GeForce RTX 2070 vs GeForce RTX 4070

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2070

2018Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1620 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4070
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 2070

2018

Why buy it

  • 56.5% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (288 vs 184).
  • Measures 267mm instead of 304mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • 50.4% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 67.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (184 vs 288), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • 13.9% longer card at 304mm vs 267mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than GeForce RTX 2070?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4070 averages 50.4% more FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 26,919 vs 16,068 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while GeForce RTX 2070 is a 2018 model from an older generation with DLSS Super Resolution. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2018, 67.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of DLSS Super Resolution. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4070 is in basically the same MSRP band at $599 MSRP versus $599 MSRP, and you are getting 50.4% more estimated average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data and 67.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 67.5%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce RTX 2070 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce RTX 2070 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $599 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4070 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low152 FPS183 FPS
medium134 FPS167 FPS
high117 FPS151 FPS
ultra98 FPS131 FPS
1440p
low131 FPS150 FPS
medium107 FPS124 FPS
high91 FPS110 FPS
ultra81 FPS101 FPS
4K
low74 FPS92 FPS
medium63 FPS78 FPS
high48 FPS65 FPS
ultra42 FPS58 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low321 FPS544 FPS
medium269 FPS454 FPS
high219 FPS353 FPS
ultra184 FPS299 FPS
1440p
low218 FPS351 FPS
medium182 FPS288 FPS
high150 FPS235 FPS
ultra122 FPS197 FPS
4K
low123 FPS172 FPS
medium105 FPS144 FPS
high85 FPS125 FPS
ultra64 FPS101 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low723 FPS884 FPS
medium578 FPS713 FPS
high482 FPS643 FPS
ultra362 FPS569 FPS
1440p
low542 FPS684 FPS
medium434 FPS549 FPS
high362 FPS483 FPS
ultra271 FPS424 FPS
4K
low362 FPS467 FPS
medium289 FPS373 FPS
high241 FPS326 FPS
ultra181 FPS277 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low434 FPS751 FPS
medium367 FPS612 FPS
high297 FPS536 FPS
ultra257 FPS497 FPS
1440p
low361 FPS615 FPS
medium309 FPS500 FPS
high239 FPS433 FPS
ultra199 FPS395 FPS
4K
low206 FPS384 FPS
medium170 FPS324 FPS
high158 FPS301 FPS
ultra124 FPS272 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2070 and GeForce RTX 4070

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2070

The GeForce RTX 2070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 17 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1620 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 36 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,068 points. Launch price was $499.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2070 scores 16,068 versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 26,919 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 67.5%. The GeForce RTX 2070 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 4070 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 12 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070). Raw compute: 7.465 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070). Boost clocks: 1620 MHz vs 2475 MHz. Ray tracing: 36 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 4070) with 288 Tensor cores vs 184.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
G3D Mark Score
16,068
26,919+68%
Architecture
Turing
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
12 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2304
5888+156%
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.465 TFLOPS
29.15 TFLOPS+290%
Boost Clock
1620 MHz
2475 MHz+53%
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
144
184+28%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB
5.8 MB+152%
L2 Cache
4 MB
36 MB+800%
Ray Tracing Cores
36
46+28%
Tensor Cores
288+57%
184

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 2070 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 2070 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2070 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) — a 12.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
12 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
504 GB/s+13%
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB
36 MB+800%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
DirectX
12.1
12.2
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP9 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
Encoder
NVENC 6.0
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP9
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2070 draws 175W versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 200W — a 13.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 2070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 304mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
TDP
175W-13%
200W
Recommended PSU
550W-15%
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
304mm
Height
112mm
137mm
Slots
2-33%
3
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
91.8
134.6+47%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2070 launched at $599 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.8 (GeForce RTX 2070) vs 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 67.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070GeForce RTX 4070
MSRP
$599
$599
Performance per Dollar
26.8
44.9+68%
Codename
TU106
AD104
Release
October 17 2018
April 12 2023
Ranking
#129
#32