On 17 January 2024, Nvidia launched the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER mid-range graphics card. When Nvidia launched the long-awaited RTX 4070 last April, we read a lot of unflattering reviews in online comments. Most users were outraged by the lack of performance improvements and the inadequate price of the video card (USD 599 at launch). Now it looks like Nvidia has corrected its mistake and we have got what we deserved a year ago – a much more powerful card in the same price range.
The SUPER series of video cards is a transitional step in anticipation of the RTX 5000-series of Blackwell-based video cards, which are unlikely to reach us before 2025.
In the near future. The 4000-series family of video cards already includes RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and RTX 4080 SUPER which will replace last year’s models, but for most users the RTX 4070 SUPER will be the most affordable model. Interestingly, the new version will not replace the base RTX 4070 card, but at least for a while the two cards will be produced in parallel.
Technical parameters
- Model: nVidia GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
- Connection: PCI Express 4.0
- CUDA cores: 7168
- Tensor kernels: 224 (4th generation)
- RT nuclei: 56 (3rd generation)
- Engine speed: Base Clock: 1980 MHz, Boost Clock: 2475 MHz
- Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
- Memory speed: 21 Gbps
- Memory connection: 192-bit
- Total memory bandwidth: 504 GB/s
- L2 cache: 48 MB
- Ports: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI
- Connectors: 16-pin 12V-2×6. To guarantee the compatibility of the power supply with the graphics card, be sure to choose a power supply that comes with this cable.
- Recommended power supply: 650W
SOURCE: TWEAKTOWN.COM
RTX 4070 SUPER compared to RTX 4070
RTX 4070 SUPER is built on Nvidia’s latest generation Ada Lovelace 5-nanometer microarchitecture. Like the RTX 4070, it has a high-speed 12GB GDDR6X memory, but the L2 cache has been increased from 36 MB to 48 MB. The Boost clock is 2475 MHz, although overclocking versions will certainly be available on the market. The main performance improvements over the RTX 4070 are achieved by increasing the number of Tensor cores by 20%(Tensor cores enable DLSS 3, which renders interframes with AI to improve frame rates), and by using more 3. Generation RT(Ray-tracing) cores, provide more realistic light rendering in video games.
SOURCE: NVIDIA.COM
Nvidia technologies in the RTX 4070 Super video card
- Ada Lovelace – microarchitecture based on TSMC’s 4N 5 nanometer technology. It replaced the Ampere microarchitecture based on Samsung’s 8 nanometer technology used in the RTX 3000-series;
- Ray tracing – a 3D rendering technique that can realistically simulate scenes and object lighting, rendering physically accurate reflections, refraction, shadows and indirect lighting;
- DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) – a technology that uses artificial intelligence to draw frames faster. The technology needs to be supported by computer games (most new games do). The technology includes features such as Super Resolution (MI improves image quality), Frame Generation (generates additional interframes with MI), Reflex (a few milliseconds before the video card finishes rendering the frame, it signals the processor to start preparing the data for the next frame), Ray Reconstruction (further improved by Ray tracing image quality, available from DLSS 3.5 onwards, only a few games support this feature so far).
Performance
Most reviewers who have already synthetic tested and tried demanding PC games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwart’s Legacy are positively impressed with the card’s performance, especially at 1440p resolution, where it handles Max and Ultra settings perfectly.
Not so good in 4K, but still around 15% better performance than standard RTX 4070 model and only 7% behind the class-leading RTX 4070 Ti. If you want to enjoy a fluid video gaming experience on 4K monitors, look out for the latest games that support Nvidia DLSS 3 technology.
Overall, the RTX 4070 SUPER is on average 15-20% more powerful than the RTX 4070. As we can see in the graphics presented by Nvidia, the performance increase is particularly high compared to older generations (RTX 2070 and RTX 3070) of video cards, mainly thanks to the DLSS and RT capabilities.
