RTX 4070 vs RTX 4070 Super – will the upgrade be worth it?

RTX 4070 vs RTX 4070 Super – will the upgrade be worth it?
Aleksha McLoughlin Updated on by

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If you’re trying to decide on a mid-range GPU for your build then weighing up RTX 4070 vs RTX 4070 Super will be paramount. The latter was recently unveiled by Nvidia during CES 2024 and boasts some prominent upgrades over the original model, but the answer of what’s better by use case isn’t so cut and dry. We’re considering the price, specs, and more to help you make an informed purchasing decision.

While neither models are giving the best graphics cards on the bleeding edge a run for their money, both the RTX 4070 and the RTX 4070 Super offer strong value for money. We’ll be comparing their price points, specs, and more so let’s waste no more time and get into the heart of it.

RTX 4070 vs RTX 4070 Super price comparison

One of the most important factors into deciding between the two graphics cards is going to come down to their respective sticker prices. To kick things off, the RTX 4070 carries a starting MSRP of $599 / £569 for the Founders Edition model with partner cards varying around this rate. However, the upcoming RTX 4070 Super will start at $599 / £579 which means you won’t be paying more for a faster card.

With the incoming launch of the RTX 4070 Super, it stands to reason that you’ll soon be able to find the RTX 4070 cheaper than its recommended retail price as retailers make space for the latest variant. That means the answer isn’t necessarily as straightforward for everyone, but we’ll say that if both models are price matched at your retailer of choice then we urge you to opt for the Super variant. We’re also showing you where to buy RTX 4070 Super graphics cards, too.

RTX 4070 vs RTX 4070 Super release date comparison

The original RTX 4070 was released on April 13, 2023 and has consequently been available in stores for around eight months. You won’t be waiting long for its successor, however, as the RTX 4070 Super’s release date is January 17, 2024 which is next week at the time of writing. Team Green has wasted no time in maximizing the lifespan of Ada as it’s possible we could see the RTX 50 series at the end of this year as a new generation comes along in two-year cycles.

RTX 4070 vs RTX 4070 Super specs comparison

The RTX 4070 features 12GB GDDR6X memory with 5,888 CUDA cores on a 192-bit memory bus and is built upon the AD104 graphics processor. The broad strokes remain consistent with the RTX 4070 Super which also has the same amount of VRAM, memory bus width, and GPU. Where things divert, however, is with the amount of CUDA cores which has been upped 20% according to Nvidia which would means an increase to around 7168 which TechPowerUp reports.

Deep diving into the officially published hardware specs of the RTX 4070 Super, the upcoming card will feature 36 Shader TFLOPS, 82 RT TFLOPS, and 568 AI TOPS. Team Green states with confidence that this graphics card is “faster than the RTX 3090” and “up to 1.5x faster with DLSS 3”. That’s quite the generational leap from Ampere in 2020 to Ada in 2024 which essentially offers up 90-class performance for a sub-$600 price tag. We go into more depth in our dedicated RTX 4070 Super hub.

Should you buy the RTX 4070 or the RTX 4070 Super?

If you can find the RTX 4070 Super for the same price as the RTX 4070 or at a negliable price increase then we recommend opting for the faster card. It features 20% more CUDA cores which should translate to around a 5-15% lead in-game depending on the resolution of 1080p or 1440p. However, if the RTX 4070 becomes dramatically cheaper then that could be the better buy.

Image Credit: Nvidia