NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile vs NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile leads with an average benchmark score of 20,534, while the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 18,954. That places the RTX 3070 Mobile in the 65th percentile of all GPUs versus the RTX 2000 Ada's 63rd percentile.

Q: How do the two compare in raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile delivers 15.97 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is 33% higher than the RTX 2000 Ada's 12.00 TFLOPS. The shading unit count reflects this: 5120 on the RTX 3070 Mobile versus 2816 on the RTX 2000 Ada.

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and does it matter?

A: The RTX 2000 Ada Generation has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, double the 8 GB on the RTX 3070 Mobile. However, the RTX 3070 Mobile's 256-bit bus gives it 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, far above the RTX 2000 Ada's 128-bit bus and 256.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile has a TDP of 115 W, while the RTX 2000 Ada Generation draws only 70 W. The RTX 2000 Ada also lists a suggested PSU of 250 W, whereas the RTX 3070 Mobile has no suggested PSU specified.

Q: Which card wins in DirectX 12 workloads?

A: The RTX 2000 Ada Generation wins the Passmark DirectX 12 test with a score of 71 versus 64 for the RTX 3070 Mobile, a 9.9% advantage. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), but the newer Ada architecture handles this specific test better.

Q: Are these cards in the same performance class?

A: Not really. The RTX 3070 Mobile sits near the Intel Arc B570 (deltaPct -0.1) and Arc A750 (-0.2) in average score. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation is closer to the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (-0.5) and the RX 6600 (-0.4). They occupy different tiers despite both being NVIDIA products.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural generations. The RTX 3070 Mobile is built on Ampere using Samsung's 8 nm process, with a GA104 chip containing 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace on TSMC's 5 nm node, packing 18,900 million transistors into just 159 mm². That is a transistor density of 118.9M per mm² versus 44.4M per mm² — the Ada chip is over 2.6 times denser.

The RTX 3070 Mobile has a significantly larger compute configuration: 5120 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, compared to 2816 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 48 ROPs on the RTX 2000 Ada. Ray tracing hardware follows the same pattern — 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores on the Ampere card versus 22 RT cores and 88 tensor cores on the Ada card. Yet the Ada card achieves higher clock speeds: a 1620 MHz base and 2130 MHz boost versus 1110 MHz base and 1560 MHz boost on the RTX 3070 Mobile.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The RTX 3070 Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus at 14 Gbps effective, yielding 448.0 GB/s. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation uses 16 GB on a 128-bit bus at 16 Gbps effective, yielding only 256.0 GB/s. The Ada card also has a different PCIe interface: x8 instead of x16, though both are PCIe 4.0.

Physical and power characteristics diverge sharply. The RTX 3070 Mobile is a mobile part with no slot width and portable-device-dependent outputs. The RTX 2000 Ada is a dual-slot workstation card measuring 168 mm by 69 mm, with 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. Neither uses external power connectors, but the RTX 2000 Ada carries a 70 W TDP versus 115 W for the RTX 3070 Mobile. The RTX 2000 Ada is an active product with a successor (Blackwell PRO W), while the RTX 3070 Mobile is end-of-life.

The Verdict

Pick the RTX 3070 Mobile if you need maximum raw throughput. It wins 3DMark Steel Nomad, Geekbench OpenCL, and Geekbench Vulkan by margins ranging from 4.1% to 34.7%. Its 15.97 TFLOPS FP32 and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth make it the stronger choice for compute-heavy applications and high-resolution texture work. The 256-bit bus is a decisive advantage for memory-bound tasks.

Pick the RTX 2000 Ada Generation if you prioritize efficiency, capacity, and workstation features. It draws 45 W less power, offers double the VRAM at 16 GB, and wins Passmark G3D, GPU Compute, DirectX 12, DirectX 9, and G2D tests. Its 70 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU make it far easier to integrate into compact builds. The dual-slot form factor with 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs suits multi-monitor professional setups.

