NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition 12GB Graphics Card Review

Introduction

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition 12GB Graphics Card Review

Final Thoughts

Unless AMD repositions their RX 7800 XT or releases an RX 7800 XTX, the NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER provides ultimately much better power efficiency as well as better overall value-adding features to justify its price. With no RTX 3080 Ti or RX 6900 XT on shelves, unless second hand sellers sell at PHP20k or less, the RTX 4070 SUPER would be the best choice for those looking to go just below the PHP 50K mark.

Performance

9

Build Quality

8.7

Functionality

9

Value

8.8

Pros

Decent performance improvement

Good power efficiency

Cool take on the 2-slot FE cooler

Displaces RTX 4070 at original price

Cons

No VRAM capacity increase

8.9

Rating

NVIDIA formally announced thier RTX 40 SUPER line-up whihc includes the RTX 4080 SUPER, RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and the RTX 4070 SUPER. The announcement wasn’t so secret as industry news has already revealed news of the upcoming cards and with news of NVIDIA also forgoing 2024 to release their RTX 50 series in favor of possibly 2025. With the RTX 40-series already heading towards it 2-year shelf life, NVIDIA’s RTX 40 SUPER line-up is a two-prong release that addresses both AMD’s recent GPU releases in their mainstream stack while also revitalizing their RTX 40 line-up with fresher cards, all of which give a mid-season bump to their non-SUPER counterpart.

NVIDIA isn’t creating this GPU in response to online noise regarding VRAM size. This is most obvious in the VRAM capacity of the RTX 4080 SUPER and the RTX 4070 SUPER, both of which still carry over their non-SUPER counterparts original VRAM capacity, The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER though, an oddly named entry because of its double sub-series naming, sees the benefit of a memory capacity bump with it now carrying 16GB of GDDR6X.

Besides some spec changes, there’s not much new to the cards. Perhaps specific to the RTX 4070 is NVIDIA’s choice to do away with the 8-pin PCIe power and use the 12VHPWR power connector. This is most likely to avoid the need of using dual 8-pin power connectors to deliver the card’s rated 220W TBP.

In this review we’ll be focusing on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, specifically the Founders Edition model. Reviews for the non-overclock version of the RTX 4070 SUPER are also up today with custom OC models following tomorrow. This will be followed shortly by reviews of the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and the RTX 4080 SUPER. That being said, this comes directly during CES 2024 and many of the media covering this are in a literal crunch. With that in mind, we’ll be using our 2023 benchmark data updated as recently as Q4 2023 for this review. We will provide an overhauled review for partner cards leading up to the RTX 4080 SUPER’s review embargo where we will be using our new 2024 GPU review format. This review will focus primarily on the performance side of the GPU.

Product Gallery

Test Setup & Methodology

Processor: Intel Core i9-13900K
Memory: Kingston FURY Renegade DDR5-6400 32GB
Storage: Kingston FURY Renegade 2TB SSD
PSU: FSP Hydro G Pro 1000W
Cooling: ROG Ryujin II 360 AIO Cooler
Monitor: ROG PG27UQ 4K 144hz HDR1000
VGA: Listed

For a full-hardware workout, visit https://benchmarks.ul.com for our system warm-up and stress test of choice.

For benchmarking methodology please see our game benchmark method guide.

Test results are gathered and produced on CapFrameX. This makes it easier for use to get both line graph comparison and raw averages without extra tools. Simply the easiest tool for benchmarking and its available for everyone to use, free of charge. Check it out at capframex.com.

Since this is a GPU review, we benchmarked the area of the games that put heavy load on the GPU.

All our test runs are repeatable, click the links below for area and details. Read our benchmarking methodology.

