GeForce GTX 1070 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT
Performance-wise the GeForce GTX 1070 is out front, significantly faster, roughly 38% up on the Radeon RX 6500 XT. Value tips toward the Radeon RX 6500 XT, though: $292 AUD cheaper for what you get.
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GeForce GTX 1070 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 1070 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT
The GeForce GTX 1070 is significantly faster, around 38% ahead of the Radeon RX 6500 XT. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon RX 6500 XT starts at $199 AUD against $491 AUD for the GeForce GTX 1070. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 6500 XT offers the better performance-per-dollar (~79% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The GeForce GTX 1070 still sits about $112 AUD above its $379 AUD MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is the lighter draw at 113W against the GeForce GTX 1070's 150W, making it the easier card to power and cool. The GeForce GTX 1070 draws more in absolute terms but squeezes out more performance per watt, so budget for a beefier PSU if you go that route.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce GTX 1070's 8GB (vs 4GB on the Radeon RX 6500 XT) gives it more room for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative or AI workloads.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is roughly 6 years newer than the GeForce GTX 1070 (RDNA 2 vs Pascal), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 1070 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Choose the GeForce GTX 1070 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX 6500 XT stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 1070 better than the Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1070 or the Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Is the GeForce GTX 1070 worth the extra $292 AUD over the Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Does the GeForce GTX 1070 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1070 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Pascal | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | TSMC N6 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,920✓ | 1,024 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 16 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1070 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,506 MHz | 2,310 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,683 MHz | 2,815 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1070 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB✓ | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 64-bit |
| Memory Speed | 8 Gbps | 18 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 256 GB/s✓ | 144 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1070 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| TDP | 150 W | 113 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Released | Jun 2016 | Jan 2022 |