GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design

2019Core: 885 MHzBoost: 1185 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3070
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 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 with Max-Q Design

2019

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).
  • Draws 80W instead of 220W, a 140W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 58.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm 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.
  • 175% higher power demand at 220W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3070 averages 58.2% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 11,461 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design is a 2019 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 3070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2019, 93.5% more raw performance headroom, 27.8% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 8nm process instead of 12nm. That extra performance headroom should help it hold higher settings and newer game demands for longer.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3070 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $499 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 58.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 93.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3070 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 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low110 FPS158 FPS
medium93 FPS140 FPS
high77 FPS123 FPS
ultra52 FPS104 FPS
1440p
low94 FPS134 FPS
medium79 FPS109 FPS
high59 FPS96 FPS
ultra38 FPS86 FPS
4K
low38 FPS80 FPS
medium34 FPS67 FPS
high21 FPS52 FPS
ultra18 FPS45 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low252 FPS470 FPS
medium213 FPS405 FPS
high173 FPS327 FPS
ultra148 FPS277 FPS
1440p
low196 FPS294 FPS
medium162 FPS246 FPS
high131 FPS213 FPS
ultra104 FPS179 FPS
4K
low114 FPS141 FPS
medium98 FPS120 FPS
high77 FPS105 FPS
ultra56 FPS83 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low516 FPS885 FPS
medium413 FPS712 FPS
high344 FPS619 FPS
ultra258 FPS499 FPS
1440p
low387 FPS692 FPS
medium309 FPS557 FPS
high258 FPS473 FPS
ultra193 FPS374 FPS
4K
low258 FPS479 FPS
medium206 FPS388 FPS
high172 FPS330 FPS
ultra129 FPS249 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low239 FPS600 FPS
medium206 FPS527 FPS
high166 FPS433 FPS
ultra139 FPS385 FPS
1440p
low186 FPS489 FPS
medium164 FPS433 FPS
high128 FPS339 FPS
ultra105 FPS297 FPS
4K
low108 FPS292 FPS
medium90 FPS270 FPS
high73 FPS238 FPS
ultra55 FPS200 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design and GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 885 MHz to 1185 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 36 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,461 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design scores 11,461 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 93.5%. The GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 5.46 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1185 MHz vs 1725 MHz. Ray tracing: 36 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 3070) with 288 Tensor cores vs 184.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score
11,461
22,172+93%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2304
5888+156%
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.46 TFLOPS
20.31 TFLOPS+272%
Boost Clock
1185 MHz
1725 MHz+46%
ROPs
64
96+50%
TMUs
144
184+28%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB
5.8 MB+152%
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
36
46+28%
Tensor Cores
288+57%
184

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 384 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
384 GB/s
448 GB/s+17%
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.1
1.4+27%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
Encoder
7th Gen NVENC
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design draws 80W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 93.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
TDP
80W-64%
220W
Recommended PSU
500W-23%
650W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
75°C-12%
Perf/Watt
143.3+42%
100.8
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3070
MSRP
$499
Codename
TU106B
GA104
Release
January 29 2019
September 1 2020
Ranking
#237
#63