Nvidia RTX 4070
Rated: 7/10
AMD RX 6950XT
Rated: 9/10
Pros & Cons
GPU | Pros | Cons |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | ✅ Great AI and Ray Tracing performance ✅ High Power efficiency | ❌ Not good for 4K gaming ❌ Unnecessary 16-pin power connector |
AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT | ✅ Dual BIOS switch ✅ Operates quietly | ❌ Subpar Ray tracing performance ❌ Mediocre creative performance |
- In gaming performance, we analyzed that the RX 6950 XT surpasses the RTX 4070 by 16% at 1080p gaming resolution, quite impressive for a performance.
- Conversely, we also observed that the power efficiency of the RTX 4070 is 70% greater than that of the AMD RX 6950XT. Moreover, the RTX 4070 is 9.4% more thermally efficient than the RX 6950XT.
- Looking at the price tags, the current price of the Nvidia RTX 4070 is around 34% less than the price of the AMD RX 6950XT nowadays.
- We would recommend the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 because it offers a good gaming framerate at alot lower price, at much lower power and thermal consumption.
Comparison Table
Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | RX 6950 XT |
Architecture | NVIDIA Ada Lovelace | AMD RDNA 2.0 |
Shading Units | 5888 CUDA Cores | 5120 Stream Processors |
Ray Tracing Cores | 46 | 80 |
Cache | L1 Cache: 128KB (per SM) L2 Cache: 36MB L3 Cache: - | L1 Cache: 128KB (per Array) L2 Cache: 4MB L3 Cache: 128MB Infinity Cache |
Transistors Count | 35.8 billion | 26.8 billion |
Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
Required System Power | 650W | 850W |
Maximum Temperature | 90°C | Up to 110°C |
Approximate Price | $540 | $874 |
Best Variants | BEST RTX 4070 Graphics Cards | - |
Architectural Differences
- Process Node: The RTX 4070 features an AD104 chip fabricated at a brilliant 5nm node, while the RX 6950 XT employs a Navi 21 chip manufactured at a 7nm process.
- Clock Speeds: The RX 6950 XT lags behind the RTX 4070 in the base clock by 0.03 GHz. But regarding the turbo clock, the RTX 4070 boosts a 7.36% higher boost clock.
- VRAM: Coming to the GPU memory, the RTX 4070 features 192-bit 12GB GDDR6X memory with a max speed of 21 Gbps. In contrast, the RX 6950 XT offers 256-bit 16GB GDDR6 memory with a max speed of 18 Gbps.
- TDP: Considering the power requirements of two GPUs, the RX 6950 XT operates at a much higher power than the RTX 4070. The RX 6950 XT has a TDP of 335W, and that of the RTX 4070 is 200W.
- Supported Technologies: The RTX 4070 features DLSS 3.0, Nvidia Reflex (Low latency platform), RTX Video Super Resolution, resizable Bar, G-Sync, and Nvidia Studio. In contrast, RX 6950 XT offers AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution.
Our recent article extensively evaluated the performance of the RX 6950 XT against the RTX 4090, where the RTX 4090 was the uncontested victor. In today’s guide, we will thoroughly analyze and compare the RTX 4070 vs RX 6950 XT to identify the GPU with better performance and economic value.
RTX 4070 Vs RX 6950 XT – Gaming Benchmarks
Having discussed the specifications of both the processors at hand, now let us talk about the benchmarks used as a test of strength between the two GPUs.
Testing Setup
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
- Mobo: GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR-5 32GB RAM 5600Mhz (2X 16GB) – CL36
- SSD: XPG Gammix S70 Blade 2TB NVMe
- PC Case: MSI MAG PANO M100R PZ PC Case
- PSU: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1300W
- Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Liquid Cooler
A Plague Tale: Requiem
- In A Plague Tale: Requiem, the RX 6950 XT rendered 8.8% or 10 FPS higher performance than the RTX 4070 at 1080p, with an impressive average frame rate of 123 FPS, whereas the RTX 4070 turned over an average of 113 FPS.
- At the worst 1% performance time, the RTX 4070 delivered 89 FPS, while the RX 6950 XT produced 94 FPS.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- At 1080p, the RX 6950 XT produced 25% or 50 more frames per second than the RTX 4070, the former having a recorded average frame rate of 201 FPS, while the latter achieved an amazing average of 251 FPS.
- The RTX 4070 achieved 159 frames per second, and the RX 6950 XT provided 202 FPS at a low 1% performance.
Fortnite
- While playing Fortnite at 1080p, the RX 6950 XT achieved an incredible average frame rate of 99 FPS, in contrast to the RTX 4070’s 88 FPS. This means that the RX 6950 XT yielded 12.5% or 11 FPS more on average than the RTX 4070.
- For the low 1% frame rate, the RX 6950 XT delivered 90 FPS, while the RTX 4070 achieved 77 FPS.
God Of War
- With a remarkable average frame rate of 164 FPS, the RX 6950 XT outperformed the RTX 4070, which only produced 140 FPS. This performance was 17.1% in favor of the RX 6950XT.
