AMD Radeon PRO W7500 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Comparison

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the dominant performer for raw graphics and compute workloads, winning 7 of 9 head-to-head tests, while the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 is a specialized tool for specific professional and API-centric tasks. The RTX 3070 leads by massive margins in DirectX and OpenCL, with a 66.2% higher Passmark G3D score and a 93.8% higher Geekbench OpenCL score. However, the W7500 counters with a staggering 69.4% advantage in Geekbench Vulkan and a 14.7% lead in 2D graphics, making it the choice for Vulkan-centric workflows and low-power professional environments. The RTX 3070 is the pick for gamers and general compute users; the W7500 is for those prioritizing Vulkan performance and a 70 W power envelope.

The Verdict

The data drives a clear conclusion: the RTX 3070 is the superior gaming and general-purpose graphics card. Its Passmark G3D score of 22,214 versus the W7500’s 13,368 represents a 66.2% performance gap, a decisive margin in any rasterization-heavy workload. The RTX 3070 also wins all five Passmark DirectX tests, including an 84.8% lead in DirectX 12 (85 vs 46) and a 130.8% lead in DirectX 10 (150 vs 65). For anyone running DirectX-based applications or traditional GPU compute, the choice is the RTX 3070.

The W7500 is not without merit. It wins the Vulkan benchmark decisively, scoring 68,634 against the RTX 3070’s 21,022, a 69.4% advantage. This indicates a fundamentally different optimization for Vulkan APIs. Additionally, it wins the Passmark G2D test (1,174 vs 1,001), suggesting better raw 2D throughput. The W7500 is the correct choice for a professional workstation focused on Vulkan-based rendering or CAD, especially where its single-slot design and 70 W TDP (versus 220 W) are critical constraints. The RTX 3070’s 61st percentile ranking versus the W7500’s 59th percentile confirms the NVIDIA card is the stronger overall product.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from divergent design philosophies. The RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, built on Samsung’s 8 nm process with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die (44.4M transistors per mm²). The W7500 uses the Navi 33 chip on AMD’s RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 6 nm node with 13,300 million transistors on a much smaller 204 mm² die, achieving a higher density of 65.2M transistors per mm².

The execution resources differ starkly. The RTX 3070 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, alongside 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. The W7500 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with 28 RT cores and no tensor cores at all. This explains the RTX 3070’s massive throughput advantage in FP32 compute: 20.31 TFLOPS versus the W7500’s 12.19 TFLOPS. The W7500 does flip the FP16 ratio, offering 24.37 TFLOPS (2:1) versus the RTX 3070’s 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1), indicating better half-precision throughput for specific workloads.

The memory subsystems also diverge. Both have 8 GB of GDDR6, but the RTX 3070 uses a 256-bit bus providing 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the W7500 uses a 128-bit bus for 256.0 GB/s—exactly half. Clock speeds are close (1500 MHz base for both, 1725 MHz boost for NVIDIA versus 1700 MHz for AMD), but the effective memory speed differs (14 Gbps versus 16 Gbps). The W7500 compensates with a modern 4x DisplayPort 2.1 output set, while the RTX 3070 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 3070 wins decisively in compute and DirectX. The largest margin is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the RTX 3070 scores 112,821 versus 58,213, a 93.8% lead. This is echoed in Passmark GPU Compute, with 11,195 versus 5,910, an 89.4% advantage. These results confirm the NVIDIA card’s raw compute superiority. In DirectX, the RTX 3070 leads by 130.8% in DirectX 10 (150 vs 65), 84.8% in DirectX 12 (85 vs 46), 45.6% in DirectX 11 (182 vs 125), and 23.5% in DirectX 9 (247 vs 200). The overall Passmark G3D score shows a 66.2% win (22,214 vs 13,368).

