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AMD Instinct MI210 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070: Comparison
What is the difference between AMD Instinct MI210 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070?
Start with vram, because it is the widest measured gap between them: AMD Instinct MI210 64 GB against NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB, 88% in favour of AMD Instinct MI210. Add memory bandwidth to that, 1600 GB/s on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 448 GB/s on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, and the pattern holds. Add memory bus width to that, 4096 bit on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 256 bit on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, and the pattern holds. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 also leads on tdp, 300 W on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 220 W on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070.
Which should you buy, AMD Instinct MI210 or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070?
Buy the AMD Instinct MI210 for double-precision workloads that don't need MI250X-level throughput, though it is not the pick for any desktop or workstation build - compute-only, no display output and maximum-throughput HPC nodes (use MI250X instead). It is equally the pick for HPC and AI deployments in standard PCIe-slot servers without OAM sled support. Take the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 for 1440p gaming builds that want strong performance-per-dollar from the Ampere generation. It is the wrong buy for buyers planning to use high-res texture mods or run the card for many more years. Our rating of the AMD Instinct MI210 (7.3/10): A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.
Frequently asked questions
Do the AMD Instinct MI210 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 differ on boost clock?
Yes. Boost Clock reads 1700 MHz on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 1725 MHz on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070.
Specs and benchmarks
Series
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Instinct MI200
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- GeForce RTX 30
VRAM
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 64 GBBest
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- 8 GB-87%
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI210
- HBM2E
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- GDDR6Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1700 MHz-1%
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- 1725 MHzBest
Ray Tracing Support
- AMD Instinct MI210
- No
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- Yes
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 300 W-36%
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- 220 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI210
- CDNA 2 (single Graphics Compute Die)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- Ampere (GA104)
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI210
- TSMC 6nm
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- Samsung 8N
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 4096 bitBest
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- 256 bit-94%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1600 GB/sBest
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- 448 GB/s-72%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI210
- PCIe 4.0 x16
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- PCIe 4.0
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2022-03
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- October 2020
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI210 if you want the higher VRAM (64 GB vs 8 GB), the higher memory bus width (4096 bit vs 256 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (1600 GB/s vs 448 GB/s).
Choose NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 if you want the higher boost clock (1725 MHz vs 1700 MHz) and the lower TDP (220 W vs 300 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI210 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $499.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
AMD Instinct MI210
7.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
8 / 10 Expert Rating
A landmark 1440p value card at launch, now defined by its 8GB memory ceiling.