NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 vs NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 are two very different graphics cards from two distinct NVIDIA generations, despite both carrying the "RTX" name. The Quadro RTX 4000 is a Turing-era professional workstation card from late 2018, while the RTX 3070 is an Ampere-based consumer card from 2020. The benchmark data shows a clear performance hierarchy, with the RTX 3070 winning 9 of 10 head-to-head tests, but the Quadro RTX 4000 has one massive victory in a specific API test. This analysis breaks down where each card wins, what separates them architecturally, and which user should choose which, based strictly on the provided data.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 has a higher average benchmark score of 17789, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070's 17208. This is a difference of roughly 581 points, or about 3.4%.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 win in DirectX 12 performance?

A: Yes. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 3070 scores 3162 against the Quadro RTX 4000's 1873. That is a 40.8% lead for the RTX 3070.

Q: What is the Quadro RTX 4000's biggest benchmark win?

A: The Quadro RTX 4000 wins decisively in the Geekbench Vulkan test, scoring 78844 versus the RTX 3070's 21022. This represents a 275.1% advantage for the Quadro.

Q: Which card has more RT (ray tracing) cores?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has 46 RT cores, while the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 has 36 RT cores.

Q: Are both cards the same physical size?

A: They are nearly identical. The Quadro RTX 4000 is 241 mm long and 111 mm high, while the RTX 3070 is 242 mm long and 112 mm high. Both are 9.5 inches in length and 4.4 inches in height.

Q: Which card has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, while the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 has a bandwidth of 416.0 GB/s.

Where Each One Wins

The data splits these two cards into clearly defined roles. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the overwhelming winner in nearly every traditional and modern graphics workload. It dominates in DirectX 12 (40.8% faster), OpenCL (33.9% faster), and all Passmark DirectX tests, ranging from a 17% lead in DirectX 9 to a 38.8% lead in DirectX 12. Its Passmark G3D score of 22214 is 31.9% higher than the Quadro's 15117, and its GPU compute score of 11195 is 44.8% higher. If the workload is gaming, rendering, or general compute, the RTX 3070 is the clear choice based on these numbers.

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 has a single, but spectacular, area of dominance: the Geekbench Vulkan test. Its score of 78844 is 275.1% higher than the RTX 3070's 21022. This suggests that in specific Vulkan-based applications or workflows that are optimized for the Quadro's Turing architecture, it can be significantly faster. However, this is an isolated victory; no other benchmark in the data shows a Quadro win. For a professional user whose software relies heavily on Vulkan compute, this could be a decisive factor, but for most other tasks, the RTX 3070's consistent wins make it the more versatile performer.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The Quadro RTX 4000 uses the TU104 chip, based on NVIDIA's Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It houses 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 25.0 million per mm². In contrast, the RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip, based on the newer Ampere architecture, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It packs 17,400 million transistors onto a smaller 392 mm² die, resulting in a much higher density of 44.4 million per mm². This newer process node is a key reason for the RTX 3070's performance advantage.

The compute core composition also differs significantly. The RTX 3070 has 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, while the Quadro RTX 4000 has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 3070 also has more RT cores (46 vs 36) and fewer Tensor cores (184 vs 288). The FP32 compute throughput tells the story: the RTX 3070 delivers 20.31 TFLOPS, while the Quadro RTX 4000 delivers only 7.119 TFLOPS. Interestingly, the Quadro's FP16 performance of 14.24 TFLOPS is based on a 2:1 ratio, while the RTX 3070 offers 20.31 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, meaning it can process FP16 at the same rate as FP32.

Specification Differences

Here are the key specification differences between the two cards, based exclusively on the data provided.

