GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 550

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 550

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 MHz

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 550 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 RX 550 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 Radeon RX 550: 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

  • 652.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 31.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 33.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $79 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

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 340% higher power demand at 220W vs 50W.
  • 56.1% longer card at 242mm vs 155mm.

Radeon RX 550

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $420 less on MSRP ($79 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Draws 50W instead of 220W, a 170W reduction.
  • Measures 155mm instead of 242mm, a 87mm 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.
  • 2017 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 33.8 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($79 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 652.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 729.2% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 2,674), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 14nm, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2017. 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 $420 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $79, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.3% (44.4 vs 33.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 550 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.

AMD

Radeon RX 550

The Radeon RX 550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,674 points. Launch price was $79.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon RX 550's 2,674 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 729.2%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 512 (Radeon RX 550). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 550). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1183 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 550
G3D Mark Score
22,172+729%
2,674
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 4.0
Process Node
8 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
5888+1050%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+1577%
1.211 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1725 MHz+46%
1183 MHz
ROPs
96+500%
16
TMUs
184+475%
32
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+4362%
0.13 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+700%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 550 is support for FSR 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 3070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 550 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 550
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
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 RX 550 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 112 GB/s (Radeon RX 550) — a 300% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 550. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon RX 550) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 550
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s+300%
112 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+700%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12_0 (Radeon RX 550). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 550
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12_0
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 550). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon RX 550).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 550
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
H.264,H.265
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon RX 550's 50W — a 125.9% difference. The Radeon RX 550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 300W (Radeon RX 550). Power connectors: 8-pin vs None. Card length: 242mm vs 155mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 550
TDP
220W
50W-77%
Recommended PSU
650W
300W-54%
Power Connector
8-pin
None
Length
242mm
155mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+88%
53.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Radeon RX 550 launched at $79. On MSRP, Radeon RX 550 was 84.2% cheaper ($420 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 33.8 (Radeon RX 550) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 31.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 550
MSRP
$499
$79-84%
Performance per Dollar
44.4+31%
33.8
Codename
GA104
Lexa
Release
September 1 2020
April 20 2017
Ranking
#63
#617

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