GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 5500 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5500 XT

2019Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1845 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4070

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 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • +196.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Access to DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (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

  • 201% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • 53.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 130W.
  • 68.9% longer card at 304mm vs 180mm.

Radeon RX 5500 XT

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $400 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Draws 130W instead of 200W, a 70W reduction.
  • Measures 180mm instead of 304mm, a 124mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,080 vs 26,919).
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than Radeon RX 5500 XT?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 26,919 vs 9,080 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while Radeon RX 5500 XT is a 2019 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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 2019, 196.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB, and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of FSR Frame Generation (2023). 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 about 201.0% more expensive on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 196.5% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5500 XT still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 4070 is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, Radeon RX 5500 XT still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.
Is Radeon RX 5500 XT still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon RX 5500 XT is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $199 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 4070 earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low183 FPS129 FPS
medium167 FPS113 FPS
high151 FPS99 FPS
ultra131 FPS83 FPS
1440p
low150 FPS117 FPS
medium124 FPS96 FPS
high110 FPS81 FPS
ultra101 FPS70 FPS
4K
low92 FPS66 FPS
medium78 FPS59 FPS
high65 FPS41 FPS
ultra58 FPS36 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low544 FPS143 FPS
medium454 FPS107 FPS
high353 FPS76 FPS
ultra299 FPS51 FPS
1440p
low351 FPS94 FPS
medium288 FPS64 FPS
high235 FPS48 FPS
ultra197 FPS36 FPS
4K
low172 FPS44 FPS
medium144 FPS32 FPS
high125 FPS27 FPS
ultra101 FPS20 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low884 FPS409 FPS
medium713 FPS327 FPS
high643 FPS272 FPS
ultra569 FPS204 FPS
1440p
low684 FPS306 FPS
medium549 FPS245 FPS
high483 FPS204 FPS
ultra424 FPS153 FPS
4K
low467 FPS204 FPS
medium373 FPS163 FPS
high326 FPS136 FPS
ultra277 FPS102 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low751 FPS373 FPS
medium612 FPS317 FPS
high536 FPS262 FPS
ultra497 FPS204 FPS
1440p
low615 FPS306 FPS
medium500 FPS245 FPS
high433 FPS196 FPS
ultra395 FPS153 FPS
4K
low384 FPS151 FPS
medium324 FPS118 FPS
high301 FPS104 FPS
ultra272 FPS88 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and Radeon RX 5500 XT

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.

AMD

Radeon RX 5500 XT

The Radeon RX 5500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 12 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,080 points. Launch price was $169.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon RX 5500 XT's 9,080 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 196.5%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 5500 XT uses RDNA 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
G3D Mark Score
26,919+196%
9,080
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
5 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
5888+318%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+461%
5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2475 MHz+34%
1845 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
184+109%
88
L2 Cache
36 MB+1700%
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both GPUs support Frame Generation technologies, but they achieve it differently. The GeForce RTX 4070 uses DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT relies on FSR Frame Generation. Both can significantly boost FPS in supported titles, but they are not on the same feature stack.The GeForce RTX 4070 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 5500 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — a 125% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+50%
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s+125%
224 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
36 MB+1700%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
DirectX
12.2
12.1
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
VCN 2.0
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
VCN 2.0
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 5500 XT's 130W — a 42.4% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 180mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
TDP
200W
130W-35%
Recommended PSU
650W
450W-31%
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
304mm
180mm
Height
137mm
110mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
80°C
75°C-6%
Perf/Watt
134.6+93%
69.8
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT launched at $199. The Radeon RX 5500 XT costs 66.8% less ($400 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 45.6 (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the Radeon RX 5500 XT offers 1.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 5500 XT
MSRP
$599
$199-67%
Performance per Dollar
44.9
45.6+2%
Codename
AD104
Navi 14
Release
April 12 2023
December 12 2019
Ranking
#32
#291