• Counter-Strike 2: Mirage map custom scene
• DOTA2 – TI2023 LB3 Game 2 VP vs BetBoom
• PUBG Battlegrounds – Custom Scene
• Valorant
• Forza Horizon 5 – Panoramica Sprint (Benchmark Mode)
• Cyberpunk 2077 – in-game benchmark
• Marvel’s Spider-Man – Empire State area
• F1 2023 – Singapore, night time, wet (in-game benchmark)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator – Landing activity, YSSY
• A Plague’s Tale: Requiem – opening chase scene with Hugo, Amicia and Lucas
• Hogswarth Legacy – Hogsmeade Square loop
• The Last of Us Part I – Game prologue – town panic area
• Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – in-game benchmark
• Far Cry 6 – in-game benchmark

For re-asessment:

• Rainbow Six: Siege
• Apex Legends
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Destiny 2
• Elden Ring
• Overwatch 2

See our Youtube playlist for benchmark sequences.

Note: Some proprietary technologies of NVIDIA like PCSS, HBAO+, and HairWorks work on AMD GPU’s BUT to maintain uniformity amongst GPUs, these have been turned OFF.

You can click on any of the benchmark charts enlarge. You can also move forward and backwards to quickly navigate through our charts via gallery view. For this test, only the out-of-box normal mode will be tested.

Notes:

• All data are gathered from exactly the same system, with exactly the configuration we list here. No data is reused from another system or from any variations of. We gather data from only one system as indicated here.
• Graphics cards are allowed to heat up prior to benchmarking. Cooler graphics cards may boost higher than normal.
• Following up on the above, we try to enjoy the game and play a bit before proceeding to the actual benchmark scenario. This allows us to detect any other problems like stuttering, frame skipping, or any other problems.
• Games that receive graphical updates that affect performance e.g. (DOTA2 moving from DX9 to DX11) will be retested completely.

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is the direct upgrade of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which released on September 27, 2023. Valve opted to go for an engine update much like DOTA 2 and has also replaced CSGO directly in their librariies. Built on the Source 2 engine, the game also defaults to DirectX 11 on Windows but also supports Vulkan API. CS2 features a more modernized look while still being relatively lighter.

API: DirectX 11
Maximum In-Game Settings
Reflex OFF
Vsync OFF
fps_max 0

DOTA 2

In contention for the most popular game on Steam and the biggest competition in eSports: DOTA 2 is powered by the Source 2 engine. The game is fairly light on low to medium settings but maxed out, with heavy action on screen especially during clashes, can really stress most systems. This is a game where frame times matter as responsiveness is very important in high-stakes competition. We’re looking at consistently low frametimes in this  game for the best experience.

You can watch the replay of the actual game used in the benchmark in your Dota2 client. Search for this game: 7161139105. Nothing special in this particular match but the clash is a good enough test.  You can download it for your own reference. (save it to your DOTA2 replays folder)

API: DirectX11 (default)
Best-Looking slider setting (Ultra)
FPS_MAX 0
Vsync OFF

PUBG Battlegrounds

Developed and published by PUBG Corporation, PlayerUknnown’s Battlegrounds now officially PUBG Battlegrounds, was an ARMA3 mod which has gained a massive global playerbase after being released as a stand-alone game. The game is now available for almost all platforms from PC to mobile but PC has been the definitive edition of the game. The game has evolved much since its release, receiving multiple polish to arrive at its current state.

API: DirectX 11
Settings: Ultra
Vsync: OFF

Apex Legends

The battle royale genre sees multiple titles emerge and Respawn Entertainment’s most successful title to date, Apex Legends differentiates itself from main rival PUBG as it presents itself in true, fast-paced FPS. Existing in the same universe as Titanfall, Apex Legends sees contenders in traditional battle royale elimination format but gameplay heavily gears towards more familiar FPS mechanics. As a Respawn Ent. game, its closer to COD versus PUBG’s more sluggish and heavier gameplay.

