AMD RX 6800 vs Nvidia RTX 3070 (7 Games Tested)

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When the RX 6800 launched, it had a $579 MSRP, while the RTX 3070 launched with a $499.99 MSRP. But now in 2024, their prices are pretty much the same. So, the question is, which one is the better choice?

GPU Specs Difference

Test Bench

Let’s jump into the benchmarks, and then I will share some final thoughts on which one you should actually buy if you’re purchasing right now.

Benchmarks

Many new and upcoming games have announced that they will now be using Unreal Engine 5.1. And Unreal Engine 5.1 has some new features like the Lumen lighting system, which is a software-based ray tracing system, and then it also features like Virtual Shadow maps, Nanite, and other revolutionary technology.

Fortnite

Currently, only Fortnite, developed by Epic Games (also the developer of Unreal Engine), can be tested with Unreal Engine 5.1. At 1440p with High Settings Preset, RX 6800 was 22% faster than RTX 3070. After enabling Hardware Accelerated Ray Tracing (HW RT), the RX 6800 was just 11% faster.

Cyberpunk 2077

This is the only Ray tracing setting where both GPUs can achieve almost a 60 FPS average, that’s why I didn’t test it with upscaling. And if you have a monitor with a variable refresh rate, then these will be the best settings for you. Now, the RX 6800 is leading by 7% over the RTX 3070. We’re also seeing a more meaningful difference in the 1% lows. It’s possible that this could actually be a VRAM issue on the RTX 3070.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

If you are going to play this game at 1440p resolution, then the Balanced settings would be best, which is why I have also tested it on balanced settings. As you can see, RX 6800 is 33% faster than RTX 3070.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

In our analysis of “Plague Tail Requiem”, we began by testing at a resolution of 1440p with Ultra settings. Here, the RX 6800 showcased a performance lead of approximately 7% over the RTX 3070. However, it’s worth noting that both GPUs occasionally dipped below the 60 FPS mark during the game’s more demanding sequences. For context, even next-generation consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X manage to run this game at roughly 1440p, but at a capped 30 FPS.

The Callisto Protocol

The Callisto Protocol is developed using the Unreal Engine 4. The NVIDIA RTX 3070 marginally outperformed the AMD RX 6800 by 1 FPS. However, this slight difference essentially makes it a tie.

Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart, developed on the Unreal Engine 4, showcases impressive performance metrics at 1440p atomic settings. Both GPUs deliver an average of around 75 FPS, with the RX 6800 holding a slight 3% advantage. However, this marginal lead can essentially be considered a tie. The game’s optimization is commendable, especially given its visual quality. Interestingly, despite being promoted as a major showcase for ray tracing for years, the game was released without this feature.

Returnal

Let’s look at another Unreal Engine 4 game, Returnal. The RX 6800 outperforms the RTX 3070 by a notable 12% at 1440p with Epic settings, and this is without Ray tracing enabled. Interestingly, while it’s built on Unreal Engine 4, the engine doesn’t always dictate performance outcomes. One could speculate that the RX 6800’s advantage might be attributed to the Smart Access Memory, especially considering its higher memory allocation and usage compared to the RTX 3070.

Final Thoughts

At its launch, the RX 6800 was priced significantly higher than the RTX 3070. However, current market prices reveal a shift. As of today, the RTX 3070 price is almost as RX 6800.

Performance-wise, the RX 6800 tends to outshine the RTX 3070 in most games, especially when heavy Ray tracing isn’t in play. In fact, the lowest performance we observed from the RX 6800 in rasterized scenarios was essentially on par with the RTX 3070.

While the RX 6800 offers compelling performance, especially at its price point, Nvidia’s offerings come with their own set of advantages that justify their price premium. The RTX 3070 offers comparable or even superior Ray tracing performance in certain scenarios. In heavier Ray tracing workloads, Nvidia clearly has the edge.

Another factor to consider is the image quality. Nvidia’s DLSS tends to outperform AMD’s FSR2, particularly at lower resolutions or aggressive settings. At 1440p, the difference might be subtle, but it becomes more pronounced in performance settings.

Now You Should Read: RX 6900 XT vs RTX 3090

Jaskaran Singh

Jaskaran, a tech enthusiast from childhood, inspired by his father, began his tech journey by rooting Android phones. He now writes on various tech topics, aiming to simplify complex ideas for a broad audience. His writing is direct, concise, and flows effortlessly, making tech topics accessible and engaging.