NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 vs NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation Comparison

The Verdict

The data in the database shows two very different products built on the same AD103 chip. The GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 is a consumer-focused, end-of-life card with a launch MSRP of 599 USD, aimed at high-refresh 12 GB gaming. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is an active workstation card with double the memory, significantly more compute resources, and higher clock speeds.

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the clear performance pick. Its recorded benchmark scores confirm this. The Geekbench OpenCL score is 160786 and the Vulkan score is 171401, giving an average benchmark score of 166094. This places it in the 97th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The RTX 4070 AD103 has a percentile of 50 and no recorded average score, meaning it sits at the midpoint of the performance distribution. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation delivers 39.63 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 29.15 TFLOPS for the RTX 4070 AD103, a 36% advantage in raw shader throughput. It also carries 24 GB of memory versus 12 GB, which matters for large datasets and multi-application workflows.

The RTX 4070 AD103 does have some remaining advantages. Its memory bandwidth is higher at 504.2 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s, despite the workstation card having more memory. The consumer card also uses GDDR6X memory at 21 Gbps effective, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses GDDR6 at 18 Gbps effective. For pure rasterization in games that fit within 12 GB, the RTX 4070 AD103’s higher bandwidth could provide an edge, but the RTX 4500 Ada Generation compensates with more ROPs (80 versus 64) and a higher pixel rate of 206.4 GPixel/s versus 158.4 GPixel/s. The workstation card is the choice for compute-heavy, memory-intensive, and professional workloads. The RTX 4070 AD103 is the choice for gaming where 12 GB is sufficient and higher bandwidth matters.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the same fundamental architecture. They are built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, use the AD103 chip, and are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. Transistor counts are identical at 45,900 million, and the die size is the same at 379 mm². The transistor density is also identical at 121.1M per mm². This means the underlying silicon is the same, but the configuration of that silicon differs significantly.

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation enables more of the AD103 die. It has 7680 shading units, 240 TMUs, 80 ROPs, 60 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores. The RTX 4070 AD103 has 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 46 RT cores, and 184 tensor cores. The workstation card has 30% more shading units, 30% more TMUs, 25% more ROPs, 30% more RT cores, and 30% more tensor cores. This is a substantial resource advantage across every processing unit type.

Clock speeds also differ. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has a base clock of 2070 MHz and a boost clock of 2580 MHz. The RTX 4070 AD103 has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The workstation card runs 150 MHz higher at base and 105 MHz higher at boost. The combination of more cores and higher clocks explains the compute gap. FP32 performance is 39.63 TFLOPS for the RTX 4500 Ada Generation versus 29.15 TFLOPS for the RTX 4070 AD103. FP16 performance is identical to FP32 at a 1:1 ratio on both cards.

Memory architecture differs in type and capacity but shares the same 192-bit bus width. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses 24 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 4070 AD103 uses 12 GB of GDDR6X. The memory clock is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for the workstation card and 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) for the consumer card. Despite the higher effective speed on the consumer card, the bandwidth is higher on the consumer card as well: 504.2 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s. The workstation card trades bandwidth for capacity. The power envelope is similar, with the RTX 4500 Ada Generation rated at 210 W and the RTX 4070 AD103 at 200 W. The workstation card requires no external power connectors, while the consumer card uses a single 16-pin connector. Both recommend a 550 W power supply.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains benchmark scores for the RTX 4500 Ada Generation but none for the RTX 4070 AD103. This asymmetry limits direct comparison, but the available data still positions the workstation card clearly. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 160786 and the Vulkan score of 171401 show strong performance across both compute and graphics APIs. The average benchmark score of 166094 places the card in the 97th percentile.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 4500 Ada Generation provide context. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 has an average score of 165217, which is 0.5% behind the RTX 4500 Ada Generation. The AMD Radeon PRO W7800 scores 164894, 0.7% behind. The AMD Radeon Pro W6900X scores 168574, which is 1.5% ahead. The NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB scores 162504, 2.2% behind. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation thus sits in a tight competitive band, slightly behind the W6900X but ahead of the A5500, W7800, and A100 by small margins.