- The RTX 4070 only managed 109 FPS at the low 1% frame rate, whereas the RX 6950 XT mustered up 133 FPS.
Resident Evil 4
- In Resident Evil 4, the RX 6950 XT outperformed the RTX 4070 by delivering 3 FPS or 2.4% higher performance. The RX 6950 XT produced an average frame rate of 127 FPS at 1080p, compared to the RTX 4070’s 124 FPS.
- With a remarkable 114 FPS at the lowest 1% performance, the RX 6950 XT outperformed the RTX 4070, beating out its 103 FPS.
The Callisto Protocol
- In our benchmarks, the RX 6950 XT exhibited outstanding performance with an average frame rate of 240 FPS, surpassing the RTX 4070’s 199 FPS with an average lead of 41 FPS, and 20.6% better results.
- Considering the low 1% frame rate, the RX 6950 XT delivered 139 FPS, whereas the RTX 4070 achieved 120 FPS.
RTX 4070 Vs RX 6950 XT – Overall Gaming Performance
Processor | Average FPS | 1% Lows |
AMD RX 6950 XT | 📈 167.3 | 📉 128.7 |
Nvidia RTX 4070 | 📈 144.2 | 📉 109.5 |
Winner: Nvidia RTX 4070 |
As we performed the benchmarks for both GPUs, the RX 6950 XT exhibits extraordinary supremacy, surpassing the RTX 4070 by an astonishing margin of 16% at 1080p gaming. Speaking of the %1 low framerates, the RX 6950 XT showcased a notable improvement of approximately 17.5% over the RTX 4070 at the worst 1% performance of these GPUs.
Power Consumption
Games | Nvidia RTX 4070 (W) | AMD RX 6950XT (W) |
A Plague Tale: Requiem | 196 | 302 |
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 154.5 | 303 |
Fortnite | 178.8 | 304 |
God Of War | 196.8 | 302 |
Resident Evil 4 Remake | 173.9 | 303 |
The Callisto Protocol | 153.7 | 302 |
Average Power Consumption | 175.6 ⚡️ | 302.7 ⚡️ |
Winner: Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4070 |
During our benchmarks, we recorded the power consumption of the two GPUs as well, discovering that the RTX 4070 offered 72.4% greater power efficiency than the RX 6950 XT during the 1080p games. That means that the RTX 4070 provided 0.82 frames per watt at 1080p, while the RX 6950 XT provided 0.55 frames per watt.
Thermal Efficiency
Game | Nvidia RTX 4070 (°C) | AMD RX 6950XT (°C) |
A Plague Tale: Requiem | 65 | 68 |
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 58 | 69 |
Fortnite | 62 | 67 |
God Of War | 65 | 68 |
Resident Evil 4 Remake | 63 | 67 |
The Callisto Protocol | 59 | 68 |
Average Thermal Stats | 62 🌡️ | 67.8 🌡️ |
Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 |
Considering the thermal efficiency of both the Graphic cards, we analyzed that the RTX 4070 leads the pack in gaming temperature management, with a thermal efficiency advantage of around 9.4% over the RX 6950 XT. So, users putting the thermals of the GPU over other factors should consider the RTX 4070 against the RX 6950XT.
Price And Availability
GPU | MSRP | Current Price |
Nvidia RTX 4070 | 💲599 | 💲540 |
RX 6950 XT | 💲1099 | 💲874 |
Price Difference | 83.48% | 62.89% |
The current prices of the RX 4070 and AMD RX 6950XT have a 34% difference in their current prices. This clearly defines the line for budget gamers who want something available according to their pockets, providing optimum gaming performance. Both GPUs are available on all the major platforms e.g. Amazon, NewEgg, Bestbuy, etc.
Final Thoughts – Which One We Recommend?
Nvidia RTX 4070: The Nvidia RTX 4070 is also a great graphics card with a brilliant 1080p gaming performance. Additionally, this feature guarantees improved power and thermal efficiency, leading to reduced electricity costs. Its price is also less than the RX 6950 XT.
AMD RX 6950XT: The AMD RX 6950XT was a powerful competitor but fell short in gaming performance compared to its rival. The RX 6950XT also reached higher thermal levels as well as consumed more power on a higher budget, indicating its expensive traits.
I highly recommend the Nvidia RTX 4070, considering the budget limitations and prioritizing cost-effective GPUs with lower operating costs. Users can get an all-in-one GPU which will assist in every domain from power and thermal levels to the overall gaming performance.
The RX 6950 XT comes out as a superior choice for gamers over the RTX 4070. The RX 6950 XT delivers an effective performance boost of 16% at 1080p and an even more impressive 21.2% increase at 4K compared to the RTX 4070. The RTX 4070 has a lower operating cost than the RX 6950 XT. It consumes 72% less energy at 1080p gaming and 60% less at 4K gaming than the RX 6950 XT. The RTX 4070 provides better value for the money than the RX 6950 XT. The reason is its relatively higher performance per dollar, higher power efficiency (performance per watt), and great 1080p and 1440p gaming performance.Frequently Asked Questions
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