Quick answer
The RX 7800 XT is the faster card: about 5% ahead of the RTX 4070 in our gaming index (score 58 vs 55), or about 5% more FPS at 1440p high. The RX 7800 XT has more VRAM (16GB vs 12GB). The RTX 4070 draws less power (200W vs 263W).
A side-by-side look at the GeForce RTX 4070 and the Radeon RX 7800 XT using the specs from each maker and ComputingSkill’s gaming scores, the same numbers our calculators and tier list use. Prices change too often to compare here, so check current prices against the performance gap below.
Specs Side by Side
| RTX 4070 | RX 7800 XT | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | RDNA 3 |
| VRAM | 12GB GDDR6X | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Memory bus | 192-bit | 256-bit |
| Boost clock | 2475 MHz | 2430 MHz |
| Shaders | 5,888 CUDA Cores | 60 Compute Units |
| Board power | 200W | 263W |
| Maker’s recommended PSU | 650W | 700W |
| Upscaling / frame generation | DLSS 4 upscaling and DLSS 3 Frame Generation (2x) | FSR 3 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver |
| Released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Gaming score (tier) | 55 (B) | 58 (B) |
Specs: RTX 4070 official page and RX 7800 XT official page. Scores are ComputingSkill’s gaming index, positioned from publicly reported review averages, not our own benchmarks (methodology).
Clock speeds and shader counts can’t be compared across brands, which is why the gaming score is the fairer measure.
Gaming Performance
Estimated average FPS in a typical AAA game, from the FPS Calculator’s formula, with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D so the cards are the limit. * marks a figure held back by the CPU. Ray tracing, upscaling and frame generation are not included.
| Resolution, settings | RTX 4070 | RX 7800 XT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p, high | 138 | 145 | RX 7800 XT +5% |
| 1440p, high | 94 | 99 | RX 7800 XT +5% |
| 4K, high | 58 | 61 | RX 7800 XT +5% |
| 1080p, ultra | 110 | 116 | RX 7800 XT +5% |
| 1440p, ultra | 75 | 79 | RX 7800 XT +5% |
| 4K, ultra | 42 | 49 | RX 7800 XT +17% |
VRAM
RTX 4070: 12GB of VRAM is enough for ultra textures at 1080p and 1440p and enough for high (not ultra) textures at 4K.
RX 7800 XT: 16GB of VRAM is enough for ultra textures at 1080p, 1440p and 4K.
With Your CPU
A faster card only pays off when your CPU can feed it. Here is each card with common processors in our bottleneck engine (typical AAA game, high settings). “GPU-limited” is normal; a CPU % is how much of the card goes unused.
| CPU | RTX 4070 | RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Core i3-12100F | CPU ~26% / GPU-limited | CPU ~30% / Balanced |
| Ryzen 5 5600 | CPU ~20% / GPU-limited | CPU ~24% / GPU-limited |
| Core i5-12400F | CPU ~15% / GPU-limited | CPU ~19% / GPU-limited |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | Balanced / GPU-limited | Balanced / GPU-limited |
| Core i5-14600K | GPU-limited / GPU-limited | Balanced / GPU-limited |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | GPU-limited / GPU-limited | GPU-limited / GPU-limited |
Power and PSU
With a Ryzen 5 7600, the PSU Calculator recommends 650W for a PC with the RTX 4070 and 700W with the RX 7800 XT. The makers’ own recommendations are 650W and 700W.
Which Should You Buy?
- Buy the RX 7800 XT for more performance: about 5% higher in our index. It is worth it if the price difference is smaller than that.
- The RTX 4070 makes sense when it costs clearly less, or when its other strengths below matter more to you.
- For 1440p, 4K or keeping the card for years, the RX 7800 XT’s extra VRAM is the safer choice.
- Features differ: the RTX 4070 offers DLSS 4 upscaling and DLSS 3 Frame Generation (2x); the RX 7800 XT offers FSR 3 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver.
- Not sure your CPU keeps up? Check your exact pair in the PC Bottleneck Calculator.
More comparisons: RTX 4070 vs RTX 5070 and RTX 3080 10GB vs RTX 4070. Every card ranked: GPU tier list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the RTX 4070 better than the RX 7800 XT?
For raw gaming performance the RX 7800 XT is about 5% faster (score 58 vs 55).
Which is better for 1440p, the RTX 4070 or the RX 7800 XT?
At 1440p high the RTX 4070 averages about 94 FPS and the RX 7800 XT about 99 FPS in a typical AAA game with a fast CPU.
Which uses less power?
The RTX 4070 (200W board power vs 263W).