Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
Rated: 8.7/10
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
Rated: 9.0/10
Pros And Cons
| GPU | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | ✅ Great ray tracing performance ✅ Excellent power efficiency | ❌ Not well-suited for 4K ❌ Unnecessary 16-pin connector |
| AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT | ✅ Rage Mode easy overclocking ✅ Extremely quiet | ❌ High power consumption ❌ Much expensive |
- In our 1440p gaming benchmarks, the RTX 4070 demonstrated a performance advantage of approximately 17% over the RX 6900 XT.
- According to our tests, the RTX 4070 is 52.5% more power efficient than the RX 6900 XT and has 2.7% better thermal efficiency.
- The current market price of the RTX 4070 is about $529, while the RX 6900 XT costs above $1000. A refurbished RX 6900 XT is available for around $699.
- I recommend the RTX 4070 for improved efficiency plus a low price and the reconditioned RX 6900 XT with 16GB VRAM for an elevated gaming experience on a budget.
Comparison Table
| Technical Specs | Radeon RX 6900 XT | NVIDIA RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| Shading Units | 5120 Stream Processors | 5888 CUDA Cores |
| Tensor Cores | 80 | 184 |
| RT Cores | 80 | 46 |
| Process Size | 7 nm | 5 nm |
| Base Clock | 1825 MHz | 1920 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2250 MHz | 2475 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 504.2 GB/s |
| Best Variants | Best RX 6900XT | Best RTX 4070 |
Architectural Difference
- Architecture: Regarding architecture, the RTX 4070 is based on NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture, while the RX 6900 XT comes packed with the RDNA 2.0 architecture.
- GPU Chip: The RTX 4070 employs Nvidia’s AD104 chip, while the RX 6900 XT utilizes AMD’s premium Navi 21 chip.
- VRAM: The RTX 4070 features 12GB of GDDR6X memory with a 192-bit bus width, while the RX 6900 XT offers 16GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit memory bus.
- Clock Speed: If we see the base clock, the RTX 4070 offers a 5.2% higher frequency. Regarding turbo frequency, the RTX 4070 is about 10.0% faster than the RX 6900 XT.
- TDP: The RTX 4070 boasts a TDP of 200 watts, a notable reduction compared to the RX 6900 XT’s 300-watt TDP, indicating that the RX 6900 XT consumes more power.
Nvidia launched the RTX 4070 in April 2023, offering performance equal to or better than the previous flagship RTX 3080. In contrast, AMD reduced the price of its last-gen flagship RX 6900 XT, to compete with the RTX 4070. In RTX 4070 vs RX 6900 XT, we will pin these two GPUs against each other to see if Nvidia can beat its long-time rival.
Gaming Benchmarks
In this section, we will pin the RTX 4070 vs RX 6900 XT against each other in various real-world gaming tests. We conducted all of these tests at 1440p resolution at the highest settings available for each game.
Test Bench
All the gaming tests were conducted in a steady environment on the given test bench.
- OS: Windows 11
- CPU: Intel Core i7-13700k
- Motherboard: MSI Z790 Tomahawk Max WiFi Motherboard
- RAM: Kingston Fury Renegade RGB DDR5 32GB 7200MHz
- SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus G 2TB NVMe SSD
- Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 chromax.black CPU Air Cooler
- PSU: ENERMAX REVOLUTION D.F. X 1050W
Apex Legends
- In our first Apex Legends test, the RTX 4070 had an average of 165 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT was about 29.1% ahead with an average of 213 FPS.
- The 1% lows followed the same line, with the RTX 4070 having 1% lows of about 98 FPS compared to the 118 FPS of the RX 6900 XT.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the RTX 4070 had an average of 108 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT provided a 23% better average of around 133 FPS.
- Regarding 1% lows, the RTX 4070 had 1% lows of about 80 FPS compared to the 96 FPS of the RX 6900 XT.
Borderlands 3
- During Borderlands 3, we saw that the RTX 4070 had an average of 100 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT delivered a 42% greater average of 142 FPS.
- Switching gears to 1% lows, the RTX 4070 had 1% lows of about 80 FPS again, compared to the 118 FPS of the RX 6900 XT.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- In COD: Modern Warfare II, the RTX 4070 maintained an average of 135 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT bore 172 FPS on average.
- Regarding 1% lows, the RTX 4070 had 1% lows of about 86 FPS compared to the 111 FPS of the RX 6900 XT.
Fortnite
- In Fortnite, we observed that the RX 6900 XT averaged 150 FPS, a 5.6% advantage over the RTX 4070’s 142 FPS.
- Regarding 1% lows, the RTX 4070 had 1% lows of about 65 FPS compared to the 77 FPS of the RX 6900 XT.
Far Cry 6
- While playing Far Cry 6, the RTX 4070 had an average of 127 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT had an average of 140 FPS.
