GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 4070
The GeForce RTX 4070 is a big jump in performance — leading the GeForce RTX 3070 by roughly 37% in our performance index. It also comes out ahead on value, making it the straightforward pick if the price fits your budget.
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GeForce RTX 4070 vs GeForce RTX 3070: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 4070 vs GeForce RTX 3070
The GeForce RTX 4070 is significantly faster, around 37% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3070. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1440p.
Price & Value
On price, expect to pay $500 EUR for the GeForce RTX 3070 versus $656 EUR for the GeForce RTX 4070. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce RTX 4070 wins on performance-per-dollar.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce RTX 4070 draws just 200W versus 220W for the GeForce RTX 3070, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom. Its more modern Ada Lovelace architecture on a TSMC N4 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 12GB against 8GB, the GeForce RTX 4070 has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the GeForce RTX 3070's 8GB can fall short. The GeForce RTX 4070's memory is also faster — 504 GB/s versus 448 GB/s (192-bit vs 256-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 4070 is roughly 3 years newer than the GeForce RTX 3070 (Ada Lovelace vs Ampere), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3070 or GeForce RTX 4070?
The GeForce RTX 4070 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the GeForce RTX 3070 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 4070 better than the GeForce RTX 3070?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3070 or the GeForce RTX 4070?
Is the GeForce RTX 4070 worth the extra $156 EUR over the GeForce RTX 3070?
Does the GeForce RTX 4070 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3070 or GeForce RTX 4070?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3070 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N4 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 5,888 | 5,888 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 46 | 46 |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 184 | 184 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3070 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,500 MHz | 1,920 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,725 MHz | 2,475 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3070 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 12 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 192-bit |
| Memory Speed | 14 Gbps | 21 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 448 GB/s | 504 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3070 | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 220 W | 200 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | 1x 16-pin |
| Released | Sep 2020 | Apr 2023 |