SOURCE: NVIDIA.COM
The main competitors to the RTX 4070 SUPER are the RTX 4070 base model, the RTX 4070 Ti high-end budget model, as well as the competitor AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. Benchmark tests with demanding computer games.
Performance in 1080p resolution
As you’d expect, the RTX 4070 SUPER handles max and ultra settings at 1080p effortlessly. Bear in mind that few people will buy a 600-700 euro video card to play PC games at 1080p, let alone at medium settings. The RTX 4070 outperforms the RX 7800 XT and RTX 4070 by 7% in SUPER 1080p mode. The average frame-rate at this resolution stays above 100 fps
SOURCE: TOMSHARDWARE.COM
Performance at 1440p resolution.
Considering the price of the video card, 1440p is the main resolution the RTX 4070 SUPER is designed for. The results are exactly what you would expect, at least from Nvidia. Once again, the RTX 4070 SUPER outperforms its base model RTX 4070 by 16% and the RX 7800 XT by an impressive 23% (considering the RX 7800 XT costs 20% less). Note that the tests also included ray-tracing games, which gives Nvidia cards an extra advantage over AMD. Similarly, the RTX 4070 is only 7% behind the expensive RTX 4070 Ti video card.
SOURCE: TOMSHARDWARE.COM
4K performance
Even at 4K resolution, the RTX 4070 SUPER performs quite respectably, convincingly outperforming its closest competitors thanks to DLSS and RT capabilities. However, even with AI, frames per second in resource-intensive games will be 30-60 fps, so the gaming experience will range from mediocre at 30 fps to acceptable at 60 fps. For some games at 4K resolution, the card reaches its 12GB limit, which can cause a slight image delay, but in this case, you just need to lower the graphics settings a little.
SOURCE: TOMSHARDWARE.COM
Energy consumption
RTX 4070 SUPERpower consumption is 220W, a 10% increase compared to RTX 4070 200W. The increase is offset by a 15-20% increase in power. The difference in power consumption is much more noticeable when compared to older video cards, for example the RTX 4070 SUPER will be faster than the RTX 3090, consuming 40% less power. Even if power consumption is not a factor when buying a video card, it is worth remembering that higher power consumption means hotter, bigger fans and consequently more noise.
Competition
Standard RTX 4070 although one has to wonder whether it will be of interest to anyone anymore if, for a little extra, you get a much more powerful card. For those looking to save money and not shy away from AMD graphics cards, the RX 7800 XT is worth a look – at 4K resolution it will deliver pretty similar performance, but at around 20% lower price and with 16GB more memory. At 1080p and 1440p, however, the RTX 4070 SUPER will push AMD’s buttons. Finally, in a slightly higher price category and with slightly better performance, we find last year’s RTX 4070 Ti model.
Verdict
Plus
- Faster than the GeForce RTX 3090 in 1440p video games
- A very decent 4K video game experience
- Extremely energy efficient
- New Nvidia technologiesDLSS, Frame Generation, Ray Reconstruction and Reflex are the perfect combination
Cons
- The 12GB memory of the card is a bit disappointing – 2024. In 2010, we are in this price category
deserve at least 16 GB.
If you’re currently an RTX 4070 graphics card owner, you probably shouldn’t rush out and buy the SUPER version – the improvements won’t be worth the money. But if you’re looking to upgrade your workstation with an older video card like the RTX 2070, you won’t want to miss out. RTX 4070 SUPER will deliver a great gaming experience at 1440p resolution, and will also push most PC games to 4K resolution with DLSS support. The card will be suitable for casual PC gamers as well as creatives working in 3D rendering and video editing. Which card to buy? In the end, the choice is up to each individual and their wallet.
It should also be noted that Dateks.lv office is currently selling video cards with the new RTX 4070 SUPER, RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and RTX 4080 SUPER chipsets from the most popular manufacturers on the spot and with same-day delivery throughout Latvia, and they are also available in the gaming PC kits we build. If you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to help you choose the optimal configuration for your technical requirements and budget.