GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 3070 represent two distinct approaches to the same performance tier, separated by two generations of architecture and process technology. The benchmark data shows a clear overall winner in raw compute, but the RTX 4060 secures decisive victories in specific API workloads that reveal its modern architecture's strengths. Across ten head-to-head tests, the RTX 3070 wins eight, while the RTX 4060 takes two, yet the margin and nature of those wins tell a more nuanced story than the simple win count suggests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 3070 establishes its dominance most emphatically in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, scoring 3162 against the RTX 4060's 2302, a 27.2% advantage. This is the largest single margin in either direction and reflects the 3070's substantial raw throughput advantage. The Geekbench OpenCL result reinforces this pattern: the 3070 posts 112,821 versus 95,057, a 15.7% lead. PassMark's DirectX 10 test shows a 31.3% gap (150 vs 103), the largest percentage difference of any test, though the absolute scores are low.

The RTX 4060's counterattack comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it delivers a stunning reversal. Its score of 48,643 dwarfs the RTX 3070's 21,022, a 131.4% advantage, by far the most lopsided result in either direction. This is not a small edge; it is a generational leap in Vulkan efficiency. The only other RTX 4060 win is PassMark G2D, a 2D graphics test, where it scores 1037 against 1001, a modest 3.6% margin.

The remaining tests all favor the RTX 3070, but with varying intensity. PassMark G3D shows a 12% lead (22,214 vs 19,545), while GPU Compute demonstrates a 17.7% gap (11,195 vs 9,213). The DirectX 11 test is close at 3.8% (182 vs 175), DirectX 9 at 4.5% (247 vs 236), and DirectX 12 at 10.6% (85 vs 76). The pattern is consistent: the RTX 3070 wins most legacy and compute-oriented workloads by single-digit to mid-teen percentages, while the RTX 4060's Vulkan performance is an outlier of extraordinary magnitude.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different foundations. The RTX 4060 uses the AD107 chip on TSMC's 5 nm process, packing 18,900 million transistors into a 159 mm² die, a density of 118.9M transistors per mm². The RTX 3070 employs the GA104 chip fabricated by Samsung on 8 nm, with 17,400 million transistors spread across a much larger 392 mm² die, yielding just 44.4M transistors per mm². The RTX 4060 achieves nearly three times the transistor density of its predecessor-generation rival.

The compute resources tell a story of trade-offs. The RTX 3070 carries 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, versus the RTX 4060's 3,072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The 3070's raw pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s exceed the 4060's 118.1 GPixel/s and 236.2 GTexel/s. FP32 compute follows suit: 20.31 TFLOPS for the 3070 versus 15.11 TFLOPS for the 4060. Both support 1:1 FP16 rates, meaning the 4060's FP16 is also 15.11 TFLOPS.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6, but the RTX 3070 uses a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 4060 is constrained to a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s. Clock speeds partially compensate: the 4060 boosts to 2460 MHz from an 1830 MHz base, while the 3070 boosts to 1725 MHz from 1500 MHz. Memory clocks also differ, with the 4060 running at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) versus 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the 3070.

Ray tracing and tensor hardware follow the compute ratio. The RTX 4060 has 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores; the RTX 3070 has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. Power consumption reflects the architectural gulf: the 4060 is rated at 115 W TDP with a 300 W suggested PSU, while the 3070 draws 220 W and recommends a 550 W PSU. Both are dual-slot cards with a single 12-pin connector, but the 4060 uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface versus the 3070's x16.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3070 is the clear choice for compute-heavy and legacy API workloads. Its 27.2% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad, 15.7% in OpenCL, and 17.7% in GPU Compute make it the superior option for rendering tasks, scientific compute, and any application that scales with raw shader throughput. The DirectX results reinforce this: it wins DX10 by 31.3%, DX11 by 3.8%, DX12 by 10.6%, and DX9 by 4.5%. For users running DirectX-based games or compute applications, the 3070's larger shader count and wider memory bus provide consistent advantages.

