NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 vs NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the core specifications of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation?

A: The RTX 4070 AD103 uses the AD103 chip with 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, 64 raster output units, 46 RT cores, and 184 tensor cores. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation uses the AD107 chip with 2,816 shading units, 88 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 22 RT cores, and 88 tensor cores.

Q: How do the memory subsystems differ between these two cards?

A: The RTX 4070 AD103 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 4070 delivers nearly double the bandwidth, while the 2000 Ada offers more capacity.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RTX 4070 AD103 has a 200 W TDP and requires a 550 W suggested power supply with a single 16-pin connector. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation has a 70 W TDP, requires only a 250 W suggested power supply, and uses no power connectors.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor count and die size?

A: The RTX 4070 AD103 contains 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation contains 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. Both use TSMC's 5 nm process node, with transistor densities of 121.1M per mm² and 118.9M per mm² respectively.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each card?

A: The RTX 2000 Ada Generation sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 18,954. The RTX 4070 AD103 has a 50th percentile ranking, though its average benchmark score is recorded as zero.

Q: What display outputs does each card provide?

A: The RTX 4070 AD103 provides 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation provides 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the Ada Lovelace architecture and use TSMC's 5 nm process node, but they employ substantially different chips. The RTX 4070 AD103 uses the AD103 die, which is a large, high-performance chip with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² surface. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation uses the AD107 die, a much smaller chip with 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² surface. This difference in chip scale drives nearly every architectural distinction between the two products.

The compute resources differ by roughly a factor of two. The RTX 4070 AD103 carries 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation halves these counts to 2,816 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. RT core counts follow the same pattern: 46 RT cores on the 4070 versus 22 on the 2000 Ada. Tensor core counts are 184 versus 88. These resource differences directly explain the large gap in raw compute throughput between the two cards.

Clock speeds also separate the architectures. The RTX 4070 AD103 runs at a 1920 MHz base clock and boosts to 2475 MHz. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation operates at a 1620 MHz base clock and boosts to 2130 MHz. The 4070 holds both a resource advantage and a clock advantage, compounding its overall performance lead.

Memory architecture diverges significantly. The RTX 4070 AD103 pairs a 192-bit memory bus with GDDR6X running at 21 Gbps effective, producing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation uses a 128-bit bus with GDDR6 at 16 Gbps effective, yielding 256.0 GB/s. The 4070's wider bus and faster memory type give it roughly twice the memory bandwidth, which matters for resolution scaling and texture-heavy workloads.

The bus interface also differs. The RTX 4070 AD103 connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RTX 2000 Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x8. This halves the available host bandwidth for the workstation card, though the smaller card's lower compute throughput may not saturate even the x8 link in most tasks.

Power delivery reflects the architectural gulf. The RTX 4070 AD103 draws 200 W and requires a 16-pin connector with a 550 W suggested PSU. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation draws only 70 W, uses no power connectors, and needs just a 250 W suggested PSU. The 4070 consumes nearly three times the power to feed its larger chip and faster memory.

Physical dimensions follow the same trend. The RTX 4070 AD103 measures 240 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation measures 168 mm in length and 69 mm in height, with width not recorded. Both cards are dual-slot designs.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4070 AD103 wins decisively in raw compute performance. Its FP32 throughput reaches 29.15 TFLOPS, compared to 12.00 TFLOPS for the RTX 2000 Ada Generation. This more than doubles the 4070's single-precision compute capability. Texture rate follows the same pattern: 455.4 GTexel/s versus 187.4 GTexel/s. Pixel rate stands at 158.4 GPixel/s versus 102.2 GPixel/s. These metrics point to the 4070 as the clear choice for gaming, real-time rendering, and any workload that stresses raw shading and texture throughput.

The RTX 2000 Ada Generation wins in memory capacity and power efficiency. Its 16 GB frame buffer exceeds the 4070's 12 GB by 4 GB, which matters for large datasets, machine learning inference with bigger batches, or rendering scenes that exceed 12 GB of video memory. The 70 W TDP versus 200 W means the 2000 Ada can run in systems with far smaller power supplies, generates less heat, and fits into denser deployments. The absence of power connectors simplifies installation in workstations that lack high-wattage PCIe power cabling.

The RTX 2000 Ada Generation also holds a better percentile ranking in the database at the 63rd percentile versus the 4070's 50th percentile. Its recorded average benchmark score of 18,954 places it near rivals like the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 at 19,030, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 at 19,036, and the NVIDIA Tesla K80 at 18,866. The 4070 has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, so direct numerical comparison relies on the specification differences rather than measured results.

