NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows a clean sweep for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 across all ten head-to-head benchmark tests. The RTX 5080 wins every single comparison, from legacy DirectX 9 workloads to modern DX12 and compute-oriented tests. The RTX 4070 SUPER does not secure a single victory in any measured category, which makes the use-case split unusually one-sided.

The RTX 5080's largest advantages appear in next-generation and compute-heavy workloads. Its 86.7% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 indicates that modern, GPU-bound rendering scenarios favor the newer architecture dramatically. The 37.3% lead in Passmark DirectX 12 and the 36.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL reinforce this pattern: the RTX 5080 is substantially stronger where API overhead is low and raw throughput matters most.

The RTX 4070 SUPER remains competitive in legacy rasterization scenarios, though it still loses. Its smallest deficit is 13.1% in Passmark DirectX 9, followed by 18.7% in DirectX 11 and 19.5% in the 2D test. These results indicate that older, less parallel workloads narrow the gap, but they do not close it. For users running primarily legacy titles, the RTX 4070 SUPER is closer in performance, but the RTX 5080 still leads.

Compute performance tells a similar story. The RTX 5080 posts a 27.4% advantage in Passmark GPU Compute and a 24.2% lead in Geekbench Vulkan. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 17,108 compute score is respectable, but the RTX 5080's 21,789 sits comfortably ahead. The database also places the RTX 5080 in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 83rd percentile, confirming the performance tier separation.

For users who prioritize frame rates in contemporary DirectX 12 titles or run GPU compute workloads, the RTX 5080 is the clear choice. For those whose software stack relies on older APIs, the RTX 4070 SUPER offers a smaller but still positive upgrade path. The data does not show any workload category where the older card outperforms the newer one.

Architecture Differences

Both cards use a 5 nm TSMC process, but the internal designs diverge sharply. The RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB203 chip, while the RTX 4070 SUPER uses Ada Lovelace with the AD104 die. The transistor counts reflect this generational shift: the RTX 5080 packs 45,600 million transistors across a 378 mm² die, compared to 35,800 million on the RTX 4070 SUPER's 294 mm² die. Interestingly, transistor density is nearly identical between the two at 120.6M per mm² versus 121.8M per mm², meaning the RTX 5080's advantage comes from a larger die area rather than a denser layout.

The execution resources scale accordingly. The RTX 5080 features 10,704 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, 112 ROPs, 84 RT cores, and 336 tensor cores. The RTX 4070 SUPER counters with 7,168 shaders, 224 TMUs, 80 ROPs, 56 RT cores, and 224 tensor cores. These are substantial numerical gaps that translate directly into the FP32 performance differential of 56.28 TFLOPS against 35.48 TFLOPS.

Memory subsystems also differ. The RTX 5080 ships with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4070 SUPER has 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 128-bit bus providing 504.2 GB/s. That 455.8 GB/s difference is one of the largest deltas in the specification sheet. Pixel rate and texture rate follow: the RTX 5080 reaches 293.1 GPixel/s and 879.3 GTexel/s, while the RTX 4070 SUPER hits 198.0 GPixel/s and 554.4 GTexel/s.

Clock speeds show the RTX 5080 with a 2295 MHz base clock of 2295 MHz boosting to 2617 MHz, against the RTX 4070 SUPER's 1980 MHz base and 2475 MHz boost. The RTX 5080 memory clock runs at 1875 MHz for 30 Gbps effective, versus 1313 MHz for 21 Gbps effective on the older card. Power demands scale as well: the RTX 5080 has a 360 W TDP with a 750 W suggested PSU, while the RTX 4070 SUPER operates at 220 W TDP and a 550 W suggested PSU. Both cards use a dual-slot designs, but the dimensions differ, with the RTX 5080 measuring 304 mm in length compared to 267 mm for the RTX 4070 SUPER.

Interface connectivity also distinguishes the two cards. The RTX 5080 uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and offers DisplayPort 2.1b outputs, while the RTX 4070 SUPER uses PCIe 4.0 x16 and DisplayPort 1.4a. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 5080 is marked Active in production status, and the RTX 4070 SUPER is listed as End-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the database is the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. The RTX 5080 scores 8,637 against the RTX 4070 SUPER's 4,627, a delta of 86.7%. This is the largest percentage gap in the entire comparison and represents a near-doubling of performance in a modern DX12 workload. For users running current-generation titles, this result is the single most informative data point.

