Nvidia has built on its success with the RTX 4000 series GPU lineup witha plethora of high-end optionsthat currently dominate the enthusiast-tier GPU market considerably from the monstrous RTX 4090 GPUs to the more versatile andcost-effective RTX 4070TI GPUs. However, many gamers hunt for a better, lower-end bargain for their next upgrade this summer. Enter the RTX 4070; It is a GPU that looks to replace the RTX 3080 with similar performance under the hood and at a $200 discount versus the launch MSRP of the latter, while offering 12GB of VRAM for more demanding titles.
With AMD’s RX 7700XT and 7800XT GPUs seeing extensive price cuts as a response to the RTX 4070 SUPER, the RTX 4070 seems to be a tricky, yet affordable Nvidia-based GPU purchase for those looking for a sub-$500 GPU without giving up the $50 premium that most new SUPER alternative costs currently.
Unlike the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080, which were phased out once the SUPER lineup launched, the RTX 4070 received a small price cut, lowering it from $600 to $550, as the RTX 4070 SUPER replaced it as Nvidia’s offering for users aiming to spend between $600-800 on a GPU.
With 5888 CUDA cores, excellent DLSS 3 & DLSS 3.5 performance, and improved Ray Tracing under the hood, in addition to higher clocks, the RTX 4070 is the GPU that targets the masses with its updated $550 MSRP with AIB variants costing more for both aesthetic and performance upgrades.
May 27th, 2024 by Rahim Amir:The choices below have had their prices updated and the guide now features the ASUS ProArt RTX 4070 OC as an excellent alternative choice for productivity-centric users.
The Best Nvidia RTX 4070 GPUs In 2024
The team at Game Rant has picked out some of the best RTX 4070 SKUs on the market and where players can buy them below:
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G
Tri-Fan Alternative
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G is a powerful graphics card that can run most modern games comfortably at 1440p. It comes with a triple fan design for better heat dissipation. It boasts higher clock speeds than the Founders Edition card at 2490 MHz. It has the same 5888 Cuda cores and 12 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 192-bit memory bus.A single 8-pin connector powers the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G, unlike its higher-end siblings which move to the newer 12VHPWR connector.
Users looking for a price cut on an aftermarket take on the RTX 4070 can benefit from the value that the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G currently offers, making it arguably the best budget purchase in its weight class. It comes overclocked out of the box, skips on RGB lighting, and utilizes the newer Windforce design that includes alternate spinning fans as well as an extended heatsink to keep temperatures low when in operation.
It is pertinent to note that the Gigabyte RTX 4070 Windforce OC was expected to be the first of many discounted SKUs from Nvidia to counter the launch of the RX 7700XT and the RX 7800XT. It however remains the most enduring of discounted SKUs with others mostly falling back to the “new” MSRP prices or simply remaining rooted in place. This means that unless the situation changes, Gigabyte’s well-endowed GPU is the best budget-centric as well as a decent performance play alike for gamers looking for an RTX 4070 GPU closer to $500 rather than the $600 to 700 range many higher-end SKUs currently command.
Trading at exactly the MSRP of the RTX 4070 FE, the Gigabyte RTX 4070 is possibly the best mid-range Nvidia GPU users can buy for users unable or unwilling topay the extra $50 for its RTX 4070 SUPER alternatives. The fact that it runs cool and packs a tri-fan cooler as part of the bargain makes it an even better option than some of its more expensive dual-fan AD104-based alternatives currently.
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 OC
A TUF Bargain To Miss
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 OC is the most well-rounded offering from ASUS in terms of pricing, performance, and build quality when it comes to an RTX 4070. With excellent, quiet cooling, an above-average boost clock, and a rugged look, it is one of the best RTX 4070 SKUs money can buy.
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 OC is an excellent, well-built, no-nonsense GPU that offers excellent boost clocks, a stable and efficient cooler that keeps temperatures and noise at a minimum with decent overclocking potential for users who know what they’re doing. It runs off a single 8-pin power connector which is true for most entry-level or mid-range RTX 4070 SKUs but not true for higher-end ASUS and Gigabyte offerings when it comes to the RTX 4070; they tend to have 16-pin adapters which can require 2 x 8-pin connectors to power their higher overclocks.
The TUF has a single HDMI port, unlike the Strix which offers more flexibility in native HDMI connectors. Its RGB lighting is also somewhat limited. One could argue that the TUF is somewhat over-engineered for what it is resulting in a larger card in terms of dimensions than required, but that seems to be based on user demand for ‘three-fan’ GPUs more than anything else. If players need a smaller or more compact GPU, the Dual RTX 4070 (also on our list) from ASUS is also a great choice.
The Tri-Fan ASUS RTX 4070 continues to fetch a premium even as the RTX 4070 SUPER has hit shelves. This makes it a costly, but premium buy in the face of a market that has seen the RTX 4070 FE already correct to the $550 MSRP with ready availability for users looking to score a unit below the SUPER’s stated MSRP even as multiple non-OC models continue to be stocked including ASUS’s DUAL option of the newer SKU at its $600 MSRP.