For gaming and high-frame-rate workloads, the 4070 AD103's faster clocks, higher bandwidth, and doubled compute resources give it a clear edge. For professional environments where power constraints, low-profile installations, or larger memory pools take priority, the RTX 2000 Ada Generation presents a stronger fit. The 2000 Ada's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface may limit host transfer rates in some workstation tasks, but its low power draw enables use in compact or passively cooled systems.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 | NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation |

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

| Chip | AD103 | AD107 |

| Transistors | 45,900 million | 18,900 million |

| Die Size | 379 mm² | 159 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 121.1M / mm² | 118.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1920 MHz | 1620 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2475 MHz | 2130 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1313 MHz, 21 Gbps effective | 2000 MHz, 16 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 504.2 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 5888 | 2816 |

| TMUs | 184 | 88 |

| ROPs | 64 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 46 | 22 |

| Tensor Cores | 184 | 88 |

| Pixel Rate | 158.4 GPixel/s | 102.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 455.4 GTexel/s | 187.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 29.15 TFLOPS | 12.00 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 29.15 TFLOPS (1:1) | 12.00 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 200 W | 70 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 16-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 250 W |

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

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Length | 240 mm | 168 mm |

| Height | 110 mm | 69 mm |

| Width | 40 mm | Not recorded |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2024-02-29 | 2024-02-11 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 30 | Workstation Ampere |

| Successor | GeForce 50 | Blackwell PRO W |

| Launch MSRP | 599 USD | 649 USD |

Both cards share the same API support: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both use the Ada Lovelace architecture and TSMC's 5 nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark results pairing these two cards. However, the RTX 2000 Ada Generation has a full set of individual benchmark scores that provide context for its performance tier.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 1,767 points. This places it in a modest performance range for modern DirectX 12 titles. Geekbench results show 78,074 in OpenCL and 83,360 in Vulkan, indicating consistent compute performance across both API families.

PassMark results for the RTX 2000 Ada Generation show a G3D score of 16,927 and a GPU compute score of 7,834. Older DirectX versions score 216 in DirectX 9, 138 in DirectX 11, 82 in DirectX 10, and 71 in DirectX 12. The 2D score sits at 1,072.

The RTX 2000 Ada Generation's nearest rivals in the database help position its measured performance. The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 averages 19,030, a 0.4% difference from the 2000 Ada's 18,954 average. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 averages 19,036, also a 0.4% difference. The NVIDIA Tesla K80 averages 18,866, putting it 0.5% behind the 2000 Ada. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile averages 19,049, a 0.5% difference in the other direction. These tight margins show the 2000 Ada clustering with mid-range desktop and mobile GPUs.

For the RTX 4070 AD103, the database records no benchmark scores and no nearest rivals. Its average benchmark score is zero, and its percentile rank of 50 reflects an absence of measured data rather than a performance ceiling. The specification sheet indicates a card roughly 2.4 times the FP32 throughput of the 2000 Ada (29.15 versus 12.00 TFLOPS), with nearly double the texture rate and 1.5 times the pixel rate.

The bandwidth gap is particularly stark. The 4070's 504.2 GB/s versus the 2000 Ada's 256.0 GB/s means the 4070 can feed its shading units far more quickly, which directly benefits high-resolution textures and compute shaders that stream data. The 2000 Ada's larger 16 GB buffer cannot compensate for this bandwidth deficit in most throughput-bound workloads.

Clock speed differences reinforce the compute gap. The 4070 boosts to 2475 MHz versus 2130 MHz for the 2000 Ada, a 16% clock advantage on top of double the shading units. Combined, these factors produce the 2.4x FP32 gap recorded in the specifications. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation's power draw of 70 W versus 200 W means it delivers 12.00 TFLOPS at roughly one-third the power, giving it a far better compute-per-watt ratio. The 4070 trades that efficiency for raw speed.

The RTX 2000 Ada Generation also holds a production status advantage. It remains active, while the RTX 4070 AD103 is end-of-life. The 2000 Ada's release date of 2024-02-11 precedes the 4070's 2024-02-29 by about two and a half weeks. Both cards target different system tiers: the 4070 fits a 550 W PSU requirement with a 16-pin connector, while the 2000 Ada fits a 250 W PSU with no connector at all.