NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Comparison

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and RTX 3070 Ti are two end-of-life NVIDIA cards from consecutive generations, but the data shows they are not in the same performance class. The newer card, built on a 5 nm process versus the older 8 nm process, delivers a decisive across-the-board victory in almost every benchmark. The only exception is a single Vulkan test where the older card holds a surprising lead. This analysis breaks down the numbers to show exactly where each card excels and which one makes sense for your build.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is the raw compute advantage of the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 199,267 against the RTX 3070 Ti’s 119,718, a massive 66.4% delta. This is not a marginal win; it is a generational leap. The PassMark GPU Compute test reinforces this, with the 4070 Ti SUPER scoring 18,372 versus 11,601, a 58.4% advantage. For any workload that leans on raw FP32 or compute throughput, the newer card is in a different league.

DirectX 12 performance, the standard for modern gaming, follows the same pattern. In 3DMark Steel Nomad, the 4070 Ti SUPER scores 5,569, beating the 3070 Ti’s 3,478 by 60.1%. This is the single biggest win in the gaming suite. The PassMark DirectX 12 test shows a smaller but still significant lead: 119 to 91, a 30.8% delta. Interestingly, the gap narrows in older APIs. In PassMark DirectX 11, the 4070 Ti SUPER leads by 44.8% (278 vs 192), and in DirectX 9, it leads by 37.9% (360 vs 261). The pattern is clear: the newer architecture scales better with modern workloads.

The one exception to this dominance is the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the RTX 3070 Ti scores 139,541, while the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER scores only 53,683, a delta of -61.5% in favor of the older card. This is a bizarre outlier, as Vulkan performance typically scales with the rest of the GPU’s capabilities. It suggests a driver or optimization quirk specific to this test, not a fundamental weakness in the 4070 Ti SUPER’s architecture. In every other benchmark, the 4070 Ti SUPER wins.

Overall, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER wins 9 out of 10 head-to-head tests. The average benchmark score for the 4070 Ti SUPER is 31,087, placing it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 3070 Ti averages 29,945, sitting in the 75th percentile. Despite the large individual test deltas, the average scores are closer than expected because the Vulkan outlier drags the 4070 Ti SUPER’s average down. Still, the wins are not close in the tests that matter most for gaming and compute.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher raw compute performance (FP32)?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, exactly double the 21.75 TFLOPS of the RTX 3070 Ti. This explains the massive lead in compute-heavy benchmarks like Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti better in any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins the Geekbench Vulkan test by a wide margin, scoring 139,541 versus the 4070 Ti SUPER’s 53,683. This is the only test out of ten where it comes out ahead, and it represents a -61.5% delta for the newer card.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6X on the same 256-bit bus, but with 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The newer card has double the capacity and a 10.5% bandwidth advantage.

Q: What is the difference in transistor count and density?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER uses 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, yielding a density of 121.1M transistors per mm². The RTX 3070 Ti uses 17,400 million transistors on a larger 392 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 44.4M per mm². This reflects the move from Samsung’s 8 nm node to TSMC’s 5 nm node.

Q: Are the power requirements different?

A: Both cards have a suggested PSU of 600 W. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has a TDP of 285 W, while the RTX 3070 Ti is slightly higher at 290 W. The newer card delivers substantially more performance while consuming slightly less power.

Q: Which card has more RT and Tensor Cores?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has 66 RT cores and 264 Tensor cores. The RTX 3070 Ti has 48 RT cores and 192 Tensor cores. This represents a 37.5% increase in RT cores and a 37.5% increase in Tensor cores for the newer card.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental difference lies in the manufacturing process and the underlying chip design. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is built on TSMC’s 5 nm node, while the RTX 3070 Ti uses Samsung’s 8 nm node. This node shrink allows the 4070 Ti SUPER to pack 45,900 million transistors into a 379 mm² die, a transistor density of 121.1M per mm². The 3070 Ti, in contrast, has 17,400 million transistors on a larger 392 mm² die, with a density of just 44.4M per mm². This is the core reason for the performance gap.

The chip architecture also differs. The 4070 Ti SUPER uses the AD103 chip, part of the Ada Lovelace architecture. The 3070 Ti uses the GA104 chip from the Ampere architecture. This architectural shift brings a significant increase in core counts. The 4070 Ti SUPER has 8,448 shading units, 264 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The 3070 Ti has 6,144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and the same 96 ROPs. The newer card also has 66 RT cores and 264 Tensor cores, compared to 48 RT cores and 192 Tensor cores on the older card.

