GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon R5 M255

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R5 M255

2014Core: 900 MHzBoost: 925 MHz

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon R5 M255 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 4070 vs Radeon R5 M255 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 4070 vs Radeon R5 M255: 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 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • 2267.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 1141.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 3.6 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Radeon R5 M255

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $449 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB 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 3.6 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2267.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4857.5% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 543), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R5 M255 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, 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 4070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $449 more expensive on MSRP at $599 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1141.4% (44.9 vs 3.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon R5 M255 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon R5 M255

The Radeon R5 M255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 28 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 925 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 543 points. Launch price was $799.99.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon R5 M255's 543 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 4857.5%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon R5 M255 uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 640 (Radeon R5 M255). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1.184 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 M255). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 925 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon R5 M255
G3D Mark Score
26,919+4857%
543
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
GCN 1.0
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
5888+820%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+2362%
1.184 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2475 MHz+168%
925 MHz
ROPs
64+300%
16
TMUs
184+360%
40
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+3525%
0.16 MB
L2 Cache
36 MB+14300%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R5 M255 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 M255 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon R5 M255
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 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 M255 carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070 and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M255. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon R5 M255) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon R5 M255
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+200%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
36 MB+14300%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12 (Radeon R5 M255). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon R5 M255
DirectX
12.2+2%
12
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6+7%
4.3
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R5 M255). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,MPEG-4,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon R5 M255).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon R5 M255
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
VCE 3.0
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
UVD 4.2
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,MPEG-4,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon R5 M255's 75W — a 90.9% difference. The Radeon R5 M255 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M255). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon R5 M255
TDP
200W
75W-63%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
8-pin
Mobile
Length
304mm
Height
137mm
Slots
3
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
134.6+1769%
7.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4070 came in at $599, while the Radeon R5 M255 launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon R5 M255 was 75% cheaper ($449 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 3.6 (Radeon R5 M255) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 1147.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon R5 M255
MSRP
$599
$150-75%
Performance per Dollar
44.9+1147%
3.6
Codename
AD104
Venus
Release
April 12 2023
January 28 2014
Ranking
#32
#851

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.