As we’ve technically reached the bottom of NVIDIA’s proverbial GPU barrel (for now, at least), I must confess that I had an extra sense of excitement bubbling inside me with the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition (FE). I mean, the claims of it being on par with last generation’s flagship RTX 4090, and at a fraction of the price at that? I was kinda-sorta expecting a mini unicorn.
After thoroughly testing the card, though, I see what Jen-Hsun Huang, NVIDIA CEO, meant about changing our perception about benchmarking games and software, especially in this world of AI and upscaling.
Specifications
Design
As this is a card that is considerably smaller than the RTX 5090 and 5080, the location of the GPU and PCB of the RTX 5070 FE are located further into the back. As such, it’s actually the only Founders Edition to revert back to the Dual Axis Flowthrough solution, where the rear fan sucks air in and exhausts it through the back of the card, instead of through the fins. And that’s why the fins of the cooling block are visible from the rear with this card.
There’s little to talk about with regard to the design, then. The RTX 5070 FE is just a miniature version of both the RTX 5090 and 5080, and they both use the same shroud.
For that matter, it’s pretty much the same size as the RTX 4070 Super too. Because it’s a Blackwell GPU, it too gets the modern acoutrement that is DLSS 4 and Multiframe Generation.
Testbench
For comparison’s sake, I am benchmarking the RTX 5070 FE against the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 4070 Super, the latter being the direct predecessor by virtue of market segment. However, because of NVIDIA’s claims, the cards I will also be testing its mid-range Blackwell against last year’s flagship, the RTX 4090.
Benchmarks, Temperature, And Power Consumption
So…here’s the kicker. On the grounds of pure rasterisation, the RTX 5070 isn’t on par with the RTX 4090 but rather, an RTX 4070 Super. Don’t believe me? Look at the gaming benchmarks between the two.
With older titles like Deus Ex Mankind Divided and Doom Eternal, both GPUs are practically neck-to-neck with each other, with the mid-range Lovelace GPU somehow beating out its more powerful Blackwell successor. Granted, it’s only by a handful of frames at best but still.
For the titles that utilise DLSS 4 and MFG such as Cyberpunk 2077 (CP2077) and Alan Wake 2, there is a very obvious and marked improvement in the average framerates. You wouldn’t imagine what is effectively a mid-range GPU being able to run CP2077 at more than 100 fps on 4K but it does, and without even so much as a flinch.
Perhaps the only downside to owning an RTX 5070 FE, specifically, is the amount of heat it generates and that’s through no fault of its own, honestly. At its very worst – and I mean in a room where the ambient temperature is a constant 20°C, the card peaks at a barmy 72°C on a full load.
Conclusion
Honestly speaking, if you’re using an RTX 4070 Super or even the non-Super variant, I recommend that you stick with it for another couple of years. No, seriously, you’re good. At this point, the real motivating factor in getting an RTX 5070 is access to the latest upscaling technology, DLSS 4 and Multiframe Generation. Unless you’re coming up from the RTX 30 series, in which case, perhaps now’s as good a time as any to make the jump.
The RTX 5070 is powerful, certainly, but that’s only if DLSS 4 can flex its muscle.
The thing is, while several games, old and new, are expected to start supporting said NVIDIA upscaling technology, not all games may even roll out with support for DLSS 4. Again: yes, games that happen to support the feature definitely show a marked improvement but these titles are the exception and not the rule.
To summarise, upgrading to an RTX 5070 only makes sense if you’re coming from the RTX 20 Series or RTX 30 Series, particularly given the massive improvements in software afforded by Blackwell. If you’re coming from last generation’s RTX 40 Series, though, relax: sit back and enjoy your card. Seriously, I hardly see the need to rush, not unless you’re jonesing for DLSS 4.
Photography by John Law.
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