The FP32 compute delta is the most straightforward comparison between the two cards in this page. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation delivers 39.63 TFLOPS versus 29.15 TFLOPS for the RTX 4070 AD103. That is a 36% advantage for the workstation card. The texture rate tells a similar story: 619.2 GTexel/s versus 455.4 GTexel/s, a 36% advantage. The pixel rate is 206.4 GPixel/s versus 158.4 GPixel/s, a 30% advantage for the workstation card. These three metrics all favor the RTX 4500 Ada Generation by roughly a third.

The RTX 4070 AD103 does win in memory bandwidth. It achieves 504.2 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s for the RTX 4500 Ada Generation, a 17% advantage. This is the only major metric where the consumer card leads. For workloads that are bandwidth-bound rather than compute-bound, such as certain game scenes at high resolutions, this could translate into a measurable performance lead. However, the workstation card’s larger memory capacity and higher compute throughput make it more versatile for professional tasks.

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation also has a higher pixel rate, which directly impacts fill-rate-bound scenarios. With 80 ROPs versus 64, it can process more pixels per clock. The boost clock of 2580 MHz further amplifies this. The consumer card’s lower ROP count and lower boost clock cap its pixel throughput. The data indicates the workstation card is the stronger overall performer, with the consumer card retaining a specific niche in bandwidth-sensitive applications.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields.

• Memory size: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 24 GB, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 12 GB.
• Memory type: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses GDDR6, the RTX 4070 AD103 uses GDDR6X.
• Memory clock: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), the RTX 4070 AD103 at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective).
• Memory bandwidth: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 432.0 GB/s, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 504.2 GB/s.
• Shading units: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 7680, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 5888.
• TMUs: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 240, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 184.
• ROPs: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 80, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 64.
• RT cores: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 60, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 46.
• Tensor cores: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 240, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 184.
• Base clock: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 2070 MHz, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 1920 MHz.
• Boost clock: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 2580 MHz, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 2475 MHz.
• Pixel rate: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 206.4 GPixel/s, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 158.4 GPixel/s.
• Texture rate: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 619.2 GTexel/s, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 455.4 GTexel/s.
• FP32: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 39.63 TFLOPS, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 29.15 TFLOPS.
• FP16: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 39.63 TFLOPS, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 29.15 TFLOPS.
• TDP: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 210 W, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 200 W.
• Power connectors: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has none, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 1x 16-pin.
• Display outputs: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, the RTX 4070 AD103 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.
• Dimensions: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 245 mm (9.6 inches) long and 112 mm (4.4 inches) high with no listed width, the RTX 4070 AD103 is 240 mm (9.4 inches) long, 110 mm (4.3 inches) high, and 40 mm (1.6 inches) wide.
• Production status: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is Active, the RTX 4070 AD103 is End-of-life.
• Release date: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation released on 2023-08-08, the RTX 4070 AD103 on 2024-02-29.

The API support is identical. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The bus interface is also the same at PCIe 4.0 x16. The slot width is dual-slot for both. The suggested PSU is 550 W for both. The architecture, process node, foundry, transistor count, die size, and transistor density are all identical.

FAQ

Q: Which card has more compute performance?

A: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation. It delivers 39.63 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 29.15 TFLOPS for the RTX 4070 AD103, a 36% advantage. It also has 7680 shading units versus 5888, and a higher boost clock of 2580 MHz versus 2475 MHz.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 24 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 4070 AD103 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. Both use a 192-bit bus width.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4070 AD103. It achieves 504.2 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s for the RTX 4500 Ada Generation. The consumer card uses GDDR6X memory at 21 Gbps effective, while the workstation card uses GDDR6 at 18 Gbps effective.

Q: How does the RTX 4500 Ada Generation compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The database shows an average benchmark score of 166094 for the RTX 4500 Ada Generation. It is 0.5% ahead of the RTX A5500, 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7800, 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W6900X, and 2.2% ahead of the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has a TDP of 210 W and requires no external power connectors. The RTX 4070 AD103 has a TDP of 200 W and uses a single 16-pin connector. Both list a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Q: What display outputs are available?

A: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation provides 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RTX 4070 AD103 provides 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.