• Chip: Quadro RTX 4000 uses TU104; RTX 3070 uses GA104.
• Architecture: Quadro RTX 4000 is Turing; RTX 3070 is Ampere.
• Process Node: Quadro RTX 4000 is on 12 nm (TSMC); RTX 3070 is on 8 nm (Samsung).
• Transistors: Quadro RTX 4000 has 13,600 million; RTX 3070 has 17,400 million.
• Die Size: Quadro RTX 4000 is 545 mm²; RTX 3070 is 392 mm².
• Base Clock: Quadro RTX 4000 runs at 1005 MHz; RTX 3070 at 1500 MHz.
• Boost Clock: Quadro RTX 4000 boosts to 1545 MHz; RTX 3070 to 1725 MHz.
• Memory Speed: Quadro RTX 4000 is 13 Gbps effective; RTX 3070 is 14 Gbps effective.
• Memory Bandwidth: Quadro RTX 4000 has 416.0 GB/s; RTX 3070 has 448.0 GB/s.
• Shading Units: Quadro RTX 4000 has 2304; RTX 3070 has 5888.
• TMUs: Quadro RTX 4000 has 144; RTX 3070 has 184.
• ROPs: Quadro RTX 4000 has 64; RTX 3070 has 96.
• RT Cores: Quadro RTX 4000 has 36; RTX 3070 has 46.
• Tensor Cores: Quadro RTX 4000 has 288; RTX 3070 has 184.
• FP32 Performance: Quadro RTX 4000 is 7.119 TFLOPS; RTX 3070 is 20.31 TFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: Quadro RTX 4000 is 14.24 TFLOPS (2:1); RTX 3070 is 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1).
• TDP: Quadro RTX 4000 is 160 W; RTX 3070 is 220 W.
• Slot Width: Quadro RTX 4000 is Single-slot; RTX 3070 is Dual-slot.
• Power Connectors: Quadro RTX 4000 uses 1x 8-pin; RTX 3070 uses 1x 12-pin.
• Suggested PSU: Quadro RTX 4000 requires 450 W; RTX 3070 requires 550 W.
• Bus Interface: Quadro RTX 4000 is PCIe 3.0 x16; RTX 3070 is PCIe 4.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: Quadro RTX 4000 has 3x DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x USB Type-C; RTX 3070 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results paint a clear picture of overall performance, but the margins vary significantly by test. The most lopsided result is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the Quadro RTX 4000 scores 78844 versus the RTX 3070's 21022, a 275.1% difference in favor of the Quadro. This is an outlier that reflects specific API optimizations rather than general compute capability.

Outside of that single test, the RTX 3070 is faster in everything else. The largest margin for the RTX 3070 comes in Passmark GPU Compute, where it scores 11195 against the Quadro's 6176, a 44.8% advantage. This is followed closely by the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 3070's 3162 score beats the Quadro's 1873 by 40.8%. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3070's 112821 score is 33.9% higher than the Quadro's 74540. The Passmark G3D result shows a 31.9% lead for the RTX 3070 (22214 vs 15117), and the DirectX 11 test shows a 29.7% advantage (182 vs 128). The DirectX 10 test gives the RTX 3070 a 28% lead (150 vs 108), and DirectX 12 shows a 38.8% lead (85 vs 52). Even in older DirectX 9 and 2D tests, the RTX 3070 wins, with leads of 17% (247 vs 205) and 15.5% (1001 vs 846), respectively.

The RTX 3070's wins are not just numerous; they are often decisive. A 40.8% lead in a modern DX12 workload and a 44.8% lead in compute are massive gaps. The Quadro RTX 4000's single win, while enormous in percentage terms, does not compensate for the across-the-board deficits it faces in every other measured category.

The Verdict

Based purely on the data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the superior card for almost any workload you can name. It is faster in DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12, in OpenCL, in 3DMark, in Passmark G3D, and in GPU compute. Its 44.8% lead in compute and 40.8% lead in DX12 are huge margins that make it the obvious pick for gaming, rendering, and general-purpose GPU compute. The RTX 3070 also has a more modern architecture, a higher transistor count, and double the FP32 throughput of the Quadro.

The only reason to choose the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 is if your specific software stack relies heavily on the Vulkan API. Its 275.1% lead in the Geekbench Vulkan test is not a small difference; it suggests that in Vulkan-optimized professional applications, the Quadro could be significantly faster. The Quadro also uses less power (160 W vs 220 W) and is a single-slot card, which could be critical for dense workstation builds. Its lower suggested PSU requirement of 450 W (versus 550 W) also makes it easier to integrate into existing systems.

However, for the vast majority of users, the RTX 3070 is the better choice. Its consistent wins across the board, its higher average benchmark score in most tests, and its superior specifications make it a more future-proof and capable card. The Quadro RTX 4000's single win is impressive but isolated. The data strongly favors the RTX 3070 for anyone who needs general high-performance graphics, while the Quadro RTX 4000 is a niche pick for specific Vulkan-centric professional workflows.