It’s time as soon as once more for a brand new Nvidia graphics card launch—phrases that may both convey pleasure or dread to avid gamers. (Especially to our pocketbooks!)
After a lukewarm response (at greatest) with the controversial RTX 4070 Ti resulting from astronomical pricing, Nvidia has now launched the $599 GeForce RTX 4070, a highly efficient 1440p monster. This is now the most cost effective “Next Generation” graphics card out there from Nvidia or AMD. It additionally guarantees to pack the same great DLSS 3 technology we’ve loved in GPUs such because the ferocious GeForce RTX 4090.
We should additionally take a look at its predecessors to find out what’s modified—and what hasn’t. The GeForce RTX 3080 was much-lauded at $699 for its worth in 2020, although pandemic woes stored it a lot larger on common. Similarly, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT at its at present discounted value of beneath $550 nonetheless packs a punch with its 16GB of VRAM and 3080-like efficiency. Does the RTX 4070 have what it takes to beat them? They’re the last-gen GPUs that the RTX 4070 matches up greatest with performance-wise.
Which GPU do you have to spend your hard-earned cash on? We’ll take a look at the pricing, efficiency, and vital gadgets equivalent to energy consumption. New applied sciences equivalent to DLSS 3 Frame Generation additionally have an effect on variations right here, together with 4K viability resulting from constraints on the VRAM bandwidth and capability. Let’s learn how the RTX 4070 compares to the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT!
Further studying: The best graphics cards for PC gaming
Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Price and availability
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With the Nvidia RTX 4070 freshly launched, we’re blissful to report that inventory appears considerable on the base $599 MSRP. Retailers appear to have good stock, and costs don’t go a lot above $679 even for fancier fashions. With that in thoughts, it’s nonetheless vital to level out that we’ve skilled some severe “price creep” this technology. The RTX 4070 prices $100 greater than the $499 RTX 3070 did, and we even stated most individuals ought to go for a $400 RTX 3060 Ti over the 3070 final technology resulting from their miniscule efficiency variations.
Moving on to the RTX 3080, each the 10GB or 12GB fashions are pretty troublesome to search out in in the present day’s market. It is sensible, as they sit in a deadly place within the Nvidia product stack the place they begin to overlap with new RTX 40-series releases. They each had troublesome beginnings within the sense that they got here through the “Great GPU Shortage,” making availability and pricing unrealistic for many avid gamers.
The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT appears to fare significantly better within the fashionable period, and AMD has but to launch a next-gen GPU cheaper than the $899 Radeon RX 7900 XT. It’s nonetheless extensively out there on many retailers, and a primary search introduced up a number of fashions beneath $600 on Newegg.
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So the RTX 4070 is in inventory at MSRP—however is that sufficient? That was a easy metric we judged a GPU on through the shortages however occasions have modified. Clearly, for a lot of avid gamers, it’s nonetheless on the costly facet for a 1440p-class graphics card. Judging by the abundance of 4070 inventory nonetheless on retailer cabinets a couple of days after launch, it clearly falls quick as an excellent worth within the eyes of avid gamers.
The verdict for the pricing debate is advanced right here. We can safely remove the RTX 3080 from dialogue because it’s scarcely out there now (used graphics cards being an exception). The Radeon RX 6800 XT is actually a GPU that’s garnering gamer consideration resulting from its mixture of decrease pricing and ample 16GB of reminiscence. Let’s take it to the efficiency part.
Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Performance
Performance is the “truth” for GPUs—a stage the place none can escape the almighty benchmarks. While we are able to anticipate the RTX 4070 to trounce its RTX 3070 predecessor, traditionally we’d look to the 80- or 90-series GPUs from the earlier technology to match in opposition to a brand new 70-class card. This time, we even have extra competitors within the type of the Radeon RX 6800 XT from AMD (and to some extent the 6900 XT and 6950 XT).
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Let’s first take a look at the standard rasterized gaming efficiency we are able to anticipate, so we are able to examine these GPUs with out ray tracing upscaling tech. Keep in thoughts right here that the RTX 4070 carries a TDP of 200 watts, which is nicely under each rivals right here. We’re off to a promising begin—however that beginning value of $599 is at all times there within the background to remind us it higher be good for this value!
There’s additionally one other noteworthy problem value mentioning: The RTX 4070’s 4K efficiency is hampered because of the VRAM reminiscence bandwidth, as we lined intimately in our RTX 4070 review. Sure, one can argue it is a 1440p GPU. But for $599, one may argue it ought to be a greater 4K GPU than it’s.
Remember people: Games are solely getting extra VRAM hungry, with an abundance of excessive textures and ray tracing including to the combo. Recent sport releases have already made 8GB graphics cards such as the RTX 3070 limited at 1440p. Nvidia bumped the RTX 4070’s VRAM as much as 12GB of quicker GDDR6X reminiscence, nevertheless it’s not simply the capability that’s the difficulty; total reminiscence bandwidth is simply too, and that’s damage by Nvidia determination to go along with an ultra-narrow 192-bit reminiscence bus.
