Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB vs RTX 3070: Which Is the Better GPU?

The RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and RTX 3070 are two budget mid-range GPUs. But which is the better card, and which one should you buy? Find out here.

Picture of PNY RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB vs MSI RTX 3070
PNY RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB vs MSI RTX 3070 (Image via PNY | MSI)

The Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB was released recently, while the RTX 3070 is quite a bit older now. The former is two generations newer than the latter. The former also has double the memory. Despite these advantages, the RTX 5060 Ti is still a 60-class GPU. Can it beat the 70-class RTX 3070 graphics card? That’s exactly what we plan to find in this article, with a detailed comparison of the two cards here. Read on to learn more.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB vs RTX 3070: Detailed Comparison

The Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB is designed on the newer Blackwell architecture with all its features. On the other hand, the RTX 3070 is designed on the aging Ampere architecture. Let’s look at their full specs to get a general idea of what they are equipped with.

Specs Comparison

Picture of MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio (Image via MSI)

Here are the specs of the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and RTX 3070:

SpecificationsNvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GBNvidia RTX 3070
ArchitectureBlackwellAmpere
Shader cores46085888
RT cores3646
TMUs144184
ROPs4896
Base core clock speeds2407 MHz1500 MHz
Boost core clock speeds2572 MHz1725 MHz
Memory capacity16GB GDDR78GB GDDR6
Memory bus width128-bit256-bit
Memory bandwidth448.0 GB/s448.0 GB/s
Manufacturing node5nm8nm
Thermal design power (TDPs)180W220W

The Nvidia RTX 3070 has more shader cores, RT cores, TMUs, and ROPs than the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB. However, the latter has double the memory and is also built on a newer architecture. The newer architecture enables each individual shader core, TMU, ROP, and component to operate faster than their predecessors. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB can beat the RTX 3070 despite having fewer components inside.

Performance Comparison

Here’s how the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and RTX 3070 perform in some of the most popular games on the market:

GamesNvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GBNvidia RTX 3070
Cyberpunk 207777 FPS66 FPS
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (RT Min & DLSS Quality)68 FPS55 FPS
Forza Horizon 5121 FPS95 FPS
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (DLSS Quality)67 FPS57 FPS
Metro Exodus: PC Enhanced Edition (RT)71 FPS64 FPS
Black Myth: Wukong (DLSS Quality)90 FPS73 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 286 FPS79 FPS
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered58 FPS52 FPS
Marvel’s Spider-Man 292 FPS75 FPS
Kingdom Come Deliverance II (DLSS Quality)72 FPS63 FPS

Note: The two GPUs tested here were evaluated at a 1440p resolution with High/Ultra settings unless otherwise specified. All the FPS numbers were sourced from the Testing Games channel on YouTube. For the tests, the two graphics cards were paired with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.

On average, the new RTX 5060 Ti delivered 18% more FPS than the RTX 3070, despite having less capable hardware inside. The 16 GB VRAM of the former did help, especially in newer titles. However, it’s the architectural changes in the newer GPU that did most of the heavy lifting.

Price Comparison

Picture of PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC
PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC (Image via PNY)

The Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB is currently selling for only $429 on Amazon. On the other hand, the RTX 3070 is no longer sold officially and has been out of production for a long time. It was priced at $499, but it is currently sold for around $220 to $260 in the used market. In terms of official pricing, the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB is also the better choice, and it has double the memory.

Final Verdict on Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB vs RTX 3070

The Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB is the better choice for a new GPU. It not only scored 18% more FPS than the RTX 3070 but also has double the VRAM. Therefore, this RTX 5060 will have no issues running future games that require more memory. The RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB is also priced cheaper than the RTX 3070. Even if you get an RTX 3070 for a good deal in the used market, we still cannot recommend it. Buying an 8 GB GPU in 2025 is not a great choice.


We provide the latest news and “How To’s” for Tech content. Meanwhile, you can check out the following articles related to PC GPUs, CPU and GPU comparisons, mobile phones, and more: