GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 5500

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5500

2019Boost: 1845 MHz
RX family
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GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 5500 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 5500 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 5500: 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

  • 228.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 178.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $499 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 44.4 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
  • 100% higher power demand at 220W vs 110W.
  • 34.4% longer card at 242mm vs 180mm.

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $320 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 11.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Draws 110W instead of 220W, a 110W reduction.
  • Measures 180mm instead of 242mm, a 62mm 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.

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 228.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 150.9% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 8,837), 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, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2019. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 5500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $320 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 11.1% (49.4 vs 44.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 5500 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3070 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 5500 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 5500

The Radeon RX 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,837 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon RX 5500's 8,837 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 150.9%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 5500
G3D Mark Score
22,172+151%
8,837
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
5888+318%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+291%
5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
1845 MHz+7%
ROPs
96+200%
32
TMUs
184+109%
88

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500 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 5500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 5500
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 5500 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 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 5500
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s+100%
224 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 5500
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.1
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 VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 5500
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
VCN 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
VCN 2.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 5500
TDP
220W
110W-50%
Recommended PSU
650W
450W-31%
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
242mm
180mm
Height
112mm
110mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+26%
80.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon RX 5500 was 64.1% cheaper ($320 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 11.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 5500
MSRP
$499
$179-64%
Performance per Dollar
44.4
49.4+11%
Codename
GA104
Navi 14
Release
September 1 2020
October 7 2019
Ranking
#63
#297

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