Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super: A New Challenger in Gaming Performance
The Nvidia RTX 4070 Super emerges as a significant mid-cycle refresh in the 40-series, marking its presence with enhanced specifications and performance. Priced at the same $599 MSRP as the original RTX 4070, this new addition lowers the 4070's price to $549. The RTX 4070 Super builds upon Nvidia's successful Ada Lovelace architecture, aiming to compete with top-tier graphics cards in the market.
Positioning in the Market
The RTX 4070 Super, along with the forthcoming 4070 Ti Super and 4080 Super, positions itself as an attractive option for a broad range of consumers. Despite its premium price, the 4070 Super finds its place among popular GPUs in the $600 range, as indicated by the Steam Hardware Survey. It sits alongside the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080, offering a compelling choice for gamers considering an upgrade.
Also check Asus' Revolutionary RTX 4090 BTF: Leading the Charge Towards a Cable-Free Future
Performance and Specifications
In terms of performance, the RTX 4070 Super shows about a 15% improvement over the RTX 4070, while being slightly behind the RTX 4070 Ti. It inherits the same 192-bit memory interface and 12GB of VRAM from its predecessors, which, combined with the Ada architecture's larger L2 caches, delivers robust performance. This setup provides a comparable experience to the previous generation's RTX 3090 but with significantly less VRAM.
The Competitive Landscape
Comparing with AMD's RX 7800 XT, the RTX 4070 Super demonstrates superior performance, although it offers 33% less VRAM. This comparison underlines the RTX 4070 Super's competitive edge in the current market landscape.
Availability and Pricing Trends
The official launch of the RTX 4070 Super is set for January 17, 2024. Post-Ethereum mining era, Nvidia has maintained consistent availability of its products at MSRP. Exceptions include the RX 7900 XTX and the high-demand RTX 4090. The RTX 4070 Super is expected to follow this trend, with various models available at different price points.
Design and Build
The RTX 4070 Super Founders Edition retains a design similar to the RTX 4070 FE, with subtle changes in color and branding. It features a matte black shroud and casing, differing from the gunmetal gray of its predecessor. Despite these aesthetic tweaks, the core design remains consistent with Nvidia's 40-series GPUs.
Power and Connectivity
One notable change is the mandatory 16-pin power connector for the RTX 4070 Super, a departure from some RTX 4070 models that used an 8-pin connector. This change might necessitate the use of an adapter for systems without an ATX 3.0 power supply, potentially leading to messier cabling but not expected to cause functional issues.
Cooling and Output
The RTX 4070 Super maintains the dual-fan design and angled heatsink fins characteristic of the Founders Edition cards. The output options remain the same, with triple DP1.4a and a single HDMI 2.1 port. The cooling system is expected to handle the slightly increased TGP effectively.
Testing and Benchmarks
Extensive testing of the RTX 4070 Super reveals its capabilities and performance metrics. Benchmarks demonstrate how it stands against its predecessor, the RTX 4070, and other competitors in the market.
Conclusion and Market Outlook
The Nvidia RTX 4070 Super represents a significant step in the evolution of the 40-series GPUs. It offers a balance of price and performance, making it an appealing option for a wide range of gamers and professionals. As the GPU market continues to evolve, the RTX 4070 Super is poised to be a key player in Nvidia's lineup.
