NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 represent two distinct generations of NVIDIA's mid-to-high-end desktop GPUs. The data shows a fascinating generational shift: while the newer RTX 5070 introduces key architectural updates and a faster memory subsystem, it does not universally outperform its predecessor in the benchmark suite. The RTX 4070 Ti, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, claims victory in 8 out of 10 head-to-head tests, while the RTX 5070, built on Blackwell 2.0, wins in the remaining 2, including the demanding 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This analysis breaks down the architectural differences, benchmark results, and specification changes to determine where each card excels.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti has a higher average benchmark score of 44795, compared to the RTX 5070's 40377. This places the RTX 4070 Ti in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5070 sits in the 82nd percentile.

Q: How significant is the RTX 4070 Ti's lead in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti scores 213808 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 19.5% ahead of the RTX 5070's score of 178923. This is the largest performance gap between the two cards in any benchmark.

Q: Did the RTX 5070 win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the RTX 5070 won two tests. It took the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test with a score of 5077 (a 1% lead over the 4070 Ti's 5024) and the Passmark G2D test with a score of 1305 (an 8% lead over the 4070 Ti's 1200).

Q: What is the difference in their launch MSRP?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti had a launch MSRP of 799 USD, while the RTX 5070 has a launch MSRP of 549 USD.

Q: Which GPU has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5070 has a significantly higher memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s, thanks to its GDDR7 memory. The RTX 4070 Ti, using GDDR6X, offers 504.2 GB/s.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti is marked as "End-of-life" in the data, while the RTX 5070 is listed as "Active".

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on different architectures, which explains many of their performance characteristics. The RTX 4070 Ti uses the AD104 chip and is part of the Ada Lovelace architecture, while the RTX 5070 uses the GB205 chip and is built on Blackwell 2.0. While both are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process node, their internal designs differ significantly.

The RTX 4070 Ti has a higher transistor count at 35,800 million, with a larger die size of 294 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 121.8M / mm². The RTX 5070, in contrast, has a lower transistor count of 31,100 million on a smaller die size of 263 mm², leading to a slightly lower density of 118.3M / mm². This means the older card packs more transistors into its physical space.

The compute configurations diverge substantially. The RTX 4070 Ti is equipped with 7680 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. It also features 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The RTX 5070, on the other hand, has fewer of these resources: 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, 80 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. This reduction in core counts is a primary reason for the RTX 4070 Ti's lead in many computational tasks.

The memory architecture is a key differentiator. The RTX 4070 Ti uses 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, while the RTX 5070 also has 12 GB of memory but uses the newer GDDR7 type on the same 192-bit bus. This transition to GDDR7 provides the RTX 5070 with a substantial bandwidth advantage. The RTX 5070 also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, a newer bus interface compared to the RTX 4070 Ti's PCIe 4.0 x16.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results paint a complex picture. While the RTX 5070 is the newer product, the RTX 4070 Ti demonstrates superior performance in the majority of tests. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 5070 narrowly edges out the RTX 4070 Ti with a score of 5077 versus 5024, a 1% difference. This indicates that in this specific modern DX12 workload, the Blackwell architecture holds a slight advantage.

The RTX 4070 Ti's wins are often decisive. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4070 Ti scores 213808, which is a 19.5% lead over the RTX 5070's 178923. This is the most significant gap in the entire comparison. The RTX 4070 Ti also leads in Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 176953 compared to 172660, a 2.5% advantage.

The Passmark suite shows a consistent pattern. The RTX 4070 Ti wins in DirectX 10 (187 vs 180, a 3.9% lead), DirectX 11 (288 vs 277, a 4% lead), DirectX 12 (116 vs 108, a 7.4% lead), and DirectX 9 (352 vs 320, a 10% lead). In the more comprehensive Passmark G3D test, the RTX 4070 Ti scores 31624, which is 8.5% higher than the RTX 5070's 29137. The most significant Passmark win for the RTX 4070 Ti is in the GPU Compute test, where it scores 18396, a 16.5% lead over the RTX 5070's 15787.

The RTX 5070's only other win besides Steel Nomad is in the Passmark G2D test, where it scores 1305, an 8% lead over the RTX 4070 Ti's 1200. This suggests that the newer card has better 2D performance capabilities. The data shows the RTX 4070 Ti wins 8 of the 10 head-to-head matchups, indicating that its higher core counts and clock speeds translate to better performance in most rasterization and compute-focused workloads.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields beyond their architectures. The RTX 4070 Ti has a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz. The RTX 5070 has a slightly higher base clock of 2325 MHz but a lower boost clock of 2512 MHz. This means the RTX 4070 Ti has a higher maximum clock speed.

The memory type is a major difference: the RTX 4070 Ti uses GDDR6X with an effective speed of 21 Gbps, while the RTX 5070 uses GDDR7 with an effective speed of 28 Gbps. This results in a significant bandwidth difference, with the RTX 5070 offering 672.0 GB/s versus the RTX 4070 Ti's 504.2 GB/s. Both cards have 12 GB of memory on a 192-bit bus.

The calculated performance rates also differ. The RTX 4070 Ti has a pixel rate of 208.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s. The RTX 5070 has a lower pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and a much lower texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s. In terms of raw compute, the RTX 4070 Ti is rated for 40.09 TFLOPS of FP32 and FP16 performance, while the RTX 5070 is rated for 30.87 TFLOPS in both.

Power and physical characteristics show some variation. The RTX 4070 Ti has a TDP of 285 W, while the RTX 5070 has a lower TDP of 250 W. Both are dual-slot cards and use a single 16-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 600 W. The RTX 4070 Ti is longer at 285 mm, while the RTX 5070 is more compact at 245 mm. They have similar heights (112 mm vs 115 mm) and widths (42 mm vs 40 mm). The display outputs also differ: the RTX 4070 Ti has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RTX 5070 has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the RTX 4070 Ti is the clear winner for most gaming and compute scenarios. Its victory in 8 out of 10 tests, including a substantial 16.5% lead in Passmark GPU Compute and a 19.5% lead in Geekbench Vulkan, indicates that it is the more powerful card for general 3D rendering, DirectX workloads, and compute tasks. The higher core counts (7680 shading units vs 6144) and higher boost clock (2610 MHz vs 2512 MHz) give it a raw performance edge that is difficult for the RTX 5070 to overcome. For users running a wide variety of games, especially those using older DirectX versions (9 through 12) or Vulkan, the data suggests the RTX 4070 Ti provides a better experience.

The RTX 5070's wins are more specific. Its 1% lead in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, a modern and demanding benchmark, suggests that it may have an advantage in newer, more complex DX12 titles that can leverage the Blackwell 2.0 architecture's new features. Its 8% lead in the Passmark G2D test indicates superior performance in 2D desktop and application workloads. Additionally, the RTX 5070 has a significant memory bandwidth advantage (672.0 GB/s vs 504.2 GB/s) and a lower TDP of 250 W, making it a more power-efficient choice. Its support for PCIe 5.0 and DisplayPort 2.1b also makes it a more future-proof option for connectivity. The RTX 5070 is the better choice for users prioritizing the latest interface standards, newer generation game engines, and lower power consumption.