NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 represent two distinct generations of NVIDIA’s laptop and desktop GPU lineups, respectively. The RTX 4070 Mobile is a laptop part built on Ada Lovelace, while the RTX 5060 is a desktop card based on Blackwell 2.0. Benchmark data shows a clear overall win for the RTX 5060, which takes 8 of the 9 head-to-head tests, but the RTX 4070 Mobile holds one notable advantage. This analysis breaks down the raw numbers, architecture shifts, and practical use-case implications from the fact pack.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive wins for the RTX 5060 come in compute and legacy DirectX workloads. In Passmark GPU Compute, the RTX 5060 scores 10,899 against the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 8,399, a 22.9% advantage. This is the largest performance gap in any test. Similarly, in Passmark DirectX 11, the RTX 5060 leads with 200 points versus 179, a 10.5% margin. The RTX 5060 also wins Passmark DirectX 10 by 8.7% (127 vs 116) and Passmark DirectX 9 by a slim 0.9% (225 vs 223).

In modern API and general-purpose benchmarks, the RTX 5060 extends its lead. GeekBench Vulkan shows the RTX 5060 at 113,321 versus 108,367, a 4.4% advantage. GeekBench OpenCL is closer, with the RTX 5060 scoring 112,787 against 109,197, a 3.2% lead. The Passmark G3D test, which represents overall 3D graphics performance, gives the RTX 5060 a 6.2% win (20,891 vs 19,587). The most lopsided result is Passmark G2D, where the RTX 5060 scores 1,154 versus 763, a massive 33.9% difference, indicating substantially better 2D and desktop compositing performance.

The RTX 4070 Mobile’s sole victory is in Passmark DirectX 12, where it scores 85 against the RTX 5060’s 77, a 10.4% margin. This is a meaningful win for the older laptop GPU in a modern graphics API, though it stands in contrast to its losses elsewhere. Overall, the RTX 5060’s average benchmark score is 26,331, which places it at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 4070 Mobile has a higher average score of 27,435 and sits at the 73rd percentile. Despite losing most head-to-head tests, the RTX 4070 Mobile’s average is boosted by its strong DirectX 12 showing and other factors, making its aggregate position slightly higher.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes, though both use TSMC’s 5 nm node. The RTX 4070 Mobile uses the AD106 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, while the RTX 5060 uses the GB206 chip with Blackwell 2.0. The transistor counts are close: the RTX 4070 Mobile has 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die, while the RTX 5060 has 21,900 million on a slightly smaller 181 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly identical at 121.8M/mm² for the RTX 4070 Mobile and 121.0M/mm² for the RTX 5060.

Clock speeds differ significantly. The RTX 4070 Mobile has a base clock of 1395 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz. The RTX 5060 runs much higher, with a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz. This explains some of the RTX 5060’s performance advantage in most tests, despite having fewer cores. The RTX 4070 Mobile features 4608 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 5060 has fewer of each: 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Ray tracing and tensor core counts follow the same pattern: the RTX 4070 Mobile has 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores, while the RTX 5060 has 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores.

Memory configurations show a major generational shift. Both GPUs have 8 GB of memory on a 128-bit bus, but the RTX 4070 Mobile uses GDDR6 at 16 Gbps effective, yielding 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5060 uses GDDR7 at 28 Gbps effective, delivering 448.0 GB/s — a 75% bandwidth increase. The pixel rate and texture rate also favor the RTX 5060: it achieves 119.9 GPixel/s and 299.6 GTexel/s, versus 81.36 GPixel/s and 244.1 GTexel/s for the RTX 4070 Mobile. Floating-point performance is higher on the RTX 5060 at 19.18 TFLOPS FP32, compared to 15.62 TFLOPS for the RTX 4070 Mobile. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The form factors and connectivity are starkly different. The RTX 4070 Mobile is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent display outputs. The RTX 5060 is a dual-slot desktop card measuring 241 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, with a single 8-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The RTX 5060 also uses PCIe 5.0 x8, while the RTX 4070 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs on the RTX 5060 include 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5060 is the clear winner for most gaming and general-purpose tasks. Its Passmark G3D score of 20,891 indicates strong overall 3D rendering capability, and its compute advantage (22.9% in GPU Compute) makes it better suited for workloads like physics simulation, video encoding, or any task that leverages raw FP32 throughput. The RTX 5060’s massive lead in Passmark G2D (33.9%) also makes it the better choice for desktop productivity, multi-monitor setups, or 2D-heavy applications where the RTX 4070 Mobile’s score of 763 is comparatively weak. The higher memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs 256.0 GB/s) further supports the RTX 5060 in texture-heavy games and higher resolutions.

