Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Now that the RTX 4070 Ti launched earlier this year, and we’ve compiled all the relevant information on where to buy the graphics card and where to find stock, we’re going to be comparing it up against its predecessor – the RTX 3070 Ti.
We’ve pitted the RTX 4070 Ti versus the 3070 Ti – which will ultimately boil down to performance against price. Aside from that, you’ve got to consider what needs and demands you have from the graphics cards. If you’re a competitive gamer, you’re going to want to focus on maximizing frame-rate whereas someone looking to enjoy immersive gaming will be more interested in high resolution.
Whatever needs you have – our discussion of the two mid-weight graphics cards will contain all the relevant information on specs, price, performance, benchmarks, and reviews.
The RTX 4070 Ti is out now at selected retailers:
RTX 4070 Ti vs 3070 Ti – specs
| Specs | RTX 4070 Ti | RTX 3070 Ti |
| CUDA Cores | 7680 | 6144 |
| Clock speed (base – boost) | 2.31 – 2.61 | 1.57 – 1.71 |
| VRAM (GB, GDDR6X) | 12GB | 8GB |
| Architecture | Lovelace | Ampere |
| Memory Interface | 192-bit | 256-bit |
| Ray Tracing cores | 3rd Gen | 2nd Gen |
| Tensor cores | 4th Gen | 3rd Gen |
| Maximum resolution | 7260 x 4320 | 7260 x 4320 |
| Connectivity | HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort | HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort |
| Required system power (W) | 226 | 220 |
| Graphics card power (W) | 750 | 650 |
This comparison boils down to Lovelace vs Ampere, Nvidia’s current and previous generation of graphics card architectures.
The main advantage that the RTX 4070 Ti has is its 60 3rd Gen ray tracing cores which trump the 48 2nd Gen RT cores the 3070 Ti has. In short, ray tracing is the process of rendering realistic simulations of physical light and shadows in games. Recent generations of game development have come leaps and bounds in what’s possible for a computer to render onto a screen – and games have become more and more visually engaging and immersive. However, for that to happen, the hardware also had to improve.
Read More: RTX 4070 Ti vs RX 7900 XT
The RTX 40-series graphics cards are all equipped with DLSS 3 – which uses neural graphic rendering to improve gaming performance. By interpolating frames, you are left with a visually appealing end result of smoothness in movement. Not all games make use of DLSS 3 as the software demands more output from the CPU alongside the GPU, however the RTX 4070 Ti’s relationship with DLSS 3 and ray tracing makes it a powerful graphics card with an impressive output.
RTX 4070 Ti vs 3070 Ti – performance
With 12GB of VRAM – the RTX 4070 Ti outweighs the 8GB 3070 Ti. If you’re playing immersive games outputting 4K resolution, the 4070 Ti will severely outperform the RTX 3070 Ti thanks to this memory boost. That being said, the RTX 3070 Ti is still capable of outputting 4K resolution – and the WePC GPU expert’s review of the card highlights this through reliable benchmarks.
Read More: Where to buy RTX 4070 Ti
There’s also a significant difference in clock speeds between the two graphics cards, with the Lovelace GPU boasting a max speed of 2.61 GHz compared to the Ampere device’s 1.71 GHz. If you’re interested in overclocking your GPU, you’d have to first weigh up if the added power-consumption is worth the performance boost.
RTX 4070 Ti vs 3070 Ti – price
This will be a huge factor in your decision making between the two graphics cards. The RTX 4070 Ti MSRP is $799, though partner cards are costing between $850 – $1,500. On the other hand, thanks to the relative age of the RTX 3070 Ti, its price is floating between $600 and $900.
This is a significant difference, however, the cheaper option certainly seems attractive in light of the Lovelace graphics card’s upper price limit.
Read More: Best GPU for ray-tracing
When factoring in the price, it’s important to evaluate what your own needs are from the card.
If you’re a competitive gamer, we’d recommend saving some money and going for the RTX 3070 Ti – which has proven itself to be more than enough to max out most competitive games such as CS: GO and Valorant at 4K with wildly high refresh rates.
If you’re an immersive, graphically intensive gamer you’d be much better off with the RTX 4070 Ti, which makes use of DLSS 3 and 3rd Gen ray tracing to run beautiful AAA games at high frame rates and high resolutions.
Is the RTX 4070 Ti worth it?
With the price and specs in mind – we’re then ready to start evaluating if the RTX 4070 Ti is worth it. Considering the card’s history as the RTX 4080 12GB that was unlaunched, it’s enjoying a $100 price-cut from the original price. Despite this, the aftermarket cards are being sold for up to $1,500 which everyone can agree as extortionate.
In light of this, the RTX 3070 Ti’s price becomes even more attractive – and the nature of graphics card releases prompting consumers to look for previous generations of hardware becomes apparent.
Ultimately, the RTX 4070 Ti is a powerful piece of hardware, however the high price doesn’t quite justify it’s performance. Until prices settle, we’d recommend consumers to look out for an RTX 3070 Ti instead.
Buy Now: RTX 3070 Ti
Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be an RTX 4070?
It was unusual for Nvidia to release the RTX 4070 Ti without the RTX 4070 having released. However, considering the circumstance of the RTX 4080 12GB’s ‘unlaunch’, it ultimately makes sense. Whilst there has been no indication from Nvidia that there will be an RTX 4070 just yet – we can speculate that they will plan to announce it in the coming months.
Is the RTX 3070 Ti good for 4K?
The RTX 3070 Ti is capable of gaming in 4K and has consistently proven itself to be capable of ultra-high resolution gaming.
Is the RTX 4070 Ti overkill?
It ultimately comes down to how you plan to use your card. If you’re a competitive gamer needing high frame rates and resolution, the 4070 Ti probably won’t be overkill.
