GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon R9 295X2

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon R9 295X2

2014Boost: 1018 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3070

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 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • +153.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $1,000 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 662.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon R9 295X2

2014

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,734 vs 22,172).
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • 200.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.8 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than Radeon R9 295X2?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 8,734 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 295X2 is a 2014 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 2014, 153.9% more raw performance headroom, the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling, and a 8nm process instead of 28nm. 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?
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 about $1,000 cheaper on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $1,499 MSRP, and you are getting 153.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 662.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon R9 295X2 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon R9 295X2 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 $1,499 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 3070Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low158 FPS135 FPS
medium140 FPS115 FPS
high123 FPS94 FPS
ultra104 FPS57 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS113 FPS
medium109 FPS96 FPS
high96 FPS70 FPS
ultra86 FPS42 FPS
4K
low80 FPS39 FPS
medium67 FPS36 FPS
high52 FPS22 FPS
ultra45 FPS19 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low470 FPS209 FPS
medium405 FPS182 FPS
high327 FPS152 FPS
ultra277 FPS120 FPS
1440p
low294 FPS145 FPS
medium246 FPS116 FPS
high213 FPS93 FPS
ultra179 FPS72 FPS
4K
low141 FPS66 FPS
medium120 FPS55 FPS
high105 FPS49 FPS
ultra83 FPS41 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low885 FPS393 FPS
medium712 FPS314 FPS
high619 FPS262 FPS
ultra499 FPS197 FPS
1440p
low692 FPS295 FPS
medium557 FPS236 FPS
high473 FPS197 FPS
ultra374 FPS147 FPS
4K
low479 FPS197 FPS
medium388 FPS157 FPS
high330 FPS131 FPS
ultra249 FPS98 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low600 FPS295 FPS
medium527 FPS257 FPS
high433 FPS215 FPS
ultra385 FPS170 FPS
1440p
low489 FPS213 FPS
medium433 FPS188 FPS
high339 FPS150 FPS
ultra297 FPS114 FPS
4K
low292 FPS120 FPS
medium270 FPS98 FPS
high238 FPS80 FPS
ultra200 FPS59 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and Radeon R9 295X2

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.

AMD

Radeon R9 295X2

The Radeon R9 295X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 29 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1018 MHz. It has 2816 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 500W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,734 points. Launch price was $1,499.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 8,734 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 153.9%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 295X2 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 295X2). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 5.733 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon R9 295X2). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1018 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
G3D Mark Score
22,172+154%
8,734
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
5888+109%
2816 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+254%
5.733 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock
1725 MHz+69%
1018 MHz
ROPs
96+50%
64 ×2
TMUs
184+5%
176 ×2
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+741%
0.69 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+300%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 295X2 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 320 GB/s x2 (Radeon R9 295X2) — a 614.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 295X2. Bus width: 256-bit vs 512-bit x2. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 295X2) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s+40%
320 GB/s x2
Bus Width
256-bit
512-bit x2+100%
L2 Cache
4 MB+300%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.0
Vulkan
1.4+27%
1.1
OpenGL
4.6+7%
4.3
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 295X2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
VCE 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 500W — a 77.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1000W (Radeon R9 295X2). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 307mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 65°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
TDP
220W-56%
500W
Recommended PSU
650W-35%
1000W
Power Connector
8-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
242mm
307mm
Height
112mm
114mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
65°C-13%
Perf/Watt
100.8+476%
17.5
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 295X2 launched at $1499. The GeForce RTX 3070 costs 66.7% less ($1000 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 5.8 (Radeon R9 295X2) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 665.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Radeon R9 295X2
MSRP
$499-67%
$1499
Performance per Dollar
44.4+666%
5.8
Codename
GA104
Vesuvius
Release
September 1 2020
April 29 2014
Ranking
#63
#303