NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER share the same AD103 chip and Ada Lovelace architecture, but the data shows they are positioned far apart in performance. The RTX 4070 AD103 holds a 50th percentile rank among all GPUs, while the RTX 4080 SUPER sits at the 86th percentile. The RTX 4080 SUPER records an average benchmark score of 54,209 across all tests, whereas the RTX 4070 AD103 has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, making direct numerical comparison impossible for most tests. The performance gap is instead defined by hardware specifications and the RTX 4080 SUPER’s measured results against its nearest rivals.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 4080 SUPER’s recorded benchmark suite provides the only direct measurements available. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 6,600 points, a result that places it firmly in the upper tier of the database. Its Geekbench OpenCL score reaches 219,065, while the Vulkan test yields 260,075, indicating strong compute and graphics API performance. PassMark results show a G3D score of 34,245, a GPU Compute score of 19,822, and DirectX 11 and DirectX 9 scores of 301 and 381 respectively. The DirectX 12 score is 134, and DirectX 10 is 193, with a G2D score of 1,270.

These numbers translate into a clear competitive picture. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 54,209 is effectively tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, which averages 54,247, a delta of only -0.1%. Against the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, the RTX 4080 SUPER trails by 1.1% (that card averages 54,828). The gap widens slightly versus the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, which scores 55,698, putting the RTX 4080 SUPER at -2.7%. The AMD Radeon 8060S leads by 2.8% with a 55,757 average. These deltas show that the RTX 4080 SUPER is not the absolute leader in its immediate neighborhood, but it is within a 3% band of all four rivals.

For the RTX 4070 AD103, the database contains no benchmark entries and no nearest rivals, so its head-to-head performance cannot be quantified from measurements. However, its specification sheet reveals the structural differences. The RTX 4070 AD103 delivers 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the RTX 4080 SUPER delivers 52.22 TFLOPS, a 79% higher figure. The pixel rate for the RTX 4070 AD103 is 158.4 GPixel/s versus 285.6 GPixel/s for the RTX 4080 SUPER, and texture rates are 455.4 GTexel/s versus 816.0 GTexel/s. These raw throughput numbers indicate that the RTX 4080 SUPER would dominate in any fill-rate or compute-bound workload, but the absence of direct benchmark scores for the RTX 4070 AD103 means no measured win can be assigned to either card.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4080 SUPER wins in every measurable category present in the database. Its memory subsystem is larger and faster: 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus delivers 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the RTX 4070 AD103’s 12 GB on a 192-bit bus at 504.2 GB/s. That 46% bandwidth advantage supports higher resolution textures and larger dataset workloads. The RTX 4080 SUPER also has more execution resources: 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 80 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores. The RTX 4070 AD103 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 46 RT cores, and 184 tensor cores. For ray tracing and AI-accelerated tasks, the RTX 4080 SUPER’s doubled RT core count and 73.9% higher tensor core count give it a decisive edge.

Clock speeds also favor the RTX 4080 SUPER. Its base clock is 2,295 MHz and boost clock is 2,550 MHz, while the RTX 4070 AD103 runs at 1,920 MHz base and 2,475 MHz boost. The higher boost clock contributes to the RTX 4080 SUPER’s superior FP32 and texture throughput. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s 320 W TDP versus the RTX 4070 AD103’s 200 W TDP reflects the larger power envelope required to feed those extra cores and higher clocks. The RTX 4070 AD103’s only advantage lies in physical dimensions: it is 240 mm long, 110 mm tall, and 40 mm wide, fitting a dual-slot design, whereas the RTX 4080 SUPER spans 310 mm, 140 mm, and 61 mm with a triple-slot cooler. The RTX 4070 AD103 also has a lower suggested PSU of 550 W versus 700 W, making it easier to integrate into smaller systems.

The recorded data indicates the RTX 4080 SUPER is the performance winner across the board, while the RTX 4070 AD103 wins on compactness and power requirements. Neither card has a benchmark-based win in the database, but the specification deltas are unambiguous.

