NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti wins every single benchmark recorded against the RTX 4070. Across ten tests spanning DirectX 9 through DirectX 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and general compute, the 5070 Ti takes all ten wins. The average margin is substantial, and the smallest gap still exceeds 9%.

The largest victory comes in the modern 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the 5070 Ti scores 6604 against 3854 for the 4070. That is a 71.4% lead, the single biggest delta in the comparison. This is a clear signal that the newer card offers a massive advantage in current-generation DirectX 12 workloads that stress heavy geometry and ray-traced effects. The 4070's 3854 score is not weak, but it is firmly outclassed here.

Compute performance shows a similar story. In Passmark GPU Compute, the 5070 Ti records 20203 points versus 14720 for the 4070, a 37.2% advantage. Geekbench OpenCL follows at 212363 versus 154858, a 37.1% gap. These results indicate that the 5070 Ti is not only a gaming card; its raw throughput for general-purpose GPU workloads is significantly higher, which matters for rendering, simulation, and AI-adjacent tasks that leverage OpenCL.

Vulkan performance also favors the 5070 Ti, with a score of 225122 against 174152, a 29.3% delta. The DirectX 10 test shows a 38.1% lead (192 vs 139), and DirectX 11 shows a 23% lead (300 vs 244). The DirectX 12 Passmark test, which is different from the 3DMark Steel Nomad test, gives the 5070 Ti a 23.3% edge (127 vs 103). The smallest win is in the DirectX 9 legacy test, where the 5070 Ti scores 351 versus 320, a 9.7% gap. Even in older APIs, the newer architecture holds a clear advantage.

The 2D test (Passmark G2D) shows a 14.4% lead for the 5070 Ti (1332 vs 1164), suggesting better memory bandwidth and display engine performance. The overall G3D score, a composite of many graphics tests, lands at 32974 for the 5070 Ti versus 26927 for the 4070, a 22.5% advantage. Across the board, the pattern is consistent: the 5070 Ti is faster in every metric, with the biggest wins in the most demanding and modern workloads.

The Verdict

The verdict is straightforward: the RTX 5070 Ti is the superior GPU in every recorded benchmark. There is no single test where the RTX 4070 comes out ahead. The average benchmark score for the 5070 Ti is 49957, placing it at the 86th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The 4070 averages 37648, at the 81st percentile. The 5070 Ti's average score is roughly 32.7% higher than the 4070's, a very large generational jump.

Who should pick the RTX 5070 Ti? Any user whose priority is maximum performance in current and future DirectX 12 titles, as evidenced by the 71.4% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad. Users who run compute-heavy workloads, such as OpenCL-based rendering or scientific simulations, will also benefit from the 37%+ advantage in compute tests. The 5070 Ti is also the only choice if you need the larger 16 GB memory buffer and the higher 896 GB/s bandwidth, which are critical for high-resolution textures and large datasets.

Who should pick the RTX 4070? The data shows it is a capable card in its own right, with an average score that beats its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, by 0.1%. It sits at the 81st percentile, which is respectable. However, the recorded benchmarks offer no scenario where the 4070 outperforms the 5070 Ti. The 4070's only practical advantages are its lower 200 W TDP, smaller physical footprint (240 mm vs 304 mm length), and lower launch MSRP of 599 USD versus 749 USD for the 5070 Ti. If those physical or power constraints are absolute requirements, the 4070 is the fallback option. Otherwise, the performance data points firmly to the 5070 Ti.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct generations of NVIDIA architecture. The RTX 5070 Ti is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB203 chip. The RTX 4070 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture, built around the AD104 chip. Both are manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor counts and die sizes differ significantly.

The GB203 chip packs 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 120.6 million per square millimeter. The AD104 chip contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with a slightly higher density of 121.8 million per square millimeter. The 5070 Ti's larger die allows for substantially more execution resources: 8960 shading units versus 5888, 280 TMUs versus 184, 96 ROPs versus 64, 70 RT cores versus 46, and 280 tensor cores versus 184. This is a massive increase in raw processing hardware.

The memory subsystems are also architecturally different. The 5070 Ti uses 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 4070 uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s. The 5070 Ti has a 77.7% bandwidth advantage, which directly contributes to its higher pixel and texture rates: 235.4 GPixel/s and 686.6 GTexel/s for the 5070 Ti versus 158.4 GPixel/s and 455.4 GTexel/s for the 4070.

