What are the rendering times for the RTX 4070 in Blender compared to the MacBook Pro M4

RTX 4070 Ti Rendering Performance

The RTX 4070 Ti is part of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series, which offers significant improvements in rendering performance compared to the previous 30 Series. Specifically, the RTX 4070 Ti provides about 41% faster performance than the RTX 3080, despite being more expensive[8]. However, in some scenarios, it may not perform as well as older high-end models like the RTX 3090, especially if VRAM capacity becomes a limiting factor[1].

For example, a scene with 14 million faces rendered at a resolution of 2350x1000 with a 200% resolution scale and 256 max samples took around 2 hours to render on an RTX 4070 Ti[1]. This performance is generally consistent with expectations for a GPU of its class, though specific rendering times can vary based on scene complexity and settings.

MacBook Pro M4 Max Rendering Performance

The MacBook Pro M4 Max, equipped with Apple's latest M4 Max chip, has shown impressive performance in Blender rendering tests. It has been benchmarked to perform just below the laptop version of the NVIDIA RTX 4080 and above the last generation of desktop GPUs[3]. In real-world tests, the M4 Max has demonstrated the ability to outperform the RTX 3080 and even come close to matching the RTX 4080 Super in certain scenarios[4].

For instance, in a comparison involving the "Lone Monk" scene, the M4 Max rendered it in about 2 minutes and 27 seconds, significantly faster than the RTX 3080 and only slightly slower than the RTX 4080[10]. This performance is notable given the M4 Max's power efficiency and compact design compared to dedicated NVIDIA GPUs.

Comparison

While the RTX 4070 Ti offers strong performance for its class, the MacBook Pro M4 Max has shown surprising competitiveness against high-end NVIDIA GPUs in Blender rendering. The M4 Max's ability to efficiently handle complex scenes and its power efficiency make it a compelling option for those who prefer a portable solution. However, the RTX 4070 Ti remains a strong choice for those who need high performance in a desktop environment, especially when paired with a powerful CPU.

In summary, the RTX 4070 Ti provides robust rendering performance but may be outpaced by the M4 Max in certain scenarios, particularly when considering the M4 Max's efficiency and portability advantages. The choice between these options would depend on specific needs, such as mobility versus raw performance in a fixed environment.