GeForce FX 5600 vs GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5600

2011Core: 810 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce FX 5600 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 FX 5600 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 FX 5600 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 FX 5600

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $299 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Draws 150W instead of 220W, a 70W reduction.
  • Measures 180mm instead of 242mm, a 62mm 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 256 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2011 hardware with 256 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 0.1 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 18222.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 68258.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 3100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 256 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.
  • 34.4% longer card at 242mm vs 180mm.

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 18222.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 170453.8% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 13), 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 256 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 40nm, 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 $299 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 68258.3% (44.4 vs 0.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce FX 5600 vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5600

The GeForce FX 5600 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 17 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 810 MHz. It has 336 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13 points. Launch price was $199.

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 FX 5600 scores 13 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 170453.8%. The GeForce FX 5600 is built on Rankine while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 336 (GeForce FX 5600) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5600) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce FX 5600GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score
13
22,172+170454%
Architecture
Rankine
Ampere
Process Node
40 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
336
5888+1652%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.089 TFLOPS
20.31 TFLOPS+1765%
ROPs
32
96+200%
TMUs
56
184+229%
L1 Cache
0.44 MB
5.8 MB+1218%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
4 MB+700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce FX 5600 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce FX 5600GeForce 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 FX 5600 has 256 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 3100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5600 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce FX 5600) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce FX 5600GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
8 GB+3100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
448 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
4 MB+700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5600) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: None vs 1.4. OpenGL: 1.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce FX 5600GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX
9.0a
12 Ultimate+33%
Vulkan
None
1.4
OpenGL
1.5
4.6+207%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce FX 5600) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: No vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce FX 5600) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce FX 5600GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder
No
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
No
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5600 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 37.8% difference. The GeForce FX 5600 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5600) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 180mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce FX 5600GeForce RTX 3070
TDP
150W-32%
220W
Recommended PSU
350W-46%
650W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
180mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-7%
75°C
Perf/Watt
0.1
100.8+100700%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5600 came in at $200, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce FX 5600 was 59.9% cheaper ($299 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.1 (GeForce FX 5600) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 44300% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce FX 5600GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP
$200-60%
$499
Performance per Dollar
0.1
44.4+44300%
Codename
GF114
GA104
Release
May 17 2011
September 1 2020
Ranking
#605
#63

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