GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4090

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

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

GeForce RTX 4090

2022Core: 2235 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 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 4090: 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 $1,100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 86.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 23.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • Draws 220W instead of 450W, a 230W reduction.
  • Measures 242mm instead of 304mm, a 62mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4090 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 4090

2022

Why buy it

  • 49.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 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

  • 220.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,599 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 23.8 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • 104.5% higher power demand at 450W vs 220W.
  • 25.6% longer card at 304mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4090 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 49.7% in average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 71.9% in PassMark G3D (38,112 vs 22,172), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4090 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 24 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 128 vs 46 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 $1,100 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $1,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 86.4% (44.4 vs 23.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, GeForce RTX 3070 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1440p and 4K headroom, GeForce RTX 4090 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090

The GeForce RTX 4090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2022. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2235 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 16384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 450W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 128 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 38,112 points. Launch price was $1,599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the GeForce RTX 4090's 38,112 — the GeForce RTX 4090 leads by 71.9%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4090 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 16,384 (GeForce RTX 4090). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 82.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 128 (GeForce RTX 4090) with 184 Tensor cores vs 512.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4090
G3D Mark Score
22,172
38,112+72%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
5888
16384+178%
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS
82.58 TFLOPS+307%
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
2520 MHz+46%
ROPs
96
176+83%
TMUs
184
512+178%
L1 Cache
5.8 MB
16 MB+176%
L2 Cache
4 MB
72 MB+1700%
Ray Tracing Cores
46
128+178%
Tensor Cores
184
512+178%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4090 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 4090 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3070 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4090
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 4090 carries 24 GB. GeForce RTX 4090 gives you 200% 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 1008 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090) — a 125% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4090. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090) — the GeForce RTX 4090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4090
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
24 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
1008 GB/s+125%
Bus Width
256-bit
384-bit+50%
L2 Cache
4 MB
72 MB+1700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4090). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4090
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 4090). 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 4090).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4090
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 4090's 450W — a 68.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1000W (GeForce RTX 4090). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Card length: 242mm vs 304mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4090
TDP
220W-51%
450W
Recommended PSU
650W-35%
1000W
Power Connector
8-pin
16-pin (12VHPWR)
Length
242mm
304mm
Height
112mm
137mm
Slots
2-33%
3
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+19%
84.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the GeForce RTX 4090 launched at $1599. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 68.8% cheaper ($1100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 23.8 (GeForce RTX 4090) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 86.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4090 (2022 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 4090
MSRP
$499-69%
$1599
Performance per Dollar
44.4+87%
23.8
Codename
GA104
AD102
Release
September 1 2020
September 20 2022
Ranking
#63
#4

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