The RTX 4060's wins are narrower in count but significant in character. The 131.4% Vulkan victory is transformative, it indicates that the Ada Lovelace architecture's driver and hardware optimizations deliver exceptional Vulkan performance that the older Ampere design cannot match. The 3.6% G2D win suggests better 2D compositing performance. For Vulkan-native applications, especially modern games and emerging engines, the 4060 is decisively faster despite its smaller compute footprint.

Averaged across all tests, the RTX 3070's mean benchmark score is 17,208 against the 4060's 17,639, a 2.5% edge for the 4060 by this aggregate metric. Both cards sit at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, and their nearest rivals are comparable, with the 4060's closest competitor being the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (0.2% slower) and the 3070's being the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (1.5% faster). The average scores place the 4060 slightly ahead overall, suggesting that its Vulkan win carries disproportionate weight in the aggregate.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the most benchmark tests?

A: The RTX 3070 wins 8 of 10 head-to-head tests, while the RTX 4060 wins 2.

Q: What is the single largest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The RTX 4060 leads by 131.4% in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 48,643 versus 21,022 for the RTX 3070.

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

A: The RTX 3070 leads by 10.6% in PassMark DirectX 12, scoring 85 versus 76, and by 27.2% in 3DMark Steel Nomad.

Q: Do both cards have the same memory capacity?

A: Yes, both have 8 GB of GDDR6, but the RTX 3070 has 448.0 GB/s bandwidth versus 272.0 GB/s for the RTX 4060.

Q: Which card has higher clock speeds?

A: The RTX 4060 has a higher boost clock at 2460 MHz versus 1725 MHz for the RTX 3070.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The RTX 4060 has a 115 W TDP with a 300 W suggested PSU, while the RTX 3070 has a 220 W TDP with a 550 W suggested PSU.

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 4060 | RTX 3070 |

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

| Chip | AD107 | GA104 |

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Ampere |

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

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

| Die Size | 159 mm² | 392 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 118.9M / mm² | 44.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1830 MHz | 1500 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2460 MHz | 1725 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2125 MHz (17 Gbps) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps) |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 272.0 GB/s | 448.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3072 | 5888 |

| TMUs | 96 | 184 |

| ROPs | 48 | 96 |

| RT Cores | 24 | 46 |

| Tensor Cores | 96 | 184 |

| Pixel Rate | 118.1 GPixel/s | 165.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 236.2 GTexel/s | 317.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Compute | 15.11 TFLOPS | 20.31 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 115 W | 220 W |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 550 W |

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

| Release Date | 2023-05-17 | 2020-08-31 |

| Launch MSRP | 299 USD | 499 USD |

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split decision. The RTX 3070 is the stronger card for users prioritizing raw compute, DirectX performance, and memory bandwidth. Its 27.2% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad, 15.7% in OpenCL, and consistent wins across all six PassMark DirectX tests make it the safer choice for traditional gaming and compute workloads. The 256-bit memory bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth provide a structural advantage that clock speed alone cannot overcome.

The RTX 4060 is the better pick for Vulkan-centric workflows and power-sensitive builds. Its 131.4% Vulkan advantage is not a marginal edge but a category-defining one, and its 115 W TDP versus 220 W means significantly lower power draw. The 4060's higher transistor density (118.9M vs 44.4M per mm²) and smaller die (159 mm² vs 392 mm²) reflect a more modern, efficient design. The aggregate average benchmark score of 17,639 for the 4060 versus 17,208 for the 3070, a 2.5% difference, suggests that for users whose workloads align with its strengths, the newer card delivers comparable overall performance with far greater efficiency.

For gamers running DirectX titles, the RTX 3070's consistent double-digit leads make it the data-backed choice. For Vulkan-native applications, the RTX 4060 is not merely competitive, it is overwhelmingly superior. The 61st percentile ranking for both cards confirms they occupy the same tier, but the path to that tier differs fundamentally by workload.