NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 Comparison

The Verdict

The data charts a generational chasm. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, a Turing-era card, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2, a Blackwell 2.0 flagship, do not compete on the same plane. In the single recorded head-to-head benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 5090 D V2 is decisively superior. The RTX 2070 scores 1569 points, while the RTX 5090 D V2 scores 16504 points, a difference of 90.5% in favor of the newer card. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a complete overhaul of performance expectations.

The RTX 5090 D V2 is the clear choice for anyone building a high-end system for modern, heavy workloads and 4K gaming. Its benchmark score is over ten times higher than the RTX 2070's, indicating a massive leap in raw graphical throughput. The RTX 2070, conversely, is an end-of-life product. Its data shows it is competitive with older professional cards like the NVIDIA Tesla K80 (average score 18866, delta -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT (average score 18685, delta 0.6%). For a legacy system or a build where a specific older driver or feature set is required, the RTX 2070 remains a functional, if dated, option.

However, given the choice between these two for any new build, the data is unambiguous. The RTX 5090 D V2 wins the only head-to-head test, holds a higher average benchmark score (16504 vs 18789 is an anomaly explained by the differing test suites), and is the only one of the two with an active production status. The RTX 2070's higher average benchmark score is due to the inclusion of older, less demanding tests in its suite, which do not reflect modern gaming or compute loads. The verdict is simple: the RTX 5090 D V2 is the superior product for current and future applications, while the RTX 2070 is a legacy part best suited for retrofitting or budget legacy systems where its specific capabilities are sufficient.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is as wide as the performance gap. The RTX 2070 is built on the Turing architecture, utilizing the TU106 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 5090 D V2, in contrast, uses the GB202 chip based on the much newer Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. This process shrink is foundational to the performance difference, allowing for a massive increase in transistor count.

The RTX 2070 packs 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die. The RTX 5090 D V2 houses 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. This is not just a larger chip; the transistor density tells the story of the manufacturing advancement. The RTX 2070 has a density of 24.3M transistors per mm², while the RTX 5090 D V2 achieves 122.9M transistors per mm². This five-fold increase in density enables the Blackwell chip to house far more processing units.

The core configurations are in different leagues. The RTX 2070 features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 5090 D V2 features 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The RTX 5090 D V2 also has 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, compared to the RTX 2070's 36 RT cores and 288 tensor cores. This represents a massive increase in dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads. The memory subsystem has also been overhauled, moving from 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus to 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus. The interface has also been updated from PCIe 3.0 x16 to PCIe 5.0 x16. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but the underlying hardware is from different generations of design philosophy.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single, definitive head-to-head benchmark result for these two cards: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This test is a modern, demanding workload that stresses the GPU's ability to handle DirectX 12 rendering. The results are stark.

In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 achieves a score of 16504. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 manages a score of 1569. The delta percentage is -90.5% from the perspective of the RTX 5090 D V2, indicating the RTX 2070's score is 90.5% lower. This is a near-total dominance by the newer card. To put it in practical terms, the RTX 5090 D V2 delivers roughly 10.5 times the performance of the RTX 2070 in this specific benchmark. This is not a case of one card being slightly faster; it is a case of one card being in a completely different performance tier.

The RTX 2070's score of 1569 is a very low figure for modern gaming, suggesting it would struggle with high refresh rate 1440p or 4K gaming in demanding titles. The RTX 5090 D V2's score of 16504, on the other hand, is a flagship-level result, indicating it is built to handle the most graphically intensive games and professional applications at high resolutions and settings. The data shows no contest: the RTX 5090 D V2 is the winner in this head-to-head comparison, and the margin of victory is overwhelming.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 has an average benchmark score of 18789, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 has an average score of 16504. This is because the RTX 2070's average includes older, less demanding tests like Passmark DirectX 9 and DirectX 10, which inflate its score relative to the RTX 5090 D V2's single, modern 3DMark Steel Nomad test.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5090 D V2 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad test?

A: The RTX 5090 D V2 scores 16504, while the RTX 2070 scores 1569. This means the RTX 5090 D V2 is 90.5% faster than the RTX 2070 in this specific benchmark.

Q: What is the difference in memory capacity and type?

A: The RTX 2070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The RTX 5090 D V2 has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus with a bandwidth of 1.34 TB/s.

Q: Are these cards comparable in their production status?

A: No. The RTX 2070 has a production status of "End-of-life," while the RTX 5090 D V2 is marked as "Active." This indicates the RTX 2070 is no longer in production, while the RTX 5090 D V2 is a current product.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 5090 D V2 has a significantly higher transistor density of 122.9M per mm², compared to the RTX 2070's 24.3M per mm². This is due to the newer 5 nm manufacturing process.

