Among NVIDIA's RTX 50 series lineup, the GeForce RTX 5070 stands out as a well-balanced mid-range option, offering a sweet spot between performance and price. It's become the go-to choice for many enthusiasts who demand solid performance but are working with limited budgets.
The GeForce RTX 5070 launched on January 6, 2025, built around NVIDIA's GB205 GPU. Manufactured on TSMC's 5nm process, it packs 6,144 CUDA cores, 192 texture units, 48 streaming multiprocessors, 192 Tensor cores, and 48 RT cores for ray tracing.
The card features a substantial 40MB L2 cache and runs at a base clock of 2165MHz, with boost clocks reaching up to 2510MHz. Memory-wise, it's equipped with 12GB of next-generation GDDR7 VRAM on a 192-bit bus, delivering a memory speed of 28Gbps and a total bandwidth of 672GB/s. In terms of raw compute performance, the RTX 5070 offers 30.84 TFLOPS of FP32 performance while drawing 250W of power. NVIDIA set the MSRP at $549, positioning it firmly in the upper mid-range segment.
In comparison, the GeForce RTX 4090 is built around NVIDIA's AD-102 GPU, manufactured on TSMC's 4nm process. This flagship card boasts a massive 16,384 CUDA cores, 176 raster units, 512 texture units, and 128 streaming multiprocessors. It comes with a generous 72MB of L2 cache and features 512 Tensor cores alongside 128 dedicated RT cores for ray tracing operations.
The RTX 4090 runs at a base clock of 2235MHz and can boost up to 2520MHz. Memory specifications are equally impressive, with 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM on a wide 384-bit bus, delivering 21Gbps memory speed and a total bandwidth of 1008GB/s. When it comes to raw computational power, the 4090 delivers a staggering 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, though this comes with a corresponding 450W power draw.
For our testing, we used a high-end platform to minimize any potential CPU bottlenecks. The system is powered by AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor mounted on an MSI MPG X670E CARBON motherboard. We equipped it with 32GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MHz and installed Windows 11 on a storage setup consisting of two Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSDs. The only component that changed between test runs was the graphics card, alternating between the GeForce RTX 5070 and GeForce RTX 4090 to ensure a direct performance comparison.
We'll be testing seven popular games at 1440p resolution to compare the performance difference between these two graphics cards. In all the benchmark images that follow, the left side represents the results from the GeForce RTX 5070 system, while the right side shows the performance of the GeForce RTX 4090 system.
Game 1: Ghostwire: Tokyo
Starting with Ghostwire: Tokyo at 1440p, we can see a significant performance gap between these two cards.
RTX 5070 Performance
- Average FPS: 75
- 1% Low FPS: 62
- Frame time: 13.0ms
- CPU usage: 11%
- CPU power consumption: 50W
- CPU temperature: 55°C
- System RAM usage: 10.6GB
- GPU utilization: 99%
- VRAM usage: 6.4GB
- GPU power consumption: 217W
- GPU temperature: 54°C
RTX 4090 Performance
- Average FPS: 129
- 1% Low FPS: 112
- Frame time: 7.5ms
- CPU usage: 17%
- CPU power consumption: 52W
- CPU temperature: 58°C
- System RAM usage: 12.7GB
- GPU utilization: 99%
- VRAM usage: 7.2GB
- GPU power consumption: 341W
- GPU temperature: 56°C
Analysis
In Ghostwire: Tokyo, the RTX 5070 system showed lower CPU utilization (6% less than the 4090 system) and used 2.1GB less system RAM. Both GPUs ran at 99% utilization, though the 5070 used 0.8GB less VRAM.
Performance-wise, the RTX 5070 delivered approximately 58% of the RTX 4090's framerate, with the average FPS being 54 frames lower. The 1% low performance was 50 FPS behind the 4090, and frame times were about 6ms longer. However, the 5070 consumed 124W less power and ran 2°C cooler than its more powerful counterpart.
The fourth game in our benchmark suite is Cyberpunk 2077.
On the GeForce RTX 5070 platform, we recorded an average framerate of 72 FPS with minimum framerates dropping to 60 FPS. Frame times averaged 14.3ms. The CPU utilization sat at 53% with a power draw of 78W and temperature of 60°C. System memory usage reached 12.2GB. The GPU itself maintained 98% utilization, consuming 9.7GB of VRAM with a power draw of 210W while running at 53°C.
In comparison, the GeForce RTX 4090 delivered an impressive 123 FPS average, with minimum framerates never dropping below 83 FPS. Frame times were significantly lower at just 5.5ms. CPU utilization increased to 68% with a power draw of 96W and temperature of 66°C. System memory usage was slightly higher at 12.8GB. The GPU utilization was 95%, with 10.2GB of VRAM being used, drawing 342W of power while running at 56°C.
Looking at system metrics, the RTX 5070 platform showed 15% lower CPU utilization and used 0.6GB less system memory compared to the 4090 setup. GPU utilization was 3% higher on the 5070, while VRAM usage was 0.5GB lower.
In terms of raw performance, the RTX 5070 delivered approximately 59% of the 4090's performance, with average framerates 51 FPS lower. Minimum framerates were 23 FPS behind the flagship card, and frame times were about 9ms longer. However, the 5070 consumed 132W less power and ran 3°C cooler than its more powerful counterpart.
