Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti vs GTX 1070 – should you upgrade?

We’re looking at the RTX 4060 Ti vs GTX 1070 to see whether this latest Nvidia GPU is worth upgrading to.

The release date of the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB has passed but the 16GB model is coming! For many 8GB of VRAM is just too little for a card released in 2023, which explains why RTX 4060 enthusiasm is at all time low. The RTX 4060 Ti itself has received some stick for the same reason, with one Reddit user even brutally describing the card as a ‘waste of sand’.

However, its release does make it one of the least expensive ways to get access to the many technological breakthroughs the RTX 40-series brings, including the Lovelace architecture. Whether or not this is worth upgrading for is another question though.

The GTX 1070 dropped all the way back in the summer of 2016, but its impressive baseline stats have meant that it has managed to mostly keep up with modern gaming, albeit not at the highest settings. So does the low price and high performance of the RTX 4060 Ti mean that it’s finally time to upgrade?

To answer that question we’ve got a detailed comparison of the two cards, including a break down of performance. Let’s get straight into it.

RTX 4060 Ti vs GTX 1070 – specs comparison

	RTX 4060 Ti specs	GTX 1070 specs
Architecture	Lovelace	Pascal
CUDA Cores	4,352	1,920
Base Clock (MHz)	2,310	1,506
Boost Clock (MHz)	2,540	1,683
Memory	8/16GB GDDR6	8GB GDDR5
Memory Bus	128-bit	256-bit
Memory Bandwidth	288GB/s	256GB/s
TDP	160/165W	150W

Here is the spec table for both the RTX 4060 Ti and the GTX 1080. As you can see we have combined both the 8GB and 16GB versions of the 4060 Ti into one collum for simplicity, as the only other spec that differs between the two is the VRAM change and a 5W higher TDP.

The table reveals that the RTX 4060 Ti has more impressive specs across the board. The one notable area where the 1070 is better equipped is its memory bus which is 256-bit versus the 128-bit bus on the 4060 Ti. However, it fails to actually turn this into a higher overall memory bandwidth, coming in at 256GB/s versus 288GB/s for the 4060 Ti. This is because of the latter’s superior GDDR6X memory which facilitates significantly larger bandwidths. That’s not to plaster on the compliments for the 4060 Ti memory bandwidth, which is still looking pretty measly.

In many key areas, the 4060 Ti has the edge. There is an especially large discrepancy with CUDA cores, with the RTX 4060 Ti having more than double at 4,352 versus 1,920 for the GTX 1080. This is a significant difference as it is the CUDA cores that account for much of the overall power of a GPU.

RTX 4060 Ti vs GTX 1070 – architecture

Architecture is the most important aspect of a GPU’s construction. As such it can have a huge impact on performance and the RTX 4060 Ti has the best of the best. The Lovelace architecture has high tech components such as 3rd generation Ray tracing cores and 4th generation Tensor cores.

The latter powers DLSS 3, the latest iteration of Nvidia’s neural graphics system. This uses AI and neural networks to optimise efficiency. For example, the feature can predict the composition of frames by studying the ones generated previously, though only in compatible games. This frees power up to increase frame rates at higher resolutions while using the same hardware.

• Amazon US – RTX 4060 Ti
• Best Buy US – RTX 4060 Ti
• Newegg US – RTX 4060 Ti

The Pascal architecture of the GTX 1070 was itself groundbreaking in its day and many of its features can be traced forward to Lovelace. However, it is more rudimentary, doing many of the same things but less proficiently.

RTX 4060 Ti vs GTX 1070 – performance

So how do these specs factor into performance? Well, it won’t come as much of a surprise that the newer and more powerful RTX 4060 Ti has superior performance to the GTX 1070. Not only are its specs superior but its architecture is also more advanced meaning it can put those specs to better use.

This means higher frame rates in all resolutions, the 4060 Ti especially excels at HD and is one of the best GPUs for 1080p. The GTX is still capable in that resolution and will be able to play the latest games but it will be noticeably slower than the 4060 Ti.

As for ray tracing ability, the RTX 4060 Ti is even farther ahead. This is thanks to all the recent breakthroughs in both ray tracing and GPU architecture. Counter to common belief, GTX cards are still capable of using the light tracking technology but only in certain games and to less effect.

RTX 4060 Ti vs GTX 1070 – price

The RTX 4060 Ti pricing structure is largely as you would expect, unfortunately. You pay $100 more to double the VRAM count which would be decent if only they also increased the memory bandwidth. Overall, the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB is $399 and the 16GB version is $499. These prices fluctuate somewhat depending on the exact AIB you opt for.

The GTX was released back in 2016 for $379. Due to the fact that the card has long stopped being produced by manufacturers, you can’t actually find it much cheaper than that to this day. Though we have seen it for as low as $220.

EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC Gaming card (Renewed)

Base clock

1594MHz

Boost clock

1784MHz

VRAM

8GB GDDR5

Dimensions

10.5 x 1.5 x 4.38in

Recommended PSU

500W

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RTX 4060 Ti vs GTX 1070 – final word

If you’re in the market for a new graphics card and are considering either the RTX 4060 Ti or the GTX 1070 there is no doubt that the newer generation is better for futureproofing. You’ll be granted you far superior performance, especially in games compatible with DLSS 3 and when ray tracing is turned on.

That won’t be a very common scenario, however. It’s much more likely that you own the GTX 1070 already and are wondering whether upgrading to the RTX 4060 Ti is worth upgrading. This is more of a matter of personal preference. The GTX 1070 can still just about keep up with modern games, but sooner or later you will want to make the upgrade and the RTX 4060 Ti does offer one of the cheapest ways to get access to all the latest advancements in GPU technology.

If you remain unconvinced about the RTX 4060 Ti, you could hang around for the RX 7800 release date, as its price is set to be even lower. Another option would be to go for an even more powerful card such as the best RTX 4070 Ti. This would have the advantage of giving you longer before you needed to upgrade again.