GeForce GTX 555 vs GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 555

2011Core: 720 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 555 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 GTX 555 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 GTX 555 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 GTX 555

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $349 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Draws 70W instead of 220W, a 150W reduction.
  • Measures 210mm instead of 242mm, a 32mm 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 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2011 hardware with 1 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 10.7 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 1243.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 315.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 10.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 214.3% higher power demand at 220W vs 70W.
  • 15.2% longer card at 242mm vs 210mm.

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 1243.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1282.3% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 1,604), 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 1 GB 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 $349 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 315.5% (44.4 vs 10.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 555 vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 555

The GeForce GTX 555 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 14 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,604 points. Launch price was $149.

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 GTX 555 scores 1,604 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 1282.3%. The GeForce GTX 555 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 144 (GeForce GTX 555) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 0.4147 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 555) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score
1,604
22,172+1282%
Architecture
Fermi 2.0
Ampere
Process Node
40 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
144
5888+3989%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.4147 TFLOPS
20.31 TFLOPS+4798%
ROPs
16
96+500%
TMUs
24
184+667%
L1 Cache
0.19 MB
5.8 MB+2953%
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
4 MB+953%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 555 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce 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 GTX 555 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 700% 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 GTX 555 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 555) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
8 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
448 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
4 MB+953%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 555) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.2
1.4+17%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 555) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 555) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 555 draws 70W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 103.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 555 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 555) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 210mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3070
TDP
70W-68%
220W
Recommended PSU
450W-31%
650W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
210mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
22.9
100.8+340%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 555 came in at $150, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 555 was 69.9% cheaper ($349 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.7 (GeForce GTX 555) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 315% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP
$150-70%
$499
Performance per Dollar
10.7
44.4+315%
Codename
GF116
GA104
Release
May 14 2011
September 1 2020
Ranking
#849
#63

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