Nvidia’s newest RTX 50-series GPUs have been coming thick and quick (we’ve had the RTX 5090, RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti launch in fast succession) – they usually’ve been promoting out simply as rapidly – however for many individuals, the upcoming RTX 5070 would be the most fun launch of the present Blackwell era.
The principle motive for that is that whereas the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are each a number of the greatest GPUs cash should buy (if there’s inventory) proper now, they’re additionally high-end playing cards aimed toward lovers, so they arrive with excessive value tags.
In the meantime, the Nvidia RTX 5070 is about to launch at a extra inexpensive $549 / £549 (round AU$880), which as my colleague Christian Guyton factors out, is cheaper than the worth its predecessor, the RTX 4070, launched at ($599 / £589 / AU$1,109).
This cheaper price immediately makes the RTX 5070 a extra interesting buy to a wider viewers, and it’s particularly compelling for individuals who can’t afford (or want) the RTX 5090 or RTX 5080.
One other thrilling issue is that as a result of the RTX 5070 is utilizing the identical Blackwell structure as its dearer brethren, it’s in a position to make use of superior tech, equivalent to Multi Body Technology (MFG), which together with DLSS 4, might imply the mid-range RTX 5070 finally ends up punching properly above its weight in terms of efficiency.
I used to be notably excited to check out these options with the RTX 5070, as I discovered enabling them on the already ultra-powerful RTX 5090 introduced significantly spectacular, if barely extreme, outcomes. Hitting over 300fps in Cyberpunk 2077 with all graphical settings set to their highest ranges was an actual spotlight.
Nevertheless, whereas the benefits of DLSS and MFG supply icing on an already very {powerful} cake (OK, not the greatest analogy there, however persist with me) when used with an RTX 5090, their most fun potential lies with much less {powerful}, extra inexpensive, GPUs just like the RTX 5070.
With these, reasonably than permitting you to hit framerates price bragging about (however which you may not likely discover in day-to-day gaming), DLSS and MFG are as an alternative closing the efficiency and high quality hole with dearer playing cards, and may make intensive graphical settings – equivalent to ray tracing lighting results – accessible to players who can’t afford the high-end fashions.
Dimension issues
Earlier than entering into the video games themselves, I wanted to first set up the RTX 5070 in a PC – although it was one of many best GPU installs I’ve achieved for a very long time, primarily as a result of dimension of the Founder’s Version.
The earlier era of high-end Nvidia GPUs received me used to (however not completely satisfied about) large GPUs. Fortunately that appears to have been reversed this gen, with RTX 50 sequence GPUs being a lot smaller than their predecessors.
The RTX 5090 is the most effective instance of this. My RTX 4090 is a huge little bit of tech, taking over 3.5 PCIe slots (simply in dimension, it’s solely plugged right into a single PCIe slot of the motherboard), and needing to be held up with a GPU assist inside the PC.
Putting in it in even a big chassis might be very tough, and its dimension means upgrading different elements might be irritating.
The RTX 5090, in distinction, is sort of half the width, taking over two PCIe slots, a extra conventional GPU dimension, and doesn’t want a GPU assist – immediately making it simpler to put in, and it additionally means it may be put in in a small kind issue (SFF) PC – one thing you would by no means do with the 4090.
The RTX 5070 FE is much more compact, and its dimension was notably noticeable once I put in it in a PC that had an RTX 4080 FE put in. The older GPU is one other large beast of a graphics card, so changing it with the Nvidia RTX 5070 FE meant the insides of the PC weren’t so cramped – not solely does it look neater, however crucially it means higher airflow inside the laptop, so elements can run cooler for longer.
One other factor that made the swap simple was that the RTX 5070 FE comes with a 16-pin energy connection – so I used to be in a position to plug within the 16-pin energy cable that had been plugged into the RTX 4080 FE. It solely took a couple of minutes to swap the GPUs.
When you don’t have already got a 16-pin energy connector, the RTX 5070 FE comes with an adaptor that attaches to 2 normal 8-pin adaptors. Most trendy PSUs will include a 16-pin cable, which can scale back the litter in your PC’s case.
Taking part in the video games
With the RTX 5070 rapidly fitted, and early drivers put in, I dived into some video games. On account of embargo restrictions with this early look, I used to be restricted to sure video games – however the excellent news is that just a few had been ones I’d often play and use to check GPUs.
First up was Cyberpunk 2077. Regardless of the sport being 5 years previous (how did that occur?!), it’s nonetheless a graphical showcase, primarily due to the fixed work developer CD Projekt RED has achieved on the title all through the years. It is usually usually one of many first titles to get assist for Nvidia’s newest tech, which is the case right here.