The fifth game in our benchmark series is Horizon Forbidden West.
The GeForce RTX 5070 delivered an average framerate of 102 FPS, with minimum framerates bottoming out at 88 FPS. Frame times averaged 9.8ms. On the system side, CPU utilization remained at 45% with a power draw of 95W and temperature of 71°C. System memory usage reached 11.5GB. The GPU maintained 98% utilization, using 8.1GB of VRAM while drawing 210W of power and running at a cool 51°C.
Moving to the GeForce RTX 4090, we saw significantly higher performance with average framerates of 152 FPS and minimum framerates of 114 FPS. Frame times were reduced to just 6.2ms. CPU utilization increased to 55%, drawing 97W of power at a temperature of 74°C. System memory usage was higher at 13.0GB. The GPU also ran at 98% utilization but consumed 9.3GB of VRAM while drawing 329W of power and operating at 54°C.
In this title, the RTX 5070 platform showed 10% lower CPU utilization and used 1.5GB less system memory compared to the 4090 setup. GPU utilization was identical between both cards, though the 5070 used 1.2GB less VRAM.
Performance-wise, the RTX 5070 achieved about 67% of the RTX 4090's output, with average framerates 50 FPS lower than the flagship card. Minimum framerates were 26 FPS behind, and frame times were approximately 2ms longer. The efficiency advantage remained clear with the 5070 consuming 119W less power while running 3°C cooler than the 4090.
The sixth game in our testing suite is Microsoft Flight Simulator.
On the GeForce RTX 5070, we measured an average framerate of 68 FPS with minimum framerates dipping to 59 FPS. Frame times averaged 14.3ms. This simulation is less CPU-intensive than other titles in our lineup, with CPU utilization at just 16%, drawing 78W and running at 64°C. System memory usage was substantial at 17.4GB. The GPU maintained 98% utilization throughout testing, with VRAM usage at 11.6GB. Power consumption stayed at 206W with temperatures reaching 54°C.
In comparison, the GeForce RTX 4090 pushed much higher numbers, delivering an average of 111 FPS and minimum framerates of 97 FPS. Frame times were significantly better at 8.7ms. CPU utilization was higher at 31%, though power draw was slightly lower at 68W with temperatures of 67°C. System memory usage increased to 18.6GB. The GPU operated at 93% utilization, consuming roughly the same amount of VRAM at 11.5GB, while drawing a substantial 342W of power and running at 59°C.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the RTX 5070 platform showed 15% lower CPU utilization and used 1.2GB less system memory compared to the 4090 configuration. GPU utilization was 5% higher on the 5070, while VRAM usage was practically identical between the two cards.
Looking at performance metrics, the RTX 5070 achieved approximately 61% of the 4090's output, with average framerates 43 FPS lower. Minimum framerates were 38 FPS behind the flagship card, and frame times were around 6ms longer. Once again, the 5070 demonstrated better efficiency, consuming 136W less power while running 5°C cooler than its more powerful sibling.
The seventh game in our benchmark suite is Stalker 2.
The GeForce RTX 5070 managed an average framerate of 66 FPS, with minimum framerates dropping to 54 FPS. Frame times averaged 15.2ms. CPU utilization remained relatively low at 33%, with a power draw of 70W and temperatures of 56°C. System memory usage was considerable at 16.3GB. The GPU maintained 97% utilization throughout testing, using 7.9GB of VRAM while drawing 190W of power and operating at a comfortable 51°C.
The GeForce RTX 4090, as expected, delivered stronger performance with an average of 99 FPS and minimum framerates of 69 FPS. Frame times were better at 11.5ms. CPU utilization was slightly higher at 35%, drawing 79W of power with temperatures reaching 60°C. System memory usage was virtually identical at 16.4GB. The GPU ran at 98% utilization, using the same 7.9GB of VRAM but consuming significantly more power at 302W while running at 54°C.
In Stalker 2, the system metrics were remarkably similar between both configurations. The RTX 5070 platform showed only 2% lower CPU utilization compared to the 4090 setup, while memory usage, GPU utilization, and VRAM consumption were essentially identical.
Performance-wise, the RTX 5070 delivered approximately 67% of the 4090's output, with average framerates 33 FPS lower. Minimum framerates were 15 FPS behind the flagship card, and frame times were about 4ms longer. Once again, the 5070 demonstrated better efficiency, consuming 112W less power while running 3°C cooler.
Conclusion
Overall, our test results align with expectations – there is indeed a significant performance gap between the GeForce RTX 5070 and the GeForce RTX 4090.
Based on our comprehensive benchmarks, the GeForce RTX 5070 delivers approximately 62% of the RTX 4090's overall performance – roughly 60% as a general reference point.
When shopping for a new graphics card, it's crucial to clearly define your use case and budget to find the optimal solution. For the vast majority of gamers, we recommend the GeForce RTX 5070 as the more sensible choice. However, for users who demand absolute maximum productivity and performance, the GeForce RTX 4090 or the upcoming GeForce RTX 5090 would be the better options.
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