GeForce RTX 4070 vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024Core: 975 MHzBoost: 2460 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

  • Costs $5,401 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 974.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $6,000 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 285W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 5880 Ada Generation across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (184 vs 440), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • 13.9% longer card at 304mm vs 267mm.

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024

Why buy it

  • 3.0% more average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 139.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (440 vs 184).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 12 GB).
  • Measures 267mm instead of 304mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

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.
  • 901.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $6,000 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.2 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($6,000 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 42.5% higher power demand at 285W vs 200W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than RTX 5880 Ada Generation?
Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. RTX 5880 Ada Generation averages 3.0% more FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 26,919 vs 25,096 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 4070 is the overall package: you are getting DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, plus much lower power draw (200W vs 285W).
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 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 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $599 MSRP. GeForce RTX 4070 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce RTX 4070 is about $5,401 cheaper on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $6,000 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data and 7.3% higher G3D Mark. RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the newer 2024 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.
When does RTX 5880 Ada Generation make more sense than GeForce RTX 4070?
Yes. RTX 5880 Ada Generation is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture and staying closer to $6,000 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce RTX 4070. The trade-off is that GeForce RTX 4070 currently gives you 7.3% higher G3D Mark and lower estimated average FPS across 13 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 974.4%.

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 5880 Ada Generation
1080p
low183 FPS222 FPS
medium167 FPS194 FPS
high151 FPS161 FPS
ultra131 FPS113 FPS
1440p
low150 FPS199 FPS
medium124 FPS166 FPS
high110 FPS120 FPS
ultra101 FPS83 FPS
4K
low92 FPS105 FPS
medium78 FPS88 FPS
high65 FPS59 FPS
ultra58 FPS51 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
1080p
low544 FPS605 FPS
medium454 FPS491 FPS
high353 FPS384 FPS
ultra299 FPS329 FPS
1440p
low351 FPS504 FPS
medium288 FPS423 FPS
high235 FPS337 FPS
ultra197 FPS261 FPS
4K
low172 FPS280 FPS
medium144 FPS238 FPS
high125 FPS212 FPS
ultra101 FPS173 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
1080p
low884 FPS915 FPS
medium713 FPS750 FPS
high643 FPS676 FPS
ultra569 FPS565 FPS
1440p
low684 FPS709 FPS
medium549 FPS580 FPS
high483 FPS510 FPS
ultra424 FPS423 FPS
4K
low467 FPS486 FPS
medium373 FPS402 FPS
high326 FPS346 FPS
ultra277 FPS282 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
1080p
low751 FPS377 FPS
medium612 FPS330 FPS
high536 FPS287 FPS
ultra497 FPS242 FPS
1440p
low615 FPS277 FPS
medium500 FPS248 FPS
high433 FPS213 FPS
ultra395 FPS178 FPS
4K
low384 FPS189 FPS
medium324 FPS162 FPS
high301 FPS125 FPS
ultra272 FPS101 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4070 and RTX 5880 Ada Generation

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 5880 Ada Generation

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 5 2024. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 14080 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 285W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 110 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,096 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 25,096 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 7.3%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 14,080 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 69.27 TFLOPS (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 2460 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 110 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) with 184 Tensor cores vs 440.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score
26,919+7%
25,096
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
5888
14080+139%
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS
69.27 TFLOPS+138%
Boost Clock
2475 MHz
2460 MHz
ROPs
64
176+175%
TMUs
184
440+139%
L1 Cache
5.8 MB
13.8 MB+138%
L2 Cache
36 MB
72 MB+100%
Ray Tracing Cores
46
110+139%
Tensor Cores
184
440+139%

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 5880 Ada Generation lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The RTX 5880 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 4070 is capped at DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
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)

The GeForce RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has 48 GB. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 768 GB/s (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — a 52.4% advantage for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 72 MB (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
48 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s
768 GB/s+52%
Bus Width
192-bit
384-bit+100%
L2 Cache
36 MB
72 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
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 5880 Ada Generation). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 285W — a 35.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 650W (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
TDP
200W-30%
285W
Recommended PSU
650W
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
16-pin
Length
304mm
267mm
Height
137mm
112mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
134.6+53%
88.1
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599 MSRP, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation launched at $6000. The GeForce RTX 4070 costs 90% less ($5401 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 4.2 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 969% better value. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2023).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070RTX 5880 Ada Generation
MSRP
$599-90%
$6000
Performance per Dollar
44.9+969%
4.2
Codename
AD104
AD102
Release
April 12 2023
January 5 2024
Ranking
#32
#40