GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon HD 6990M

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6990M

2011Core: 715 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

  • +579.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • 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).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 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.

Radeon HD 6990M

2011

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,264 vs 22,172).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 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 Radeon HD 6990M?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 3,264 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon HD 6990M is a 2011 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 2011, 579.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 2 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. 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 579.3% 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 Radeon HD 6990M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon HD 6990M 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 3070Radeon HD 6990M
1080p
low158 FPS62 FPS
medium140 FPS49 FPS
high123 FPS33 FPS
ultra104 FPS19 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS37 FPS
medium109 FPS27 FPS
high96 FPS17 FPS
ultra86 FPS9 FPS
4K
low80 FPS12 FPS
medium67 FPS10 FPS
high52 FPS6 FPS
ultra45 FPS6 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
1080p
low470 FPS94 FPS
medium405 FPS65 FPS
high327 FPS46 FPS
ultra277 FPS32 FPS
1440p
low294 FPS64 FPS
medium246 FPS41 FPS
high213 FPS30 FPS
ultra179 FPS22 FPS
4K
low141 FPS32 FPS
medium120 FPS22 FPS
high105 FPS16 FPS
ultra83 FPS11 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
1080p
low885 FPS147 FPS
medium712 FPS118 FPS
high619 FPS98 FPS
ultra499 FPS73 FPS
1440p
low692 FPS110 FPS
medium557 FPS88 FPS
high473 FPS73 FPS
ultra374 FPS55 FPS
4K
low479 FPS73 FPS
medium388 FPS59 FPS
high330 FPS49 FPS
ultra249 FPS37 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
1080p
low600 FPS139 FPS
medium527 FPS106 FPS
high433 FPS86 FPS
ultra385 FPS69 FPS
1440p
low489 FPS100 FPS
medium433 FPS79 FPS
high339 FPS65 FPS
ultra297 FPS48 FPS
4K
low292 FPS59 FPS
medium270 FPS43 FPS
high238 FPS33 FPS
ultra200 FPS23 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and Radeon HD 6990M

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.

AMD

Radeon HD 6990M

The Radeon HD 6990M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 12 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 715 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,264 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon HD 6990M's 3,264 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 579.3%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 6990M uses TeraScale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1,120 (Radeon HD 6990M). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1.602 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6990M).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
G3D Mark Score
22,172+579%
3,264
Architecture
Ampere
TeraScale 2
Process Node
8 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
5888+426%
1120
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+1168%
1.602 TFLOPS
ROPs
96+200%
32
TMUs
184+229%
56
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+2536%
0.22 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+700%
0.5 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 Radeon HD 6990M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3070 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6990M has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3070 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6990M) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+300%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
System
Bus Width
256-bit
System
L2 Cache
4 MB+700%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon HD 6990M's 100W — a 75% difference. The Radeon HD 6990M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6990M). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
TDP
220W
100W-55%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+209%
32.6
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon HD 6990M
MSRP
$499
Codename
GA104
Blackcomb
Release
September 1 2020
July 12 2011
Ranking
#63
#691