AMD Radeon RX 9070 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the two cards compare in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 records an average benchmark score of 23,877, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 has no recorded average score in the database, as it has no benchmark entries.

Q: What is the percentile ranking difference between the two GPUs?

A: The RX 9070 sits at the 69th percentile among all GPUs, while the RTX 4070 AD103 is at the 50th percentile. This indicates the AMD card places higher in the overall performance distribution.

Q: Which card has more VRAM?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory.

Q: What are the launch MSRP values for these cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 has a launch MSRP of 549 USD, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 has a launch MSRP of 599 USD.

Q: Are both cards currently in production?

A: No. The RX 9070 has an Active production status, while the RTX 4070 AD103 is listed as End-of-life.

Q: What process nodes do the two cards use?

A: The RX 9070 uses a 4 nm process node, and the RTX 4070 AD103 uses a 5 nm process node. Both are fabricated by TSMC.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture using the Navi 48 chip, part of the Navi IV (RX 9000) generation. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD103 chip, part of the GeForce 40 generation. These architectures represent distinctly different design philosophies.

The RX 9070 employs a 4 nm process node from TSMC, while the RTX 4070 AD103 uses a 5 nm process node from the same foundry. The transistor counts differ notably: the RX 9070 packs 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 151.0M per mm². The RTX 4070 AD103 has 45,900 million transistors on a larger 379 mm² die, resulting in a lower density of 121.1M per mm².

The compute resource allocation diverges sharply. The RX 9070 has 3,584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 raster output pipelines. The RTX 4070 AD103 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and only 64 ROPs. The NVIDIA card offers more shader processors, but the AMD card has more TMUs and double the ROP count.

Ray tracing and AI acceleration hardware differ as well. The RX 9070 includes 56 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 4070 AD103 has 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, giving it a substantial advantage in tensor-based workloads.

The memory architecture is fundamentally different. The RX 9070 uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4070 AD103 uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s. The AMD card has a wider bus and higher bandwidth, while the NVIDIA card uses faster memory technology.

Clock behavior also differs. The RX 9070 has a base clock of 1330 MHz, a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and a game clock of 2070 MHz. The RTX 4070 AD103 has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with no separate game clock listed. The higher base clock on the NVIDIA card suggests different boost behavior under load.

The RX 9070 supports PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 4070 AD103 supports PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the AMD card provides 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, while the NVIDIA card provides 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Power delivery configurations differ. The RX 9070 uses 2x 8-pin connectors, while the RTX 4070 AD103 uses a single 16-pin connector. Both cards are dual-slot designs and share the same suggested power supply rating of 550 W.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows distinct strengths for each card based on their architectural characteristics.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 wins in memory capacity and bandwidth. With 16 GB of VRAM versus 12 GB, the AMD card can handle larger textures and datasets. The 644.6 GB/s bandwidth versus 504.2 GB/s gives it a clear edge in memory-intensive scenarios. The wider 256-bit bus compared to 192-bit further reinforces this advantage.

The RX 9070 also wins in rasterization throughput. Its pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s vastly exceeds the 158.4 GPixel/s of the RTX 4070 AD103. The texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s also tops the NVIDIA card's 455.4 GTexel/s. These figures indicate higher fill-rate capabilities for traditional rendering workloads.

The AMD card wins in raw FP32 compute. It delivers 36.13 TFLOPS compared to 29.15 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card, representing a substantial lead in general compute throughput. Both cards offer FP16 at the same rate as FP32 (1:1 ratio).

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 wins in shader count. With 5,888 shading units versus 3,584, the NVIDIA card has more parallel processing lanes for certain workloads. Its 184 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for AI and deep learning tasks that the AMD card lacks entirely.

The RTX 4070 AD103 also wins in power efficiency on paper. Its TDP of 200 W versus 220 W means lower power draw, despite having more shading units. The NVIDIA card achieves this with a smaller power budget.

The NVIDIA card wins in physical footprint documentation. The database records its dimensions as 240 mm length, 110 mm height, and 40 mm width. The RX 9070 has no recorded dimensions.