Both cards support the same API set: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 5070 Ti, however, connects via PCIe 5.0 x16, while the 4070 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs also differ: the 5070 Ti has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, whereas the 4070 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The newer card supports the newer display standard, which matters for high refresh rate 4K and 8K output. The production status also differs: the 5070 Ti is Active, while the 4070 is End-of-life.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards, based solely on recorded data:

• Chip: GB203 (5070 Ti) vs AD104 (4070)
• Architecture: Blackwell 2.0 vs Ada Lovelace
• Generation: GeForce 50 vs GeForce 40
• Transistors: 45,600 million vs 35,800 million
• Die Size: 378 mm² vs 294 mm²
• Base Clock: 2295 MHz vs 1920 MHz
• Boost Clock: 2452 MHz vs 2475 MHz (the 4070 boosts 23 MHz higher)
• Memory Clock: 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) vs 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective)
• Memory Size: 16 GB vs 12 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR7 vs GDDR6X
• Memory Bus Width: 256 bit vs 192 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 896.0 GB/s vs 504.2 GB/s
• Shading Units: 8960 vs 5888
• TMUs: 280 vs 184
• ROPs: 96 vs 64
• RT Cores: 70 vs 46
• Tensor Cores: 280 vs 184
• Pixel Rate: 235.4 GPixel/s vs 158.4 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 686.6 GTexel/s vs 455.4 GTexel/s
• FP32 Performance: 43.94 TFLOPS vs 29.15 TFLOPS
• FP16 Performance: 43.94 TFLOPS vs 29.15 TFLOPS
• TDP: 300 W vs 200 W
• Suggested PSU: 700 W vs 550 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 vs PCIe 4.0 x16
• Display Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b vs 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
• Dimensions (LxHxW): 304x137x48 mm vs 240x110x40 mm
• Production Status: Active vs End-of-life
• Release Date: 2025-02-19 vs 2023-04-11
• Launch MSRP: 749 USD vs 599 USD

The 4070 holds advantages in boost clock (2475 MHz vs 2452 MHz), TDP (200 W vs 300 W), and physical size. Every other differing specification favors the 5070 Ti, particularly in memory capacity, bandwidth, and compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti scores 6604 versus 3854 for the RTX 4070, a 71.4% advantage. This is the largest performance gap in the entire comparison.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 win any benchmark?

A: No. Across all ten recorded tests, the RTX 5070 Ti wins every one. The closest contest is Passmark DirectX 9, where the 5070 Ti leads by 9.7% (351 vs 320).

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 16 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 4070 has 504.2 GB/s from 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus. That is a 77.7% bandwidth advantage for the 5070 Ti.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 4070 has a higher boost clock at 2475 MHz, compared to 2452 MHz for the 5070 Ti. However, the 5070 Ti has a higher base clock (2295 MHz vs 1920 MHz) and far more shading units.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has a TDP of 300 W and requires a 700 W PSU. The RTX 4070 has a TDP of 200 W and requires a 550 W PSU. The 4070 is 100 W lower in TDP and requires 150 W less from the power supply.

Q: Are they the same physical size?

A: No. The RTX 5070 Ti is larger at 304 mm length, 137 mm height, and 48 mm width. The RTX 4070 is smaller at 240 mm length, 110 mm height, and 40 mm width. Both are dual-slot cards.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5070 Ti wins in every performance category measured. Its largest margins are in modern, demanding workloads: 71.4% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 38.1% in DirectX 10, and 37.2% in GPU compute. This makes it the clear choice for users running the latest DirectX 12 games, especially those with heavy ray tracing or geometry loads, as well as for compute tasks that leverage OpenCL or general GPU throughput. Its 16 GB memory and 896 GB/s bandwidth also position it for high-resolution textures and large data sets.

The RTX 5070 Ti is also the pick for Vulkan-based titles, where its 29.3% lead (225122 vs 174152) shows a healthy advantage. For users upgrading from an older card and looking for a multi-year investment, the Active production status and newer release date (2025-02-19) suggest longer driver support and relevance.

The RTX 4070 has no benchmark wins. Its strengths lie outside raw performance: it draws 100 W less power (200 W TDP vs 300 W), requires a 550 W PSU instead of 700 W, and is significantly smaller (240 mm vs 304 mm length, 110 mm vs 137 mm height, 40 mm vs 48 mm width). This makes it a better fit for small form factor builds or systems with limited power supply headroom. Its 599 USD launch MSRP is also lower than the 5070 Ti's 749 USD, though the 5070 Ti offers a 32.7% higher average benchmark score. For users with strict physical or power constraints, the 4070 is the only viable option. For everyone else, the performance data is decisive: the RTX 5070 Ti is the faster card in every test, with the largest wins in the most future-proof workloads.