Q: What is the difference in the number of RT cores?

A: The RTX 2070 has 36 RT cores, while the RTX 5090 D V2 has 170 RT cores. This represents a substantial increase in dedicated hardware for ray tracing performance.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data points to a clear split in use cases.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 wins decisively in any scenario that leverages modern, heavy graphical workloads. Its massive lead in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test (16504 vs 1569) indicates it is the only viable option for high-end 4K gaming, demanding professional 3D rendering, and complex compute tasks. Its 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores make it a far more capable platform for ray-traced games and AI-assisted applications. The 24 GB of GDDR7 memory provides the capacity and bandwidth needed for large textures, complex scenes, and data-intensive workloads like machine learning inference. This card is for users who require the absolute maximum performance available and are building a top-tier system.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070's wins are not from raw performance but from its profile as a legacy product. Its benchmark results show it is competitive with professional workstation cards like the NVIDIA Tesla K80 (delta -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT (delta 0.6%). This suggests it can still be a functional option for older software or specific professional applications that are not updated for newer architectures. Its lower power requirements (175 W TDP vs 575 W TDP) and compatibility with a single 8-pin power connector mean it can be dropped into older systems without a power supply upgrade. For a builder maintaining a legacy system or seeking a cheap, low-power card for a specific older task, the RTX 2070 has its place. However, for any modern application, the RTX 5090 D V2 is the clear winner.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2.

• Architecture: The RTX 2070 uses Turing, while the RTX 5090 D V2 uses Blackwell 2.0.
• Process Node: The RTX 2070 is on a 12 nm process; the RTX 5090 D V2 is on a 5 nm process.
• Transistors: The RTX 2070 has 10,800 million transistors; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 92,200 million.
• Die Size: The RTX 2070 has a 445 mm² die; the RTX 5090 D V2 has a 750 mm² die.
• Transistor Density: The RTX 2070 has a density of 24.3M / mm²; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 122.9M / mm².
• Base Clock: The RTX 2070 has a base clock of 1410 MHz; the RTX 5090 D V2 has a base clock of 2017 MHz.
• Boost Clock: The RTX 2070 boosts to 1620 MHz; the RTX 5090 D V2 boosts to 2407 MHz.
• Memory Size: The RTX 2070 has 8 GB; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 24 GB.
• Memory Type: The RTX 2070 uses GDDR6; the RTX 5090 D V2 uses GDDR7.
• Memory Bus Width: The RTX 2070 has a 256-bit bus; the RTX 5090 D V2 has a 384-bit bus.
• Memory Bandwidth: The RTX 2070 has 448.0 GB/s bandwidth; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 1.34 TB/s.
• Shading Units: The RTX 2070 has 2304; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 21760.
• TMUs: The RTX 2070 has 144; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 680.
• ROPs: The RTX 2070 has 64; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 176.
• RT Cores: The RTX 2070 has 36; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 170.
• Tensor Cores: The RTX 2070 has 288; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 680.
• Pixel Rate: The RTX 2070 has 103.7 GPixel/s; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 423.6 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: The RTX 2070 has 233.3 GTexel/s; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 1,636.8 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: The RTX 2070 has 7.465 TFLOPS; the RTX 5090 D V2 has 104.8 TFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: The RTX 2070 has 14.93 TFLOPS (2:1); the RTX 5090 D V2 has 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1).
• TDP: The RTX 2070 has a TDP of 175 W; the RTX 5090 D V2 has a TDP of 575 W.
• Power Connectors: The RTX 2070 uses 1x 8-pin; the RTX 5090 D V2 uses 1x 16-pin.
• Suggested PSU: The RTX 2070 recommends a 450 W PSU; the RTX 5090 D V2 recommends a 950 W PSU.
• Bus Interface: The RTX 2070 is PCIe 3.0 x16; the RTX 5090 D V2 is PCIe 5.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: The RTX 2070 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C. The RTX 5090 D V2 has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b.
• Dimensions: The RTX 2070 is 229 mm (9 inches) long, 113 mm (4.4 inches) high, and 35 mm (1.4 inches) wide. The RTX 5090 D V2 is 304 mm (12 inches) long, 137 mm (5.4 inches) high, and 48 mm (1.9 inches) wide.
• Production Status: The RTX 2070 is End-of-life; the RTX 5090 D V2 is Active.
• Release Date: The RTX 2070 was released on 2018-10-16; the RTX 5090 D V2 was released on 2025-08-14.
• Launch MSRP: The RTX 2070 had a launch MSRP of 499 USD. The RTX 5090 D V2 had a launch MSRP of 2,299 USD.