The release timing differs: the RTX 4070 AD103 launched on 2024-02-29, while the RX 9070 launched on 2025-03-05. The NVIDIA card is end-of-life with a successor in the GeForce 50 series, while the AMD card remains active with no successor.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 9070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 4.0 | Ada Lovelace |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 53,900 million | 45,900 million |

| Die Size | 357 mm² | 379 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 151.0M / mm² | 121.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1330 MHz | 1920 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2520 MHz | 2475 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6X |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 644.6 GB/s | 504.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3,584 | 5,888 |

| TMUs | 224 | 184 |

| ROPs | 128 | 64 |

| RT Cores | 56 | 46 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 184 |

| Pixel Rate | 322.6 GPixel/s | 158.4 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 564.5 GTexel/s | 455.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 36.13 TFLOPS | 29.15 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 220 W | 200 W |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 16-pin |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DP 2.1a | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DP 1.4a |

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

| Release Date | 2025-03-05 | 2024-02-29 |

| Launch MSRP | 549 USD | 599 USD |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between the AMD Radeon RX 9070 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103. The headToHeadBenchmarks field is empty, and neither winsA nor winsB registers a value.

However, the RX 9070 has a complete benchmark suite recorded. Its scores include 6,290 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 131,539 in Geekbench OpenCL, 58,705 in Geekbench Vulkan, and 25,381 in Passmark G3D. Additional Passmark results show 14,737 in GPU compute, 1,280 in G2D, and lower scores in legacy DirectX tests: 343 in DX9, 281 in DX11, 141 in DX10, and 74 in DX12.

The RTX 4070 AD103 has no benchmark entries in the database, making direct score comparisons impossible. The data instead relies on the RX 9070's nearest rivals for context. The RX 9070's average score of 23,877 places it 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (23,736), 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (23,628), 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (24,063), and 1.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24,170).

These deltas indicate that the RX 9070 sits in a competitive performance band around the 23,600 to 24,200 average score range. Its 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it above the RTX 4070 AD103's 50th percentile, though this comparison relies on different data availability.

The RX 9070's FP32 throughput of 36.13 TFLOPS exceeds the RTX 4070 AD103's 29.15 TFLOPS by a margin of roughly 24%. The pixel rate difference is even more pronounced: 322.6 GPixel/s versus 158.4 GPixel/s, a lead of over 100%. Texture rate shows a 24% advantage for the AMD card at 564.5 GTexel/s versus 455.4 GTexel/s. Memory bandwidth favors the RX 9070 by about 28%, at 644.6 GB/s versus 504.2 GB/s.

The RTX 4070 AD103 counters with a 64% higher shading unit count (5,888 versus 3,584) and a 38% higher base clock (1920 MHz versus 1330 MHz). It also carries 184 tensor cores where the RX 9070 has none, providing dedicated AI acceleration hardware.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear performance profile for each card, though the absence of RTX 4070 AD103 benchmark scores limits direct comparison.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers superior raw compute metrics across most measured categories. Its FP32 throughput of 36.13 TFLOPS, pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s, and texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s all exceed the NVIDIA card's corresponding figures. The memory subsystem is also stronger: 16 GB capacity, 256-bit bus, and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth versus 12 GB, 192-bit, and 504.2 GB/s. These advantages make the RX 9070 the stronger choice for high-resolution rendering, large texture workloads, and compute-heavy applications.

The RX 9070's 69th percentile ranking and recorded average score of 23,877 provide concrete evidence of its performance tier. Its nearest rivals, all within a 1.2% delta, confirm it sits in a well-established performance class. The Active production status and newer release date indicate ongoing availability.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 offers a different set of advantages. Its 5,888 shading units and 184 tensor cores provide hardware resources that the RX 9070 lacks. The tensor cores enable dedicated AI processing, which may matter for specific professional workloads. The 200 W TDP is 20 W lower than the AMD card, suggesting lower power draw. The 16-pin connector configuration and recorded physical dimensions (240 mm, 110 mm, 40 mm) provide concrete installation data.

However, the RTX 4070 AD103's End-of-life status, 50th percentile ranking, and lack of recorded benchmarks weaken its position in the database. The 12 GB memory capacity may also limit performance in memory-hungry scenarios where the RX 9070's 16 GB provides headroom.

Users prioritizing maximum compute throughput, memory bandwidth, and rasterization rates should select the AMD Radeon RX 9070. Users requiring tensor core acceleration for AI workloads, or those with power constraints, may prefer the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103, provided they accept its end-of-life status and smaller memory pool.