GeForce RTX 3070
Radeon R9 270X
GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon R9 270X 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 Radeon R9 270X 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon R9 270X: 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
2020Why buy it
- ✅257.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 81.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 24.5 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌22.2% higher power demand at 220W vs 180W.
Radeon R9 270X
2013Why buy it
- ✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 180W instead of 220W, a 40W reduction.
- ✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
- ❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 24.5 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
Quick Answers
Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon R9 270X Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
Radeon R9 270X
The Radeon R9 270X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,874 points. Launch price was $199.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon R9 270X's 4,874 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 354.9%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 270X uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2.688 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270X). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1050 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon R9 270X |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 22,172+355% | 4,874 |
| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 5888+360% | 1280 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 20.31 TFLOPS+656% | 2.688 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1725 MHz+64% | 1050 MHz |
| ROPs | 96+200% | 32 |
| TMUs | 184+130% | 80 |
| L1 Cache | 5.8 MB+1771% | 0.31 MB |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+700% | 0.5 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 270X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon R9 270X |
|---|---|---|
| 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 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 270X carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 100% 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 179.2 GB/s (Radeon R9 270X) — a 150% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270X. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 270X) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon R9 270X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB+100% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448 GB/s+150% | 179.2 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+700% | 0.5 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 270X). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon R9 270X |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 (11_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.4+17% | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 270X). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 270X).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon R9 270X |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th gen | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th gen | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon R9 270X's 180W — a 20% difference. The Radeon R9 270X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 500W (Radeon R9 270X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80 C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon R9 270X |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 220W | 180W-18% |
| Recommended PSU | 650W | 500W-23% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Length | 242mm | 241mm |
| Height | 112mm | 109mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C-6% | 80 C |
| Perf/Watt | 100.8+272% | 27.1 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Radeon R9 270X launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 270X was 60.1% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 24.5 (Radeon R9 270X) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 81.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon R9 270X |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $499 | $199-60% |
| Performance per Dollar | 44.4+81% | 24.5 |
| Codename | GA104 | Curacao |
| Release | September 1 2020 | October 8 2013 |
| Ranking | #63 | #448 |
Affiliate Disclosure
ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on GeForce RTX 3070 and Radeon R9 270X
