RTX 3070 or RX 6750 XT? Picking the Right GPU

Pick the RX 6750 XT if you mostly play rasterized games at 1080p or 1440p and want the extra VRAM for newer titles; pick the RTX 3070 if ray tracing, DLSS and 4K output matter more to you than memory headroom. In standard (non-ray-traced) games the two cards land within a few percent of each other, so the decision comes down to 8 GB versus 12 GB of VRAM on one side and NVIDIA’s ray tracing and upscaling advantage on the other.

Both cards are previous-previous generation now. In late 2026 the current lineups are GeForce RTX 50 and Radeon RX 9000, with Intel’s Arc B570 and B580 at the budget end. The RTX 3070 and RX 6750 XT matter mainly to used buyers and to anyone who already owns one and wants to know whether a swap makes sense.

ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC 8GB GDDR6 256-bit 14 Gbps PCIE 4.0 Gaming Graphics Card, IceStorm 2.0 Advanced Cooling, White LED Logo Lighting, ZT-A30700H-10P (Renewed)

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msi Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 LHR 8GB GDRR6 256-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink Torx Fan 2 Ampere Architecture OC Graphics Card (RTX 3070 Ventus 2X 8G OC LHR)

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PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT Graphics Card with 12GB GDDR6 Memory

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MSI Gaming Radeon RX 6750 XT 192-bit 12GB GDDR6 Boost Clock 2600MHz Dual Torx 3.0 Fans DP/HDMI FreeSync DirectX 12 VR Ready OC Graphics Card (RX 6750 XT MECH 2X 12G V1)

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Spec Sheet Side by Side

Shader counts are not comparable across vendors. AMD’s RDNA 2 design runs fewer, faster shaders and leans on the large 96 MB Infinity Cache to make up for a narrower 192-bit bus, which is why the RX 6750 XT keeps pace despite slightly lower raw bandwidth.

How They Trade Blows in Games

Rasterized performance

Launch reviews disagree by a few points, but they all put these cards in the same bracket. According to TechPowerUp’s review of a factory-overclocked MSI RX 6750 XT, the Radeon matched the RTX 3070 across its 1440p test suite. Tom’s Hardware measured the RX 6750 XT about 2% behind the RTX 3070 at 1440p and about 3% ahead at 1080p, where the Infinity Cache hit rate is higher. Hardware Unboxed’s numbers, published by TechSpot, were less generous to AMD: roughly 5% slower than the RTX 3070 at 1080p and around 7% slower at 1440p in its 11-game average.

The reasonable summary is a range: from a tie to about 7% in NVIDIA’s favor at 1440p, and close to even at 1080p. Those differences are small enough that you will not feel them without a frame counter.

4K is where the gap opens

At 4K the narrower bus and the cache running out of room hurt the Radeon. Hardware Unboxed found the RTX 3070 about 20% ahead at 4K. Neither card is really a native 4K card in modern games, but if you plan to upscale to a 4K TV, the RTX 3070 has the stronger base.

Ray tracing

This is the RTX 3070’s clearest win. In Tom’s Hardware’s 1440p ray tracing suite the RTX 3070 was roughly 33% faster before any upscaling, and the RX 6750 XT landed only around RTX 3060 level. RDNA 2 handles part of the ray tracing workload in its shaders, while Ampere has dedicated RT cores that do more of the work.

Approximate frame rates

As a rough guide, both cards typically sit somewhere in the 60-100 FPS range in demanding modern games at 1440p high settings, and well above 100 FPS in lighter esports titles. These figures vary heavily with settings, CPU, game patch and driver version, so treat them as a class indicator rather than a promise.

Upscaling and Frame Generation

The RTX 3070 supports DLSS Super Resolution, including the newer transformer-based model that arrived with DLSS 4. That improves image quality in Performance and Balanced modes on RTX 30 cards too. What it does not get is DLSS Frame Generation, which requires RTX 40 or RTX 50 hardware.

The RX 6750 XT relies on FSR. FSR 3.1 upscaling and FSR frame generation work on it in supported games, and AMD’s driver-level Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) can add interpolated frames in many DirectX 11 and 12 titles. FSR 4, AMD’s machine-learning upscaler, is officially aimed at RX 9000 cards, so RDNA 2 owners stay on the older FSR path. Intel’s XeSS runs on both cards.

The practical result: the RTX 3070 has better upscaling image quality, while the RX 6750 XT has access to frame generation that the RTX 3070 lacks. If you play at 1440p and use upscaling often, DLSS image quality is a real advantage. If you want higher displayed frame rates in single-player games, AMD’s frame generation options partly compensate.

