AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT
Rated: 9.0/10
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Rated: 8.8/10
Pros And Cons
| GPU | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT | ✅ Affordable price ✅ Good for 1440p games | ❌ FSR at 1440p is inferior to DLSS ❌ Ray tracing performance not good |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 | ✅ Solid ray tracing performance ✅ Very quiet and cool | ❌ Only 8GB memory ❌ Overclocking more complicated |
- According to our gaming tests at 1440p, the RX 7700 XT delivers around 12.5% better performance than the RTX 3070.
- Based on our testing in stress tests, the RX 7700 XT and the RTX 3070 have almost the same power consumption, though their TDPs differ by 25 watts.
- As of February 2024, the price of the RX 7700 XT is about $429, about $70 less than the brand-new RTX 3070, which costs around $499.
- I strongly suggest choosing the RX 7700 XT instead of the RTX 3070, as it delivers superior performance and better value at a lower price point.
Comparison Table
| Technical Specs | AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 |
|---|---|---|
| GPU Chip | Navi 32 | GA104 |
| Architecture | RDNA 3 | Ampere |
| Shading Units | 3456 | 5888 |
| AI Accelerators/Tensor Cores | 108 | 184 |
| RT Cores | 54 | 46 |
| ROPs | 96 | 96 |
| Best Variants | Best RX 7700 XT graphics cards | Best RTX 3070 graphics cards |
Architectural Difference
- Processing Node: The RTX 3070 shows its slight age with its slightly old 8nm manufacturing process, whereas the RX 7700 XT uses a chiplet design to integrate both 5nm and 6nm processing nodes.
- Clock Speed: The clock speeds on the RTX 3070 are rather slow, with a base clock of 1500MHz and a boost of up to 1725MHz. Its higher core count allows it to gain some ground back to the RX 7700 XT with its 1700MHz base clock and 2544MHz boost.
- TDP: The RTX 3070’s 220-watt TDP is a bit lower than the RX 7700 XT’s 245-watt TDP. We will see the actual power consumption of these cards further into the comparison.
- VRAM: The RX 7700 XT boasts 12GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, outmatching the RTX 3070’s 8GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus. Despite this, both cards offer similar data speeds.
- Other Features: The new card, RX 7700 XT, offers some quality improvements, like driver-level FSR support. Both cards have AI upscaling (FSR for RX 7700 XT and DLSS for the RTX 3070) and also have ray-tracing capabilities.
At the time of release, the RTX 3070 had an amazing price-to-performance ratio, outperforming even the best card from the last generation. In contrast, the RX 7700 XT is a mid-range graphics card that offers great value in today’s market. This comparison will take a deep dive to explore the difference between these two cards.
Gaming Benchmarks
There is so much at play to make the RX 7700 XT different from the RTX 3070 that the difference between the two is best represented by actual gaming performance. To compare the gaming performance of the RX 7700 XT Vs RTX 3070, we played six games at 1440p resolution.
Test Bench
- OS: Windows 11
- CPU: Intel Core i7-13700K
- Motherboards: MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX
- RAM: XPG Lancer RGB 32GB 7200MHz DDR5 Ram
- SSD: XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE 2TB NVMe SSD
- PSU: Enermax Revolution D.F. X 1050W
- CPU Cooler: Deepcool Assassin II CPU Cooler
A Plague Tale: Requiem
- In the first game of this comparison, we saw a 5% advantage for the RX 7700 XT. The RX 7700 XT had an average framerate of over 77 FPS, whereas the RTX 3070 held up well with a performance of around 73 FPS on average.
- The RTX 3070 dipped down to 63 FPS in the low 1%, whereas the RX 7700 XT got a minimum framerate of 71 FPS.
Cyberpunk 2077
- In Cyberpunk 2077, the RX 7700 XT ran 22% better than the older card with the High graphics preset. Team Red averaged 84 FPS, while Team Green got around 68 FPS.
- Stutters were also more apparent in the RTX 3070, with its 1% lows hanging out around the 60 FPS mark, whereas the RX 7700 XT stayed relatively smooth with a performance of 72 FPS at minimum.
Hogwarts Legacy
- Hogwarts Legacy ran similarly on both cards at the Ultra graphics preset in our benchmark. The RX 7700 XT averaged around 68 FPS, slightly edging out the RTX 3070, which averaged 67 FPS.