Geekbench OpenCL shows a 36.5% advantage, with the RTX 5080 at 235,901 versus 172,795. The Vulkan test is closer but still decisive: 255,450 versus 205,624, a 24.2% lead. These compute-oriented benchmarks confirm that the RTX 5080's larger shader count and faster memory translate into meaningful gains outside pure rasterization.

Passmark results paint a consistent picture. The DirectX 12 test shows a 37.3% lead (151 versus 110), while DirectX 11 shows 18.7% (324 versus 273). DirectX 10 yields a 24.6% margin (208 versus 167), and DirectX 9 the smallest at 13.1% (389 versus 389 for the RTX 5080 and 344 for the RTX 4070 SUPER). The 2D test shows a 19.5% advantage (1,415 versus 1,184), and the 3D test shows 21.9% (36,565 versus 29,995). GPU Compute rounds out the set at 27.4% (21,789 versus 17,108).

The RTX 5080's average benchmark score sits at 56,083, while the RTX 4070 SUPER averages 43,223. The nearest rivals in the database show the RTX 5080 roughly 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, while trailing the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE by 2.2%. The RTX 4070 SUPER's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB at -0.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile at -1%. These figures place both cards in their respective performance strata without ambiguity.

FAQ

Q: Which card performs better in modern DirectX 12 games?

A: The RTX 5080 leads by 37.3% in Passmark DirectX 12 and by 86.7% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, indicating a substantial advantage in contemporary rendering workloads.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5080 in compute workloads?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 21,789 in Passmark GPU Compute versus 17,108 for the RTX 4070 SUPER, a 27.4% advantage. Geekbench OpenCL shows a 36.5% lead at 235,901 versus 172,795.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER win any benchmark tests anywhere in the database?

A: No recorded benchmark shows the RTX 4070 SUPER ahead. The RTX 5080 wins all ten head-to-head comparisons, with the smallest margin being 13.1% in DirectX 9.

Q: What are the memory specifications of these two cards?

A: The RTX 5080 has 16 GB of GDDR7 memory with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 4070 SUPER has 12 GB of GDDR6X with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do the cards compare in terms of power requirements?

A: The RTX 5080 has a TDP of 360 W with a suggested PSU of 750 W. The RTX 4070 SUPER uses a 220 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Q: What percentile ranking do these cards achieve in the overall database?

A: The RTX 5080 ranks in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 83rd percentile.

Specification Differences

The process node is identical at 5 nm for both. Foundry is TSMC for each. The chips differ: GB203 for Blackwell 2.0 versus AD104 for Ada Lovelace. Transistor counts: 45,600 million versus 35,800 million. Die size: 378 mm² versus 294 mm². Density is nearly equal at 120.6M per mm² versus 121.6M per mm². Base clocks: 2295 MHz versus 1980 MHz. Boost clocks: 2617 MHz versus 2475 MHz. Memory clocks: 1875 MHz 30 Gbps effective versus 1313 MHz 21 Gbps effective. Memory size: 16 GB versus 12 GB. Memory type: GDDR7 versus GDDR6X. Bus width: 256 bit versus 192 bit. Bandwidth: 960.0 GB/s versus 504.2 GB/s. Shading units: 10,752 versus 7,168. TMUs: 336 versus 224 ROPs. RT cores: 84 versus 56. Tensor cores: 336 versus 224. Pixel rate: 293.1 GPixel/s versus 198.0 GPixel/s. FP32: 56.28 TFLOPS versus 35.48 TFLOPS. FP16 is identical at 56.28 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 35.48 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP: 360 W versus 220 W. Slot width: dual-slot for both, but the RTX 5080 measures 304 mm in length, height 137 mm, width 40 mm versus 267 mm, height 112 mm, width 42 mm for the RTX 4070 SUPER. Power connectors same 1x 16-pin. Suggested PSU 750 W versus 550 W. Bus interface PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b on the RTX 5080 versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 2.1a DisplayPort 1.4a for the RTX 4070 SUPER. APIS identical across both for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4. Production status differs with the RTX 5080 Active and RTX 4070 SUPER End-of-life. Release dates: the RTX 5080 launched on 2025-01-29 and the RTX 4070 SUPER launched on 2024-01-16. Predecessor generations: the RTX 5080 succeeds GeForce 40 and the RTX 4070 SUPER supersedes GeForce 30, while each successor is GeForce 50. Launch MSRP: 999 USD for the RTX 5080 launch MSRP and 599 USD for the RTX 4070 SUPER launch MSRP.