AMD Radeon RX 470 vs AMD Radeon RX 7700S Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 7700S and the AMD Radeon RX 470 represent two very different generations of mobile and desktop graphics. The RX 7700S is a modern RDNA 3.0 part built for thin laptops, while the RX 470 is a GCN 4.0 desktop card from 2016. The recorded data shows a clear generational gap, but not every test favors the newer product. One benchmark result in particular flips the expected outcome, making this comparison more nuanced than a simple spec sheet review.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result in the database is the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. The RX 7700S scores 2185, while the RX 470 scores 842. That is a 159.5% advantage for the RX 7700S. This is a massive margin, indicating that in modern DirectX 12 workloads, the newer architecture delivers well over two and a half times the performance of the older card. This test measures raw graphics throughput, and the gap here is the largest of any recorded benchmark between these two products.

In the Geekbench OpenCL compute test, the RX 7700S again takes the lead. Its score of 62983 dwarfs the RX 470’s 33568, a delta of 87.6%. This shows that general-purpose compute workloads, such as those using OpenCL for rendering or scientific calculations, run substantially faster on the newer chip. The RX 7700S nearly doubles the output of the RX 470 in this scenario.

However, the Geekbench Vulkan test tells a different story. Here, the RX 470 wins with a score of 39884, compared to the RX 7700S’s 36380. That is an 8.8% advantage for the older card. This is surprising given the generational gap, but it suggests that in certain Vulkan APIs, the RX 470’s driver maturity or architecture-specific optimizations still hold an edge. The RX 7700S is not universally faster, and this result is the only one of the three head-to-head tests where the RX 470 comes out ahead.

Looking at the broader average benchmark score, the RX 7700S records 33849, which places it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The RX 470’s average is 28996, sitting in the 74th percentile. The RX 7700S is also close to several rivals in the database: it sits just 0.3% below the AMD Radeon HD 7950, 0.4% below the AMD Radeon RX 480, and 0.5% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB in average score. The RX 470, meanwhile, is 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX 6800M and 0.6% below the Intel Arc A370M. These nearest rival comparisons show that both cards occupy crowded performance tiers, but the RX 7700S sits higher in the overall distribution.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on completely different foundations. The RX 7700S uses the Navi 33 chip, based on RDNA 3.0 architecture, with the codename Hotpink Bonefish. It belongs to the Navi Mobile (RX 7000M) generation. The RX 470 uses the Ellesmere chip, based on GCN 4.0 architecture, from the Arctic Islands (RX 400) generation.

The manufacturing process differs significantly. The RX 7700S is fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC, while the RX 470 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This smaller node allows the RX 7700S to pack 13,300 million transistors into a 204 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 65.2 million per mm². The RX 470 has 5,700 million transistors on a larger 232 mm² die, with a density of only 24.6 million per mm². The RX 7700S fits more than twice the transistors into a smaller physical area.

Memory configurations also diverge. The RX 7700S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 470 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 211.2 GB/s. Although the RX 470 has double the bus width, the RX 7700S still achieves higher total bandwidth thanks to its faster memory technology.

The compute units differ as well. The RX 7700S has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. It also includes 32 ray tracing cores. The RX 470 also has 2048 shading units and 128 TMUs, but only 32 ROPs, and it has no ray tracing hardware at all. The RX 7700S supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 470 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the RX 7700S supports Vulkan 1.4 compared to the RX 470’s Vulkan 1.3.

Clock speeds show the generational leap. The RX 7700S has a base clock of 1500 MHz, a game clock of 2200 MHz, and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The RX 470 has a base clock of 926 MHz and a boost clock of 1206 MHz. The RX 7700S also runs its memory at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), while the RX 470’s memory runs at 1650 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective).

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7700S dominates in raw rendering and compute throughput. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad result, 159.5% ahead of the RX 470, makes it the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 gaming and any workload that relies on heavy graphics processing. The OpenCL score, 87.6% higher, reinforces this for compute-heavy tasks like video encoding, physics simulations, or any GPU-accelerated application that uses OpenCL.

The RX 470’s sole victory comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it is 8.8% faster. This suggests that for users running Vulkan-based applications, particularly older titles or specific workloads optimized for GCN architecture, the RX 470 still performs admirably. The RX 470 also benefits from its status as a desktop card with a dual-slot design and a 6-pin power connector, making it easier to install in a standard desktop system. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory is smaller, but its 256-bit bus provides a wider path for certain access patterns.

The RX 7700S, on the other hand, is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with no power connectors, designed for portable devices. Its display outputs are listed as portable device dependent, meaning it is meant for laptops rather than standalone desktop use. The RX 470 offers a fixed set of outputs: 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700S has an average benchmark score of 33849, placing it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 470 has an average of 28996, in the 74th percentile.

Q: How much faster is the RX 7700S in 3DMark Steel Nomad?

A: The RX 7700S scores 2185, while the RX 470 scores 842. The RX 7700S is 159.5% faster in this DirectX 12 test.

Q: Does the RX 470 win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the RX 470 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 39884, compared to the RX 7700S’s 36380, an 8.8% advantage.

Q: What are the memory sizes and types for each card?

A: The RX 7700S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 470 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 211.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the RX 7700S support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 7700S includes 32 ray tracing cores. The RX 470 has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What are the power consumption figures?

A: The RX 7700S has a TDP of 100 W, while the RX 470 has a TDP of 120 W. The RX 470 also lists a suggested PSU of 300 W.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for most modern workloads. The RX 7700S is significantly ahead in 3DMark Steel Nomad and Geekbench OpenCL, with margins of 159.5% and 87.6% respectively. Its higher average benchmark score, 33849 versus 28996, and its higher percentile ranking, 78 versus 74, confirm that it is the faster card overall. Anyone looking for a GPU for current DirectX 12 games or compute-intensive tasks should favor the RX 7700S.

However, the RX 470 is not obsolete. Its 8.8% lead in Geekbench Vulkan shows that it remains competitive in specific APIs. For users running Vulkan-based applications, particularly older software that may have been optimized for GCN architecture, the RX 470 still delivers respectable performance. Its desktop form factor, with a dual-slot design and standard display outputs, also makes it easier to integrate into a fixed desktop system.

The RX 7700S is the better choice for portable gaming and modern feature support, including ray tracing and DirectX 12 Ultimate. The RX 470 is a viable option for budget desktop builds focused on Vulkan workloads, but its lack of ray tracing and lower overall scores limit its appeal. The recorded data is unambiguous: the RX 7700S wins two out of three head-to-head tests and holds a higher average score. The RX 470 wins one test, but the magnitude of its loss in the other two far outweighs its single victory.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7700S | AMD Radeon RX 470 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 13,300 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 204 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 65.2M / mm² | 24.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1500 MHz | 926 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2500 MHz | 1206 MHz |

| Game Clock | 2200 MHz | None |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.0 GB/s | 211.2 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 2250 MHz, 18 Gbps effective | 1650 MHz, 6.6 Gbps effective |

| ROPs | 64 | 32 |

| RT Cores | 32 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 160.0 GPixel/s | 38.59 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 320.0 GTexel/s | 154.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 20.48 TFLOPS | 4.940 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 40.96 TFLOPS (2:1) | 4.940 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 100 W | 120 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 300 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2023-01-03 | 2016-08-03 |

| Launch MSRP | None | 179 USD |