NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile represent two very different expressions of the same Ampere architecture. The desktop RTX 3090 is a full-scale flagship built for maximum throughput, while the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile is a power-limited laptop part designed for portability. Benchmark data from the database shows a clear overall winner in raw performance, but the mobile chip claims a surprising victory in one specific API test. The recorded measurements indicate that the RTX 3090 wins 9 out of 10 head-to-head comparisons, with an average benchmark score of 27,565 compared to 23,518 for the mobile part. However, the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile posts a higher percentile ranking in Vulkan workloads, which shifts the practical recommendation depending on the target application.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3090 dominates across nearly every measured workload. Its largest advantage appears in GPU compute, where it scores 15,356 against 7,504 for the mobile chip, a difference of 104.6 percent. This makes the desktop card the clear choice for compute-heavy tasks such as rendering, scientific simulation, or any workload that leverages raw FP32 throughput. The RTX 3090 also wins decisively in DirectX 12, scoring 110 versus 73, a 50.7 percent lead, and in DirectX 11, where it posts 220 against 153, a 43.8 percent advantage. For modern gaming titles that use DirectX 12 Ultimate, the RTX 3090 provides a substantial performance cushion.

The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile wins exactly one benchmark: Geekbench Vulkan. Its score of 100,027 exceeds the RTX 3090's 53,927 by 46.1 percent. This is a notable outlier, as the mobile chip loses in OpenCL by 62.9 percent (106,022 versus 172,758). The Vulkan result suggests that the mobile part's driver optimizations or memory access patterns favor this specific API, but it does not translate to wins in other tests. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 3090 scores 5,118 against 2,572, a 99 percent lead. For gaming at high resolutions or with ray tracing enabled, the desktop card is unequivocally stronger.

The RTX 3090 also wins in legacy DirectX tests, which indicates that its higher shading unit count and memory bandwidth benefit even older APIs. In DirectX 9, it scores 268 versus 196, a 36.7 percent lead. In DirectX 10, the gap is 46.8 percent (182 versus 124). The PassMark G2D test shows a 35.8 percent advantage (1,063 versus 783), reflecting faster 2D operations. The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile is not without merit, however. Its lower power draw of 115 W makes it suitable for laptops where thermal and battery constraints matter, and its Vulkan performance is genuinely impressive.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the Ampere architecture, but they use different chips and have vastly different configurations. The RTX 3090 uses the GA102 chip, while the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile uses the GA104. Both are fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The RTX 3090 packs 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. The mobile chip has 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, with a density of 44.4 million per square millimeter. The desktop part is physically larger and contains significantly more hardware.

The RTX 3090 features 10,496 shading units, 328 texture mapping units, and 112 raster operation units. It also includes 82 ray tracing cores and 328 tensor cores. The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. This means the RTX 3090 has roughly 78 percent more shading units and 78 percent more tensor cores than the mobile part. The desktop card's texture rate is 556.0 GTexel/s compared to 259.4 GTexel/s for the mobile chip, and its pixel rate is 189.8 GPixel/s versus 135.4 GPixel/s.

Memory configuration is another major divergence. The RTX 3090 uses 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, delivering 936.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The desktop card has more than double the memory capacity and more than double the bandwidth. Clock speeds also differ substantially. The RTX 3090 runs at a base clock of 1395 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz, while the mobile chip operates at 915 MHz base and 1410 MHz boost. The memory clock is 1219 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) for the RTX 3090 versus 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the mobile part.

Power consumption is where the mobile chip offers a clear advantage. The RTX 3090 has a TDP of 350 W, while the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile draws only 115 W. This makes the laptop part far more efficient per watt in some workloads, though the desktop card compensates with raw performance. The RTX 3090 is a triple-slot card with a 1x 12-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 750 W. The mobile chip has no power connectors and no suggested PSU, as it relies on the laptop's internal power delivery. Both support PCIe 4.0 x16 and share the same API support: DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RTX 3090 scores 5,118 against 2,572 for the mobile chip, a 99 percent advantage. This test is a strong indicator of modern gaming performance, and the desktop card nearly doubles the mobile part's score. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3090 posts 172,758 versus 106,022, a 62.9 percent lead. This is a compute-heavy benchmark, and the desktop card's higher shader count and memory bandwidth are the main contributors.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile wins with 100,027 against 53,927, a 46.1 percent margin. This is the only test where the mobile chip leads, and the margin is substantial. The database shows this as a negative delta for the RTX 3090, indicating a clear reversal of the usual performance hierarchy. It is possible that the mobile driver optimizes Vulkan command buffers differently, but the recorded data does not explain the cause.

