GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 6850M

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6850M

2022Core: 2068 MHzBoost: 2416 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 6850M 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 6850M 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 6850M: 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

  • 50.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 66.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 120W.
  • 13.9% longer card at 304mm vs 267mm.

Radeon RX 6850M

2022

Why buy it

  • Draws 120W instead of 200W, a 80W reduction.
  • Measures 267mm instead of 304mm, a 37mm 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 8 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.9 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 50.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 119.3% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 12,274), 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 8 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 7nm, 46 vs 28 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?
GeForce RTX 4070 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 6850M 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 6850M

The Radeon RX 6850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2068 MHz to 2416 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,274 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon RX 6850M's 12,274 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 119.3%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 6850M uses RDNA 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 6850M). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 8.659 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6850M). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 2416 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 28 (Radeon RX 6850M) with 184 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6850M
G3D Mark Score
26,919+119%
12,274
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
5 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
5888+229%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+237%
8.659 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2475 MHz+2%
2416 MHz
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
184+64%
112
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+1060%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
36 MB+1700%
2 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
46+64%
28

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 6850M 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 6850M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6850M
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 6850M carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 50% 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 432 GB/s (Radeon RX 6850M) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070 and 192-bit on the Radeon RX 6850M. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 6850M) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6850M
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+50%
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s+17%
432 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
36 MB+1700%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6850M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6850M
DirectX
12.2
12.2
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6850M). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6850M).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6850M
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
VCN 3.0
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
VCN 3.0
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 6850M's 120W — a 50% difference. The Radeon RX 6850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 500W (Radeon RX 6850M). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 304mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6850M
TDP
200W
120W-40%
Recommended PSU
650W
500W-23%
Power Connector
8-pin
Mobile
Length
304mm
267mm
Height
137mm
111mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
80°C-6%
85°C
Perf/Watt
134.6+32%
102.3
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6850M
MSRP
$599
Codename
AD104
Navi 23
Release
April 12 2023
January 4 2022
Ranking
#32
#148

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