GALAX GeForce RTX 2070 Super WTF review - Introduction

GALAX GeForce RTX 2070 Super Work The Frames edition (WTF?)

We review the new GALAX GeForce RTX 2070 Super in the WTF edition, yes that is a playful way of wording in many regards. WTF is short for Work The Frames, which realistically you would have never guessed. This RTX 2070 is based on the new Super series, as in super-charged based on a Turing TU104 chip.

But what has GALAX done with it? Armed with a three-fan based cooling solution it is bound to remain chilled nicely. But it also has four configurable LED zones with a plethora of animation options. Once powered on, this graphics card will look really nice. It has been a strange year for NVIDIA as the GeForce RTX 2060, 2070 2080 and 2080 Ti became available. People had been very interested and were warmed up for DLSS (Tensor) and the ability to play Battlefield V in that hybrid Raytraced way. NVIDIA initiated massive internet virals to gain media coverage. But then it all kinda exploded in their face as end-users looked the other way when they learned about the very steep price level. There is no audience more critical than a PC Gamer, and when they have to pay a large sum of money for visual differences that are often hard to spot and cost a lot of FPS, you bet that can (and did) backfire. None the less, NVIDIA chose a direction that in my opinion was the right course to follow, and something they cannot back away from. So what to do in the meantime to satisfy the budget-conscious PC gamer? Well, with the help of the RT and Tensor-less GTX 1650, 1660 and 1660 Ti NVIDIA got the noses of many gamers pointed in the right direction again. However, graphics cards anno 2019 has become seriously expensive, that fact alone and all by itself is increasingly endangering the GPU related industry, as to why pay 500 to 1000 bucks for just a graphics card when you can buy a complete console for less? That is the core and rudimental essence of the root problem that NVIDIA and AMD are fighting right now. None the less, a few weeks ago, NVIDIA started teasing a new Super series, which we still like to refer to as a supercharged product. With AMD's NAVI based Radeon RX 5700 series coming out of the closet soon, NVIDIA figured that it was important enough to release a new series smack down in the middle of vacation time, the summer. Today sees the release of two out of three cards; that's right, there will also be a GeForce RTX 2080 Super, but not a 2080 Ti Super. There are subtle differences to be found in an increased shader count as well as the usage of GDDR6 graphics memory. The new "Super GeForce RTX 2060" cards are a "Turing Refresh" with higher GPU clocks, 256 more shader processors and 8GB GDDR6 memory. 

GeForce RTX 2070 Super

The new revamped and Super model 2070 offers a notch more. This graphics card has 2560 activated shader processors for the Super version (that value was 2304 on the RTX 2070). It has a 1770 MHz boost clock for the founder's version. This card has also been fitted with 14 Gbps GDDR6 memory, 8GB of it. You will have noticed that both cards make use of the same GPU, they are just configured differently. The TU104 silicon in use offers over 13 Billion transistors. NVIDIA is making use of the very same cooler, however with a Super logo on top of it. Both founders cards offer one HDMI port and multiple DisplayPort outputs, a DVI connector is included for the 2060 model only. You will also see the Virtual Link (USB) connector on the 2070 and 2080 Super. This product (founders edition) will be priced at 499 USD.

GALAX GeForce RTX 2070 Super WTF (Work The Frames edition)

The 2070 SUPER series graphics cards are based on Turing architecture, offering that fundamental shading engine paired with RT and Tensor cores. Our tested card has been fitted with 8GB of GDDR6 memory running a 256-bit wide bus. GALAX offers several SKUs with varying cooling option and Boost clocks. The card comes fitted with two PEG (PCI Express Graphics) power headers (6/8-pin). This edition has been designed with budget in mind and is merely a few tenners more expensive over reference designs. Though prices still need to list, we expect 559 USD /  € 549,- varying on your country and VAT level. It's an attractive product with good cooling and acoustic performance, all based on a custom 7+2 phase power delivery.

 * reference specs

So what is exactly different for this WTF edition? Well, like it or not the WTF has RGB lighting options that other brands do not have – Work The Frames has been installed with 4 different light zones which can be controlled independently. GALAX offers 23 different styles of lighting. The Work The Frames also installed the latest patent-pending fan blade “Wings” , which creates better airflow and air pressure but low noise level. “WINGS” is able to maintain its operation under the toughest environment, thanks to its anti-dust bearing design and special antistatic coating. Last but not least you'll get a bump on boost frequency as well, 1815 MHz. The card offers one HDMI port and three DisplayPorts. There is no DVI and/or Virtual link (USB) connector. This Turing GPU empowered product keeps that GPU at roughly 65 Degrees C marker depending on game load whilst remaining virtually silent. The GDDR6 memory runs an effective 14 Gbps, the card runs a faster 1815 MHz boost clock.