GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022Core: 2610 MHzBoost: 2815 MHz

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 RX 6500 XT 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 RX 6500 XT: 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

  • 170.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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

  • 201% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • 86.9% higher power demand at 200W vs 107W.
  • 76.7% longer card at 304mm vs 172mm.

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022

Why buy it

  • Costs $400 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Draws 107W instead of 200W, a 93W reduction.
  • Measures 172mm instead of 304mm, a 132mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

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.
  • GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

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 170.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 180.3% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 9,603), 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, a 5nm process instead of 6nm, 46 vs 16 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2022. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 6500 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $400 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 7.4% (48.3 vs 44.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 6500 XT is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4070 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 RX 6500 XT

The Radeon RX 6500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2610 MHz to 2815 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 107W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,603 points. Launch price was $199.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 9,603 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 180.3%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 6500 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 5.765 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 2815 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 16 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) with 184 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6500 XT
G3D Mark Score
26,919+180%
9,603
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
5 nm
6 nm
Shading Units
5888+475%
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+406%
5.765 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2475 MHz
2815 MHz+14%
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
184+188%
64
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+2220%
0.25 MB
L2 Cache
36 MB+3500%
1 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
46+188%
16

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both GPUs support Frame Generation, but they get there through different ecosystems. The GeForce RTX 4070 uses DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT relies on FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. Both can help smooth out supported games, but they are not on the same feature stack.The GeForce RTX 4070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 6500 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6500 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
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 RX 6500 XT 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 bandwidth: 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — a 250% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070 and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500 XT. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6500 XT
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+200%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s+250%
144 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
36 MB+3500%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6500 XT
DirectX
12.2
12.2
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs None (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs VCN 3.0 (Limited). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) (Radeon RX 6500 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6500 XT
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
None
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
VCN 3.0 (Limited)
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 107W — a 60.6% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 172mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6500 XT
TDP
200W
107W-47%
Recommended PSU
650W
400W-38%
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
304mm
172mm
Height
137mm
112mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
80°C
70°C-13%
Perf/Watt
134.6+50%
89.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4070 came in at $599, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon RX 6500 XT was 66.8% cheaper ($400 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the Radeon RX 6500 XT offers 7.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6500 XT
MSRP
$599
$199-67%
Performance per Dollar
44.9
48.3+8%
Codename
AD104
Navi 24
Release
April 12 2023
January 19 2022
Ranking
#32
#270

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