GeForce RTX 2070 vs GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2070

2018Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1620 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz

GeForce RTX 2070 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 RTX 2070 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 RTX 2070 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 RTX 2070

2018

Why buy it

  • 56.5% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (288 vs 184).
  • Draws 175W instead of 220W, a 45W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 20% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • 10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 32.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 65.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (184 vs 288), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • 25.7% higher power demand at 220W vs 175W.

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 32.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 38% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 16,068), 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: a 8nm process instead of 12nm, 46 vs 36 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2018. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 65.6% (44.4 vs 26.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 2070 vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2070

The GeForce RTX 2070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 17 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1620 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 36 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,068 points. Launch price was $499.

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 RTX 2070 scores 16,068 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 38%. The GeForce RTX 2070 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 7.465 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1620 MHz vs 1725 MHz. Ray tracing: 36 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 3070) with 288 Tensor cores vs 184.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score
16,068
22,172+38%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2304
5888+156%
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.465 TFLOPS
20.31 TFLOPS+172%
Boost Clock
1620 MHz
1725 MHz+6%
ROPs
64
96+50%
TMUs
144
184+28%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB
5.8 MB+152%
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
36
46+28%
Tensor Cores
288+57%
184

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 3070
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 2070 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
448 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX
12.1
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP9 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder
NVENC 6.0
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP9
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2070 draws 175W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 22.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 2070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 3070
TDP
175W-20%
220W
Recommended PSU
550W-15%
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
242mm
Height
112mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
75°C-6%
Perf/Watt
91.8
100.8+10%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2070 came in at $599, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 16.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.8 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 65.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP
$599
$499-17%
Performance per Dollar
26.8
44.4+66%
Codename
TU106
GA104
Release
October 17 2018
September 1 2020
Ranking
#129
#63

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