AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 wins 9 of 10 head-to-head tests against the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, with an average benchmark score of 17208 versus 16361. That 5.2% overall average advantage (derived from the raw scores) understates how lopsided the individual tests are, as the RTX 3070 takes decisive wins in compute-heavy and DirectX workloads while the RX 5700 XT’s sole victory comes in a single Vulkan test.

For users prioritizing raw compute throughput, modern DirectX 12 performance, or OpenCL workloads, the RTX 3070 is the data-backed choice. Its PassMark G3D score of 22214 is 36.5% higher than the RX 5700 XT’s 16277, and its GPU compute score of 11195 beats 7650 by 46.3%. The RTX 3070 also carries a 48.2% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (3162 vs 2134), making it the stronger option for current-generation game engines.

However, the RX 5700 XT is not without merit. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 68310 crushes the RTX 3070’s 21022, a 69.2% margin that suggests AMD’s architecture has a significant advantage in Vulkan API paths. For users locked into Vulkan-based titles or compute stacks, that single result could be decisive. The RX 5700 XT also launched at a lower MSRP (399 USD vs 499 USD), though pricing should not factor into performance decisions per database policy.

The verdict, strictly from the data: the RTX 3070 is the superior all-round performer, but the RX 5700 XT wins specifically in Vulkan scenarios. Buyers who know their workload is Vulkan-heavy should consider the AMD card; everyone else gets more performance from NVIDIA.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores 17208 on average, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT averages 16361. The RTX 3070 also sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs versus the RX 5700 XT’s 59th percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in DirectX 12 workloads?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 3070 scores 3162 against the RX 5700 XT’s 2134, a 48.2% advantage. PassMark DirectX 12 shows a similar but smaller gap: 85 vs 64, a 32.8% lead for NVIDIA.

Q: Does the RX 5700 XT win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, exactly one. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 5700 XT scores 68310 versus the RTX 3070’s 21022, a 69.2% margin. This is the only test among the 10 head-to-head comparisons where AMD comes out ahead.

Q: How do the two compare in compute performance?

A: The RTX 3070 is substantially ahead. Its PassMark GPU compute score of 11195 is 46.3% higher than the RX 5700 XT’s 7650. In Geekbench OpenCL, the gap is extreme: 112821 vs 9524, a 1084.6% difference in favor of NVIDIA.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card based on average score?

A: The RTX 3070’s closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with an average score of 17083, just 0.7% behind. The RX 5700 XT’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M at 16351, a 0.1% difference.

Q: Which card has better DirectX 9 and 10 legacy performance?

A: The RTX 3070 leads in both. PassMark DirectX 9 scores are 247 vs 226 (9.3% advantage), and DirectX 10 scores are 150 vs 97, a 54.6% margin for NVIDIA.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different design philosophies from their respective manufacturers. The RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip built on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, manufactured on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It packs 17,400 million transistors into a 392 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 44.4M per mm². The RX 5700 XT uses the Navi 10 chip on AMD’s RDNA 1.0 architecture, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It contains 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, with a density of 41.0M per mm².

The compute resources differ dramatically. The RTX 3070 features 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, while the RX 5700 XT has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. NVIDIA’s card also includes 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores; AMD’s card has no dedicated RT or tensor hardware.

Clock behavior reflects the architectural split. The RX 5700 XT runs higher clocks: 1605 MHz base, 1755 MHz game, and 1905 MHz boost, versus the RTX 3070’s 1500 MHz base and 1725 MHz boost. Despite the clock disadvantage, the RTX 3070 produces higher throughput: 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 versus 9.754 TFLOPS, and a pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s versus 121.9 GPixel/s. The texture rate is closer: 317.4 GTexel/s for NVIDIA versus 304.8 GTexel/s for AMD.

