Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3070: How do the 70-class cards stack up in video games?

The Nvidia RTX 4070 is the latest entry in the Ada Lovelace lineup. Priced at $599, the card is now available on store shelves. The GPU replaces the RTX 3070, a GPU that still keeps up quite well in QHD. However, the latest card packs DLSS 3, faster CUDA cores, ray tracing hardware, and more VRAM. This makes it a solid deal on the surface.

Gamers on the card's last-gen variant might be confused about whether to upgrade to the new GPU on the market. The misleading specs of the two cards might misinform more gamers looking for a new pixel pusher.

This article will compare the two offerings from Team Green — their specs, performance, and price to performance — and determine which makes more sense for gaming.

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The RTX 4070 is a solid generational leap over the RTX 3070

The RTX 4070 has a lot to offer: better upscaling technology, performance, and the capability to run the latest innovations like RT Overdrive. However, there is a lot more to consider before finalizing the GPU.

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Specs

The RTX 40 series lineup has amazed us so far with its generational performance gains. The 4090 is leaps better than its last-gen equivalent, the 3090 and the 3090 Ti. A similar trend can be observed across RTX 4080 and 4070 Ti.

However, the RTX 4070 is a bit different. Unlike its higher-end siblings, the card doesn't pack massive performance improvements. Instead, its spec sheet is nearly identical to the last-gen 3070.

Both cards pack 5,888 CUDA cores and 46 RT cores. However, the newer card packs 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, unlike the 3070, which is bundled with 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. The memory bus width has been reduced to 192-bit from the 256-bit configuration of the Ampere offering.

The newer card is also more power efficient. The 4070 has a slightly lower TDP of 200W instead of the 220W rated power draw of the last-gen card.

Comparison factors	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070	Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070
Market (main)	Desktop	Desktop
Release date	2023 Q2	2020 Q3
Model number	AD104-250-A1	GA104-300-A1
GPU name	AD104	GA104
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Ampere
Generation	GeForce 40	GeForce 30
Lithography	4 nm	8 nm
Transistors	35,800,000,000	17,400,000,000
Bus interface	PCIe 4.0 x16	PCIe 4.0 x16
GPU base clock	1,920 MHz	1,500 MHz
GPU boost clock	2,475 MHz	1,725 MHz
Memory frequency	1,313 MHz	1,750 MHz
Effective memory speed	21 Gbps	14 Gbps
Memory size	12 GB	8 GB
Memory type	GDDR6X	GDDR6
Memory bus	192 bit	256 bit
Memory bandwidth	504.2 GB/s	448.0 GB/s
TDP	200 W	220 W
Suggested PSU	600W ATX Power Supply	550W ATX Power Supply
Outputs	1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort	1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
Cores (compute units, SM, SMX)	46	46
Shading units (CUDA Cores)	5888	5888
TMUs	184	184
ROPs	64	96
RT cores	46	46
Cache memory	36 MB	27 MB
Pixel fillrate	158.4 GP/s	165.6 GP/s
Texture fillrate	455.4 GT/s	317.4 GT/s
Performance FP16 (half)	29.1 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS
Performance FP32 (float)	29.1 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS
Performance FP64 (double)	455.4 GFLOPS	317.4 GFLOPS

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Performance difference

A similar spec sheet doesn't mean that the RTX 4070 12GB is the same as the 3070 in terms of performance. The newer GPU packs faster CUDA cores and RT cores. At the end of the day, the Ada Lovelace architecture is all about improved efficiency and pipeline optimization.

This pays off across synthetic benchmarks and video games. The 4070 is about 20-30% more powerful than the last-gen card in every modern video game.

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2160p UHD benchmarks

The RTX 3070 isn't particularly known for its 4K performance. It can hold up pretty well in some video games at the resolution. Gamers can get almost 30 FPS in most titles without a hiccup. However, RTX 4070 extends the lead and establishes itself as a competent 4K gaming video card.

	Nvidia RTX 4070 12GB	Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II	92 FPS	68 FPS
Fortnite	33 FPS	26 FPS
A Plague Tale Requiem	39 FPS	32 FPS
God of War	69 FPS	56 FPS
The Callisto Protocol	50 FPS	41 FPS

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1440p QHD benchmarks

1440p is the target resolution of both the RTX 3070 and the 4070. Both cards stack up pretty well in resolution. The 3070 delivers playable framerates in nearly every title. The RTX 4070, however, maintains a decent 25-30% gain across all titles.

YouTuber Daniel Owen compared the two GPUs. Benchmarks in 1440p — the cards' target resolution — are listed below.

	Nvidia RTX 4070 12GB	Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB
Resident Evil 4 Remake	98 FPS	86 FPS
The Last of US Part 1	75 FPS	52 FPS
A Plague Tale Requiem	77 FPS	62 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	37 FPS	27 FPS
The Callisto Protocol	86 FPS	69 FPS

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1080p FHD benchmarks

Both the RTX 4070 and 3070 are overkill for 1080p gaming. Both GPUs deliver way over 60 FPS in this resolution. Gamers looking to get into competitive gaming can thus opt for either card while playing at FHD.

	Nvidia RTX 4070 12GB	Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB
Resident Evil 4 Remake	135 FPS	103 FPS
The Last of US Part 1	106 FPS	70 FPS
A Plague Tale Requiem	112 FPS	91 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	81 FPS	68 FPS
The Callisto Protocol	89 FPS	71 FPS

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Pricing

The new GPU is more capable. The pricing of the cards, however, paints a different scenario. The RTX 4070 is priced at $599, while the 3070 was initially introduced for $499.

Multiple RTX 3070 AIB models from companies like Gigabyte and MSI are available at the MSRP. However, the card can be bought for slightly lower than $300 in the used market.

Thus, users will have to spend $100 more to get about 15-20 extra frames in video games. This might not be the best deal for most gamers. For the current market, the RTX 4070 might come off as a bad deal and the 3070 could be the way to go. However, games are slated to become more intense in the next few years. The RTX 3070 might not be enough for 1440p gaming in this case.

Thus, RTX 4070 is a better graphics card for future-proof rigs. Gamers currently on the 3070, therefore, can hold on to their cards for slightly longer. Eventually, the new card will go on sale, which will help save a few bucks.

However, gamers building a new system should opt for the RTX 4070 over the last-gen offering to ensure their system remains competitive even a couple of years from now.