RTX 4070 vs RTX 4080 for Video Editing

Reading the GPU name on a laptop title

On an editing laptop listing, the graphics name usually sits after the processor in the title. A title may read a processor name and then RTX 4070 or RTX 4080. Both are names from the GeForce RTX family of laptop graphics chips, and both are separate graphics cards, meaning they have their own chip and their own memory next to the main processor.

In the same family, a higher number marks the card above the lower number. RTX 4080 is the higher-numbered card of the two, and RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 names on newer listings carry higher numbers in the same naming style above the older names. The title is the first place to read the name; the stated details on the same listing are where you read the rest.

The older names still appear on listings that are sold today, often beside newer names. The article on graphics memory and the article on checking a listing walk through the terms you will meet.

TGP: the power figure behind the card

TGP is the power the laptop maker allows the graphics chip to draw. The maker chooses this figure when it builds the laptop, and it is a stated detail on some listings and absent on others. A card name alone does not tell you the TGP.

When a listing states TGP, read it as a stated figure like any other. NVIDIA's GeForce page states a 150W GPU TGP figure in the description of its comparison chart. The GPU power article explains the term in detail, and the power adapter article covers the charger side of the same question.

Graphics memory and memory bandwidth

Graphics memory, or VRAM, is the memory on the graphics chip that holds the image data the chip works on. On a listing it appears as a figure such as 8GB, 12GB, 16GB or 24GB, or it is not stated at all. Read the stated figure as the capacity on the listing.

Memory bandwidth is the rate at which that memory moves data. It is rarely stated on a laptop listing. The Apple page for the MacBook Pro states a comparable figure for its own chips: 153GB/s for the M5 chip and 307GB/s for the M5 Pro chip, as that page lists them. On an RTX listing, the figure is usually absent, and you read the graphics name and stated graphics memory instead. The memory bandwidth article covers the term.

NVIDIA's professional laptop page states GDDR7 as the memory type of that line, with up to 24GB stated on the same page. Those figures belong to the professional line on that page; for an RTX 4070 or RTX 4080 listing, read the figure the listing states.

Comparing a 4070 listing with a 4080 listing

To compare two listings, place the stated details side by side:

A listing that states RTX 4080 and a graphics memory figure is read as the higher-numbered card with a stated capacity. A listing that states RTX 4070 without a graphics memory figure is read as a card name with no capacity figure. Read RAM beside the GPU name, because the timeline works in RAM. The site's guides discuss 32GB as the starting point for editing lists, and the 64GB guide covers the larger figure.

• The graphics name as the title states it
• The stated graphics memory figure, if any
• The RAM figure
• The storage figure
• The screen size and weight

Older names and the current lineup

RTX 4070 and RTX 4080 belong to the older part of the GeForce RTX naming. Current listings on this site's guides mostly carry newer names such as RTX 5060, RTX 5070 and RTX 5090, which follow the same numbering style above the older names.

If you want the newest names on a listing, read the RTX 5090 guide instead. If you are comparing two older listings, the method is the same: read the stated details.

The MacBook side of the comparison

A buyer reading RTX listings may also read MacBook listings. The Apple page for the MacBook Pro states its chips in the same style a title uses: M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max, with a GPU core count and a memory bandwidth figure for each. The MacBook guide compares MacBook listings on stated details.

The platform choice is yours to make. RTX laptops run Windows 11, and MacBook laptops run macOS. The two families sit side by side in the same catalogue of stated details.

What the listing does not state

A laptop listing states what it states: a graphics name, RAM, storage, screen and weight. It does not state an export time, a playback result, or a program outcome. The maker's page of the editing program is the place to read what the program states about itself; the DaVinci Resolve page from Blackmagic Design is one such page.

Read the listing as it stands, and read the guides that apply the same method. The 4K editing guide starts from a full shortlist of stated details.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

How do RTX 4070 and RTX 4080 compare on a listing?

RTX 4080 is the higher number in the same GeForce RTX family, so a listing stating it is the higher-numbered card. Compare the two listings on stated details, including any stated graphics memory, RAM and storage.

How much graphics memory do these cards have?

That figure is not stated on every listing. You will read 8GB, 12GB, 16GB or 24GB on some listings, and no figure on others. Read the figure the listing states and treat an absent figure as absent.

What does TGP mean on a laptop title?

TGP is the power the laptop maker allows the graphics chip to draw. Most listings do not state it. NVIDIA's GeForce page states a 150W GPU TGP figure in the description of its comparison chart.

Do these cards run DaVinci Resolve?

The catalogue does not state a program result. Read the DaVinci Resolve page on the Blackmagic Design site for what the program states about itself.

Should you buy a 4070, a 4080, or a MacBook?

That is a platform question first. 40 Series names appear on Windows listings, and MacBook names appear on macOS listings. Read the Windows editing guides and the MacBook guide side by side on stated details.

Why does a title list the processor before the graphics name?

Most laptop titles read the processor first and the graphics name second, for example a processor name followed by RTX 4070 or RTX 4080. Read the title first, then confirm the details in the stated list.