The data shows a trade-off: the RTX 3070 Mobile wins on peak performance and bandwidth; the RTX 2000 Ada wins on efficiency, memory capacity, and several specific workloads. Neither dominates outright — they split the ten head-to-head benchmarks exactly 5-5. For gaming and general 3D acceleration, the RTX 3070 Mobile's higher pixel rate (124.8 GPixel/s vs 102.2 GPixel/s) and texture rate (249.6 GTexel/s vs 187.4 GTexel/s) are compelling. For workstation compute and multi-app multitasking, the RTX 2000 Ada's 16 GB frame buffer and lower power envelope are practical advantages.

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 3070 Mobile | RTX 2000 Ada Generation |

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

| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |

| Process Node | 8 nm (Samsung) | 5 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | 17,400 million | 18,900 million |

| Die Size | 392 mm² | 159 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1110 MHz | 1620 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1560 MHz | 2130 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB GDDR6 | 16 GB GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 5120 | 2816 |

| TMUs | 160 | 88 |

| ROPs | 80 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 40 | 22 |

| Tensor Cores | 160 | 88 |

| FP32 | 15.97 TFLOPS | 12.00 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 115 W | 70 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Slot Width | None | Dual-slot |

| Dimensions | N/A | 168 mm × 69 mm |

| Suggested PSU | None | 250 W |

| Release Date | 2021-01-11 | 2024-02-11 |

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

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the largest performance gap. The RTX 3070 Mobile scores 2380 versus 1767 for the RTX 2000 Ada, a 34.7% advantage. This is a modern DX12 workload that heavily favors the Ampere card's wider memory bus and higher shading unit count.

Geekbench OpenCL follows a similar pattern, with the RTX 3070 Mobile scoring 92,939 to the RTX 2000 Ada's 78,074 — a 19% lead. The Vulkan test is closer: 86,768 versus 83,360, just a 4.1% margin. These compute-oriented benchmarks confirm that the RTX 3070 Mobile's 5120 shading units provide a real throughput advantage despite the Ada card's higher clocks.

The Passmark suite tells a different story. The DirectX 10 test goes to the RTX 3070 Mobile by 37.8% (113 vs 82), and DirectX 11 is a perfect tie at 138 for both. But from DirectX 12 onward, the RTX 2000 Ada takes over. It wins DirectX 12 by 9.9% (71 vs 64) and DirectX 9 by 25.9% (216 vs 160). The G2D test is the biggest split: 1072 for the Ada card versus 641 for the RTX 3070 Mobile, a 40.2% margin.

Passmark G3D and GPU Compute also favor the RTX 2000 Ada. The G3D score is 16,927 versus 15,309 — a 9.6% win for the newer card. GPU Compute shows 7,834 versus 6,827, a 12.9% advantage. These results suggest the Ada Lovelace architecture handles legacy and compute workloads differently than Ampere, often more efficiently at lower raw specs.

Where Each One Wins

RTX 3070 Mobile wins in: Modern DX12 gaming (3DMark Steel Nomad by 34.7%), general compute (Geekbench OpenCL by 19%), Vulkan workloads (by 4.1%), DirectX 10 legacy (by 37.8%), and high-bandwidth memory tasks (448.0 GB/s versus 256.0 GB/s). Its 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores also provide more hardware for ray tracing and AI acceleration. The 256-bit bus is the standout feature for anyone moving large textures or doing GPU compute that saturates memory.

RTX 2000 Ada Generation wins in: DirectX 12 performance (by 9.9%), DirectX 9 legacy (by 25.9%), 2D desktop work (G2D by 40.2%), overall rasterization (G3D by 9.6%), and GPU compute (by 12.9%). Its 16 GB VRAM doubles the capacity for large models and multi-application workflows. The 70 W TDP makes it suitable for systems with modest power budgets. The dual-slot form factor with 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs is built for multi-monitor professional environments.

The split is clean: the RTX 3070 Mobile is the performance pick for gaming and high-throughput compute; the RTX 2000 Ada is the efficiency pick for professional workstations, legacy API support, and memory-hungry tasks. The data shows no wrong answer — only different priorities.