GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon RX 6950 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6950 XT

2022Core: 1925 MHzBoost: 2324 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

  • Costs $500 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).
  • Delivers 75.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 25.5 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 200W instead of 335W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6950 XT across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 13.9% longer card at 304mm vs 267mm.

Radeon RX 6950 XT

2022

Why buy it

  • 9.3% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
  • Measures 267mm instead of 304mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.
  • Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
  • 83.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,099 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 25.5 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($1,099 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 67.5% higher power demand at 335W vs 200W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 6950 XT better than GeForce RTX 4070?
Yes. Radeon RX 6950 XT is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 9.3% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data, 4.3% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 16 GB vs 12 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2022 instead of 2023, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.
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 2022, the stronger feature stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation instead of FSR 3 + AFMF, and a 5nm process instead of 7nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
Radeon RX 6950 XT is still the better GPU overall, but GeForce RTX 4070 is probably the smarter buy today for most people. Radeon RX 6950 XT is about 83.5% more expensive on MSRP at $1,099 MSRP versus $599 MSRP, and you are getting 9.3% more estimated average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data and 4.3% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 4070 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. Paying about 83.5% more on MSRP for only 9.3% more estimated average FPS is just a weak value trade on paper.
When does GeForce RTX 4070 make more sense than Radeon RX 6950 XT?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is still a very sensible gaming buy in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. Around $599 MSRP, you are saving about $500 on MSRP and only giving up lower estimated average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce RTX 4070 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 6950 XT
1080p
low183 FPS259 FPS
medium167 FPS237 FPS
high151 FPS204 FPS
ultra131 FPS178 FPS
1440p
low150 FPS242 FPS
medium124 FPS200 FPS
high110 FPS162 FPS
ultra101 FPS146 FPS
4K
low92 FPS171 FPS
medium78 FPS143 FPS
high65 FPS107 FPS
ultra58 FPS95 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
1080p
low544 FPS667 FPS
medium454 FPS550 FPS
high353 FPS443 FPS
ultra299 FPS383 FPS
1440p
low351 FPS455 FPS
medium288 FPS372 FPS
high235 FPS304 FPS
ultra197 FPS257 FPS
4K
low172 FPS216 FPS
medium144 FPS184 FPS
high125 FPS152 FPS
ultra101 FPS127 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
1080p
low884 FPS924 FPS
medium713 FPS767 FPS
high643 FPS683 FPS
ultra569 FPS585 FPS
1440p
low684 FPS714 FPS
medium549 FPS587 FPS
high483 FPS510 FPS
ultra424 FPS432 FPS
4K
low467 FPS500 FPS
medium373 FPS413 FPS
high326 FPS354 FPS
ultra277 FPS292 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
1080p
low751 FPS708 FPS
medium612 FPS572 FPS
high536 FPS507 FPS
ultra497 FPS457 FPS
1440p
low615 FPS584 FPS
medium500 FPS477 FPS
high433 FPS418 FPS
ultra395 FPS368 FPS
4K
low384 FPS377 FPS
medium324 FPS324 FPS
high301 FPS296 FPS
ultra272 FPS261 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and Radeon RX 6950 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 6950 XT

The Radeon RX 6950 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 10 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1925 MHz to 2324 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 335W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 28,076 points. Launch price was $1,099.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 and the Radeon RX 6950 XT reaches 28,076 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 6950 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 5,120 (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 23.8 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 2324 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 80 (Radeon RX 6950 XT) with 184 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
G3D Mark Score
26,919
28,076+4%
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
5 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
5888+15%
5120
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+22%
23.8 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2475 MHz+6%
2324 MHz
ROPs
64
128+100%
TMUs
184
320+74%
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+480%
1 MB
L2 Cache
36 MB+800%
4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
46
80+74%

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 6950 XT relies on FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 6950 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
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 6950 XT has 16 GB. The Radeon RX 6950 XT offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 576 GB/s (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 6950 XT. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
16 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s
576 GB/s+14%
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
36 MB+800%
4 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs RDNA 2 (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs RDNA 2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 decode (Radeon RX 6950 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
RDNA 2
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
RDNA 2
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 decode
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 6950 XT's 335W — a 50.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 850W (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 83°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
TDP
200W-40%
335W
Recommended PSU
650W-24%
850W
Power Connector
8-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
304mm
267mm
Height
137mm
120mm
Slots
3
3
Temp (Load)
80°C-4%
83°C
Perf/Watt
134.6+61%
83.8
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 6950 XT launched at $1099. The GeForce RTX 4070 costs 45.5% less ($500 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 25.5 (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 76.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon RX 6950 XT
MSRP
$599-45%
$1099
Performance per Dollar
44.9+76%
25.5
Codename
AD104
Navi 21
Release
April 12 2023
May 10 2022
Ranking
#32
#25