PassMark tests show consistent RTX 3090 wins. In DirectX 9, the score is 268 versus 196, a 36.7 percent lead. DirectX 10 shows 182 versus 124, a 46.8 percent lead. DirectX 11 shows 220 versus 153, a 43.8 percent lead. DirectX 12 shows 110 versus 73, a 50.7 percent lead. The PassMark G2D test, which measures 2D graphics performance, shows 1,063 versus 783, a 35.8 percent lead. The PassMark G3D test, which is more comprehensive for 3D workloads, shows 26,645 versus 17,727, a 50.3 percent lead. Finally, PassMark GPU Compute shows 15,356 versus 7,504, a 104.6 percent lead, which is the largest margin in any test.

The overall average benchmark score reflects this dominance. The RTX 3090 averages 27,565 points, while the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile averages 23,518 points. This puts the desktop card in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the mobile chip sits in the 69th percentile. The nearest rivals for the RTX 3090 include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (average score 27,435, a 0.5 percent difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (average score 27,425, also 0.5 percent). The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (average score 23,628, a negative 0.5 percent difference) and the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 (average score 23,315, a positive 0.9 percent difference). This shows that the mobile chip is closely matched with other laptop GPUs, while the desktop card sits in a higher performance tier.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every hardware specification. The chip is GA102 for the RTX 3090 versus GA104 for the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile. Transistor count is 28,300 million versus 17,400 million, and die size is 628 mm² versus 392 mm². The RTX 3090 has 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, while the mobile chip has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Ray tracing cores are 82 versus 46, and tensor cores are 328 versus 184.

Memory is a major differentiator. The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus with 936.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. Clock speeds are also different: base clock is 1395 MHz versus 915 MHz, boost clock is 1695 MHz versus 1410 MHz, and memory clock is 1219 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) versus 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

Power and physical dimensions differ as well. The RTX 3090 has a TDP of 350 W, is a triple-slot card, uses a 1x 12-pin power connector, and requires a 750 W suggested PSU. The mobile chip has a TDP of 115 W, no slot width, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The RTX 3090 measures 336 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width. The mobile chip has no recorded dimensions. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for the desktop card, while the mobile chip is listed as "Portable Device Dependent." The RTX 3090 launched on 2020-08-31, while the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile launched on 2022-01-03. Both are end-of-life products. The RTX 3090 has a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD; the mobile chip has no recorded launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 3090 has 35.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile has 16.60 TFLOPS. In PassMark GPU Compute, the RTX 3090 scores 15,356 against 7,504, a 104.6 percent lead.

Q: Why does the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile win in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The database shows the mobile chip scoring 100,027 versus 53,927 for the RTX 3090, a 46.1 percent advantage. This is the only benchmark where the mobile part wins, and the recorded data does not specify the cause.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus with 936.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The RTX 3090 has a TDP of 350 W and requires a 750 W suggested PSU. The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile has a TDP of 115 W and uses no external power connectors.

Q: Are both GPUs compatible with the same APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both also use a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores rank these GPUs?

A: The RTX 3090 has an average benchmark score of 27,565, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile averages 23,518, placing it in the 69th percentile.

The Verdict

The RTX 3090 is the clear choice for anyone prioritizing raw performance. It wins 9 of 10 benchmarks, with leads ranging from 35.8 percent in PassMark G2D to 104.6 percent in PassMark GPU Compute. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 936.2 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for high-resolution gaming, 3D rendering, and compute workloads. The recorded data shows it sits near the RTX 4070 Mobile and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT in average score, but its individual test wins are decisive.

The RTX 3070 Ti Mobile is the right pick for portable systems where power consumption matters. Its 115 W TDP is less than a third of the desktop card's 350 W, and it still delivers competitive performance in Vulkan workloads, where it beats the RTX 3090 by 46.1 percent. Its average benchmark score of 23,518 is close to the RTX 3080 Mobile, which scores 23,628, a difference of only 0.5 percent. For gamers who favor Vulkan-based titles or need a laptop GPU, this mobile part is a solid option.

For desktop builders, the RTX 3090's performance advantage is overwhelming. The data does not support choosing the mobile chip for any desktop use case, as its only win is in a single API test. For laptop buyers, the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile offers a reasonable balance of performance and efficiency, though its overall score is significantly lower. The verdict is straightforward: the RTX 3090 for maximum performance, the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile for portability and Vulkan-specific workloads.