Architecture Differences

Both cards use the AD103 chip, built on TSMC’s 5 nm process, with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. Transistor density is identical at 121.1M per mm². The architecture is Ada Lovelace for both, and they share the same DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 API support. Display outputs are identical: one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a connectors. Both use a single 16-pin power connector and PCIe 4.0 x16 interface.

The divergence is in how the AD103 chip is configured. The RTX 4070 AD103 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the RTX 4080 SUPER uses 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The RT core count is 46 versus 80, and tensor cores are 184 versus 320. Memory configuration differs substantially: the RTX 4070 AD103 uses 12 GB of GDDR6X at 21 Gbps effective, while the RTX 4080 SUPER uses 16 GB at 23 Gbps effective. The memory bus is 192-bit for the smaller card and 256-bit for the larger one, explaining the bandwidth difference.

Process node and die size are identical, so the performance gap comes entirely from active hardware resources and clock speeds. The RTX 4080 SUPER boosts to 2,550 MHz versus 2,475 MHz, and its memory clock runs at 1,438 MHz versus 1,313 MHz. The FP32 and FP16 throughput are both 52.22 TFLOPS on the RTX 4080 SUPER, while the RTX 4070 AD103 delivers 29.15 TFLOPS for both. The RTX 4080 SUPER also has a higher pixel rate (285.6 GPixel/s) and texture rate (816.0 GTexel/s), reinforcing its role as a higher-tier part. The production status is end-of-life for both, with the RTX 4070 AD103 released on 2024-02-29 and the RTX 4080 SUPER on 2024-01-30. Both list the GeForce 30 as predecessor and GeForce 50 as successor.

FAQ

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER delivers 736.3 GB/s, while the RTX 4070 AD103 provides 504.2 GB/s.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the RTX 4080 SUPER and its closest rival?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER averages 54,209, which is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080’s 54,247.

Q: Do both cards use the same chip?

A: Yes, both use the AD103 chip on the same 5 nm TSMC process with 45,900 million transistors and a 379 mm² die.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4080 SUPER in FP32 compute?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER delivers 52.22 TFLOPS, which is 79% higher than the RTX 4070 AD103’s 29.15 TFLOPS.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RTX 4070 AD103 has a 200 W TDP and a 550 W suggested PSU, while the RTX 4080 SUPER has a 320 W TDP and a 700 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which card has more RT cores for ray tracing?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has 80 RT cores, compared to 46 on the RTX 4070 AD103.

The Verdict

The recorded data places the RTX 4080 SUPER clearly above the RTX 4070 AD103 in every performance-related specification. It offers 79% higher FP32 throughput, 46% more memory bandwidth, double the memory capacity, and significantly more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores. Its benchmark scores confirm it performs within 3% of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S, and effectively tied with the RTX 4080. For workloads that stress compute, ray tracing, or large memory buffers, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the superior choice based on the data.

The RTX 4070 AD103 trades that performance for physical economy. It is 70 mm shorter, 30 mm lower, and 21 mm thinner, fitting a dual-slot form factor where the RTX 4080 SUPER requires triple-slot space. Its 200 W TDP and 550 W PSU recommendation allow installation in systems with less power headroom. For users constrained by chassis size or PSU capacity, the RTX 4070 AD103 remains a viable option, but the benchmark evidence shows it cannot match the RTX 4080 SUPER’s throughput in any measured category. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s 86th percentile ranking versus the RTX 4070 AD103’s 50th percentile reinforces that this is a product tier gap, not a close contest. The launch MSRP for the RTX 4070 AD103 is 599 USD, and for the RTX 4080 SUPER it is 999 USD, reflecting the performance separation. Pick the RTX 4080 SUPER for maximum recorded performance; pick the RTX 4070 AD103 only when the smaller footprint and lower power draw are the primary constraints.