The RTX 3070 is slightly faster and much stronger in ray tracing, and DLSS gives it a real advantage in upscaled games. The RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of VRAM against the 3070’s 8 GB, which matters more every year. In 2026, buy the RX 6700 XT if you play new AAA games at high textures or keep cards for a long time. Buy the RTX 3070 if you value ray tracing, DLSS 4 upscaling and NVENC/CUDA, and are willing to lower texture settings. In rasterized games the two are close enough that price should decide.
The RTX 3070 launched in late 2020 at $499 as Nvidia’s Ampere upper-midrange card. The RX 6700 XT followed in March 2021 at $479 on AMD’s RDNA 2. In 2026 both are previous-previous generation. RTX 50, Radeon RX 9000 and Intel Arc B580/B570 are current, and RTX 40 and RX 7000 are the last generation. They remain very popular on the used market, often listed at similar prices.
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The Numbers Side by Side
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3070 | Radeon RX 6700 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture / process | Ampere, 8 nm | RDNA 2.0, 7 nm |
| Release date | 1 September 2020 | 3 March 2021 |
| Launch MSRP | $499 | $479 |
| Shader units | 5888 CUDA cores | 2560 stream processors |
| Boost clock | 1725 MHz | 2581 MHz |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR6 | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Bus / bandwidth | 256-bit / 448.0 GB/s | 192-bit / 384.0 GB/s |
| Cache | 4 MB L2 | 3 MB L2 + 96 MB Infinity Cache |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Board power | 220 W | 230 W |
| Power connectors | 1x 12-pin (Founders Edition); partner cards typically 8-pin + 8-pin or 8-pin + 6-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| Length / width | 242 mm, 2-slot | 267 mm, 2-slot |
| Outputs | 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort | 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort |
Ampere’s CUDA core count is not directly comparable with RDNA 2’s stream processors, since Ampere counts its dual FP32 paths as separate cores. The useful comparisons are memory and features. The RTX 3070 has more raw bandwidth. The RX 6700 XT has 50% more VRAM and a 96 MB Infinity Cache that stretches its narrower bus.
Rasterized Performance
Tom’s Hardware’s head-to-head found the two cards effectively tied at 1080p, with the RTX 3070 about 3% ahead at 1440p ultra and about 10% ahead at 4K ultra. TechPowerUp’s RX 6700 XT review data put the RX 6700 XT about 4% behind the RTX 3070 overall and roughly 8% ahead of the RTX 3060 Ti. Other aggregated comparisons show the 3070 about 5-12% faster.
- 1080p: essentially even
- 1440p: RTX 3070 about 3-8% ahead, as long as VRAM is not the limit
- 4K: RTX 3070 about 10% ahead in older titles, but newer games often exceed 8 GB at 4K and the result flips
That last point matters more now than it did at launch. In 2023, Hardware Unboxed showed the 8 GB RTX 3070 suffering severe stutter, texture problems and lower 1% lows in several newer games at high texture settings, in tests against the 16 GB RX 6800. Those problems have become more common since. In current demanding releases at 1440p high, both cards typically deliver around 50-80 FPS. The 3070 often needs textures lowered to get there smoothly. Figures vary with settings, CPU and game patch.
Ray Tracing and Upscaling: The RTX 3070’s Strength
With ray tracing enabled, the RTX 3070 is in a different class. Tom’s Hardware measured its overall RT lead at just under 50%, and with DLSS Quality enabled the gap grew far larger in games that support it. Ampere’s second-generation RT cores and Tensor cores make ray-traced 1440p with DLSS practical in many titles. On the RX 6700 XT, ray tracing generally means 1080p with FSR and moderate effects.
The RTX 3070 supports DLSS Super Resolution, including the DLSS 4 transformer model, which noticeably improves image stability over older DLSS versions and over FSR 2/3. It does not support DLSS Frame Generation, which is limited to RTX 40 and 50 cards. It can use FSR 3 frame generation in games that include it.
The RX 6700 XT uses FSR 3.1 with frame generation and AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 at the driver level, which brings frame generation to many games that lack built-in support. FSR 4 is officially reserved for RDNA 4. So the RX 6700 XT has broader frame generation coverage, and the RTX 3070 has better upscaling quality and RT performance.
