Best RTX 3070 graphics card in 2024 – top performing GPUs

Let’s dive right in to find the best RTX 3070 graphics card – whether you’re after budget or performance, we’re covering it all right here.

With the release of Nvidia’s RTX 4070, now good time to upgrade your gaming rig and capitalise on discounts and deals as the market is disrupted by recent releases. The RTX 30-series GPUs will see delicious price drops as retailers look to make space for newer, shinier models.

There’s so much to like about the RTX 3070, even after its release late in 2020. Of course, as many of us will remember, we did not like the low stock levels which drove prices up.

Thankfully though, we’re seeing stock levels return to normal levels making the RTX 3070 relatively affordable whilst still dazzling with its ground-breaking Ampere architecture.

Following the release of the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 – consumers have been offered increased power for a larger price tag. With that in mind, and the fact that the RTX 3070 is a fantastic high-end graphics card that any gamer would be happy to have in their arsenal, let’s break down the best RTX 3070 GPUs currently available.

Best performance RTX 3070 – ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070 8GB v2

This GPU hits all the sweet spots in our books and is an ideal choice for pretty much any game out right now. With a boost clock of 1725MHz, the ROG Stix performs extremely well. 

Its VRAM of 8GB also does pretty well, meaning it can cope with gaming in 4K which requires 8-10GB and performs brilliantly when gaming at 1080p which generally requires a 6GB graphics card.

Best quiet RTX 3070 – ASUS Noctua LHR GeForce RTX 3070

Noctua fans know that their graphics cards are built especially for those wanting a quiet GPU. Known to be the coolest and quietest graphics card in its class, the Noctua 3070 is customised with two iconic NF-A12x25 PWM fans with a tailor-made heatsink. With this durable GPU, users can rely on its quality performance day in, day out. 

We opted in favour of the Noctua model instead of the ASUS RTX 3070 EKWB which was a close contender simply because it requires its own custom water cooling loop to keep temperatures down. Although it is also an excellent graphics card, we like the Noctua for its easy experience. 

Best compact RTX 3070 – MSI RTX 3070 VENTUS 2X OC

At only 232mm long, the MSI Ventus OC is an excellent choice for users needing to save space on their motherboard and is easily one of the smaller  You’ll save a little something on running costs due to it’s relatively low PSU whilst enjoying a brilliant gaming experience of up to 4K thanks to its 8Gb of RAM. 

Its abundance of thermal; pads and optimised trace routing makes the MSI Ventrus OC a strong contender for performance and reliability too. 

Best budget RTX 3070 – MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio

This good looking graphics card is a sound choice if you don’t want to break the bank. This graphics card strikes a good balance between cool temperatures and quiet fans, meaning your GPU will be at less risk of overheating problems that can degrade your GPU over time. 

Features to look out for the RTX 3070

Here are the most important features to take notice of when choosing the best RTX 3070 GPU: 

• Dimensions 
• Base clock
• Boost clock
• Power Connectors 
• Ports
• Memory clock
• RGB 
• Recommended PSU (power supply unit) 

Dimensions

As with any GPU, the size of your motherboard and case will determine what size RTX 3070 will fit onto it. 

Clock speed

A general rule of thumb is the higher the GPU clock speed, the faster the processing of cores render your graphics. For reference, the Nvidia’s newly released RTX 4080 can achieve up to 2.51Ghz which is pretty impressive.

Power connectors

An important feature to consider when choosing your graphics card. One of the RTX 3070’s merits is that it’s relatively un-taxing on power usage, though you should make sure that your motherboard and PSU are compatible with the card.

VRAM

If you’re looking at a GPU for gaming, you’ll find that your VRAM usage is dependent on the games you play. Graphic heavy games, especially modern ones will require the GPU to effectively render millions of images. You should also consider what resolution you have, as the higher your resolution, the more VRAM you will need. 

Memory clock

Following from our explanation of VRAM, memory clock is the speed of the VRAM on the GPU and is measured in Hertz or Gigabytes per second. The higher the better, as long as the memory bus allows the bandwidth. 

