GeForce RTX 3070
Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU: 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
- ✅272.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌633.3% higher power demand at 220W vs 30W.
- ❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.
Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
2023Why buy it
- ✅Draws 30W instead of 220W, a 190W reduction.
- ✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
- ✅More future proof: RDNA 2 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
- ❌GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU
The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 9 2023. It features the RDNA 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1900 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,000 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 3,000 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 639.1%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU uses RDNA 2, both on 8 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1900 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 22,172+639% | 3,000 |
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 6 nm |
| Shading Units | 5888+1050% | 512 |
| Boost Clock | 1725 MHz | 1900 MHz+10% |
| L1 Cache | 5.8 MB+1060% | 0.5 MB |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+300% | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Steam Deck 8CU carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 64-bit on the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1 MB (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB+300% | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 256-bit+300% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+300% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12_0 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 3.0.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th gen | VCN 3.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th gen | VCN 3.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 30W — a 152% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 220W | 30W-86% |
| Recommended PSU | 650W | 350W-46% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 242mm | 1mm |
| Height | 112mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 100.8 | 100.0 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU was 100+% cheaper ($499 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Steam Deck 8CU (2023 vs 2020).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $499 | $0-100% |
| Performance per Dollar | 44.4 | Infinity |
| Codename | GA104 | RDNA 2 Sephiroth |
| Release | September 1 2020 | November 9 2023 |
| Ranking | #63 | #480 |
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 Steam Deck 8CU
