Buy the RTX 4070 if you care about ray tracing, DLSS frame generation, low power draw and a small case. Buy the RX 6800 XT if you mostly play rasterized games at 1440p or 4K, want 16 GB of VRAM for texture-heavy titles, and can get it used for clearly less money than a 4070. In plain raster performance the two cards are close to tied. The differences show up in features, efficiency and memory, so the right pick depends on how you play rather than on one average FPS number.
Both cards are previous-generation parts now that the RTX 50 series and Radeon RX 9000 series are on shelves. Most buyers comparing them in 2026 are shopping the used market or picking up leftover stock. That makes price per frame, power supply needs and feature support more important than launch-day hype.
The Short Version by Use Case
| Your situation | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p high refresh, esports and raster games | Either; buy the cheaper one | Raster gaps are small and often CPU-limited at 1080p |
| 1440p with ray tracing on | RTX 4070 | Clear RT lead plus DLSS upscaling and frame generation |
| 1440p raster, large texture packs, mods | RX 6800 XT | 16 GB VRAM gives more headroom than 12 GB |
| 4K raster at medium-high settings | RX 6800 XT (slight) | Wider 256-bit bus and more memory tend to help at 4K |
| Small form factor or a 550-650 W PSU | RTX 4070 | 200 W TDP vs 300 W, shorter 240 mm card |
| Streaming, video editing, AI tools | RTX 4070 | NVENC and CUDA support are broader in creator apps |
Specifications Side by Side
| Spec | Radeon RX 6800 XT | GeForce RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | Ada Lovelace |
| Release date | 28 October 2020 | 12 April 2023 |
| Launch MSRP | $649 | $599 |
| Shaders | 4608 stream processors | 5888 CUDA cores |
| Boost clock | 2250 MHz | 2475 MHz |
| Process | 7 nm | 5 nm |
| TDP | 300 W | 200 W |
| Memory | 16 GB GDDR6 | 12 GB GDDR6X |
| Bus width | 256-bit | 192-bit |
| Bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 504.2 GB/s |
| Cache | 4 MB L2 + 128 MB Infinity Cache (L3) | 36 MB L2 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Power connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 16-pin (reference) |
| Length / width | 267 mm / 2-slot | 240 mm / 2-slot |
| Outputs | 1x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort, 1x USB Type-C | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |
The spec sheet explains most of the results. AMD leans on a big 128 MB Infinity Cache and a wide 256-bit bus. NVIDIA uses a much larger 36 MB L2 cache on a narrower 192-bit bus with faster GDDR6X. Effective bandwidth ends up nearly identical (512 vs 504 GB/s), which is one reason raster performance lands so close. The bigger structural gap is the 5 nm process on the 4070, which lets it hit the same frame rates at roughly two thirds of the rated power.
Gaming Performance: Raster Is a Draw, Ray Tracing Is Not
Rasterized games
Published reviews put these two cards within a few percent of each other in traditional rendering. Aggregated results from 2023 launch coverage and later re-tests generally show a spread of about plus or minus 5% at 1440p, with some outlets giving the RTX 4070 a small edge at 1440p and others giving the RX 6800 XT a small edge. PCWorld’s comparison noted the 6800 XT pulling ahead at 4K while trailing slightly at 1440p, a pattern that matches the Radeon’s wider memory bus and larger VRAM pool. In practice you will not notice a 3-5% difference without an FPS counter on screen.
As a rough guide, both cards typically run demanding modern games at 1440p high settings in the 60-100 FPS range and lighter competitive titles well above 144 FPS. These are approximate ranges that vary with settings, CPU, game patch and driver version.
Ray tracing
This is where the RTX 4070 opens real distance. TheFPSReview’s head-to-head found the 4070 ahead by around 13% in a lighter RT title and around 27% in a heavier one at 1440p. PCWorld’s testing showed gaps of roughly 40-50% in more demanding ray-traced scenes. A fair summary of the published data is that the 4070 leads by about 10-30% in light ray tracing and 40% or more in heavy RT or path-traced workloads, before upscaling is even considered. RDNA 2 was AMD’s first ray-tracing generation, and it shows.
Upscaling and frame generation
The RTX 4070 supports DLSS Super Resolution, including the newer transformer-based model from the DLSS 4 update, plus DLSS Frame Generation (single-frame, since Multi Frame Generation is reserved for RTX 50 cards) and Reflex. The RX 6800 XT is limited to FSR 3.1 upscaling and FSR frame generation; FSR 4’s machine-learning upscaler is built for RDNA 4 and is not officially offered on RDNA 2. In games that support both, DLSS generally produces a cleaner image at the same internal resolution, which effectively gives the 4070 extra performance at equal image quality.
VRAM: Does 12 GB Hold the RTX 4070 Back?
At 1080p and most 1440p settings, 12 GB is enough for current games. The pressure points are 1440p and 4K with maximum texture quality, heavy ray tracing, and frame generation, all of which add memory overhead. A handful of recent titles can push past 12 GB at 4K ultra. The RX 6800 XT’s 16 GB gives you room to keep texture settings at maximum longer, which matters most if you keep cards for four or five years or run heavily modded games.
| Target | Typical VRAM use (high/ultra) | RTX 4070 (12 GB) | RX 6800 XT (16 GB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | roughly 6-9 GB | Comfortable | Comfortable |
| 1440p | roughly 8-11 GB | Fine, tight in a few RT titles | Comfortable |
| 4K | roughly 10-14 GB | May need texture or RT reductions | Usually fine |
These ranges are general estimates for current AAA games and shift by title.
