Nvidia RTX 5070 vs. RTX 4070 Super: Is the New Card Worth the Upgrade?

Nvidia RTX 5070 vs. RTX 4070 Super: A Detailed Comparison
This article provides an in-depth analysis comparing Nvidia's latest RTX 5070 graphics card with its predecessor, the RTX 4070 Super. It delves into their specifications, pricing, availability, and performance, offering guidance to consumers trying to decide between the two.
Introduction
Nvidia's RTX 50-series graphics cards are now more established, with high-end options and more budget-friendly choices. For users considering an upgrade from a previous generation card, understanding the performance and value proposition of the new offerings is crucial, especially with increasing competition from AMD.
Pricing and Availability
The RTX 4070 Super, released in January 2024, was a mid-generation refresh that offered a significant performance boost at its original $600 price point. However, due to stock shortages in early 2025, availability was limited, and prices often exceeded $1,000.
The RTX 5070 launched in March 2025 and also sold out quickly. Its recommended retail price was $550, but it was rarely available at this price. Typical market prices ranged from $650 to $750, with some units reaching close to $800. This pricing is notably higher than the MSRP of the RTX 5070 Ti.
Specifications Comparison
The specifications of the RTX 5070 have raised some questions, as it appears to be a step back in certain areas compared to previous generations. Key differences include:
Feature | Nvidia RTX 5070 | RTX 4070 Super |
---|---|---|
Graphics Cores | 6,144 | 7,168 |
RT Cores | 48 (4th gen) | 56 (3rd gen) |
Tensor Cores | 192 (5th gen) | 224 (4th gen) |
Boost Clock | 2.51GHz | 2.46GHz |
Memory | 12GB GDDR7 | 12GB GDDR6X |
Memory Bus | 192-bit | 192-bit |
Memory Speed | 28Gbps | 21Gbps |
Memory Bandwidth | 672GBps | 504GBps |
Total Board Power | 250W | 220W |
Despite a new architecture and core design, the RTX 5070 features fewer CUDA, RT, and Tensor cores. While it boasts faster GDDR7 memory, the 12GB VRAM and 192-bit bus width remain limiting factors. The memory bandwidth is improved, but this comes with a 30W increase in power consumption over the 4070 Super.
Performance Analysis
Nvidia's initial claims of "4090 performance at $549" for the RTX 5070, particularly when utilizing DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation, have been largely considered marketing hyperbole. While the RTX 5070 does show a performance uplift over the base RTX 4070, the gains over the RTX 4070 Super are minimal, typically only a few percent in games that do not utilize multi-frame generation.
When DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation are enabled, the RTX 5070 can achieve a more significant performance increase. However, the RTX 4070 Super also supports DLSS 4, making the 5070's advantage largely dependent on its multi-frame generation capabilities.
Third-party testing confirms that in most scenarios without advanced AI features, the RTX 5070 offers only a marginal improvement over the RTX 4070 Super. This limited performance gain, coupled with its higher price, makes the RTX 5070 a questionable upgrade.
Raytracing performance has seen a slight improvement due to the new core design, but the reduced core count hinders its overall effectiveness. The effectiveness of multi-frame generation is also limited by the card's native performance, which is not as high as more powerful 50-series cards.
Value Proposition and Recommendations
The RTX 5070's performance increase over the RTX 4070 Super is not substantial enough to justify its significantly higher price, especially when the 4070 Super is available at a lower (though often inflated) price point. The article strongly advises against purchasing the RTX 5070 at its current market prices.
For consumers seeking a graphics card in the $700 price range, neither the RTX 4070 Super nor the RTX 5070 are ideal choices due to availability and pricing issues. The article suggests considering the AMD RX 9070 XT as a viable alternative. Despite facing its own pricing challenges, the RX 9070 XT offers strong performance, potentially outperforming the RTX 5080 with undervolting, and generally has better availability.
Conclusion
The RTX 5070, despite its new architecture, fails to deliver a compelling performance upgrade over the RTX 4070 Super for its price. The limited performance gains and inflated market prices make it a poor value proposition. Potential buyers are encouraged to explore alternatives like the AMD RX 9070 XT or wait for more favorable pricing and availability for Nvidia's offerings.
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Author Information
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator for Digital Trends, covering how-to guides, best-of lists, and more. He can be reached via LinkedIn and Twitter.
Image Descriptions
- Two RTX 4070 Ti Super graphics cards sitting next to each other.
- The RTX 5070 in a graphic.
- Power adapter on the RTX 4070 Ti Super graphics card.
- Nvidia benchmarks for the RTX 5070.
- 4K average performance for the RTX 5080.
- Jon Martindale's profile picture.
- Asus Zenbook A14 front angled view showing display and keyboard.
- Nvidia RTX 4070 Super.
- Acer Swift AI 16 front angled view showing display and keyboard.
- Nvidia RTX 5080 render.
Topics Covered
- GPUs
- Nvidia
- Versus
- Computing
- PC Hardware
- Graphics Cards
- AI
- Gaming
- Technology
- Hardware Reviews
Original article available at: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/rtx-5070-vs-rtx-4070-super/