The RTX 4070 Mobile’s single win in Passmark DirectX 12 (85 vs 77, a 10.4% margin) is its key selling point. For users running modern DirectX 12 titles, this suggests the RTX 4070 Mobile can hold its own or even outperform the RTX 5060 in specific scenarios, despite its lower clock speeds and older architecture. However, this is a narrow advantage — the RTX 5060 wins in DirectX 11, DirectX 10, DirectX 9, Vulkan, OpenCL, and both G2D and G3D tests. The RTX 4070 Mobile also has a higher average benchmark score (27,435 vs 26,331) and a slightly better percentile ranking (73rd vs 72nd), which could be relevant for users who prioritize aggregate performance across multiple APIs rather than a single test.

For laptop users, the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 115 W TDP and IGP form factor are practical advantages — it requires no power connector and fits into portable devices. The RTX 5060, with its 145 W TDP, dual-slot design, and 300 W suggested PSU, is strictly a desktop component. The RTX 5060 is also significantly newer, with a release date of May 2025 versus January 2023 for the RTX 4070 Mobile, and it supports PCIe 5.0 for faster data transfer with compatible motherboards.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5060 has 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth using GDDR7 memory, while the RTX 4070 Mobile has 256.0 GB/s with GDDR6. Both use a 128-bit bus and 8 GB capacity.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Mobile better in any benchmark?

A: Yes, the RTX 4070 Mobile wins Passmark DirectX 12 with a score of 85 versus 77 for the RTX 5060, a 10.4% advantage. It also has a higher average benchmark score (27,435 vs 26,331) and a slightly better percentile rank (73rd vs 72nd).

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The RTX 5060 has a base clock of 2280 MHz and boost clock of 2497 MHz. The RTX 4070 Mobile runs at 1395 MHz base and 1695 MHz boost, significantly lower.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. There is no difference in API support.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and RT cores?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile has more: 4608 shading units and 36 RT cores, compared to 3840 shading units and 30 RT cores on the RTX 5060. However, the RTX 5060 has higher clocks and memory bandwidth.

Q: What is the power requirement for the RTX 5060?

A: The RTX 5060 has a TDP of 145 W, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 300 W. The RTX 4070 Mobile has a TDP of 115 W and uses no power connector.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 |

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

| Chip | AD106 | GB206 |

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell 2.0 |

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

| Transistors | 22,900 million | 21,900 million |

| Die Size | 188 mm² | 181 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1395 MHz | 2280 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1695 MHz | 2497 MHz |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 (16 Gbps effective) | GDDR7 (28 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 448.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 4608 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 144 | 120 |

| ROPs | 48 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 36 | 30 |

| Tensor Cores | 144 | 120 |

| Pixel Rate | 81.36 GPixel/s | 119.9 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 244.1 GTexel/s | 299.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 15.62 TFLOPS | 19.18 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 115 W | 145 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 5.0 x8 |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 8-pin |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b |

| Release Date | 2023-01-02 | 2025-05-18 |

| Launch MSRP | N/A | 299 USD |

The Verdict

The data points to the RTX 5060 as the stronger performer in the majority of scenarios. It wins 8 of 9 benchmarks, with particularly large margins in compute (22.9%), G2D (33.9%), and DirectX 11 (10.5%). Its GDDR7 memory provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, a 75% increase over the RTX 4070 Mobile, and its higher clock speeds (2280 MHz base vs 1395 MHz) drive better pixel and texture rates. For a desktop builder prioritizing raw performance, modern API support, and faster memory, the RTX 5060 is the clear choice, especially given its 299 USD launch MSRP.

The RTX 4070 Mobile is not without merit. Its win in DirectX 12 (10.4% ahead) shows it can outperform the RTX 5060 in that specific API, and its higher average benchmark score (27,435) and 73rd percentile ranking suggest it offers competitive aggregate performance in a mobile form factor. For laptop users who need a capable GPU without external power connectors, the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 115 W TDP and IGP design are practical advantages. However, its lower memory bandwidth and older architecture make it less future-proof. The verdict is straightforward: choose the RTX 5060 for desktop performance and modern features; choose the RTX 4070 Mobile only if portability and the DirectX 12 advantage are non-negotiable.