GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4070

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4070 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 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4070 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 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4070: 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 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Measures 242mm instead of 304mm, a 62mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • 4.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 25.6% longer card at 304mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 21.4% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 22,172), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 3070 is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2020. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 4070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 more expensive on MSRP at $599 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1.1% (44.9 vs 44.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4070 Technical Specifications

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

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 26,919 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 21.4%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4070 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 2475 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 4070) with 184 Tensor cores vs 184.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4070
G3D Mark Score
22,172
26,919+21%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
5888
5888
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS
29.15 TFLOPS+44%
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
2475 MHz+43%
ROPs
96+50%
64
TMUs
184
184
L1 Cache
5.8 MB
5.8 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB
36 MB+800%
Ray Tracing Cores
46
46
Tensor Cores
184
184

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3070 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3070 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4070
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3070 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) — a 12.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4070
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
12 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
504 GB/s+13%
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB
36 MB+800%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4070
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4070
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 200W — a 9.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 304mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4070
TDP
220W
200W-9%
Recommended PSU
650W
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
242mm
304mm
Height
112mm
137mm
Slots
2-33%
3
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
100.8
134.6+34%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 16.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 1.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4070
MSRP
$499-17%
$599
Performance per Dollar
44.4
44.9+1%
Codename
GA104
AD104
Release
September 1 2020
April 12 2023
Ranking
#63
#32

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