GeForce RTX 3070 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018Core: 1215 MHzBoost: 1480 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3070

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 133.2% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 120% higher power demand at 220W vs 100W.

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

  • Draws 100W instead of 220W, a 120W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than Quadro P4200 Max-Q?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3070 averages 133.2% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 7,800 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Quadro P4200 Max-Q is a 2018 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2018, 184.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3070 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $499 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 133.2% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 184.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Quadro P4200 Max-Q still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Quadro P4200 Max-Q is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3070 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low158 FPS93 FPS
medium140 FPS81 FPS
high123 FPS69 FPS
ultra104 FPS46 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS78 FPS
medium109 FPS69 FPS
high96 FPS52 FPS
ultra86 FPS35 FPS
4K
low80 FPS28 FPS
medium67 FPS26 FPS
high52 FPS18 FPS
ultra45 FPS15 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low470 FPS221 FPS
medium405 FPS187 FPS
high327 FPS144 FPS
ultra277 FPS117 FPS
1440p
low294 FPS161 FPS
medium246 FPS135 FPS
high213 FPS109 FPS
ultra179 FPS86 FPS
4K
low141 FPS94 FPS
medium120 FPS78 FPS
high105 FPS65 FPS
ultra83 FPS50 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low885 FPS351 FPS
medium712 FPS281 FPS
high619 FPS234 FPS
ultra499 FPS176 FPS
1440p
low692 FPS263 FPS
medium557 FPS211 FPS
high473 FPS176 FPS
ultra374 FPS132 FPS
4K
low479 FPS176 FPS
medium388 FPS140 FPS
high330 FPS117 FPS
ultra249 FPS88 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low600 FPS178 FPS
medium527 FPS145 FPS
high433 FPS123 FPS
ultra385 FPS104 FPS
1440p
low489 FPS127 FPS
medium433 FPS104 FPS
high339 FPS89 FPS
ultra297 FPS75 FPS
4K
low292 FPS71 FPS
medium270 FPS58 FPS
high238 FPS45 FPS
ultra200 FPS36 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and Quadro P4200 Max-Q

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

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

The Quadro P4200 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1215 MHz to 1480 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,800 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Quadro P4200 Max-Q's 7,800 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 184.3%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2,304 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 6.82 TFLOPS (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1480 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
G3D Mark Score
22,172+184%
7,800
Architecture
Ampere
Pascal
Process Node
8 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
5888+156%
2304
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+198%
6.82 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1725 MHz+17%
1480 MHz
ROPs
96+50%
64
TMUs
184+28%
144
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+590%
0.84 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+100%
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
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)

The GeForce RTX 3070 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3070 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2 MB (Quadro P4200 Max-Q) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+100%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.1 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.1
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 NVENC 6.0 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs PureVideo HD VP8. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
NVENC 6.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
PureVideo HD VP8
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Quadro P4200 Max-Q's 100W — a 75% difference. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 350W (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
TDP
220W
100W-55%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
0mm
Height
112mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+29%
78.0
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Quadro P4200 Max-Q
MSRP
$499
Codename
GA104
GP104
Release
September 1 2020
February 21 2018
Ranking
#63
#234