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 GT 520 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 GT 520 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 GT 520

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $440 less on MSRP ($59 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 220W, a 130W reduction.
✅Measures 145mm instead of 242mm, a 97mm 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 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2015 hardware with 2 GB 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 5.5 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅2610.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 711.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌144.4% higher power demand at 220W vs 90W.
❌66.9% longer card at 242mm vs 145mm.

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 2610.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6764.4% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 323), 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 2 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 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 $440 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $59, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 711.6% (44.4 vs 5.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 520 vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 520

The GeForce GT 520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 323 points. Launch price was $159.

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 GT 520 scores 323 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 6764.4%. The GeForce GT 520 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GT 520) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 1725 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	323	22,172+6764%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	768	5888+667%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.825 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS+1013%
Boost Clock	1188 MHz	1725 MHz+45%
ROPs	32	96+200%
TMUs	48	184+283%
L1 Cache	0.28 MB	5.8 MB+1971%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GT 520 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce 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 GT 520 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 300% 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 GT 520 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GT 520) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	8 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	448 GB/s
Bus Width	64-bit	256-bit+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 520) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: None vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX	11.0	12 Ultimate+9%
Vulkan	None	1.4
OpenGL	4.1	4.6+12%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 520) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 520) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	No	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520 draws 90W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 83.9% difference. The GeForce GT 520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce GT 520) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce RTX 3070
TDP	90W-59%	220W
Recommended PSU	250W-62%	650W
Power Connector	None	8-pin
Length	145mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	65°C-13%	75°C
Perf/Watt	3.6	100.8+2700%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520 came in at $59, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce GT 520 was 88.2% cheaper ($440 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GT 520) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 707.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP	$59-88%	$499
Performance per Dollar	5.5	44.4+707%
Codename	GM206	GA104
Release	August 20 2015	September 1 2020
Ranking	#425	#63

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