Note:For users looking to score a higher-clocked tri-fan factory overclocked SKU that offers a quiet operation, the TUF RTX 4070 is still viable but the team at Game Rant strongly recommends pushing one’s budget slightly further and going for theRTX 4070 SUPER SKUof the same that only asks for $40 more for an approximate 15-20% gain in performance across multiple game titles and benchmarks.
ASUS ProArt GeForce RTX 4070 OC Edition
For Those Who Create
The Asus ProArt GeForce RTX 4070 OC Edition is a graphics card designed for gaming and productivity. The GPU is based on the powerful, latest-generation chip by Nvidia and features 12 gigabytes of GDDR6X video memory, DLSS 3 support, and multimonitor support via both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a.
The ASUS ProArt GeForce RTX 4070 OC Edition is geared towards creators and users who want a silent, powerful GPU that looks and feels premium compared to the competition. It removes any RGB lighting from the equation, making it a great option for users interested in using one for an all-black PC build in the future.
The ASUS ProArt GeForce RTX 4070 OC offers an excellent factory overclock to go with its capable tri-fan cooler, which some might call over-engineered versus the competition, especially considerign the small AD104 chip it hosts. For productivity-centric users, it also offers 3 months of Adobe Creative Cloud, which should help result in significant savings.
Despite its tri-fan design, the ProArt only occupies 2.5 slots versus larger RTX 4000 series GPUs and is relatively compact, allowing it to feature in multiple mATX and ITX builds and systems. This, coupled with premium build quality, overhauled fans and excellent power delivery make for an excellent addition to most workbenches or gaming PCs that wish to skip RGB lighting in 2024.
Users can also opt for theRTX 4070 SUPER SKU of the samefor an additional $90 (at the time of writing), but the premium in play is much higher. One might want to consider gettingthe RTX 4070 Ti SUPERinstead, which offers more VRAM and performance for an $60 premium over MSRP.
ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4070 OC Edition
Good Things Come In Dual Fan Packages
The Asus Dual GeForce RTX 4070 OC Edition is an excellent entry-level RTX 4070 GPU that gets the job done with a decent overclock, a quiet design, and a price tag that goes neck and neck with Nvidia’s own FE offerings MSRP. With 12GB of GDDR6X memory this generation, the Dual RTX 4070 OC is the go-to GPU for many smaller case owners and ITX builders this generation thanks to its more compact design and adequate cooling.
The ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4070 OC Edition is an excellent entry-level SKU of the RTX 4070 that is targeted towards users looking for a GPU as close to the founder’s edition in terms of price, while offering a mild performance uplift in terms of clock speeds. The entry-level, compact RTX 4070 is an excellent GPU to consider with a mild overclock in terms of boost speeds over the base SKU with coupons coming up on both Amazon and Newegg regularly to make it a better offering thanks to added discounts making it much more compelling deal than MSRP currently.
The Dual is a minimalist approach to the RTX 4070, and it trades at the same price as the Founders Edition while offering better performance, making it a no-brains purchase for users who need a lower-profile RTX 4070 or who are planning a smaller build down the line. The Dual delivers decent performance and value for money in a neat package that is only rivaled by the MSI Ventus above in both categories.
The ASUS Dual continues to trade at a price below MSRP for the RTX 4070 FE, with further price cuts potentially in play as AMD continues to price its GPUs aggressively after Nvidia’s newer RTX 4000 SUPER product launches. It offers an excellent compact design with thermals and higher clocks to boot, all of which make it a compelling purchase for gamers looking to score an RTX 4070 from one of the leading AIB partners from Nvidia.
MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X 12G OC
Lightweight Design, Heavyweight Clocks
The MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X 12G OC is a mid-range RTX 4000 series GPU that offers RTX 3080-like performance with slightly better value thanks to its stellar DLSS 3 performance. Currently, trading slightly above MSRP for the founder’s edition makes it an excellent buy for anyone looking to upgrade this summer.
The MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X 12G OC is an excellent, lightweight take on the RTX 4070 from MSI which offers decent overclocks, a standard 8-pin connector, and a tri-fan card in a 2-slot form factor that seems to work well with temperatures under control thanks to its balanced approach to performance and cooling. It does skip on RGB lighting altogether as MSI’s entry-level Ventus GPUs do and feels a little cheaper to handle than most of the more ‘premium’ models thanks to its lower weight compared to many of its competitors.
MSI does mean business however with the Ventus; During our stress tests, we were hard pushed to take it past 60 degrees at 100% GPU utilization at its max boost clocks, and at the same price tag as an FE unit, it is a bargain that can fit in most modern PCs without needing a case or PSU upgrade this summer making it feature as both our recommended budget RTX 4070 GPU and one of the most balanced, lightweight, yet thermally stable RTX 4070 SKUs to date.
