AMD Radeon RX 7700 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Comparison

The benchmark data places the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 overall, with a 5-4 win split across the nine head-to-head tests and a higher average benchmark score of 17208 versus 15852. The RTX 3070 holds a 10.4% lead in the demanding 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test and a 6.4% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL, making it the stronger choice for raw performance and modern API workloads. However, the RX 7700 counters with decisive wins in legacy DirectX tests and a 17% margin in 2D performance, while offering double the memory (16 GB versus 8 GB) and a much newer 5 nm process node. The RTX 3070 is the pick for users prioritizing sustained frame rates in current DirectX 12 titles and compute performance, whereas the RX 7700 suits those needing larger frame buffers, better legacy API compatibility, and superior 2D desktop responsiveness.

The Verdict

The data is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster card for modern gaming and compute workloads. It wins the two most future-facing tests — 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 by 10.4% and Geekbench OpenCL by 6.4% — and also leads in PassMark G3D by 5.9% and GPU Compute by 2.1%. Its average benchmark score of 17208 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7700 sits at 15852 and the 58th percentile. For anyone building a system around DirectX 12 Ultimate titles or OpenCL-based applications, the RTX 3070 is the verdict.

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is not without merit, but its wins come in narrower or older categories. It beats the RTX 3070 in PassMark DirectX 11 by 2.2%, DirectX 12 by 11.5%, DirectX 9 by 5.4%, and G2D by 17%. That DirectX 12 result is notable, yet it is more than offset by the RTX 3070’s larger victory in the more demanding 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. The RX 7700’s 16 GB memory buffer is its strongest practical advantage, doubling the RTX 3070’s 8 GB, which matters for texture-heavy workloads at high resolutions. The RX 7700 also wins on efficiency, with a 200 W TDP versus 220 W, and on process technology, using 5 nm versus 8 nm.

Strictly from the data, the RTX 3070 is the superior performer for gaming and compute, while the RX 7700 is the better choice for users who prioritize memory capacity, legacy API support, and 2D desktop performance. The RTX 3070’s end-of-life production status and its 499 USD launch MSRP are worth noting, but its benchmark lead is the deciding factor. The RX 7700, being an active product with a newer architecture, offers a more future-proof memory configuration but trails in raw speed.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. The RTX 3070 is built on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, using the GA104 chip fabricated on Samsung’s 8 nm process node. The RX 7700 uses AMD’s RDNA 3.0 architecture, with the Navi 32 chip (codenamed Wheat Nas) on TSMC’s 5 nm node. The process difference is stark: 8 nm versus 5 nm, leading to a significant transistor density gap of 44.4M per mm² versus 81.2M per mm². The RX 7700 packs 28,100 million transistors onto a 346 mm² die, while the RTX 3070 has 17,400 million on a larger 392 mm² die.

Core configurations differ sharply. The RTX 3070 has 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. The RX 7700 has far fewer shading units at 2560, 160 TMUs, and the same 96 ROPs, with 40 RT cores and no tensor cores. Despite fewer shaders, the RX 7700 achieves higher raw throughput: 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 versus 20.31 TFLOPS for the RTX 3070. Clock speeds explain this — the RX 7700 boosts to 2459 MHz with a 2041 MHz game clock, versus 1725 MHz boost for the RTX 3070. The RX 7700 also leads in pixel rate (236.1 GPixel/s versus 165.6) and texture rate (393.4 GTexel/s versus 317.4).

Memory architectures are another major split. The RTX 3070 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7700 doubles capacity to 16 GB of GDDR6 on the same 256-bit bus, with a much higher 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7700’s memory clocks at 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective), versus 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the RTX 3070. Both use PCIe 4.0 x16 and support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but the RX 7700 adds a USB Type-C output and DisplayPort 2.1 support, while the RTX 3070 has three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 3070’s biggest win is in PassMark DirectX 10, where it scores 150 versus 92, a massive 63% advantage. This is its most dominant result and indicates much stronger performance in older DirectX 10 titles. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 3070 scores 3162 against 2865, a 10.4% lead that represents the most relevant modern gaming benchmark in this set. Geekbench OpenCL shows a 6.4% win for the RTX 3070 (112821 versus 106028), confirming its compute advantage. PassMark G3D gives the RTX 3070 a 5.9% edge (22214 versus 20974), and GPU Compute adds a narrower 2.1% win (11195 versus 10963).

