Is the GeForce RTX 3070 still good in 2026?

It sits at index 22 on our 1-100 scale, ranked 23 of the 47 cards we track, and clears the minimum tier in 19 of 19 games here. Its 8 GB of video memory, not its core speed, is what stops it first in 9 of them.

What processor should go with a GeForce RTX 3070?

Something around index 30 - the Ryzen 5 1600 is the closest match in our catalogue. Pairing far above that spends money the card cannot use; pairing far below it wastes the card.

NVIDIA graphics

GeForce RTX 3070

Released in 2020 with 8 GB of video memory. On our scale it sits at index 22, which places it 23 of 47 cards tracked here. In 9 of the 19 games below, its memory runs out before its core speed does.

verified 3DMark Steel Nomad score 3182 · source

Index 22 is that score divided by the fastest card we track, not a number we typed: 3182 / 14636 × 100.

Performance index

22 of 100

Video memory

8 GB

Clears minimum in

19 of 19 games

What the GeForce RTX 3070 runs

Judged on the card alone. The processor and memory in the same machine can lower any row here, never raise it.

Game	Reaches	Then limited by	Full page
Grand Theft Auto VI	minimum	video memory	open ↗
Cyberpunk 2077	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Baldur's Gate 3	high	video memory	open ↗
Elden Ring	high	core speed	open ↗
Counter-Strike 2	high	video memory	open ↗
Alan Wake 2	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Starfield	recommended	video memory	open ↗
Black Myth: Wukong	recommended	video memory	open ↗
Hogwarts Legacy	high	core speed	open ↗
Fortnite	high	video memory	open ↗
Helldivers 2	recommended	nothing	open ↗
Grand Theft Auto V	ultra	nothing	open ↗
Red Dead Redemption 2	high	core speed	open ↗
Monster Hunter Wilds	recommended	video memory	open ↗
Marvel Rivals	high	core speed	open ↗
Apex Legends	high	core speed	open ↗
Forza Horizon 5	high	video memory	open ↗
Palworld	recommended	video memory	open ↗
Destiny 2	ultra	nothing	open ↗

If you were to upgrade

The next step up our ladder is the Radeon RX 7700 XT at index 23 with 12 GB - 5% more performance than the GeForce RTX 3070 and 4 GB more memory. That is the smallest genuine move, not the best value - we hold no price data and will not pretend otherwise.

Where to look: Radeon RX 7700 XT (no store links yet)

For a balanced machine, pair it with something near index 30 - the Ryzen 5 1600 is the closest match we track.

Questions

Is the GeForce RTX 3070 still good in 2026?: It sits at index 22 on our 1-100 scale, ranked 23 of the 47 cards we track, and clears the minimum tier in 19 of 19 games here. Its 8 GB of video memory, not its core speed, is what stops it first in 9 of them.
What processor should go with a GeForce RTX 3070?: Something around index 30 - the Ryzen 5 1600 is the closest match in our catalogue. Pairing far above that spends money the card cannot use; pairing far below it wastes the card.