The VRAM Question

8 GB was comfortable in 2020. In 2026 it is the main weakness of the RTX 3070. A number of recent releases use 8 GB or more at 1440p with high texture settings, and running out shows up as stutter, texture pop-in or blurry textures rather than a neat drop in average FPS.

VRAM needs by resolution (rough guide)

• 1080p, high settings: 8 GB is usually enough, though a few demanding titles need texture settings lowered one notch.
• 1440p, high settings: 10-12 GB gives breathing room in newer games; 8 GB often needs texture or ray tracing compromises.
• 4K or heavy ray tracing: 12 GB is the practical floor; 8 GB cards struggle regardless of shader power.

The RX 6750 XT’s 12 GB is the reason it tends to age better. A card that ties at launch can pull ahead later when the slower one runs out of memory.

Cost per Frame at Launch MSRP

Using launch prices and treating 1440p raster performance as equal (index 100 for both):

• RTX 3070: $499 / 100 = about $4.99 per performance point.
• RX 6750 XT: $549 / 100 = about $5.49 per performance point.

At MSRP the RTX 3070 was roughly 10% cheaper per frame in raster and much cheaper per frame in ray tracing. That math no longer decides anything, because neither card sells at MSRP. On the used market the two usually trade in a similar band, often around $200-$280 depending on condition, model and region, so the cheaper listing at the time you buy often tips the balance.

Power, PSU and Case Fit

A simple sizing rule: GPU TDP plus CPU power plus about 150 W of headroom.

• RTX 3070 with a 125 W gaming CPU: 220 + 125 + 150 = 495 W, so a quality 550-650 W unit is fine.
• RX 6750 XT with the same CPU: 250 + 125 + 150 = 525 W, so plan on a quality 600-650 W unit, especially for overclocked partner models.

Connectors need a quick check. The Founders Edition RTX 3070 uses NVIDIA’s 12-pin connector with an included adapter, but most partner RTX 3070 cards use two 8-pin plugs (some use 8-pin plus 6-pin). The reference RX 6750 XT uses one 6-pin and one 8-pin. Make sure your PSU has the cables before buying a used card.

For case fit, the reference lengths are 242 mm and 267 mm, both dual-slot. Many partner versions are longer, often 280-320 mm with triple-fan coolers and thicker than two slots, so measure your case clearance against the specific model rather than the reference figure.

Which One for Your Setup

Buying Used in 2026

Both cards are only sold used or as leftover stock. Ask for the specific model so you can check length and connectors, look for signs of heavy mining use (discolored fans or backplate, missing original box), and test with a demanding game for at least 20 minutes if you can buy in person. Compare listings against a new budget card from the current generation, such as an Arc B580 or a lower-tier RTX 50 or RX 9000 card; when the gap is small, the warranty and newer features of a new card may be worth more than a few extra frames.

The Verdict

For a pure gaming machine at 1080p or 1440p that will be kept for a few more years, the RX 6750 XT is the safer pick because the 12 GB buffer protects it from the texture problems that increasingly catch 8 GB cards. The RTX 3070 remains the better choice for ray tracing, for 4K-with-upscaling setups and for anyone who uses NVENC or CUDA software. If the two cost the same, decide by which of those two lists describes you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RX 6750 XT faster than the RTX 3070?

In rasterized games the two are effectively tied at 1080p and within about 0-7% at 1440p depending on the review. The RTX 3070 pulls ahead at 4K and is roughly a third faster with ray tracing enabled. Overall, neither card is clearly faster without knowing which games and settings you use.

Is 8 GB of VRAM on the RTX 3070 still enough?

For 1080p and for older or esports titles, 8 GB is still workable. In several recent AAA games at 1440p, high textures can exceed 8 GB and cause stutter. Expect to lower texture quality more often on the RTX 3070 than on the 12 GB RX 6750 XT.

Can the RTX 3070 use DLSS 4?

The RTX 3070 can use the DLSS 4 transformer upscaling model, which improves image quality over older DLSS versions. It cannot use DLSS Frame Generation or Multi Frame Generation, which need RTX 40 or RTX 50 cards. FSR frame generation still works on it in games that support FSR 3.

What power supply do I need for the RX 6750 XT?

With a typical 125 W gaming CPU, the 250 W card plus about 150 W of headroom points to roughly 525 W, so a quality 600-650 W unit is a sensible choice. Overclocked partner cards can draw more than the reference figure. Make sure the PSU has the 8-pin and 6-pin (or two 8-pin) cables the specific model needs.

Should I upgrade from an RTX 3070 to an RX 6750 XT?

No, that is a sideways move. You would gain 4 GB of VRAM but lose ray tracing performance and DLSS, with no meaningful raster gain. A current-generation card is a much better upgrade target for an RTX 3070 owner.