RGB

A special touch to personalise your GPU with colours. Opting for a GPU without RGB can bring the overall price down, though RGB certainly adds to an ambient gaming setup.

Ports

Each RTX cards brings new ports, so it’s important to check if your gear is all compatible.

If you find it isn’t, consider buying cable adaptors, and be wary that your hardware might be in need of updating if you find yourself buying multiple adaptors. 

Recommended PSU

PSU is the all-important choice you’ll need to make when researching your GPU since it powers all the components in your PC.  

Try Newegg’s PSU calculator.  

If you’re unsure about how many watts you’ll be needing, we recommend having a buffer-zone of 100-150 watts to give you the flexibility and peace of mind that your GPU can cope with.

Especially for more serious gamers, we’d suggest a PSU of around 750W to allow for overclocking, extra fans and future add-ins. Bear in mind that TDP doesn’t change between custom cards, but how that hard deals with that TDP is what buyers should pay attention to.  

As always, also pay attention to CUDA Cores / Stream Processor. Generally speaking, they are both branded names for the same thing (though are used differently by AMD and NVIDIA’s unique architecture).

Though not the sole thing which determines a GPU’s performance, higher core counts will likely amount to a better performance from your CPU.

How we choose RTX 3070s

We’re juggling the above special features to help you choose the best RTX 3070 GPU.

We’ll also discuss how graphics cards deal with the standard amount of TDP (Thermal Design Power) which will be a major consideration for competitive gamers and consider what kind of 3070 will best fit the needs of less intensive users, such as graphic designers.

Read Now: 4080 launch time on Amazon & Newegg

Where to get the best RTX 3070s?

We recommend a few retailers who have consistent deals and stock on the best 3070 GPUs:

• Amazon US: Get the latest deals on GPUs now
• Best Buy: Daily deals on technology
• Newegg: Top GPU sales here
• Ebuyer: Best Graphics Cards at up to 40% off

RTX 3070 FAQs

Are CUDA Cores better than Stream Processors

They’re virtually the same, though CUDA Cores may just have the edge by having better software support. That being said though, there’s no great difference between the two, and both are having a very exciting 2022 with the much anticipated release of the RTX 4090. 

How much does RTX 3070 cost October 2022?

With stocks returning to their usual levels after trouble in 2020, you can buy RTX 3070 from retailers for $499 from popular retailers such as Amazon, Newegg and BestBuy. 

Do I need a new power supply (PSU) for RTX 3070?

If your graphics card is not getting enough power you’ll experience frustrating things like your game crashing and general system instability. Nvidia advises at least a 650W for your PSU. To be on the safe side, it’s good to add 100-150 buffer to your PSU, allowing for future flexibility should you wish to add more fans, drives or add-ins in the future. This is also advisable if your monitor is particularly demanding and you’re playing graphic heavy games. 

Is now a good time to buy an RTX 3070? 

Anyone in the game for the last two years will know GPU prices have come down A LOT in the past two years since the 3070’s release, though this doesn’t make finding where to buy the GPU has become a brainless task. 

Now that we’re in this downward trend in prices, not to mention we’re officially in Black Friday season (!!) with the RTX 4090 dropping next week, right now is definitely the time to buy a new GPU. 

If you want the insider’s scoop, check out these articles on Black Friday offers and sweeten the deal. 

Are graphics card prices dropping in 2022?

Yes. Prices have been dropping since around June and have continued to do so. With an abundance of stock to hand and Black Friday coming up fast, prices for the RTX 3070 are a brilliant value right now. 

Is an RTX 3070 good for gaming?

The RTX 3070 is absolutely great for gaming, and is probably the best GPU for those who want to experience seamless immersive gaming without breaking the bank. Whilst the 3070 isn’t the best nor the most expensive GPU available, it still offers a ground-breaking level of quality to elevate games beyond 1080p.

The RTX 3070 levels out around 60fps for most games at 4K on medium to high settings, which is a great standard for gamers who play intense and immersive games.