GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

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

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

2020Boost: 2100 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C: 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

  • 583.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 212% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 14.2 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs Unknown).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 1366.7% higher power demand at 220W vs 15W.
  • 24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $400 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Draws 15W instead of 220W, a 205W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm 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 Unknown vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2020 hardware with Unknown 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 14.2 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($99 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 583.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1472.5% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 1,410), 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 Unknown of VRAM and 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units. 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 $400 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $99, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 212% (44.4 vs 14.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,410 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C's 1,410 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 1472.5%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C uses Vega, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 2100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
G3D Mark Score
22,172+1472%
1,410
Architecture
Ampere
Vega
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
5888+1050%
512
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
2100 MHz+22%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C carries 0 MB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 100+% 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 System on the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR6
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
System
Bus Width
256-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12_1 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12_1
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 1.0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
VCN 1.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
VCN 1.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C's 15W — a 174.5% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
TDP
220W
15W-93%
Recommended PSU
650W
1W-100%
Power Connector
8-pin
Integrated
Length
242mm
1mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+7%
94.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C was 80.2% cheaper ($400 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 14.2 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 212.7% better value.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
MSRP
$499
$99-80%
Performance per Dollar
44.4+213%
14.2
Codename
GA104
Vega
Release
September 1 2020
January 7 2020
Ranking
#63
#545

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