GPU Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 470 and NVIDIA RTX A4000 represent two distinct eras of GPU design, separated by nearly five years of architectural evolution. The data shows a decisive performance gap, with the RTX A4000 dominating every shared benchmark, yet the RX 470's legacy as a capable 1080p competitor remains quantifiable through its average score and percentile ranking. This analysis breaks down the numerical evidence, architectural chasm, and practical implications of choosing between these two end-of-life cards.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are unambiguous. Across three common tests, the NVIDIA RTX A4000 wins every single matchup, and the margins are substantial. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX A4000 scores 2604 against the RX 470's 842, a delta of -67.7% for the AMD card. This means the RTX A4000 delivers roughly three times the raw DX12 performance, a gap that would translate into dramatically higher frame rates in modern titles.

The compute-oriented tests tell a similar story. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX A4000 posts 105739 versus 33568 for the RX 470, a -68.3% delta. The Vulkan result is even more lopsided: 127645 to 39884, a -68.8% difference. These are not marginal improvements; they represent a generational leap in throughput. The RTX A4000's FP32 rating of 19.17 TFLOPS versus the RX 470's 4.940 TFLOPS underscores why the compute scores are so disparate, the NVIDIA card has nearly four times the raw floating-point capability.

It is worth noting that the RX 470 does not win a single head-to-head test. Its winsA count is zero, while the RTX A4000 takes all three. However, the RX 470's average benchmark score of 28996 is actually higher than the RTX A4000's 26683, a quirk driven by the inclusion of different test suites. The RX 470's Geekbench Metal score of 41690 is particularly strong for its era, and its percentile rank of 74 versus the RTX A4000's 72 suggests that, within their respective peer groups, the AMD card holds its own better relative to contemporary hardware.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is vast. The RX 470 is built on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process, packing 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6M per mm². The RTX A4000 uses Samsung's 8 nm node, cramming 17,400 million transistors into a 392 mm² die, a density of 44.4M per mm². That is nearly double the transistor density, and it shows in every measurable metric.

The core configurations differ massively. The RX 470 features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RTX A4000 scales this up to 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. More critically, the RTX A4000 introduces dedicated hardware the RX 470 lacks entirely: 48 RT cores for ray tracing and 192 tensor cores for AI workloads. The RX 470 has no such accelerators, meaning any ray tracing or tensor-based task falls back to general-purpose shaders, a severe handicap in modern workloads.

Memory subsystems also diverge sharply. The RX 470 carries 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 211.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX A4000 offers 16 GB of GDDR6 on the same 256-bit bus, but with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, more than double. Clock speeds tell a nuanced story: the RX 470 has a higher base clock at 926 MHz versus 735 MHz, but the RTX A4000 boosts to 1560 MHz against the RX 470's 1206 MHz. The NVIDIA card's memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) versus 1650 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective) for the AMD card.

API support also reflects the generational gap. The RX 470 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The RTX A4000 jumps to DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The newer DirectX feature level enables hardware ray tracing and mesh shaders, features the RX 470 cannot access. The RTX A4000 also moves to PCIe 4.0 x16, doubling the interface bandwidth over the RX 470's PCIe 3.0 x16.

Physical characteristics differ as well. The RX 470 is a dual-slot card at 240 mm long, 95 mm tall, and 35 mm wide, drawing 120 W from a single 6-pin connector. The RTX A4000 is a single-slot solution at 241 mm by 112 mm, with a 140 W TDP also on a single 6-pin. Both recommend a 300 W power supply. The RTX A4000 outputs four DisplayPort 1.4a connections, while the RX 470 offers one HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4a.

The Verdict

The verdict is straightforward from the data: the RTX A4000 is the overwhelmingly superior GPU in every head-to-head benchmark, with deltas exceeding 67% in all three tests. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, 48 RT cores, 192 tensor cores, and 19.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance make it a far more capable card for modern gaming, compute, and professional workloads. The RX 470's 4 GB of GDDR5 and 4.940 TFLOPS are simply insufficient for anything beyond older titles or light 1080p gaming.

However, the RX 470's percentile rank of 74 versus the RTX A4000's 72 indicates that, when placed among all GPUs, the AMD card is not a slouch, it outperforms a majority of the field. Its average benchmark score of 28996 is also higher than the RTX A4000's 26683, driven by its strong Geekbench Metal result of 41690. But this aggregate metric masks the head-to-head reality: the RTX A4000 wins decisively where it matters.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, the RTX A4000 is the choice for anyone needing ray tracing, tensor core acceleration, or high-bandwidth memory. Its 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB capacity are essential for large datasets and modern game textures. The RX 470, despite being end-of-life, remains a viable option for those with legacy systems still on PCIe 3.0 who do not require the RTX A4000's feature set. Its lower 120 W TDP also makes it easier to cool and power in compact builds.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A4000 boosts to 1560 MHz, while the AMD Radeon RX 470 boosts to 1206 MHz.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The RX 470 has 4 GB of GDDR5, while the RTX A4000 has 16 GB of GDDR6.

Q: Does the RX 470 support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The RX 470 has no RT cores; the RTX A4000 has 48 RT cores.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RTX A4000 has 44.4M transistors per mm², nearly double the RX 470's 24.6M per mm².

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RX 470 has an average benchmark score of 28996, versus 26683 for the RTX A4000.

Q: What is the TDP of each card?

A: The RX 470 has a 120 W TDP, and the RTX A4000 has a 140 W TDP.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX A4000 wins in every head-to-head benchmark, but its dominance is most pronounced in compute-heavy tasks. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 127645 is over three times the RX 470's 39884, making it the clear choice for Vulkan-based games and compute workloads. The OpenCL result of 105739 versus 33568 reinforces this for general-purpose GPU computing. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2604 against 842 highlights its superiority in modern DX12 titles.

The RX 470's wins are more contextual. Its Geekbench Metal score of 41690 is its single strongest result, suggesting it performs well in Apple's Metal API, likely appealing to users in macOS or iOS development environments. Its percentile rank of 74 versus the RTX A4000's 72 indicates that, relative to all GPUs, the RX 470 sits higher in the distribution, a statistical artifact of its benchmark suite but notable nonetheless. Its lower 120 W TDP and dual-slot design make it easier to integrate into legacy systems with smaller power budgets.

For professional use cases, the RTX A4000's 192 tensor cores and 48 RT cores open doors to AI inference and ray-traced rendering that the RX 470 cannot approach. The RTX A4000's 16 GB memory capacity is also critical for large simulations or high-resolution textures, where the RX 470's 4 GB would be a hard bottleneck. In gaming, the RTX A4000's 149.8 GPixel/s pixel rate and 299.5 GTexel/s texture rate dwarf the RX 470's 38.59 GPixel/s and 154.4 GTexel/s, ensuring higher frame rates at any resolution. The RX 470's only real advantage lies in its historical context as a lower-power, more accessible card from 2016, but the data shows no scenario where it beats the RTX A4000 outright.