GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon Sky 500

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon Sky 500

2013Core: 950 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

  • +369.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $1 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 370.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 9.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 46.7% higher power demand at 220W vs 150W.

Radeon Sky 500

2013

Why buy it

  • Draws 150W instead of 220W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (4,723 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: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 0.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $500 MSRPvs$499 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than Radeon Sky 500?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 4,723 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon Sky 500 is a 2013 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 2013, 369.4% 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 about $1 cheaper on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $500 MSRP, and you are getting 369.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 370.4%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon Sky 500 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon Sky 500 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 $500 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 Sky 500
1080p
low158 FPS80 FPS
medium140 FPS65 FPS
high123 FPS51 FPS
ultra104 FPS33 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS67 FPS
medium109 FPS55 FPS
high96 FPS39 FPS
ultra86 FPS25 FPS
4K
low80 FPS24 FPS
medium67 FPS23 FPS
high52 FPS15 FPS
ultra45 FPS13 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low470 FPS119 FPS
medium405 FPS89 FPS
high327 FPS68 FPS
ultra277 FPS43 FPS
1440p
low294 FPS66 FPS
medium246 FPS45 FPS
high213 FPS33 FPS
ultra179 FPS23 FPS
4K
low141 FPS24 FPS
medium120 FPS17 FPS
high105 FPS13 FPS
ultra83 FPS9 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low885 FPS213 FPS
medium712 FPS170 FPS
high619 FPS142 FPS
ultra499 FPS106 FPS
1440p
low692 FPS159 FPS
medium557 FPS128 FPS
high473 FPS106 FPS
ultra374 FPS80 FPS
4K
low479 FPS106 FPS
medium388 FPS85 FPS
high330 FPS71 FPS
ultra249 FPS53 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low600 FPS144 FPS
medium527 FPS113 FPS
high433 FPS97 FPS
ultra385 FPS80 FPS
1440p
low489 FPS105 FPS
medium433 FPS85 FPS
high339 FPS73 FPS
ultra297 FPS56 FPS
4K
low292 FPS61 FPS
medium270 FPS46 FPS
high238 FPS36 FPS
ultra200 FPS25 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and Radeon Sky 500

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 Sky 500

The Radeon Sky 500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 27 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 950 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,723 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon Sky 500's 4,723 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 369.4%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon Sky 500 uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1,280 (Radeon Sky 500). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2.432 TFLOPS (Radeon Sky 500).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
G3D Mark Score
22,172+369%
4,723
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
5888+360%
1280
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+735%
2.432 TFLOPS
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 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon Sky 500 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
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 Sky 500 has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3070 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon Sky 500) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+300%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
256-bit+300%
64-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+700%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon Sky 500's 150W — a 37.8% difference. The Radeon Sky 500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 350W (Radeon Sky 500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
TDP
220W
150W-32%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+220%
31.5
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon Sky 500 launched at $500. The GeForce RTX 3070 costs 0.2% less ($1 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 9.4 (Radeon Sky 500) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 372.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Sky 500
MSRP
$499
$500
Performance per Dollar
44.4+372%
9.4
Codename
GA104
Pitcairn
Release
September 1 2020
March 27 2013
Ranking
#63
#455