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 4070

2023

Why buy it

✅+383.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 706.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon HD 7990

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,566 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
66.8% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$599 MSRP

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Radeon HD 7990

2013

Why buy it

✅+383.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 706.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,566 vs 26,919).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
66.8% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$599 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than Radeon HD 7990?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 26,919 vs 5,566 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while Radeon HD 7990 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 4070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2013, 383.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 3 GB, and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) 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 4070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4070 is about $400 cheaper on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and you are getting 383.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 706.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon HD 7990 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 7990 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 $999 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4070 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.

GeForce RTX 4070 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7990 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	183 FPS	100 FPS
medium	167 FPS	82 FPS
high	151 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	83 FPS
medium	124 FPS	70 FPS
high	110 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	27 FPS
medium	78 FPS	26 FPS
high	65 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7990

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	544 FPS	155 FPS
medium	454 FPS	128 FPS
high	353 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	78 FPS
1440p
low	351 FPS	94 FPS
medium	288 FPS	71 FPS
high	235 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	39 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	39 FPS
medium	144 FPS	29 FPS
high	125 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7990

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	884 FPS	250 FPS
medium	713 FPS	200 FPS
high	643 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	569 FPS	125 FPS
1440p
low	684 FPS	188 FPS
medium	549 FPS	150 FPS
high	483 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	94 FPS
4K
low	467 FPS	125 FPS
medium	373 FPS	100 FPS
high	326 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	63 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7990

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
1080p
low	751 FPS	179 FPS
medium	612 FPS	145 FPS
high	536 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	127 FPS
medium	500 FPS	105 FPS
high	433 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	395 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	384 FPS	75 FPS
medium	324 FPS	58 FPS
high	301 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	31 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4070 Open Radeon HD 7990

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and Radeon HD 7990

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

Radeon HD 7990

The Radeon HD 7990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,566 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon HD 7990's 5,566 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 383.6%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 7990 uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7990). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7990). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
G3D Mark Score	26,919+384%	5,566
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	GCN 1.0
Process Node	5 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	5888+188%	2048 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)	29.15 TFLOPS+612%	4.096 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock	2475 MHz+148%	1000 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32 ×2
TMUs	184+44%	128 ×2
L1 Cache	5.8 MB+1060%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	36 MB+4700%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon HD 7990 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 7990 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7990 has 3 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7990) — a 471.8% advantage for the Radeon HD 7990. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit x2. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7990) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+300%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	504 GB/s+75%	288 GB/s x2
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit x2+100%
L2 Cache	36 MB+4700%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7990). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 5.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	5+25%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7990). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7990).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC (2x)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	UVD 3.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 7990's 375W — a 60.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 750W (Radeon HD 7990). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 305mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 7990
TDP	200W-47%	375W
Recommended PSU	650W-13%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	304mm	305mm
Height	137mm	111mm
Slots	3	2-33%
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85
Perf/Watt	134.6+809%	14.8

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7990 launched at $999. The GeForce RTX 4070 costs 40% less ($400 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7990) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 701.8% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).