API: DirectX 11
Settings: High
Texture Streaming Budget: 6GB VRAM
FSP Cap Disabled
Vsync: OFF

Valorant

Developed by League of Legends developer, Riot Games, Valorant is a first-person shooter featuring multiple heroes or agents which have unique skills to assist them within the games traditional team-based FPS combat. The game is gaining incredible success and has taken a large chunk of the now-incredibly massive CSGO playerbase as well, presenting a more refreshed take on classic TDM FPS but spices it up with skills, etc. Like CSGO and League, this game is light as a feather for the largest adoption possible. With 360hz monitors and input lag/system latency a major focus for these games, we’re now including it as reference for players.

API: DirectX 11
Max Detail settings

Rainbow Six Siege

Nearly 4 years later and Rainbow Six: Siege has become a phenomenon after a lukewarm beginning. The massive shift in focus of the game sees it stepping into eSports territory and the excellent mix of gameplay mechanics, good design and a dedicated dev team has put R6: Siege in a position it couldn’t even picture during launch. Rainbow Six: Siege focuses heavily on tactical and creative gameplay and its vertical levels and highly destructible maps encourage players to be quick on their feet so the action is always going. Powered by Ubisoft’s own AnvilNext 2.0 engine which powers some of Ubi’s recent visual masterpieces, R6:Siege also feature excellent graphics and can get very taxing at high detail settings. The game also features an Ultra HD texture pack download for those that want higher resolution textures but will of course demand more from the system.

API: DirectX 11
Ultra Settings
Anti Aliasing: TAA
Ultra HD Texture pack not installed
Ambient Occlusion: SSBC
Vsync OFF
The game automatically drops to 50% render resolution when Ultra preset is selected

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

CD Projekt Red’s latest installment in the Witcher saga features one of the most graphically intense offering the company has to date. As Geralt of Rivia, slay monsters, beasts and men as you unravel the mysteries of your past. Vast worlds and lush sceneries make this game a visual feast and promises to make any system crawl at its highest settings. This game has found great resurgence in its playerbase thanks to the release of Netflix’ Witcher series. On December 2022, The Witcher 3 received a next-gen patch which bring ray tracing as well as many other changes to the game.

API: DirectX 12
Ultra Preset

A Plague’s Tale: Requiem

API: DirectX 12
Detail Settings: Ultra Preset

Cyberpunk 2077

The most anticipated game of 2020 has just received its sort of “launch patch” this 2022 with version 1.5 changing many things in terms of performance as well as few things in the graphics department. Perhaps the most anticipated game of the last decade, Cyberpunk 2077’s launch has been a rollercoaster gamers on PC are largely in agreement that it was definitely worth the wait bar the bugs. Made by CD Projekt Red and based on the REDengine4, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most modern games introducing full utilization of raytracing amongst others. We do not enable raytracing in this test segment, that will be for the latest section of this review..

API: DirectX 12
Settings: Ultra Preset
Raytracing Off
DLSS Off
Vsync: OFF

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

Sony’s streak of PlayStation exclusives going to PC continues with Spider-Man. Originally releleased for PS4 in 2019, the game sees a PS5 upgrade and 2022 PC remastered release. The PC version of Spider-Man features a ton of modern PC graphical enhancements including all modern upscaling techniques along with ray tracing. The game natively supports ultrawide monitor resolution and is actively updated with with technologies from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.

API: DirectX 12
Settings: Very High Preset

Forza Horizon 5

Developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, Forza Horizon 5 is the latest installment in the Forza series, picking up straight after the British escapades of Horizon 4, Horizon 5 takes us now to Mexico for another open-world racing spectacle, that is Horizon. Built on proprietary ForzaTech engine, the game harnesses its power to provide an excellent experience on both PC and Xbox.

API: DirectX 12
Settings: High
Raytracing: Off
Vsync: Off

F1 2023

F1 23 doesn’t vary much from its predecessor but updates the game to feature more robust control and racing experience thanks to all the learnings and adjustments we’ve had from the 2022 changes. On the PC, F1 2023 will also receive some new graphical updates but primarily uses the same presentation engine as the game before it.