- Regarding 1% lows, the RTX 4070 had 1% lows of about 102 FPS compared to the 104 FPS of the RX 6900 XT.
Cyberpunk 2077 (RT OFF)
- In Cyberpunk 2077 with RT off, the RTX 4070 got 72 FPS, whereas the RX 6900 XT outperformed it with an average of 96 FPS.
- The 4070 had 1% lows of 52 FPS, whereas the RX 6900 XT stayed above the 60 FPS mark at 67 FPS.
Ray-Tracing: Cyberpunk 2077 (RT Ultra)
- When we enable Ray Tracing in Cyberpunk, the RTX 4070 outperforms the 6900 XT for the first time, achieving an average of 34 FPS compared to the RX 6900 XT’s 26 FPS.
- Once again, in 1% lows, the RTX 4070 beat the RX 6900 XT, with 1% lows of about 28 FPS, compared to 20 FPS.
Spiderman Miles Morales (RT OFF)
- With Ray Tracing off in Spiderman Miles Morales, the RTX 4070 had an average of 119 FPS, whereas the RX 6900 XT had an average of 121 FPS.
- In 1% lows, the RTX 4070 beat the RX 6900 XT, with 1% lows of about 77 FPS, compared to 75 FPS.
Ray-Tracing: Spiderman Miles Morales (RT Ultra)
- With Ray Tracing enabled in Spiderman: Miles Morales, the RTX 4070 outperformed the 6900 XT by 47.5%, averaging 59 FPS compared to the 6900 XT’s 40 FPS.
- Once again, in 1% lows, the RTX 4070 beat the RX 6900 XT, with 1% lows of about 41 FPS, compared to 18 FPS.
Overall Gaming Performance
| Stats | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 105.6 📈 | 123.6 📈 |
| Low 1% FPS | 74.8 📉 | 84.8 📉 |
| Winner: AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT | ||
In our 1440p gaming tests, the RX 6900 XT performed better than the RTX 4070, showing a 17% improvement. The AMD card excels in all benchmarks except ray tracing, where the RTX 4070’s AI capabilities give it the edge. Regarding the 1% lows, the RX 6900 XT surpassed by about 13.4%.
Power Consumption
| Stats | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Average Power Draw (W) | 177.3 ⚡ | 271.3 ⚡ |
| Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | ||
Based on our power usage tests, the RTX 4070 operates at a lower power draw and is about 52.5% more power efficient than the RTX 4070. Regarding how much power it uses, the RTX 4070 is more efficient, giving you more FPS for each watt of power it consumes.
Gaming Temperature
| Stats | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Average Gaming Temperaure(°C) | 62.8 🌡️ | 64.5 🌡️ |
| Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | ||
Moving to thermal performance, the RTX 4070 maintains a relatively lower gaming temperature. According to our tests, the RTX 4070 is about 2.7% thermally more efficient than the RX 6900 XT.
Price And Availability
| GPU | Launch MSRP | Current Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | 💲599 | 💲529 |
| AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT | 💲999 | 💲699 (Refurbished) |
| Price Difference | 66.7% | 32.1% |
If we look at the launch prices of these two GPUs, there is a huge price difference of about 66.7%. Nowadays, you can find the RX 6900 XT in refurbished condition, and it’s priced around 32% higher than a new RTX 4070.
Final Verdict: What Do We Recommend?
GeForce RTX 4070: The RTX 4070 is Nvidia’s latest architecture GPU with elevated operating efficiency, higher clock frequencies, and an advanced 5nm production node. This GPU is good for gaming at 1080p and 1440p but may not provide optimal performance for 4K gaming.
Radeon RX 6900 XT: The RX 6900 XT is a top-tier AMD GPU offering exceptional gaming performance at 1440p and performing well at 4K. Its 256-bit 16GB VRAM greatly improves its performance. It is also good at temperature management.
Finally, if you want to achieve the best performance, the RX 6900 XT suits you. However, if you need to consider power draw or longevity, the RTX 4070 might be a better choice due to its better power efficiency and recent release.
FAQs
The RTX 4070 has 12 GBs of GDDR6X RAM and a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s.
Yes, the RTX 4070 was released in Q1 of 2024, whereas the RX 6900 XT came out in Q4 of 2020.
Yes, the RX 6900 XT can comfortably play games at 4k settings, though you might need to bring the graphics settings down a bit from the maximum because it is a slightly older card.
More From RTX 4070:
More From RX 6900 XT:
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[Comparisons Specialist]
I’m a passionate computer hardware expert specializing in CPUs and GPUs. With a lifelong curiosity for hardware and extensive hands-on experience, I provide valuable insights, practical advice, and in-depth analysis on these components. Engaging with the hardware community, I exchange knowledge and stay at the forefront of technological advancements.
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