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With Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray tracing off and DLSS/FSR off), the RTX 4070 instantly falls wanting each the RTX 3080 and 6800 XT. This is a really demanding sport—however you’ll want no less than a RTX 4070 Ti to greatest the older GPUs at 1440p or 4K.
The $599 RTX 4070 does handle to squeak a victory by the $499 RTX 3070, if solely by a couple of FPS. This isn’t a really spectacular efficiency for $599 in 2023, years after many of the competitors launched. The GeForce RTX 4070 is environment friendly with much less energy draw compared to the opposite GPUs, no less than.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a sport that clearly favors AMD GPUs by way of efficiency, however now we have some higher information right here for the RTX 4070. It no less than roughly equally matches the RTX 3080 in body charge. The Radeon RX 6800 XT considerably pulls forward right here.
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The 4070 ekes out slight victories of its personal in Gears Tactics and Horizon Zero Dawn, however word how the 6800 XT is quicker than the 4070 at 4K, but slower at 1440p. AMD constructed out the Radeon RX 6800 XT’s reminiscence subsystem for 4K gaming, whereas Nvidia didn’t do the identical with the RTX 4070. You can see how a lot quicker the RTX 3080 is at 4K as nicely resulting from its wider reminiscence bus.
Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Ray tracing and DLSS
Let’s return to Cyberpunk 2077, however this time with ray tracing. We’ll take a look at Ultra, not the incredibly strenuous new “Overdrive” technology preview with full path tracing.
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Ah, lastly! The RTX 4070 is now not a fish out of water, as we observe it in its pure ray traced habitat. With ray tracing set to extremely, we are able to see how the AMD 6800 XT begins to fall behind the Nvidia GPUs. This is predicted and goes to point out how the ray tracing chops within the {hardware} of Nvidia RTX 40-series has developed.
While body charge efficiency remains to be decrease than we’d like at 37.5 FPS, it’s no less than an enormous soar over the 6800 XT at 25.3 FPS. But we begin to see a extra drastic change as we take a look at DLSS/FSR upscaling efficiency on their Balanced setting. Even with ray tracing nonetheless lively and set to Ultra, the RTX 4070 reaches comfortably playable frames over 74 FPS, whereas the RX 6800 XT lingers beneath 53 FPS. The RTX 3080 will get an identical increase to the RTX 4070, however the 4070’s extra superior ray tracing and tensor cores give it a transparent edge on this state of affairs.
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We now attain the “raison d’etre” of Nvidia’s grasp plan: DLSS 3 with frame generation.
With DLSS 3 Frame Generation enabled, the RTX 4070 completely runs away from each the RTX 3080 and AMD 6800 XT. We’re speaking 117 FPS versus 74 FPS from the RTX 4070 operating “just” DLSS Balanced, whereas the rival GPUs battle to hit 60fps with DLSS/FSR Balanced alone. That’s a major distinction, however take into accout we’re utilizing expertise solely out there on RTX 40-series GPUs resulting from some inherent {hardware} upgrades supposed particularly to make DLSS 3 soar. Nvidia’s new tech can add some latency, however requiring the latency-reducing Nvidia Reflex in DLSS 3 largely negates that (and generally really improves responsiveness).
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With ray tracing on in Watch Dogs Legion at 1440p, the RTX 4070 as soon as once more begins to drag away from the 6800 XT. This can also be true when FSR/DLSS are on Balanced. This highlights Nvidia’s ray tracing benefit normally, since we see the RTX 3080 run consistent with the RTX 4070 as nicely. It’s additionally value noting how poorly the RTX 3070 and its paltry 8GB reminiscence capability performs with ray tracing on on this notoriously memory-heavy sport. Ray tracing solely exacerbates VRAM calls for.
Looking at one final ray tracing title, Hitman 3 additionally has DLSS 3 out there, which the RTX 4070 takes benefit of right here totally. While native non-ray traced efficiency equals the contenders, DLSS 3 is de facto the magic trick that propels the RTX 4070 forward while you begin turning on ray tracing and upscaling options.
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As anticipated, efficiency metrics between these three GPUs maintain some massive caveats to concentrate on to find out a victor. If you’re after video games that provide principally straight up rasterization, equivalent to most esports titles, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT clearly is the winner right here. Its 16GB of VRAM may not be ignored, with the bevy of current video games totally exploiting any VRAM they’ll get ahold of. With each the RTX 3080 and RTX 4070 having considerably much less, it’s actually a promoting level for the 6800 XT—and its reminiscence bus bandwidth isn’t restricted just like the 12GB RTX 4070.