API support differs in DirectX versioning. The RTX 3070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 5700 XT is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The FP16 story is also distinct: the RTX 3070 achieves 20.31 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the RX 5700 XT hits 19.51 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 | AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT |

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

| Process node | 8 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | 17,400 million | 10,300 million |

| Die size | 392 mm² | 251 mm² |

| Transistor density | 44.4M / mm² | 41.0M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1500 MHz | 1605 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1725 MHz | 1905 MHz |

| Game clock | — | 1755 MHz |

| Shading units | 5888 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 184 | 160 |

| ROPs | 96 | 64 |

| Ray tracing cores | 46 | — |

| Tensor cores | 184 | — |

| Pixel rate | 165.6 GPixel/s | 121.9 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 317.4 GTexel/s | 304.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 20.31 TFLOPS | 9.754 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1) | 19.51 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 220 W | 225 W |

| Power connectors | 1x 12-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Display outputs | HDMI 2.1, 3x DP 1.4a | HDMI 2.0b, 3x DP 1.4a |

| DirectX support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Length | 242 mm (9.5 in) | 272 mm (10.7 in) |

| Height | 112 mm (4.4 in) | 111 mm (4.4 in) |

| Width | — | 36 mm (1.4 in) |

| Release date | 2020-08-31 | 2019-07-06 |

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | 399 USD |

The memory subsystem is identical on paper: both use 8 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 1750 MHz memory clock (14 Gbps effective). Both are dual-slot cards with PCIe 4.0 x16 interfaces and 550 W suggested PSUs. The RTX 3070 is the shorter card by 30 mm, while the RX 5700 XT adds a width dimension of 36 mm.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test sets the tone: the RTX 3070 scores 3162 against the RX 5700 XT’s 2134, a 48.2% advantage. This is a modern DirectX 12 workload, and the NVIDIA card’s lead here indicates that its architecture extracts more performance from contemporary APIs.

The most lopsided result is Geekbench OpenCL, where the RTX 3070 posts 112821 versus 9524 for the RX 5700 XT — a 1084.6% difference. This is not a close contest; the NVIDIA card delivers over an order of magnitude higher OpenCL throughput. For compute-heavy tasks using OpenCL, the RTX 3070 is in a different class entirely.

PassMark results consistently favor NVIDIA. DirectX 11 shows 182 vs 116 (56.9% lead), DirectX 10 shows 150 vs 97 (54.6% lead), and DirectX 12 shows 85 vs 64 (32.8% lead). Even legacy DirectX 9 favors the RTX 3070, though by a narrower 9.3% margin (247 vs 226). The 2D test is close: 1001 vs 922, an 8.6% edge for NVIDIA.

The PassMark G3D score of 22214 for the RTX 3070 versus 16277 for the RX 5700 XT represents a 36.5% gap, reinforcing the overall rasterization advantage. Compute follows suit: 11195 vs 7650, a 46.3% margin.

The single AMD victory comes in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 5700 XT scores 68310 against the RTX 3070’s 21022. That 69.2% advantage is massive and suggests AMD’s RDNA 1.0 architecture has a specialized strength in Vulkan paths that NVIDIA’s Ampere does not match. The RX 5700 XT also has a Geekbench Metal score of 74647, but no comparable Metal result exists for the RTX 3070 in the data pack.

The nearest rival comparisons place both cards in similar company. The RTX 3070’s closest competitor is the RX 7600 XT (0.7% ahead) and GTX 690 (1% ahead), while the RX 5700 XT is within 0.3% of the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell and Radeon PRO W7500. This means the RTX 3070 competes with newer cards, while the RX 5700 XT sits in a denser performance cluster.

In summary, the RTX 3070 dominates 9 of 10 tests, with particularly strong showings in OpenCL, DirectX 11, and DirectX 12. The RX 5700 XT’s Vulkan performance is its standout feature, and that single result represents its only statistical win. Users should weigh the frequency of Vulkan usage in their workloads against the otherwise comprehensive NVIDIA advantage.