The RX 7700’s strongest result is PassMark DirectX 12, where it scores 96 versus 85, an 11.5% margin. This is a meaningful win in a modern API, though it contrasts with the RTX 3070’s larger 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 victory. The RX 7700 also takes PassMark G2D by 17% (1206 versus 1001), showing superior 2D rendering performance. In legacy APIs, it wins DirectX 9 by 5.4% (261 versus 247) and DirectX 11 by a slim 2.2% (186 versus 182). These four wins are consistent but smaller in aggregate than the RTX 3070’s five wins, which include the two most demanding tests.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 8.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7700’s 15852.

Q: How do the two cards compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The results are mixed. The RTX 3070 wins 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 by 10.4% (3162 versus 2865), but the RX 7700 wins PassMark DirectX 12 by 11.5% (96 versus 85). The 3DMark test is the more demanding of the two.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, double the RTX 3070’s 8 GB. The RX 7700 also has higher bandwidth at 624.1 GB/s versus 448.0 GB/s.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The RX 7700 has a 200 W TDP, lower than the RTX 3070’s 220 W, despite offering higher FP32 throughput of 25.18 TFLOPS versus 20.31 TFLOPS.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The RTX 3070 is end-of-life, with a release date of 2020-08-31 and a successor in the GeForce 40 series. The RX 7700 is active, released on 2025-09-17, with a successor in the Navi IV generation.

Q: How do they compare in compute workloads?

A: The RTX 3070 leads in both Geekbench OpenCL (112821 versus 106028, a 6.4% win) and PassMark GPU Compute (11195 versus 10963, a 2.1% win).

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3070 wins in modern gaming and compute. Its 10.4% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the most important result for current DirectX 12 titles, and its 6.4% Geekbench OpenCL advantage covers compute-heavy tasks like rendering and machine learning inference, despite lacking the RX 7700’s raw TFLOPS count. The 63% win in PassMark DirectX 10 shows it also handles older DX10 games far better. With a 5.9% lead in PassMark G3D, it is the faster overall 3D performer, and its 2.1% GPU Compute win solidifies its position for general-purpose workloads. The RTX 3070 also sits higher in the global percentile ranking at 61 versus 58.

The RX 7700 wins in memory capacity and legacy API support. Its 16 GB frame buffer is double the RTX 3070’s 8 GB, making it the better choice for modded games, high-resolution textures, or creative applications with large assets. The 11.5% win in PassMark DirectX 12 suggests it handles some DX12 titles very well, while the 17% G2D margin indicates superior 2D desktop and UI rendering. It also wins PassMark DirectX 9 by 5.4% and DirectX 11 by 2.2%, covering older games with better performance. The RX 7700’s higher clocks (2459 MHz boost versus 1725 MHz) and process node advantage (5 nm versus 8 nm) underpin its efficiency, with a 200 W TDP that is 20 W lower than the RTX 3070.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every core specification. The RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip on Samsung’s 8 nm node, while the RX 7700 uses Navi 32 on TSMC’s 5 nm node. Transistor counts are 17,400 million versus 28,100 million, with die sizes of 392 mm² versus 346 mm². The RX 7700 has a higher transistor density at 81.2M per mm² versus 44.4M per mm². Clock speeds favor the RX 7700: base 1900 MHz versus 1500 MHz, boost 2459 MHz versus 1725 MHz, and it has a defined game clock of 2041 MHz that the RTX 3070 lacks. Memory clocks also differ, with the RX 7700 at 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) versus 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

The RTX 3070 has more shading units (5888 versus 2560), TMUs (184 versus 160), and equal ROPs (96). It has 46 RT cores versus 40, and 184 tensor cores, which the RX 7700 does not list. The RX 7700 produces higher pixel and texture rates (236.1 GPixel/s and 393.4 GTexel/s versus 165.6 and 317.4). FP32 and FP16 throughput are both higher on the RX 7700 at 25.18 TFLOPS versus 20.31 TFLOPS, with both at 1:1 ratios. Power and physical specs differ: TDP is 220 W for the RTX 3070 versus 200 W for the RX 7700, with power connectors of 1x 12-pin versus 2x 8-pin, both requiring a 550 W PSU. The RX 7700 is longer (267 mm versus 242 mm), taller (135 mm versus 112 mm), and wider (50 mm versus a null width for the RTX 3070). Display outputs favor the RX 7700 with DisplayPort 2.1 and USB Type-C, while the RTX 3070 has DisplayPort 1.4a. The RTX 3070 has a launch MSRP of 499 USD; the RX 7700 has no listed MSRP.