Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3090: How do both GPUs compare in video games?

The RTX 4070 is Team Green's latest launch from their RTX 40 series lineup. With a price tag of $599, this Nvidia card is the current favorite for mid-range gamers. On the other hand, the RTX 3090 was launched in 2020 Q3 as a flagship GPU at a price tag of $1,499. Although launched around three years ago, the RTX 3090 still holds its own against its successors with its sheer core count and high VRAM.

Both GPUs offer excellent performances in AAA titles, making it tough to choose between them. In this article, we compare these cards to help you decide which is better in video games.

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How does RTX 4070 hold against last-gen RTX 3090 in video games?

As part of Nvidia's latest RTX 40 series GPU lineup, the RTX 4070 is built on the same Ada Lovelace architecture as its older siblings, a significant improvement compared to the Ampere architecture that features in the RTX 3090. But that doesn't mean the Ampere architecture is weak, as it can also deliver outstanding ray tracing performances in recent AAA titles.

Comparison factors	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070	Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
Market (main)	Desktop	Desktop
Release date	2023 Q2	2020 Q4
Model number	AD104-250-A1	GA102-300-A1
GPU name	AD104	GA102
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Ampere
Generation	GeForce 40	GeForce 30
Lithography	4 nm	8 nm
Transistors	35,800,000,000	28,300,000,000
Bus interface	PCIe 4.0 x16	PCIe 4.0 x16
GPU base clock	1,920 MHz	1395 MHz
GPU boost clock	2,475 MHz	1695 MHz
Memory frequency	1,313 MHz	1219 MHz
Effective memory speed	21 Gbps	19.5 Gbps
Memory size	12 GB	24 GB
Memory type	GDDR6X	GDDR6X
Memory bus	192 bit	384 bit
Memory bandwidth	504.2 GB/s	936.2 GB/s
TDP	200 W	350 W
Suggested PSU	600W ATX Power Supply	750 W
Outputs	1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort	1x HDMI 2.1 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Cores (compute units, SM, SMX)	46	82
Shading units (CUDA Cores)	5888	10496
TMUs	184	328
ROPs	64	112
RT cores	46	82
Cache memory	36 MB	6 MB
Pixel fillrate	158.4 GP/s	189.84 Gigapixels/s
Texture fillrate	455.4 GT/s	555.96 Gigatexels/s
Performance FP16 (half)	29.1 TFLOPS	35.58 TFLOPS
Performance FP32 (float)	29.1 TFLOPS	35.58 TFLOPS
Performance FP64 (double)	455.4 GFLOPS	1111.92 GFLOPS

From the table above, it is clear that the 4070 and 3090 have varying specs, and the two share almost no similarities. Triumphing over its competitor, the latter has practically double the CUDA cores and VRAM than the 4070. However, the 4070 features more refined Ray Tracing and Tensor Cores, along with a higher Base/Boost Clock.

Being from the latest generation, the RTX 4070 boasts modern architecture with more powerful parts. However, the RTX 3090 packs more raw power. As a result, the 3090 has an edge over the 4070.

When it comes to gaming performance, both GPUs deliver exceptional results. The RTX 3090 surpasses the RTX 4070 in specific aspects such as VRAM and CUDA core count. Meanwhile, the RTX 4070 offers smooth gameplay at 4K resolution with high frame rates in recent AAA titles for a fraction of the price of the RTX 3090, thanks to its impressive modern architecture with more powerful parts.

	Nvidia RTX 4070	Nvidia RTX 3090
Spider-Man: Miles Morales	80 FPS	120 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2	104 FPS	110 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	114 FPS	130 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	57 FPS	80 FPS

Although the performances of the 3090 and 4070 are similar, the former has an edge with slightly better overall performance across most video games and benchmarks. The modern and superior architecture of the 4070 is outshined by a higher VRAM and core count of the 3090.

Price and availability are also significant factors to consider when comparing GPUs. The 4070 comes with a price tag of $599, making it a budget-friendly high-end card with the latest Ada Lovelace architecture.

The two-year-old RTX 3090 launched as a top-end flagship graphics card on the market with a price tag of $1,499. If you're in the market for a high-end GPU on a budget, the RTX 4070 is an excellent choice as it costs less than half the price of the RTX 3090.