The RTX 4070’s DLSS 3 characteristic is clearly the sport changer right here. Not each sport helps the expertise, and it’s principally present in single participant model video games like Hogwarts Legacy, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Cyberpunk 2077, and so forth. If these are the forms of video games you play, particularly with ray tracing enabled, DLSS 3 makes an enormous distinction.
That’s the spot the place the RTXD 4070 shines, coupled with its effectivity. If we take away DLSS 3 from the equation, we’re not left with a lot in opposition to the RTX 3080. But the Radeon RX 6800 XT may be very spectacular right here for all different, extra conventional video games individuals play – particularly its big 16GB reminiscence capability and now-lower value.
Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Power draw and different options
AMD at all times had good arguments for its RDNA GPUs by way of effectivity. While they’re nonetheless not energy hogs, Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 40-series actually gave us a brand new scope of GPU effectivity.
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With a TDP of 200 watts, the RTX 4070 is clearly nicely under the 300+ watts of each the RTX 3080 and AMD 6800 XT. Nvidia’s new card is pumping out simply as many (and generally extra) frames as these last-gen titans with a fraction of the ability use. That’s effectivity!
The decreased energy draw has actual world advantages, too. The RTX 4070 will usually run a lot cooler and thus quieter than these different GPUs. That’s how the RTX 4070 lastly gives some fairly small cooler designs—such Nvidia’s personal Founders Edition—which may slot in virtually any PC construct with ease. All RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT fashions are huge three-slot beasts.
You don’t want a wild watercooling setup like this with the RTX 4070 (although to be truthful, it’s not required for the RX 6800 XT or RTX 3080 both).
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Driver assist is one other space to contemplate. Traditionally, Nvidia drivers appear to have an edge by way of total efficacy and launch cadence. For instance, among the more moderen AMD Radeon drivers for the RX 6000-series GPUs took months to roll out, even after the newer RX 7000 GPUs had their drivers already.
Nvidia GPUs such because the RTX 4070 even have a couple of vital options except for DLSS 3 that try to be conscious of. Content creators typically favor Nvidia GPUs resulting from their efficiency in video modifying, 3D heavy purposes, and machine studying. While our focus right here is totally on gaming, these are gadgets to concentrate on in case you plan on utilizing your GPU for these functions. The Nvidia Broadcast suite is particularly attractive for streamers.
RTX Super Video Resolution can also be a neat expertise that improves the visible high quality of offline and streaming—a “nice to have,” however not important—whereas Nvidia Reflex really helps in esports responsiveness. AMD additionally has its suite of options, in fact, from Smart Access Memory to FSR and Radeon Super Resolution, and FSR 3 is coming to problem DLSS 3 someday sooner or later. In common, nonetheless, software program and have assist is an enormous feather in Nvidia’s cap.
Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Verdict
The Nvidia RTX 4070 is the newest GPU to enter our battlegrounds. How did it fare? Make no mistake—it’s going up in opposition to seasoned and still-relevant GPUs such because the RTX 3080 and AMD’s 6800 XT. The RTX 4070’s $599 MSRP nonetheless feels excessive for a 1440p GPU, and to this point it appears it isn’t flying off the cabinets like previous-gen graphics card launches have.
Let’s sort out the Nvidia GPUs first. If you at present have an RTX 3080, is there a lot cause to improve? If you primarily play esports titles, or video games with minimal ray tracing, probably not. These video games additionally usually could not provide DLSS 3, so that you’re greater than tremendous with the DLSS 2 assist that many video games do provide for the RTX 3080.
Here’s the kicker: If you occur to principally play the kind of video games that do have DLSS 3 assist, then you definately’ll actually get an enormous body charge enchancment with Frame Generation on the RTX 4070. You’ll even be utilizing significantly much less energy. Still, with out DLSS 3 the RTX 4070 isn’t very spectacular versus the RTX 3080. You may even name it disappointing, actually.
How concerning the RTX 4070 versus the 16GB Radeon RX 6800 XT? AMD’s providing is cheaper and also you’re getting extra VRAM. You’re additionally getting usually superior efficiency in most non-ray traced video games, equivalent to most esports titles, particularly at 4K decision. That stated, the Radeon RX 6800 XT additionally attracts much more energy (if that issues to you). Ray tracing efficiency can even endure in video games that assist it.
The reply right here probably depends upon whether or not you take into account DLSS 3 Frame Generation important, or in case you demand entry to Nvidia’s suite of different software program options. Still, it’s troublesome to disregard the Radeon RX 6800 XT’s uncooked brute pressure efficiency in lots of, many non-ray traced video games.
While the GeForce RTX 4070 gives wonderful effectivity, and it’s technically the most cost effective GPU with DLSS 3 you may get now, we actually suppose the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT and its 16GB of reminiscence can attraction to many avid gamers, too. Pick you poison!