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 3090

2020

Why buy it

✅19.4% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅78.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (328 vs 184).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 12 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
150.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
❌75% higher power demand at 350W vs 200W.

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $900 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 153.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 200W instead of 350W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3090 across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 12 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 328), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

GeForce RTX 3090

2020

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

✅19.4% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅78.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (328 vs 184).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 12 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $900 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 153.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 200W instead of 350W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
150.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
❌75% higher power demand at 350W vs 200W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3090 across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 12 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 328), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than GeForce RTX 3090?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. GeForce RTX 3090 averages 19.4% more FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 26,594 vs 26,919 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 4070 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, plus much lower power draw (200W vs 350W).

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 2020, better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of DLSS Super Resolution, and a 5nm process instead of 8nm. 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 4070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4070 is about $900 cheaper on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $1,499 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.2% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 153.3%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce RTX 3090 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3090 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $1,499 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4070 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.

GeForce RTX 3090 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 4070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low	259 FPS	183 FPS
medium	240 FPS	167 FPS
high	201 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	131 FPS
1440p
low	249 FPS	150 FPS
medium	208 FPS	124 FPS
high	162 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	167 FPS	92 FPS
medium	138 FPS	78 FPS
high	98 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	58 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open GeForce RTX 4070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low	648 FPS	544 FPS
medium	557 FPS	454 FPS
high	440 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	299 FPS
1440p
low	475 FPS	351 FPS
medium	405 FPS	288 FPS
high	319 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	197 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	172 FPS
medium	193 FPS	144 FPS
high	161 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	101 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open GeForce RTX 4070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low	909 FPS	884 FPS
medium	745 FPS	713 FPS
high	664 FPS	643 FPS
ultra	574 FPS	569 FPS
1440p
low	711 FPS	684 FPS
medium	583 FPS	549 FPS
high	508 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	424 FPS
4K
low	489 FPS	467 FPS
medium	406 FPS	373 FPS
high	349 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	277 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open GeForce RTX 4070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low	821 FPS	751 FPS
medium	765 FPS	612 FPS
high	675 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	598 FPS	497 FPS
1440p
low	656 FPS	615 FPS
medium	609 FPS	500 FPS
high	534 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	449 FPS	395 FPS
4K
low	475 FPS	384 FPS
medium	443 FPS	324 FPS
high	397 FPS	301 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	272 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open GeForce RTX 4070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3090 and GeForce RTX 4070

GeForce RTX 3090

The GeForce RTX 3090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 82 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,594 points. Launch price was $1,499.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3090 scores 26,594 and the GeForce RTX 4070 reaches 26,919 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3090 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4070 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070). Raw compute: 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070). Boost clocks: 1695 MHz vs 2475 MHz. Ray tracing: 82 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 4070) with 328 Tensor cores vs 184.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
G3D Mark Score	26,594	26,919+1%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	10496+78%	5888
Compute (TFLOPS)	35.58 TFLOPS+22%	29.15 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1695 MHz	2475 MHz+46%
ROPs	112+75%	64
TMUs	328+78%	184
L1 Cache	10.3 MB+78%	5.8 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB	36 MB+500%
Ray Tracing Cores	82+78%	46
Tensor Cores	328+78%	184

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3090 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3090 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3090 comes with 24 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3090 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 936 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) — a 85.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
VRAM Capacity	24 GB+100%	12 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	936 GB/s+86%	504 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB	36 MB+500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
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 3090) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3090 draws 350W versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 200W — a 54.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 312mm vs 304mm, occupying 3 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 4070
TDP	350W	200W-43%
Recommended PSU	750W	650W-13%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	8-pin
Length	312mm	304mm
Height	140mm	137mm
Slots	3	3
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	76.0	134.6+77%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3090 launched at $1499 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599. The GeForce RTX 4070 costs 60% less ($900 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 153.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2020).