GeForce RTX 4070 vs RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023Core: 1110 MHzBoost: 1545 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

  • 34.6% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs Unknown 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.

Trade-offs

  • 100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 34.6% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data, 37% higher PassMark G3D performance, DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, and 184 vs 160 Tensor cores.
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 37.0% more raw performance headroom and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 priced in an unclear MSRP range at $599 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 34.6% more estimated average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data and 37.0% 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 RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low183 FPS143 FPS
medium167 FPS124 FPS
high151 FPS109 FPS
ultra131 FPS77 FPS
1440p
low150 FPS114 FPS
medium124 FPS95 FPS
high110 FPS76 FPS
ultra101 FPS53 FPS
4K
low92 FPS51 FPS
medium78 FPS44 FPS
high65 FPS33 FPS
ultra58 FPS28 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low544 FPS379 FPS
medium454 FPS327 FPS
high353 FPS265 FPS
ultra299 FPS230 FPS
1440p
low351 FPS282 FPS
medium288 FPS236 FPS
high235 FPS190 FPS
ultra197 FPS156 FPS
4K
low172 FPS132 FPS
medium144 FPS113 FPS
high125 FPS95 FPS
ultra101 FPS72 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low884 FPS826 FPS
medium713 FPS680 FPS
high643 FPS590 FPS
ultra569 FPS442 FPS
1440p
low684 FPS628 FPS
medium549 FPS510 FPS
high483 FPS442 FPS
ultra424 FPS332 FPS
4K
low467 FPS406 FPS
medium373 FPS324 FPS
high326 FPS268 FPS
ultra277 FPS212 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low751 FPS301 FPS
medium612 FPS260 FPS
high536 FPS217 FPS
ultra497 FPS190 FPS
1440p
low615 FPS239 FPS
medium500 FPS211 FPS
high433 FPS177 FPS
ultra395 FPS151 FPS
4K
low384 FPS142 FPS
medium324 FPS121 FPS
high301 FPS96 FPS
ultra272 FPS79 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1110 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,656 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 19,656 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 37%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 5,120 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 15.82 TFLOPS (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 1545 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 40 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) with 184 Tensor cores vs 160.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
26,919+37%
19,656
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
5888+15%
5120
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+84%
15.82 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2475 MHz+60%
1545 MHz
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
184+15%
160
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+16%
5 MB
L2 Cache
36 MB
48 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores
46+15%
40
Tensor Cores
184+15%
160

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 RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 4070 is capped at DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 12 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 432 GB/s (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 48 MB (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
12 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s+17%
432 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
36 MB
48 MB+33%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
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 NVENC 8th gen (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 100W — a 66.7% difference. The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 150W (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
TDP
200W
100W-50%
Recommended PSU
650W
150W-77%
Power Connector
8-pin
Mobile
Length
304mm
Height
137mm
Slots
3
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
134.6
196.6+46%