GeForce RTX 3070 vs RTX 4500 Ada Generation

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

2023Core: 2070 MHzBoost: 2580 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

  • Costs $1,751 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
  • Delivers 259% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 12.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 4500 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (184 vs 240), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • Weaker long-term outlook: RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

2023

Why buy it

  • 32.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 30.4% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (240 vs 184).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 8 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 350.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,250 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($2,250 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • 10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

So, is RTX 4500 Ada Generation better than GeForce RTX 3070?
Yes. RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 32.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 25.6% higher PassMark G3D performance, 240 vs 184 Tensor cores, and 24 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2023 instead of 2020, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2020, 25.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 24 GB instead of 8 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack 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?
RTX 4500 Ada Generation is about 350.9% more expensive on MSRP at $2,250 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 32.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 25.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3070 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, RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce RTX 3070 still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.
Is GeForce RTX 3070 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $499 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, RTX 4500 Ada Generation 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 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
1080p
low158 FPS225 FPS
medium140 FPS209 FPS
high123 FPS183 FPS
ultra104 FPS167 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS203 FPS
medium109 FPS171 FPS
high96 FPS142 FPS
ultra86 FPS133 FPS
4K
low80 FPS137 FPS
medium67 FPS115 FPS
high52 FPS94 FPS
ultra45 FPS87 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
1080p
low470 FPS671 FPS
medium405 FPS545 FPS
high327 FPS398 FPS
ultra277 FPS343 FPS
1440p
low294 FPS499 FPS
medium246 FPS404 FPS
high213 FPS321 FPS
ultra179 FPS263 FPS
4K
low141 FPS269 FPS
medium120 FPS224 FPS
high105 FPS199 FPS
ultra83 FPS167 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
1080p
low885 FPS931 FPS
medium712 FPS751 FPS
high619 FPS661 FPS
ultra499 FPS572 FPS
1440p
low692 FPS721 FPS
medium557 FPS580 FPS
high473 FPS499 FPS
ultra374 FPS427 FPS
4K
low479 FPS499 FPS
medium388 FPS402 FPS
high330 FPS352 FPS
ultra249 FPS296 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
1080p
low600 FPS914 FPS
medium527 FPS763 FPS
high433 FPS693 FPS
ultra385 FPS617 FPS
1440p
low489 FPS719 FPS
medium433 FPS598 FPS
high339 FPS526 FPS
ultra297 FPS464 FPS
4K
low292 FPS486 FPS
medium270 FPS417 FPS
high238 FPS374 FPS
ultra200 FPS313 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 4500 Ada Generation

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2070 MHz to 2580 MHz. It has 7680 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 210W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,850 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the RTX 4500 Ada Generation's 27,850 — the RTX 4500 Ada Generation leads by 25.6%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 7,680 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 39.63 TFLOPS (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 2580 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 60 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) with 184 Tensor cores vs 240.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score
22,172
27,850+26%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
5888
7680+30%
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS
39.63 TFLOPS+95%
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
2580 MHz+50%
ROPs
96+20%
80
TMUs
184
240+30%
L1 Cache
5.8 MB
7.5 MB+29%
L2 Cache
4 MB
48 MB+1100%
Ray Tracing Cores
46
60+30%
Tensor Cores
184
240+30%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3070 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3070 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 24 GB. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 48 MB (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the RTX 4500 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
24 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
448 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB
48 MB+1100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.2 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs NVENC 8th Gen (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the RTX 4500 Ada Generation's 210W — a 4.7% difference. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 650W (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
TDP
220W
210W-5%
Recommended PSU
650W
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
267mm
Height
112mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
100.8
132.6+32%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499 MSRP, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation launched at $2250. The GeForce RTX 3070 costs 77.8% less ($1751 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.4 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 258.1% better value. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070RTX 4500 Ada Generation
MSRP
$499-78%
$2250
Performance per Dollar
44.4+258%
12.4
Codename
GA104
AD103
Release
September 1 2020
August 9 2023
Ranking
#63
#27