The well-designed MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X 12G OC is already on sale at Best Buy, trading at just $10 over MSRP for the FE, making it an excellent contender versus Nvidia’s FE offering currently. For users able to spend the extra $50, it would also be worth checking out thedual-fan RTX 4070 SUPERas an excellent alternative instead.
The MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X 12G OC delivers the goods when it comes to a powerful, lightweight take on the RTX 4070 GPU. It also trades closer to MSRP than its direct competition. Despite this, it even offers comparable performance to some of its more expensive alternatives going into 2024, making it a compelling buy for users unwilling to splurge on a higher-end RTX 4070 SUPER SKU currently.
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 OC
Premium TriFan Strix Offering
The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 OC is the fastest consumer-grade RTX 4070 GPU money can buy. It features excellent cooling and design, but it also comes with a price tag that not many would like to go with its three-slot, tri-fan design take on Nvidia’s mid-range RTX 4070 GPU.
The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4070 is both the most premium and highest performance tier RTX 4070 GPU players can currently get for their money with the highest boost clocks in the business, ASUS’s higher-end Dual HDMI ports staple, and one of the best air-cooled solutions available in its price bracket. That does however lead gamers to ask the obvious question: What price bracket is justified for a high-end take on a mid-range GPU?
The ROG Strix RTX 4070 clocks in at sub $700 currently, pushing it dangerously close, if not exactly at par with some recently marked down RTX 4070TI SKUs which, even when running at stock clocks will considerably outperform ASUS’s offerings at the highest tier of RTX 4070 GPUs. The Strix SKU’s performance gains are relatively minute compared to the significant premium it currently continues to command, making it an excellent but pricey option to consider if players are in the market for an RTX 4070 in particular.
Players who can pay the premium should consider checking outGame Rant’s comprehensive list of RTX 4070 TIs, which offer considerably better performance while matching the premium RTX 4070 SKU in terms of price. As of February 2024, it continues to command approximately a $150 premium over the RTX 4070 FE. This is despite the RTX 4070 SUPER launch in the previous month, as well as AMD and its AIBs continuing to cut prices on its already competitive RX 7800XT and 7900XT GPUs aggressively in the market, making this nearly always a purely aesthetic purchase.
With significantly better performance available across the board with another $100 spent on the recently launched RTX 4070 TI SUPER SKUs, the case for the Strix RTX 4070 at its current pricing can only be justified if one wants the best-looking model money can buy. A large discount for more performance on the RTX 4080 Super versus the RTX 4080 at $1000 as well as more competitive entries at the $600 and $800 price points respectively from Nvidia do make the Strix RTX 4070 a somewhat unappealing purchase in terms of value for money at its current price tag of $700 at multiple retailers.
How to Choose The Best RTX 4070 In 2024
Finding an RTX 4070 GPU that suits one’s needs is a relatively easier task given its mid-range specification and much better availability of mid-range models than flagshipGPUs like the RTX 4090, which are experiencing yet another AI demand-induced shortage. Users can, however, still benefit from doing their research and picking a model that offers better value than its peers by focusing on some of the tenants below:
Price: As stated above, the RTX 4070 sees much better availability than the RTX 4090 (or RTX 4080) generally, making it much easier to search for value in Nvidia’s mid-range GPU than its higher-end siblings. This means that multiple SKUs cost as much as MSRP for the GPU as well as some exceptions that cost less than the the $550 Nvidia currently asks for its Founders Edition. With the RTX 4070 SUPER expected to completely replace it over time while offering a higher CUDA core count and performance out of the box, the RTX 4070 might be short-lived, even at $550 a pop.
Boost Clocks: The RTX 4070 has a lower thermal footprint on offer than some of its competition, and it can boost higher on certain SKUs to capitalize. GPUs that offer rated higher boost clocks from the get-go tend to also overclock better and regularly boost closer to offer a sub 10% gain to overclockers without sacrificing stability by combining excellent power delivery with substantial cooling in tow.
Cooling Mechanism: While the RTX 4070 runs cooler than its predecessors, touting efficiency versus the RTX 3080 which it replaces, a better cooling mechanism allows it to offer better thermals and better, sustained boost clocks, making for better overall performance. While some RTX 4070 SKUs are considerably over-engineered in the cooling department, others could benefit from better cooling under the hood, making this an area users can benefit from by taking a closer look.
FAQ
Q: Is the RTX 4070 a good mid-range GPU purchase In 2023?
While it is not the upgrade many people are looking for, the RTX 4070 is still a great GPU pick in 2023 thanks to it offering better performance and compatibility with Nvidia’s latest technologies such as DLSS3 while offering rasterization performance equivalent to a last generation RTX 3080 starting at $600. Due to a lack of better options, it is, for many people, the only mid-range option for a GPU in 2023 and considerably better value than its alternatives.
Q: How much VRAM do the RTX 4070 and the RTX 4070TI have?
Both the RTX 4070 and RTX 4070TI come equipped with 12GB of 192-bit GDDR6X memory that can offer up to 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth.