VRAM Planning: 8 GB vs 12 GB
A practical VRAM guide for 2025-2026 games:
- 1080p high: 8 GB is usually enough, and 12 GB never runs short
- 1440p high/ultra: 10-12 GB recommended. The RX 6700 XT fits, while the RTX 3070 often needs medium or high textures instead of ultra
- 1440p with ray tracing: RT adds VRAM load, so the 3070 can hit its limit even while its RT cores still have headroom
This is the main reason the RX 6700 XT has aged better in many reviewers’ revisits, even though it was slightly slower at launch. If you keep a GPU for three or more years, the extra 4 GB is worth more than a few percent of raster performance.
Power Supply and Fit
The two cards draw similar power: 220 W for the RTX 3070 and 230 W for the RX 6700 XT. Using GPU + CPU + about 150 W headroom:
- RTX 3070 + 125 W CPU: 220 + 125 + 150 = 495 W, so a quality 600-650 W unit
- RX 6700 XT + 125 W CPU: 230 + 125 + 150 = 505 W, so a quality 600-650 W unit
On connectors, the spec sheet’s 12-pin applies to Nvidia’s Founders Edition, which includes an adapter from two 8-pin cables. Most partner RTX 3070 cards use two standard 8-pin connectors, and some use 8-pin plus 6-pin. The RX 6700 XT reference uses 6-pin plus 8-pin. Either way, a PSU with two PCIe cables is required.
Both are dual-slot at reference sizes of 242 mm (RTX 3070) and 267 mm (RX 6700 XT). Partner triple-fan models of either card can reach 300 mm or more, so check case clearance. Display outputs are equivalent on paper, with one HDMI and three DisplayPorts.
Value: Launch Math and Used Reality
Using launch MSRPs and 1440p relative performance (RX 6700 XT = 100, RTX 3070 = 105):
- RTX 3070: $499 / 105 = about $4.75 per point
- RX 6700 XT: $479 / 100 = $4.79 per point
At launch, the two offered almost identical value. Used RTX 3070 cards usually sell for around $220-$290, and RX 6700 XT cards for around $200-$260. The 3070 often carries a small premium because of DLSS and brand demand. Since raster performance is nearly equal, the right choice depends on whether you value VRAM headroom (RX 6700 XT) or RT and DLSS (RTX 3070) more. When buying used, check fan health and temperatures. Many cards of both models ran in mining rigs between 2020 and 2022.
Pick X If / Pick Y If
| Use case | RTX 3070 | RX 6700 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p high refresh, raster | Tie | Tie |
| 1440p, newest AAA games, high textures | Better (12 GB) | |
| Ray tracing at 1440p with upscaling | Better | |
| Upscaling image quality | Better (DLSS 4) | |
| Driver frame generation in many games | Better (AFMF 2) | |
| Streaming, CUDA, local AI | Better (NVENC, CUDA) | VRAM helps, but weaker software support |
| Keeping the card 3+ years | Safer pick |
Neither card is a bad buy at the right used price. For a long-lived 1440p raster card, the RX 6700 XT is the safer choice. For ray tracing and DLSS, the RTX 3070 is the better choice, as long as you accept that texture settings will need adjusting in some newer games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the RTX 3070 faster than the RX 6700 XT?
Slightly, in rasterized games. Tom’s Hardware found the two tied at 1080p, with the RTX 3070 about 3% ahead at 1440p and about 10% ahead at 4K. With ray tracing the RTX 3070 leads by roughly 50%, but in VRAM-heavy new games its 8 GB can erase that lead.
Is 8 GB on the RTX 3070 a problem in 2026?
Increasingly, yes, at 1440p with high or ultra textures. Hardware Unboxed’s VRAM testing showed the 8 GB RTX 3070 suffering stutter and texture issues in several newer games where 12-16 GB cards did not. Lowering textures to medium or high usually fixes it.
Does the RTX 3070 need a 12-pin connector?
Only the Founders Edition uses Nvidia’s 12-pin connector, and it ships with an adapter from two 8-pin cables. Most partner RTX 3070 cards use two standard 8-pin connectors, and some use 8-pin plus 6-pin. A 600-650 W PSU with two PCIe cables is recommended.
Can the RX 6700 XT use DLSS?
No. DLSS is exclusive to Nvidia RTX cards. The RX 6700 XT uses AMD FSR 3.1 upscaling and frame generation, plus AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 at the driver level. It can also use Intel XeSS in games that support it.
Should I buy a used RTX 3070 or RX 6700 XT, or a new current card?
If either sells well below the price of current cards, it remains a capable 1080p and 1440p option. Current models such as the RX 9060 XT 16 GB or RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB offer more VRAM, newer upscaling (FSR 4 or DLSS 4 frame generation) and longer support. Compare total price and warranty before deciding.