Cost per Frame: A Worked Example
Using launch MSRPs and treating raster performance as equal (index 100 for both), the RTX 4070 launched at $599 versus $649 for the RX 6800 XT. That works out to about $5.99 per performance point for the 4070 and $6.49 for the 6800 XT, so the newer card was roughly 8% better value on paper at launch, before counting its ray-tracing lead.
Today the comparison flips toward whatever is cheaper. Used RX 6800 XT cards commonly sell in a broad range of roughly $300-$380, while used RTX 4070 cards tend to sit higher, roughly $400-$480, depending on model and condition. If you find a 6800 XT about $80-$100 below a 4070, the Radeon wins on raster cost per frame. If the gap is under about $50, the 4070’s features, efficiency and warranty age usually justify the difference.
Power, PSU and Connectors
The RX 6800 XT is rated at 300 W and the RTX 4070 at 200 W. Using a simple sizing rule of GPU TDP plus CPU power plus about 150 W of headroom:
- RX 6800 XT with a 125 W CPU: 300 + 125 + 150 = 575 W, so a quality 650 W unit is the practical minimum and 750 W is comfortable.
- RTX 4070 with a 125 W CPU: 200 + 125 + 150 = 475 W, so a quality 550 W unit works and 650 W leaves plenty of margin.
The 100 W gap also means more heat in the case and higher fan noise on the Radeon under load. Over a few hours of gaming a day, the difference adds up on an electricity bill, though it is modest at typical rates.
Connectors differ too. The RX 6800 XT reference design uses two standard 8-pin PCIe plugs. The RTX 4070 Founders Edition uses a single 16-pin connector with an adapter in the box, while many partner 4070 models use one 8-pin plug instead. Check the specific model before assuming you need a new PSU cable.
Case Fit and Physical Size
The reference RX 6800 XT is 267 mm long; the RTX 4070 reference card is 240 mm. Both are 2-slot designs. Partner cards often run longer and thicker, especially triple-fan 6800 XT models, which can exceed 300 mm and occupy 2.5 to 3 slots. For mini-ITX or compact mATX builds, a dual-fan RTX 4070 is far easier to fit and cool.
Buying Used: What to Check
A used RX 6800 XT is a common sight because many were bought for both gaming and mining. Look for even fan behavior, stable clocks under a short stress test, and no burnt smell from the power connectors. AMD has also moved RDNA 2 into a slower driver cadence for new-game optimizations since late 2025, so expect fewer day-one tuning updates than on newer Radeon cards. For a used RTX 4070, confirm the 16-pin connector seats fully if it is a Founders Edition, and ask whether any manufacturer warranty transfers.
Which Should You Buy?
For most 1440p gamers in 2026, the RTX 4070 is the safer all-round pick: equal raster speed, much stronger ray tracing, better upscaling, frame generation, lower power and a smaller footprint. The RX 6800 XT earns its place when it costs noticeably less, when you play mostly raster titles, and when you value 16 GB of VRAM for 4K textures or long ownership. If your budget can stretch to current-generation cards, the RTX 5070 or RX 9070 deliver more performance and newer features, but between these two, match the card to your games and your power supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the RX 6800 XT faster than the RTX 4070?
In rasterized games the two are roughly tied, within about 5% either way depending on resolution and game. The RX 6800 XT tends to do slightly better at 4K. With ray tracing enabled, the RTX 4070 is clearly faster, often by 10-30% and more in heavy RT titles.
Is 12 GB on the RTX 4070 enough for 1440p?
Yes, for nearly all current games at 1440p. A few demanding titles with maximum textures and ray tracing can get close to the limit. Dropping texture quality one step usually solves it with little visible loss.
What PSU do I need for an RX 6800 XT?
A quality 650 W power supply is the practical minimum with a mainstream CPU, and 750 W gives comfortable headroom. The card is rated at 300 W and uses two 8-pin connectors on the reference design. High-end CPUs push the requirement higher.
Can the RX 6800 XT use FSR 4?
FSR 4 is officially built for RDNA 4 cards such as the RX 9070 and RX 9060 XT. The RX 6800 XT supports FSR 3.1 upscaling and FSR frame generation in games that include them. Image quality from FSR 3.1 is generally behind DLSS at the same internal resolution.
Does the RTX 4070 support DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation?
No. Multi Frame Generation is exclusive to RTX 50 series cards. The RTX 4070 supports standard DLSS Frame Generation, which inserts one generated frame, plus the improved DLSS 4 transformer upscaling model.
Which card is better for streaming?
The RTX 4070 is the stronger choice for streaming and recording. Its NVENC encoder supports AV1 and is widely supported in OBS and streaming platforms. The RX 6800 XT’s encoder works but lacks AV1 encoding and is generally rated below NVENC for quality at the same bitrate.
