Colorful GeForce RTX 4070 Vulcan OC-V review

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Final words and conclusion

Final words

In every aspect, the Colorful RTX 4070 Vulcan OC-V outshines any other GeForce RTX 4070 we have examined to date. This graphics card not only delivers top-tier WQHD performance but also offers an extensive array of features, including a lovely LCD display. Furthermore, it maintains a quiet operation and boasts the most impressive temperature control yet. Impressive indeed. Obviously pricing is everything, and we expect the card will cost an extra $150 over the reference pricing of 599 USD. That's a lot of money for a graphics card aimed at the 2560x1440 resolution domain. The Colorful Vulcan OC-V graphics card demonstrates a 4% increase over founder edition performance, cementing Colorful's reputation for crafting high-quality, low-noise GPUs. The visually striking design only enhances the card's appeal. A straightforward manual tweak enables users to attain up to 10% superior performance compared to the founder edition. NVIDIA has released the GeForce RTX 4070, the latest addition to the ADA product line. With its more affordable price point, this graphics card is now within reach for many end-users. Although NVIDIA heavily promotes the DLSS technology as a game-changer, we hope they won't overlook the importance of raw rasterizer shader performance in future products. The GeForce RTX 4070 boasts a powerful architecture, advanced ray tracing capabilities, and enhanced DLSS technology, significantly improving its performance over its predecessors. However, its performance can fluctuate in less CPU-bound situations, and it may be a bit slower in DX11 yet faster in DX12. Compared to Radeon Series 6000/7000, the RTX 4070's ray tracing performance is faster overall, showing notable advancements in this field. Moreover, with the DLSS3 + Frame generation technology, the GPU can create miracles in games that support it.


Performance

The RTX 4070 offers nice gaming performance and rendering quality. This graphics card offers raw performance levels that enable gaming at 4K resolution, although it's primarily designed for WQHD. With most gamers playing at UWHD, QHD, or UHD monitor resolutions, the 4070 strikes a balance that will appeal to many enthusiasts. Compared to AMD's offerings, the Nvidia GPU will struggle to keep up with the $200 more expensive Radeon RX 7900 XT, but it still has several positive aspects. For example, the DLSS (3) and ray tracing features perform exceptionally well, giving gamers an immersive experience that AMD can't match now. Let's fire up charts to compare a bit.



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The old rasterizer engine breaks right through the previous limit of extreme performance. The RTX 40 series now has a new generation of Ray tracing and Tensor cores that are more powerful. So, do not let the specific RT and Tensor core counts fool you; it's all about how much performance one unit offers. Since they are close to the shader engine, they have become more efficient, which shows. Tensor cores are harder to measure, but from what we have seen, everything seems to be in good shape, as DLSS3 shows exciting values.


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Overall, the GeForce RTX 4070 makes sense at resolutions as low as 2K 2560x1440, and sometimes up to 4K (3840x2160). NVIDIA proclaims this as a 100+ FPS WQHD card, with which we concur. 

Cooling & noise levels

During intensive full-load conditions, the graphics card consumes just over 200 watts. This power consumption correlates to the heat emitted by the GPU, which is situated within a sealed enclosure. In terms of noise levels, the card produces approximately 33~34 dBA, which is silent. Under stress, the card's temperature can approach ~60°C. This figure may vary based on the airflow efficiency within the computer case. FLIR imaging reveals no cause for concern. It is worth noting that customized cards from board partners might exhibit increased power consumption due to factors such as higher total graphics power and the presence of components like RGB lighting and liquid cooling pumps.  

Energy consumption

In the preceding chapter, we discussed the power consumption of the GeForce RTX 4070 during demanding gaming sessions. The card demonstrates a reasonable power draw, approximately 200 watts (TBP), in exchange for its gaming performance. The power consumption may vary slightly during gameplay, but it often settles around 185 watts. Customized versions from board partners may exhibit higher power usage due to increased TGP allowances. Regarding TGP, our reference test indicates an average power consumption of 185 watts at Ultra HD resolution. We derived the card's TDP of 185 from the measurements taken across five games. 

Coil squeal 

The presence of coil squeal in any GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card can vary, depending on the degree of the issue. It becomes audible when reaching high framerates, but typically remains at a manageable level. Within an enclosed case, this sound is likely to blend into the background noise. In our experience with this specific card, the coil squeal has been hardly noticeable.

Pricing

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $599, which still is steep. I believe that the cost of a graphics card should ideally be less than that of a contemporary gaming console. Advanced AIB card models will command a higher price, with the Vulcan OC-V anticipated to attract an additional $150 premium. Regrettably, this translates to a price tag approaching 750-800 EUR for customers.

Tweaking

You can significantly enhance your GPU's performance by fine-tuning the clock frequency and memory speed. Our efforts have yielded an additional 16% increase in the power limiter. These adjustments offer extra performance within the card's standard power budget, leading to a clock frequency increase of approximately +150-200 MHz. Consequently, you can anticipate your GPU boost clock frequency around the 3000~3050 MHz range, contingent on the dynamic frequencies of different game titles. Furthermore, by modifying the memory speed to 23 Gbps. Accumulated you can expect a 10 % performance improvement in demanding GPU scenarios compared to the reference (baseline) performance.

Conclusion

For tech gurus seeking a high-end graphics card with top-notch capabilities, the Vulcan OC-V is an excellent choice. This card boasts impressive cooling and a versatile LCD screen mounted on the card or in a separate dock. With their proprietary software, you can read out and monitor all kinds of data coming from the graphics card. Colorful has created a unique product with excellent performance, offering a well-balanced gaming experience. The card defaults towards a nice 33-34 DBa, it surpasses founder edition cards by 4% in terms of speed, and when tweak,ed that value can reach 10%. It features three DisplayPort and one HDMI options for video output and a modern backplate design. The factory-tweaked performance can be further enhanced, and the card's potential can be unlocked with DLSS(3)-supported games. The RTX 4070 graphics card delivers nice performance, energy efficiency, and visual quality, making it an more eco-friendly alternative opposed to the 4080/4090 cards out there. It easily manages high-resolution gaming and complex creative tasks with HDMI 2.1 support and a generous 12GB VRAM. The Vulcan OC-V stands out for its exceptional cooling and acoustic performance, offering an elegant design for graphics card enthusiasts. While the additional performance is around 4%, this card is highly recommended for users who appreciate silent operation and an attractive appearance. The Vulcan OC-V's aesthetic appeal and LCD monitor screen set it apart from its competitors; the price premium and availability really will be the biggest hurdle.

- Hilbert, LOAD"*",8,1.


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