With DLSS 4 turned on, and MFG set to ‘x4’, which suggests three frames are generated by AI for each one body that’s rendered by the GPU for increased framerates, working at 1440p with ray tracing set to Extremely, the sport seemed nice and ran easily. Even throughout high-speed chases the place I used to be racing by means of Evening Metropolis whereas blasting enemies, there wasn’t the slightest pause – a powerful feat for a GPU that’s cheaper than a PS5 Professional (which launched at $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199).
I point out Sony’s console as often if you evaluate a gaming PC’s efficiency to a video games console, it nearly all the time comes with the caveat that whereas a PC presents a lot better efficiency, it additionally prices much more.
With the RTX 5070, that argument isn’t fairly as convincing, as the worth distinction shouldn’t be so stark – but the efficiency distinction will probably be clear. And, if you have already got a gaming PC and are weighing up a brand new GPU improve or a PS5 Professional, the RTX 5070 appears to be like prefer it might be your best option in terms of each efficiency and worth.
Whereas I can’t go into specifics (you’ll want to attend for our full Nvidia RTX 5070 evaluate for that), the body charges I used to be getting in Cyberpunk 2077 had been very spectacular – we’re speaking within the excessive 200s, one thing a *70 sequence card wouldn’t have hoped to have hit just a few years in the past.
It additionally exhibits that there’s loads of headroom, so you would improve sure graphics settings and results, equivalent to improve the decision, and whereas the body charges will drop, and gameplay will nonetheless be clean and responsive.
As is often the case with mid-range GPUs, a little bit of tweaking can work wonders and assist you maximize efficiency and graphical high quality – and it appears to be like like DLSS 4 and MFG provides you with extra leeway.
I had an analogous expertise enjoying Hogwarts Legacy, once more with DLSS 4 and MFG set to 4x. With graphical settings set to Extremely, together with ray tracing and working at 1440p, the graphically-ambitious sport once more felt impressively clean whereas enjoying, even in open environments. Whereas I often play at 4K (and even at 8K generally), 1440p is a very talked-about decision, particularly for individuals who the RTX 5070 is aimed toward, so it’s very reassuring that the GPU appears to be like prefer it performs very properly at that decision.
From my time doing early gameplay exams with the RTX 5070, it appears to be like just like the GPU is also an excellent 4K GPU as properly. I performed Avowed, the latest launch from RPG legends Obsidian, at 4K and with its highest graphical settings utilized – together with ray tracing.
Avowed doesn’t presently supply DLSS 4 and MFG inside the sport settings – however I used to be in a position to simply allow them by means of the Nvidia app. In addition to including these options to video games that don’t natively assist them – which is an enormous bonus already, because it means you shouldn’t have to attend for sure video games to get DLSS 4 and MFG assist – the app may robotically set the most effective graphical choices for the sport based mostly in your {hardware}, and allows you to maintain your drivers updated.
Whereas I, like many PC players, desire to personally tinker with settings to get the most effective outcomes, it’s a useful gizmo for people who find themselves much less comfy with altering varied settings, and simply need to get on and play a sport.
The outcomes had been once more very spectacular, with some great-looking environments and as soon as once more utterly clean gameplay. Throughout a melee fight battle, the place timing is every little thing, the sport ran brilliantly. Once more, I felt like I used to be getting the type of high quality and efficiency that I’d often get from a way more {powerful}, and costly, card.
Ultimate ideas
Based mostly on my early time with the RTX 5070 FE, together with the $549 / £549 price ticket, I feel that is an thrilling GPU that may hopefully make trendy PC gaming extra accessible to individuals who don’t have the finances for a high-end GPU.
It must also assist disprove PC gaming’s status for being elitist and costly – and will tempt console homeowners to make the swap, due to the extra inexpensive value and the useful one-click optimizations the Nvidia app presents.
AMD, Nvidia’s major GPU competitor, can also be set to launch new graphics playing cards quickly, and can once more primarily be concentrating on the mid-range market. The concept of the 2 GPU giants going face to face to win over budget-conscious players, reasonably than having a easy arms race that values pure efficiency over something, value tags be damned, implies that 2025 is shaping as much as be an extremely thrilling 12 months for PC players.
Ensure you try our full evaluate of the RTX 5070 later this month, as we’ll be actually digging into the type of efficiency you must count on from this GPU and evaluating it with comparable playing cards. However for now, it’s definitely wanting promising.
You might also like…
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- Some fortunate RTX 5080 consumers might not be so fortunate in any case, as Nvidia confirms ‘uncommon’ chip fault additionally applies to this GPU in addition to the RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti
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