API: DirectX 12
Settings: Ultra Preset

Power Draw, Temperature and Clock Speed Analysis

We start off by testing how high our GPU clocks go as well as how much power our card uses in gaming use. We use the built-in benchmark in Returnal in 4K benchmark as well as Kombustor (when needed) for this tests so that users will have an idea what kind of usage behavior they can see from these cards. Returnal’s benchmark is impressive and gives a good idea on how certain scenario types afffect performance.

Given that most cards will boost all the way to their highest potential, the numbers we see here should be a good indicator of what to expect from these cards in general. Results are captured via inline power metering instruments primarily Powenetics v2 by Cybenetics/Hardware Busters for accurate card-only data capture. Occassionally, we use PCAT v2 (or v1) for FrameView-related functionalities. Powenetics v2 is the modern iteration of our original Powenetics system licensed from Cybenetics Labs and allows more thorough read-outs for the entire system including the CPU power, GPU power (+PCIe slot) and the system power overall. This removes the guess work from taking power readings from differing GPU APIs and provides consistent readings regardless of vendors.

Conclusion

As expected, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER marks what technically account as a mid-season power-up from the original line-up and the RTX 4070 SUPER peforms predictably on its intended target. The immediate and key consideration here is that after this, should one buy the RTX 4070 or the RTX 4070 SUPER? Its not as clear cut as how it was for the RTX 3070 to the RTX 3070 Ti, and the large price gap between the RTX 4070 and the RTX 4070 Ti affords the RTX 4070 SUPER a large wiggle room but NVIDIA kept that space possibly for potential price drops as the RTX 4070 Ti sees a halt in production along with the RTX 4080 non-SUPER based on NVIDIA pricing stack.

With that being said, this speaks more on how NVIDIA is approaching their Radeon counterpart and NVIDIA is confident that gamers looking to get more from the GeForce ecosystem would settle for an RTX 4070 SUPER than with features like Ray Reconstruction and Frame Generation justifying the price increase from the RTX 4070 non-SUPER and the 7800 XT.

That said, AMD didn’t sit on their ass since they released the most recent Radeon RX 7000 GPU. AMD has been struggling catching up with NVIDIA’s ecosystem solutions and has not had any breakthrough success destabilizing NVIDIA’s branding dominance on the streamer front. While that’s put on the backseat, their upscaling efforts has proven NVIDIA’s track records of setting the industry’s pace and development.

That said, the RTX 4070 SUPER still feels unnecessary given what it brings to the table. As decent as it is performance-wise, its not a stand-out product nor is it the pricing savior that many foresee and with that sentiment I fear we’re bound to see the rest of the RTX 40 SUPER stack headed in the same direction.

NVIDIA is asking partners to ready non-OC models on launch which will be available at their MSRP. For Philippine residents, this is PHP41,550 ($743 after conversion by the time of this writing) which is the original starting price of the RTX 4070 which has now seen price drop to as low as PHP36K (~$640).

Unless AMD repositions their RX 7800 XT or releases an RX 7800 XTX, the NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER provides ultimately much better power efficiency as well as better overall value-adding features to justify its price. With no RTX 3080 Ti or RX 6900 XT on shelves, unless second hand sellers sell at PHP20k or less, the RTX 4070 SUPER would be the best choice for those looking to go just below the PHP 50K mark.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition 12GB Graphics Card Review

Final Thoughts

Unless AMD repositions their RX 7800 XT or releases an RX 7800 XTX, the NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER provides ultimately much better power efficiency as well as better overall value-adding features to justify its price. With no RTX 3080 Ti or RX 6900 XT on shelves, unless second hand sellers sell at PHP20k or less, the RTX 4070 SUPER would be the best choice for those looking to go just below the PHP 50K mark.

Performance

9

Build Quality

8.7

Functionality

9

Value

8.8

Pros

Decent performance improvement

Good power efficiency

Cool take on the 2-slot FE cooler

Displaces RTX 4070 at original price

Cons

No VRAM capacity increase

8.9

Rating