- 1% lows of both cards were quite the mess, though they did not differ much between themselves. The RX 7700 XT had lows of 48 FPS, whereas the RTX 3070 performed around 46 FPS in graphically demanding scenarios.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
- During Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered at 1440p, the RX 7700 XT and RTX 3070 showed a mere 3% difference in performance. The RX 7700 XT averaged 128 FPS, while the RTX 3070 maintained an average of 124 FPS.
- The difference in performance of these cards was exaggerated by the 1% lows. Where the RX 7700 XT had 118 FPS as its minimum, the RTX 3070 got a framerate of around 101 FPS at its lowest.
The Last Of Us
- While playing The Last Of Us on the RTX 3070 had poor performance, averaging only 51 FPS. In comparison, the RX 7700 XT was about 29% faster, averaging around 66 FPS.
- The 1% lows further pushed down the performance of the RTX 3070, which got down to around 38 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT had a minimum framerate of around 57 FPS.
Fortnite
- During our Fortnite session, the RTX 3070 performed better, averaging 102 FPS compared to around 88 FPS on the RX 7700 XT. This marks a 15% difference, with the RTX 3070 leading for the first time.
- The lows were surprisingly similar between the two cards. The 7700 XT had a minimum framerate of 57 FPS, whereas the RTX 3070 got down to a framerate of 62 FPS.
Overall Gaming Analysis
Performance
| Stats | Radeon RX 7700 XT | GeForce RTX 3070 |
|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 91 📈 | 81 📉 |
| Low 1% FPS | 75 📈 | 63 📉 |
| Winner: AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT | ||
In our gaming tests, the RX 7700 XT performed better than the RTX 3070, with an average framerate of 91 FPS compared to the RTX 3070’s 81 FPS. Therefore, it can be concluded that the RX 7700 XT demonstrates a 12.5% improvement in gaming performance at 1440p.
Coming to the worst 1% performance, the RX 7700 XT dipped down to 75 FPS on average, whereas the average 1% lows of the RTX 3070 hung around 63 FPS. Hence, the RX 7700 XT exhibits about 19% enhancement in the worst 1% gaming performance at 1440p.
Power Consumption
In our stress test, the power consumption was more or less the same between these two graphics cards. The total system drew around 373 watts on average when we slotted in the RX 7700 XT, whereas the RTX 3070 consumed around 376 watts.
These systems had a bit of a difference between the idle power consumption. The RX 7700 XT system drew around 93 watts on average, whereas the RTX 3070 system drew around 103 watts. So, there is about a 10.8% difference in idle power of these GPUs.
Winner: AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT
Price And Availability
| GPU | Launch MSRP | Current Price |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT | 💲449 | 💲429 |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 | 💲499 | 💲424 |
| Price Difference | 11.1% | Less than 1% |
While the cards were $50 apart when they launched, their prices are now nearly identical. About their availability, these cards are widely available at every significant computer parts retailer worldwide.
Final Verdict: What Do We Recommend?
AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT: The RX 7700 XT is a high-tech graphics card with the newest architectural improvements, providing better gaming performance and thermal efficiency compared to the RTX 3070, making it a better value choice.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070: The RTX 3070 offers solid performance, especially in ray tracing and upscaling. Priced at $499 when new, it falls into the mid-range category. Consider a refurbished RTX 3070 for a more budget-friendly option.
Now that we’ve explored the crevices of what these cards have to offer, you can make an informed decision between the RX 7700 XT vs RTX 3070 according to your preferences and budget.
The used price of graphics cards can change quickly, but the ballpark price of a used RTX 3070 is around $300 on eBay as of September 2023. Nvidia’s frame generation technology will probably never see the light of day on the RTX 3070, though you will be able to use AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames feature when it releases to the public around Q1 of 2024. You can still play many modern games with the VRAM of the RX 6650 XT, but some titles have started listing 8GB as a minimum requirement, which is alarming.Frequently Asked Questions
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[Comparisons Expert]
Shehryar Khan, a seasoned PC hardware expert, brings over three years of extensive experience and a deep passion for the world of technology. With a love for building PCs and a genuine enthusiasm for exploring the latest advancements in components, his expertise shines through his work and dedication towards this field. Currently, Shehryar is rocking a custom loop setup for his built.
Get In Touch: shehryar@old.tech4gamers.com
