Radeon RX Vega 64 vs GeForce GTX 1070

Speed and memory

In our performance index the Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 17 and the GeForce GTX 1070 scores 16, which makes the Radeon RX Vega 64 about 6% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

Both cards have 8 GB of video memory, so memory will not separate them.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (62 against 58 fps), and the smallest is in Call of Duty (44 against 42 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon RX Vega 64 is rated at 295 W and the GeForce GTX 1070 at 150 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 750 W for the first and 550 W for the second. A gap of 145 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the Radeon RX Vega 64 cost $499 and the GeForce GTX 1070 $379. Per dollar, the GeForce GTX 1070 gave more performance (4.2 points per $100 against 3.4). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon RX Vega 64 if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the GeForce GTX 1070 if the price gap matters more than the 6% speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.