GeForce RTX 3070 vs L4

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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VS

L4

2023Core: 795 MHzBoost: 2040 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3070 vs L4 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 L4: 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

  • +118.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $1,846 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $2,345 MSRP).
  • Delivers 926.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 4.3 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $2,345 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

  • 205.6% higher power demand at 220W vs 72W.
  • 43.2% longer card at 242mm vs 169mm.

L4

2023

Why buy it

  • Draws 72W instead of 220W, a 148W reduction.
  • Measures 169mm instead of 242mm, a 73mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,153 vs 22,172).
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 369.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,345 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.3 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($2,345 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 118.4% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 10,153), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
L4 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 8nm, 60 vs 46 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2020. 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 $1,846 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $2,345, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 926.2% (44.4 vs 4.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, GeForce RTX 3070 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, L4 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs L4 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

L4

The L4 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 795 MHz to 2040 MHz. It has 7424 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 72W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,153 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the L4's 10,153 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 118.4%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the L4 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 7,424 (L4). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 30.29 TFLOPS (L4). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 2040 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 60 (L4) with 184 Tensor cores vs 240.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070L4
G3D Mark Score
22,172+118%
10,153
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
5888
7424+26%
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS
30.29 TFLOPS+49%
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
2040 MHz+18%
ROPs
96+20%
80
TMUs
184
240+30%
L1 Cache
5.8 MB
7.5 MB+29%
L2 Cache
4 MB
48 MB+1100%
Ray Tracing Cores
46
60+30%
Tensor Cores
184
240+30%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The L4 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070L4
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 128-bit on the L4. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 48 MB (L4) — the L4 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070L4
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB
48 MB+1100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.2 (L4). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070L4
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (L4). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC (4x). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (L4).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070L4
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
5th Gen NVDEC (4x)
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 L4's 72W — a 101.4% difference. The L4 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 500W (L4). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 169mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070L4
TDP
220W
72W-67%
Recommended PSU
650W
500W-23%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
169mm
Height
112mm
69mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8
141.0+40%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the L4 launched at $2345. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 78.7% cheaper ($1846 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 4.3 (L4) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 932.6% better value. The newer card here is L4 (2023 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070L4
MSRP
$499-79%
$2345
Performance per Dollar
44.4+933%
4.3
Codename
GA104
AD104
Release
September 1 2020
March 21 2023
Ranking
#63
#259

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