The W7500 wins two tests. The Geekbench Vulkan result is the headline: 68,634 versus 21,022, a 69.4% advantage. This is a paradigm shift, showing the AMD card is over 3 times faster in Vulkan. The W7500 also takes Passmark G2D, scoring 1,174 versus 1,001, a 14.7% lead. These wins are meaningful but narrow; the Vulkan victory is the only one with a large delta. The data suggests the W7500 is a specialist, not a generalist.

Specification Differences

The key specification gaps are stark:

• Process Node: 8 nm (Samsung) vs 6 nm (TSMC)
• Transistors: 17,400 million vs 13,300 million
• Die Size: 392 mm² vs 204 mm²
• Shading Units: 5,888 vs 1,792
• TMUs: 184 vs 112
• ROPs: 96 vs 64
• RT Cores: 46 vs 28
• Tensor Cores: 184 vs None
• FP32: 20.31 TFLOPS vs 12.19 TFLOPS
• FP16: 20.31 TFLOPS vs 24.37 TFLOPS
• TDP: 220 W vs 70 W
• Bandwidth: 448.0 GB/s vs 256.0 GB/s
• Bus Width: 256 bit vs 128 bit
• Slot Width: Dual-slot vs Single-slot
• Power Connectors: 1x 12-pin vs None
• Suggested PSU: 550 W vs 250 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x16 vs PCIe 4.0 x8
• Display Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a vs 4x DisplayPort 2.1
• Dimensions: 242 mm length vs 216 mm length
• Release Date: 2020-08-31 vs 2023-08-02
• Production Status: End-of-life vs Active

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster overall in benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 has a higher average benchmark score of 17,208 versus the W7500’s 16,415, and a higher Passmark G3D score (22,214 vs 13,368), a 66.2% difference.

Q: Why does the W7500 win the Vulkan test so decisively?

A: The W7500 scores 68,634 in Geekbench Vulkan versus the RTX 3070’s 21,022, a 69.4% advantage. This indicates the AMD architecture is significantly more optimized for Vulkan API workloads.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 better for DirectX gaming?

A: Yes. The RTX 3070 wins all DirectX tests, including DirectX 12 (85 vs 46, an 84.8% lead) and DirectX 11 (182 vs 125, a 45.6% lead).

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RTX 3070 has a TDP of 220 W and suggests a 550 W PSU, while the W7500 has a TDP of 70 W and suggests a 250 W PSU. The W7500 also requires no power connectors and is single-slot.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3070 has 448.0 GB/s bandwidth on a 256-bit bus, while the W7500 has 256.0 GB/s on a 128-bit bus. Both have 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: Is the W7500 a newer card?

A: Yes, the W7500 was released on 2023-08-02 and is still in active production, while the RTX 3070 was released on 2020-08-31 and is end-of-life. The W7500 also uses a smaller 6 nm process versus the RTX 3070’s 8 nm.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3070 is the winner for any DirectX-based workload. Its 84.8% lead in DirectX 12 and 45.6% lead in DirectX 11 make it the obvious choice for modern gaming, where DirectX 12 is standard. It also dominates general compute, with a 93.8% lead in OpenCL and an 89.4% lead in GPU compute, making it superior for rendering, simulation, and any FP32-heavy task. The 66.2% lead in Passmark G3D confirms it is the better all-around rasterizer. Its massive shading unit count (5,888 vs 1,792) and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the hardware reasons for this dominance.

The W7500 wins in two specific areas. The Vulkan victory (69.4% ahead) makes it the choice for Vulkan-based game engines, Vulkan-driven CAD software, or any professional application that leverages Vulkan’s low-overhead API. The 14.7% lead in Passmark G2D suggests better 2D composition and desktop rendering, which can matter in professional workstation environments with complex multi-window interfaces. Its single-slot, 70 W design with no power connectors also makes it uniquely suited for dense server or workstation builds where space and power are at a premium. The 4x DisplayPort 2.1 outputs provide a modern, high-bandwidth display connectivity that the RTX 3070’s older DisplayPort 1.4a cannot match. In short, the RTX 3070 is the performance king; the W7500 is the specialist for Vulkan and low-power professional niches.