GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 6850M XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

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

Radeon RX 6850M XT

2022Core: 2321 MHzBoost: 2581 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 6850M XT 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 6850M XT 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 6850M XT: 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

  • 14.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $301 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
  • Delivers 104.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 21.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • Radeon RX 6850M XT is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 33.3% higher power demand at 220W vs 165W.

Radeon RX 6850M XT

2022

Why buy it

  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 165W instead of 220W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.
  • 60.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $800 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.7 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($800 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 14.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 27.8% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 17,350), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 6850M XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce RTX 3070 is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 8nm, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2020. 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 $301 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $800, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 104.9% (44.4 vs 21.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, GeForce RTX 3070 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 6850M XT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon RX 6850M XT 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 6850M XT

The Radeon RX 6850M XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2321 MHz to 2581 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,350 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon RX 6850M XT's 17,350 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 27.8%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6850M XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2,560 (Radeon RX 6850M XT). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 13.21 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6850M XT). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 2581 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 40 (Radeon RX 6850M XT) with 184 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 6850M XT
G3D Mark Score
22,172+28%
17,350
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
5888+130%
2560
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+54%
13.21 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
2581 MHz+50%
ROPs
96+50%
64
TMUs
184+15%
160
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+1060%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+33%
3 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
46+15%
40

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6850M XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 6850M XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 6850M XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
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 6850M XT carries 12 GB. Radeon RX 6850M XT gives you 50% 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 432 GB/s (Radeon RX 6850M XT) — a 3.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 192-bit on the Radeon RX 6850M XT. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 3 MB (Radeon RX 6850M XT) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 6850M XT
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
12 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s+4%
432 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+33%
3 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6850M XT). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 6850M XT
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4
1.4
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6850M XT). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6850M XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 6850M XT
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
VCN 3.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
VCN 3.0
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 6850M XT's 165W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon RX 6850M XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 650W (Radeon RX 6850M XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 6850M XT
TDP
220W
165W-25%
Recommended PSU
650W
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
Mobile
Length
242mm
0mm
Height
112mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
100.8
105.2+4%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Radeon RX 6850M XT launched at $800. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 37.6% cheaper ($301 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 21.7 (Radeon RX 6850M XT) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 104.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 6850M XT (2022 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon RX 6850M XT
MSRP
$499-38%
$800
Performance per Dollar
44.4+105%
21.7
Codename
GA104
Navi 22
Release
September 1 2020
January 4 2022
Ranking
#63
#103

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