vs 1.4. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce RTX 3070
DirectX
10.0
12 Ultimate+20%
Vulkan
None
1.4
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce RTX 3070
Encoder
No
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP2
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8800 GTS draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 37.8% difference. The GeForce 8800 GTS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce RTX 3070
TDP
150W-32%
220W
Recommended PSU
350W-46%
650W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
229mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
95°C
75°C-21%
Perf/Watt
2.7
100.8+3633%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8800 GTS came in at $449, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce 8800 GTS was 10% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 4833.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce RTX 3070
MSRP
$449-10%
$499
Performance per Dollar
0.9
44.4+4833%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
GA104
Release
July 15 2008
September 1 2020
Ranking
#825
#63

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