Final words and conclusion
The GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER (12GB) has been released at a retail price of $599, making it a more budget-friendly option for high-end gaming compared to the earlier RTX 4070 Ti, which was priced at $899. This graphics card is designed with features like ray tracing, DLSS3, and AI-powered assists, targeting gamers looking for optimal performance. It comes equipped with an increased count of 7168 shader cores (up from 5888), 12GB of 21Gbps GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit memory interface, and a maximum bandwidth of 504GB/s. Additionally, the RTX 4070 SUPER includes 56 RT cores, 224 Tensor cores, 224 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. It utilizes the same 35.8 billion transistor counting AD104 silicon as the RTX 4070 Ti, with 56 out of 60 streaming multiprocessors activated. This makes the RTX 4070 SUPER a compelling, more accessible option for those seeking high-end gaming performance. Boasting a powerful architecture, advanced ray tracing capabilities, and enhanced DLSS3 technology, the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER showcases significant improvements in performance compared to it 4070 predecessor. Compared to the Radeon Series the RTX 4070's ray tracing performance has a bit more stamina, making notable advancements in this field. Additionally, with the DLSS3 + Frame generation technology, the GPU can create remarkable visual experiences in games that support it.
Performance
The RTX 4070 SUPER is a graphics card that can create waves in the gaming world due to its rendering quality and gaming performance when combined with DLSS3 frame generation. The RTX 4070 provides a bit more value for the money. It is a well-balanced card that can handle gaming at WQHD and even 4K resolution, although it is targeted towards WQHD. Compared to AMD's offerings, the Nvidia GPU struggles to keep up with the Radeon RX 7900 XT, but has positive aspects like DLSS (3) and ray tracing features, which work exceptionally well, AMD cannot match Nvidia in this regard. The RTX 4070 SUPER is an excellent option for gamers who play at UWHD, QHD, and even UHD monitor resolutions.
The old rasterizer engine breaks right through the previous limit of extreme performance. The RTX 40 series now has the lates tgeneration 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. Overall, the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER makes sense at resolutions as low as 2K / 2560x1440, and sometimes up to 4K (3840x2160).
Cooling & noise levels
Under heavy full load, the card tested uses about ~195 Watts (average). This Wattage is directly related to how much heat the GPU, which sits inside a closed case, gives off. The founder model in this review boasts a two-slot cooler that performed exceptionally well during our tests, effectively cooling the card's components. Furthermore, the card's fan stop mode is entirely silent in 2D applications. For acoustics, we reached 33~34DBa, which is a very nice acoustic level by today's standard. Expect the card to get close to 65-70°C when stressed in a closed chassis. This value can differ depending on how well air moves through your chassis. FLIR imaging doesn't show anything alarming. Also, keep in mind that if you go for a custom card from a board partner, the power consumption levels will likely be higher due to increased TGPs and stuff like RGB and liquid cooling pumps.
Energy consumption
We touched the topic in the previous chapter; the power draw under intensive gaming for GeForce RTX 4070 is quite okay. We measured it to hover in the 190-210 Watt range (TBP). This is the tradeoff for a bit more bite in performance for this graphics card model in particular. Gaming wise, that number will fluctuate a bit; however, 190 Watt will do in no time. We expect the board partner cards to show higher numbers as they get more TGP allowance. The card's TDP of 208W (see below) was measured over five games. The RTX 4070 SUPER comes with a converter that allows turning 8-pin PCIe power connectors into a single 12-plus-four-pin 12VHPWR. However, many board partner cards will still have the traditional 8-pin header on board.
Coil whine
Any graphics card can exhibit coil squeal. It's just a matter of how much exactly. Well, it's at a level you can't really hear when you hit high framerates. In a closed chassis, that noise would fade away in the background. For this particular card, we've not been able to notice it.
Pricing
In the realm of computer hardware, a commonly held belief states that there's no such thing as a bad graphics card—only one that's inappropriately priced. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER has a price tag of USD 599 which is roughly 669 euro depending on the country you're in, which many gamers will find steep for a graphics card. Comparatively, that's still more expensive than a modern console, which can be a turnoff for budget-conscious gamers. Premium AIB card designs come with an additional cost.
Tweaking
The card tweaks reasonably. You receive a power limiter in Watts with the tested card, set at an amazing +9% power limiter, so that's your first and quickest option to tweak. You get extra perf on the card's default power budget. The clock frequency can take a good 150 to 200 MHz extra on the dynamic core clock frequency. Apply both, and you'll see the GPU boost clock hovering at the ~3000 MHz domain (frequencies vary per game title as they are dynamic). The memory could be tweaked to 23 Gbps, so all these are excellent values that brought ~6% additional performance on challenging GPU situations, measured from reference performance.
Conclusion
The GeForce RTX 4070 Founder Edition graphics card stands out with its very nice performance and visual quality thanks to DLS3 and RT assistance. It is also characterized by enhanced power efficiency and lower thermal output, positioning it as an excellent energy-efficient choice. This card is suited for high-resolution gaming and demanding creative tasks, with its 12GB of VRAM being quite satisfactory for most applications. In the competitive landscape, particularly when comparing it to the Radeon RX 7900 XT specific capabilities such as ray tracing and DLSS3, areas is where the RTX 4070 SUPER shows notable strength. Conversely, the Radeon RX 7900 XT boasts a faster rasterizer engine and additional L3 cache, presenting it as a formidable alternative. However, with the RTX 4070 priced $150-200 lower, it may offer better value for some users. The RTX 4070 SUPER seems to align more closely in competition with the Radeon 6800/6900 XT/ 7800 XT rather than the 7900XT. Its performance can be likened to that of the RTX 3080series, varying according to the benchmarks used. Aesthetically, the Founder Edition models of the RTX 4070 SUPER are visually striking and add to its appeal with the new more dark design. The card is capable of handling Ultra HD gaming, particularly when utilizing features like DLSS3 and Frame Generation, and even supports mild overclocking. The GeForce RTX 4070 Founder Edition is a respectable option for those seeking performing and a visually appealing graphics card. Pricing remains a point of friction in the market.
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