I'm choosing between a used RX 6700 XT and RTX 3070, both priced around €200–€220. My goal is to play at 1080p using high or ultra settings. The RTX 3070 is usually about 5–10% faster in benchmarks, but the RX 6700 XT has 12GB of VRAM compared with the 3070's 8GB. Which card would be the better long-term choice?
4 Answers
At €200–€220, I’d also compare the condition, cooler noise, temperatures, and whether either seller offers a return period. A well-maintained card that is quieter and runs cooler can be a better deal than a slightly faster card with a questionable history.
The RX 6700 XT is probably the safer overall choice for modern 1080p gaming. Its 12GB of VRAM gives it more breathing room for high-resolution textures and newer games, and it’s usually very close to the RTX 3070 in regular rasterized performance. At the same price, I’d choose the 6700 XT unless you specifically want Nvidia features.
I’d lean toward the RTX 3070 if you care about ray tracing, DLSS, or other Nvidia-specific features. It has a little more raw performance and generally offers the better upscaling support, as long as the games you play don’t exceed 8GB of VRAM.
The deciding factor is mostly VRAM versus features. Choose the RTX 3070 if you stay within 8GB usage and want better ray tracing or DLSS. Choose the RX 6700 XT if you expect newer games to use more than 8GB, since running into the VRAM limit can cause stuttering even when the GPU is otherwise fast enough.
Just keep in mind that the RX 6000 series officially supports FSR 3.1, so claims about newer upscaling features should be checked on a game-by-game basis.