Clock speeds are another major differentiator. The 4070 Ti SUPER operates at a base clock of 2340 MHz and boosts to 2610 MHz. The 3070 Ti has a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz. This higher clock speed, combined with the higher core count, results in the 4070 Ti SUPER achieving a pixel rate of 250.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 689.0 GTexel/s. The 3070 Ti manages 169.9 GPixel/s and 339.8 GTexel/s, respectively. The memory clocks also differ, with the 4070 Ti SUPER running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) and the 3070 Ti at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

The physical design is also distinct. The 4070 Ti SUPER is a triple-slot card measuring 310 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width. It uses a single 16-pin power connector. The 3070 Ti is a dual-slot card, 267 mm long and 112 mm high, with a single 12-pin connector. Both cards use a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface and offer the same display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. They also support identical APIs: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the faster card in nearly every measurable way. It wins 9 of 10 benchmarks, including the critical DirectX 12 and compute tests, with deltas ranging from 16.1% to 66.4%. Its 16 GB memory capacity is double that of the 3070 Ti, which is a significant advantage for modern games and creative workloads. The only reason to consider the RTX 3070 Ti is if your software specifically relies on Vulkan performance, where it is inexplicably 61.5% faster in the Geekbench test.

For a new build, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the clear choice. It offers superior performance across the board, a more efficient 5 nm process, and a larger memory buffer. The launch MSRP for the 4070 Ti SUPER is 799 USD, compared to 599 USD for the 3070 Ti. While the older card is cheaper, the performance differential justifies the premium if you are looking at current-generation workloads. The 3070 Ti is a capable card, but it is now firmly a mid-range option, while the 4070 Ti SUPER sits in the upper tier.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal a complete overhaul between generations. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER uses the AD103 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 45,900 million transistors and a 379 mm² die. The RTX 3070 Ti uses the GA104 chip on an 8 nm Samsung process, with 17,400 million transistors and a 392 mm² die. The core configuration differs significantly: 8,448 shading units, 264 TMUs, 66 RT cores, and 264 Tensor cores for the 4070 Ti SUPER versus 6,144 shading units, 192 TMUs, 48 RT cores, and 192 Tensor cores for the 3070 Ti. Both have 96 ROPs.

Clock speeds are substantially higher on the newer card: 2340 MHz base and 2610 MHz boost versus 1575 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost. Memory configurations differ in capacity: 16 GB versus 8 GB, both GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus. The bandwidth is 672.3 GB/s for the 4070 Ti SUPER and 608.3 GB/s for the 3070 Ti. The TDP is slightly lower on the newer card at 285 W versus 290 W, though both suggest a 600 W PSU.

Physical dimensions vary, with the 4070 Ti SUPER being a triple-slot card (310 mm x 140 mm x 61 mm) and the 3070 Ti being a dual-slot card (267 mm x 112 mm, width not specified). The power connector also differs: a 16-pin on the newer card versus a 12-pin on the older. Both use PCIe 4.0 x16 and have identical display outputs and API support. The 4070 Ti SUPER has a higher pixel rate (250.6 GPixel/s vs 169.9 GPixel/s) and texture rate (689.0 GTexel/s vs 339.8 GTexel/s), along with double the FP32 and FP16 throughput (44.10 TFLOPS vs 21.75 TFLOPS).

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the clear winner for almost all use cases. It dominates in DirectX 12 gaming, as shown by the 60.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad. Its compute advantage, a 66.4% lead in OpenCL, makes it the better choice for GPU-accelerated rendering, machine learning, or any professional workload. The 16 GB memory buffer is crucial for 4K texture packs or large datasets. The card also wins in legacy DirectX 9 and 10 tests, showing it is not just a modern-workload specialist. Its 16.1% lead in the 2D test indicates better desktop and UI performance as well.

The RTX 3070 Ti’s only claim to fame is the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it is 61.5% faster. This suggests that for a very specific set of Vulkan-based applications or games, the older card might offer better performance. However, this is a single data point against nine others. If you are building a system solely around a particular Vulkan title that is known to be optimized for Ampere, the 3070 Ti could be considered. For everything else, from the latest DirectX 12 games to compute tasks, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the superior product. The data shows a clear generational improvement that makes the 3070 Ti a legacy option for budget builds, not a performance contender.