AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Comparison

AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 are both end-of-life graphics cards from 2020, but they target entirely different workloads. The Radeon Pro is a workstation-oriented part with 16 GB of memory, while the GeForce is a consumer gaming card with 8 GB. Benchmark data shows a clear split: the RTX 3070 dominates in most compute and DirectX tests, but the Radeon Pro 5700 XT posts a staggering win in Vulkan performance. This analysis compares their head-to-head results, specifications, and architecture to determine which card suits which use case.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 wins 8 of the 9 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, and the margins are often massive. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3070 scores 112,821 against the Radeon Pro 5700 XT’s 59,467, a delta of -47.3% for the AMD card — meaning the RTX 3070 is roughly 90% faster in this test. Passmark GPU Compute tells a similar story: 11,195 for NVIDIA versus 5,787 for AMD, a -48.3% delta. These two results indicate that for general-purpose compute workloads that leverage OpenCL, the RTX 3070 is in a different class entirely.

DirectX performance also heavily favors NVIDIA. In Passmark DirectX 11, the RTX 3070 scores 182 versus 85 for the Radeon Pro, a -53.3% delta, which is the largest margin in any DirectX test. DirectX 10 shows 150 versus 76 (-49.3%), and DirectX 9 shows 247 versus 153 (-38.1%). The smallest DirectX gap is in DirectX 12, where the RTX 3070 scores 85 against 59, a -30.6% delta. Even in 2D graphics (Passmark G2D), NVIDIA leads with 1,001 versus 810, a -19.1% delta, though this is the closest contest outside of Vulkan.

The single exception is Geekbench Vulkan, where the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins decisively. It scores 56,593 against the RTX 3070’s 21,022, a delta of 169.2% — meaning the AMD card is more than 2.5 times faster in this specific test. This is a remarkable outlier, given that the RTX 3070 wins every other benchmark by double-digit percentages. It suggests that the Radeon Pro 5700 XT has a particularly strong Vulkan driver or hardware implementation, at least in this benchmark.

The overall Passmark G3D score tells the big-picture story: the RTX 3070 posts 22,214 versus 12,547 for the Radeon Pro, a -43.5% delta. When averaging all benchmarks, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT has an average score of 18,685, placing it at the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 3070 averages 17,208 (61st percentile). Interestingly, the RTX 3070’s average is dragged down by its very low Vulkan score, while the Radeon Pro benefits from that same outlier. The nearest rivals for the AMD card include the RTX 2070 (-0.6% delta) and Tesla K80 (-1% delta), while the RTX 3070 sits close to the RX 7600 XT (+0.7%) and GTX 690 (+1%).

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: if your workload relies on DirectX, OpenCL, or general 3D rendering, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the superior card, often by margins exceeding 40%. Its Passmark G3D score of 22,214 versus 12,547 is a 43.5% lead, and it wins every DirectX iteration from 9 to 12. The only scenario where the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT is clearly better is Vulkan-based applications, where its 169.2% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is impossible to ignore. For a Vulkan-centric workload, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT is the only rational choice.

However, the RTX 3070 also brings hardware features the AMD card lacks: 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, which make it suitable for ray tracing and AI-accelerated tasks. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT has no such dedicated cores. For a builder choosing between these two, the decision hinges on the specific API and feature set of the target software. If the software is Vulkan-based and does not need ray tracing, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins outright. Otherwise, the RTX 3070 is the stronger performer in nearly every measurable way.

The RTX 3070 also offers a launch MSRP of 499 USD, which is a factual point of reference, though both cards are now end-of-life. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT has no stated launch MSRP in the data. Given the benchmark results, the RTX 3070 is the safer recommendation for most users, but the Vulkan anomaly means the Radeon Pro 5700 XT cannot be dismissed.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 18,685, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 averages 17,208. The AMD card is 1,477 points higher, largely due to its exceptional Vulkan result.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 perform in DirectX 12 compared to the Radeon Pro 5700 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 scores 85 in Passmark DirectX 12, while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT scores 59. This is a -30.6% delta, making the RTX 3070 the winner, though this is the smallest DirectX percentage gap between the two.

Q: Is the Radeon Pro 5700 XT better at any benchmark?

A: Yes, in Geekbench Vulkan, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT scores 56,593 versus 21,022 for the RTX 3070, a 169.2% delta. This is the only head-to-head test the AMD card wins.

Q: What is the memory size difference between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. Both use a 256-bit bus, but the RTX 3070 has higher bandwidth at 448.0 GB/s versus 384.0 GB/s.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 support ray tracing hardware?

A: Yes, the RTX 3070 includes 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT lists no RT cores or tensor cores in its specifications.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each card?

A: The Radeon Pro 5700 XT ranks in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 3070 ranks in the 61st percentile. Despite the RTX 3070 winning most head-to-head tests, the Radeon Pro’s Vulkan score boosts its overall standing.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ significantly in core config and memory. The RTX 3070 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 3070 also has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores; the Radeon Pro has none. Clock speeds are higher on the RTX 3070, with a base of 1500 MHz and boost of 1725 MHz versus 1243 MHz base and 1499 MHz boost for the AMD card. Memory bandwidth favors NVIDIA at 448.0 GB/s versus 384.0 GB/s, though the AMD card has double the capacity at 16 GB versus 8 GB.

Pixel rate on the RTX 3070 is 165.6 GPixel/s versus 95.94 GPixel/s on the Radeon Pro. Texture rate is 317.4 GTexel/s versus 239.8 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is drastically different: 20.31 TFLOPS for the RTX 3070 versus 7.675 TFLOPS for the Radeon Pro. FP16 is also different, with the RTX 3070 achieving 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1) and the Radeon Pro reaching 15.35 TFLOPS (2:1). Power draw is 220 W for NVIDIA versus 130 W for AMD, with a suggested PSU of 550 W versus 300 W. The RTX 3070 is a dual-slot card with a 1x 12-pin connector and measures 242 mm (9.5 inches) long, while the Radeon Pro is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors and no display outputs.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT uses the Navi 10 chip on RDNA 1.0 architecture, built on a 7 nm TSMC process. The die measures 251 mm² and contains 10,300 million transistors, giving a density of 41.0M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip on Ampere architecture, built on an 8 nm Samsung process. Its die is 392 mm² with 17,400 million transistors, a density of 44.4M per mm². The AMD card is from the Radeon Pro Mac (Navi Series) generation, while the RTX 3070 is from the GeForce 30 series.

The Radeon Pro 5700 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 3070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 3070’s predecessor is GeForce 20 and successor is GeForce 40, while the Radeon Pro lists no predecessor or successor. Both cards use PCIe 4.0 x16. The RTX 3070 has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Radeon Pro has no outputs, reflecting its workstation integration role.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 wins in every DirectX test, all OpenCL and compute benchmarks, and 2D graphics. Its biggest victories are in DirectX 11 (-53.3% delta), DirectX 10 (-49.3%), and GPU Compute (-48.3%). This makes it the clear pick for gaming, DirectX-based applications, and any OpenCL compute workload. The RTX 3070’s hardware ray tracing and tensor cores also give it capabilities the Radeon Pro cannot match, though these aren’t directly benchmarked in the data.

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins only in Geekbench Vulkan, with a 169.2% lead. This is an enormous margin, suggesting that for Vulkan-native applications, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT is not just competitive but decisively faster. The Radeon Pro also has 16 GB of memory versus 8 GB, which is a significant capacity advantage for large datasets, even if the RTX 3070 has higher bandwidth. For a builder targeting Vulkan workloads or needing more memory capacity, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT is the better choice. For everything else, the RTX 3070’s benchmark dominance makes it the obvious pick.