Nvidia RTX 4070 vs AMD RX 6800 XT – which card should you go for in 2023?

We’re taking a close look at RTX 4070 vs AMD RX 6800 XT to better understand the potential differences between these graphics cards.

The AMD RX 6800XT graphics card is part of AMD’s RX 6000 series, meaning it’s a generation behind the 4070. Despite this limitation, it still boasts a decent performance with a competitive price that gives it a friendly edge. The release of the RX 7800 XT is also relevant here, likely to drive down the price of AMD’s previous gen graphics card. We’ve compared RX 6800 XT vs RX 7800 XT for anyone interested too.

And what do we know about the 4070? The latest edition to Nvidia’s 40-series family boasts an admirable 1440p performance for an affordable price. The general consensus of the RTX 4070 since its launch earlier this year is that it’s an efficient card that can perform up to 4K under $600.

In case you’re choosing between Team Blue and Team Red we’ll be breaking down these two graphics cards into key categories including specs, price, and performance.

So, let’s get into it – this is everything we know about the RTX 4070 vs RX 6800 XT.

RTX 4070 vs RX 6800 XT – performance

Since the RX 6800 XT is roughly equivalent to the RTX 3080, we can expect the RTX 4070 to have the edge, though not by much. The RTX 4070 can be expected to hit around 60 fps in 4K gaming with DLSS enabled. It really shines as one of the best 1440p graphics cards too.

Of course, the overall performance depends on the games and resolution you’re playing in. Indeed, a critical factor to pay attention to is the difference in VRAM. If you’re worried about whether you have enough for gaming, AMD might be the preferable option since it boasts 16GB VRAM compared to the 4070’s 12GB.

For further insight into the performance of each card and how they compare, check out these benchmarks at 1440p via Benchmark BEN. Not these were taken without DLSS enabled with high or ultra settings using a Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which is amongst the best CPUs for gaming in 2023.

	RTX 4070	RX 6800 XT
Dying Light 2	97 fps	101 fps
Remnant	68 fps	66 fps
Baldur’s Gate 3	114 fps	118 fps
The Last of Us Part 1	72 fps	76 fps
Spider Man	134 fps	139 fps
MW2	80 fps	86 fps
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart	102 fps	106 fps
Counter Strike 2	162 fps	164 fps

If you’re using DLSS 3 or have a high refresh rate monitor, then the RTX 4060 is probably worth it over the RX 6800 XT that only has FSR 2. The RTX 4060 also draws less power, meaning you’ll make back some of the price difference between these cards over the years that you own Nvidia card. Whether or not this is matters to you is another question, but worth knowing if you’re primary focus is value.

RTX 4070 vs RX 6800 XT – specs

Specs	RTX 4070	RX 6800 XT
Architecture	Lovelace	RDNA 2
Ray tracing cores	3rd Gen	1st Gen
Tensor cores	4th Gen	n/a
CUDA cores / Stream processors	5,888	4,608
Boost clock	2,475MHz	2,250MHz
Base clock	1,920MHz	2,015MHz
RAM	12GB	16GB
Dimensions	242 x 112 x 38 mm	267mm x 120mm x 50mm

As you might expect, the 4070 and RX 6800 XT have pretty different specs overall.

Inconveniently, AMD and Nvidia have different names for their core count, making them difficult to compare.

For the 4070, the potential of 5,888 CUDA cores, combined with a possible 12GB of GDR6X memory makes it a speedy graphics card that will process your data efficiently. Though the RX 6800 XT does a decent job with 4,608 Stream processors, the 4070 comes out on top, especially in games that require more intense graphics rendering.

Like other 40-series graphics cards, the RTX 4070 is expected to render impressive scenes, partly thanks to its third generation ray tracing cores. If this has pricked your ears, we’ve covered the best graphics cards for ray tracing which might be worth familiarising yourself with. That being said, depending on how powerful your other PC parts are, you might end up needing to disable ray tracing if you’re experiencing bugs or crashes.

We’re also expecting the RTX 4070 to shine when it comes to clock speeds. So, if you’re looking to increase your FPS in games like Warzone 2.0 or Flight Simulator 2020, then you’re better off going for the RTX 4070.

What is the RX 6700 XT equivalent to?

The AMD RX 6700 XT is most equivalent somewhere in between the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3070 cards. At the time of writing, the RTX 3060 Ti and RX 6800 XT cards are very evenly priced. The RTX 3060 Ti XT boasts a slightly higher memory bandwidth at 448 GB/s compared to the RX 6800 XT’s 384 GB/s. Moreover, as of August 2023, Nvidia announced DLSS 3.5 on all RTX 3.5 GPUs that will significantly improve the quality of ray tracing.

RTX 4070 vs RX 6800 XT – architecture

As expected, the 4070 is expected to perform pretty strongly. A big part of this is its groundbreaking Ada Lovelace architecture. To put it lightly, Ada Lovelace outperforms the 6800’s RDNA 2.

We’re talking third generation ray tracing and fourth generation tensor cores. The latter plays a role in enabling AI powered features such as DLSS. This makes the 4070 a fine investment (though this also applies to other Nvidia 40-series GPUs). It basically uses AI deep learning algorithms to boost performance by increasing efficiency. This means you can get more power from the same hardware.

And what about RDNA 2? Well, you can expect to play pretty much every game at 1080p, and even hit 4K with the right gaming monitor. At the time of its release, RDNA 2 was a staggering leap towards high-end performance, in part thanks to its ray tracing ability.

While it may not be able to compete with the 4070, RDNA 2 continues to deliver a stellar performance in 2023.

RTX 4070 vs RX 6800 XT – price

Both cards boast pretty good prices at the time of writing, easily earning a spot in WePC’s picks of the best graphics cards under $600 in 2023. Since April (around the time the 4070 officially launched), you can now pick up the card for just under $600, while the RX 6800 sits in a similar ballpark (though we’ve seen cards available for less than $500).

Bare in mind the slightly older RX 6800 XT has the advantage of a lower, stable price too.

RTX 4070 vs RX 6800 XT – which one should you go for?

Budgets and specific PC builds aside, the current gen Nvidia RTX 4070 is slightly better value. It offers advanced features like DLSS 3 and better power efficiency. That means the running costs will be lower and you should be able to achieve higher frame rates.

Is the RX 6800 XT still worth it?

Considering it can has ray tracing cores and can perform decently at 4K, AMD’s RX 6800 XT is definitely still worth it in 2023.

Is the RX 6800 XT better than the 3080?

It’s difficult to crown one as the outright winner. If you’re looking to prioritise faster clock speeds and memory size, then the RX 6800 XT is for you. The 3080 meanwhile costs more, though is the faster card with a higher bandwidth and memory speed.