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Providing excellent gaming performance, the GeForce RTX 3070 is undoubtedly one of the best mid-range cards NVIDIA has to offer, according to my testing. Based on the Ampere architecture, the GeForce RTX 3070 offers generational improvements over the previous Turing architecture, which is why we picked it in our tested roundup of the best graphics cards for 4K gaming. However, choosing the best variant can be a bit challenging, which is why I have made a selection of the very best RTX 3070 graphics cards currently available, based on my hands-on testing.
Our top GeForce RTX 3070 picks are presented in this informative comparison table:
Best RTX 3070 Graphics Cards
My selection of the best RTX 3070 graphics cards is backed by testing and my personal hands-on experience:
- Best Overall RTX 3070: ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070
- RTX 3070 With Best Cooling: Gigabyte AORUS Master GeForce RTX 3070
- Best Mini-ITX RTX 3070: ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC
- Best Overclocking RTX 3070: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070
- Best Gaming RTX 3070: EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
- Best White RTX 3070: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Vision OC
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070
Best Overall RTX 3070
Specifications: Dimensions: 300 x 127 x 51.7 mm | Boost Clock: 1845MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 | Recommended PSU: 750W
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Elegant design
- Great build quality
Cons
- Limited overclocking capabilities
Design and Build Quality: The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 shares a similar look to the rest of the ASUS TUF 3000 Series cards. Moreover, it features an all-gray design with a subtle RGB logo on the top with an RGB strip right next to it. As for the RGB, that is all you will be getting with the ASUS TUF RTX 3070.
Cooling: Heatsinks can also be seen from the top of the card, with heat pipes running through the entire card. As seen on other cards from ASUS, a total of five heat pipes are being used to cool the GPU. Additionally, the fans are extremely silent with low noise levels even in performance mode.
Performance: The VRM consists of a 10-phase power design with an OnSemi NCP81810 controller; the memory voltage uses a 2-phase design. With this robust internal layout, the TUF Gaming RTX 3070 manages to provide clock speeds up to 1845 MHz. It has a maximum power limit of 270W and a stock power limit of 240W, good for overclocking.
What Makes It The Best Overall RTX 3070 Graphics Card?
The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 manages to provide a nice balance in its feature set and price while also maintaining decent temperatures thanks to the triple fan Axial-tech design, making it our pick for the best overall RTX 3070.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 8/10 |
Gigabyte AORUS Master GeForce RTX 3070
RTX 3070 With Best Cooling
Specifications: Dimensions: 290 x 131 x 60 mm | Boost Clock: 1845MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x HDMI 2.0 | Recommended PSU: 750W
Pros
- Beefy cooler and heatsink
- Excellent cooling solution
- LCD Screen
Cons
- Expensive
Design and Build Quality: Gigabyte has gone all out with the RGB on the AORUS GeForce RTX 3070 Master, with an RGB AORUS logo on the backplate along with an adequately sized strip below the “GeForce RTX” branding on top of the card. What makes the Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 3070 unique is the built-in screen that comes with it.
Cooling: The Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 3070 Master comes with three 100mm fans with a massive aluminum shroud on the front. The gigantic cooler is what stands out about the design of the Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 3070 Master. Taking a look at the cooling system inside, it consists of a total of 7 heat pipes along with a dense aluminum fin stack.
Performance: Gigabyte has equipped the AORUS GeForce RTX 3070 Master with an impressive VRM setup, with a 12-phase design for the GPU voltage with 50A power stages and a 2-phase design for the memory voltage. The Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 3070 Master does come with a factory overclock, offering boost clock speeds of 1845 MHz.
What Makes It The RTX 3070 With Best Cooling?
The Gigabyte AORUS Master GeForce RTX 3070 is an impressive card with an effective cooling solution that maintains decent temperatures. Furthermore, the card manages to maintain low noise levels even under load. Its solid build quality and top-notch cooling make it our pick for the RTX 3070 with best cooling.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 10/10 | Design: 9/10 |
ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC
Best Mini-ITX RTX 3070
Specifications: Dimensions: 231.9mm x 141.3mm x 41.5mm | Boost Clock: 1755 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: No | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 | Recommended PSU: 650W
Pros
- Compact design
- Affordable
Cons
- Limited overclocking potential
- No RGB lighting
Design and Build Quality: The ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC uses a 2-slot design and is one of the smallest GeForce RTX 3070 you can find. It features a rather simple design with a grey shroud without any RGB lighting. There is a backplate, however, that improves the aesthetics somewhat.
Cooling: It uses the Ice Storm 2 cooler, which consists of two fans of different sizes, a 100mm fan, and a smaller 90mm fan. Moving on to the heatsink, it comes with a rather simple 5-heat pipe design that keeps the GPU cool. There is a metal backplate on the back with several cutouts to improve airflow.
Performance: While the card is slightly underpowered for overclocking, you can get clock speeds up to 1850 MHz without any real temperature issues. For the VRMs, it uses a 10-phase design on the GPU and a two-phase design for the memory voltage. The VRMs are assembled in a 10+2 configuration, which is a robust configuration.
What Makes It The Best Mini-ITX RTX 3070 Graphics Card?
The ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC is a fairly basic variant of the Geforce RTX 3070. While this variant of the GeForce RTX 3070 does not come with insane clock speeds, it still has a compact design, making it perfect for small form factor builds, which is exactly why we have crowned it as the best mini-ITX RTX 3070.
| Performance: 7/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 8/10 |
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070
Best Overclocking RTX 3070
Specifications: Dimensions: 318 x 140 x 57 mm | Boost Clock: 1755 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 | Recommended PSU: 650W
Pros
- Exceptional overclocking potential
- Excellent cooling solution
- Solid build quality
Cons
- Expensive
- Larger Size
Design and Build Quality: Aesthetically, the ASUS ROG Strix cards have always looked phenomenal, that is also the case with the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070. It is absolutely loaded with RGB on the top, and the silver accent on the backplate makes its looks stand out even more.
Cooling: It uses a total of seven 6mm max contact heat pipes along with gray thermal pads for the VRMs and memory. It uses three Axiel-tech fans with the middle fan spinning in an alternate direction to reduce turbulence. As expected, it also makes use of zero RPM technology, shutting down the fans completely under light load.
Performance: What makes the ROG Strix variant of the GeForce RTX 3070 the best for overclocking is its high power limit of 350W. In terms of the VRM setup, it has a 14-phase VRM in a 12+2 configuration which is the highest we have seen on a GeForce RTX 3070. It features an overkill PCB, capable of overclocking the GeForce RTX 3070 to its very limits.
What Makes It The Best Overclocking RTX 3070 Graphics Card?
Thanks to its high power limit, along with the already high boost frequencies, the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3070 OC is an overclocking powerhouse. It has unrivaled overclocking potential thanks to its 14-phase VRM design, making it the best overclocking RTX 3070.
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 9/10 |
EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
Best Gaming RTX 3070
Specifications: Dimensions: 300 x 136 x 44 mm | Boost Clock: 1815 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 | Recommended PSU: 650W
Pros
- Great for overclocking
- Elegant triple fan design
- Huge RGB bar
Cons
- Unremarkable acoustics
- Quite expensive
Design and Build Quality: The card has a clean black finish with a single red stripe on the backplate. For anyone interested in RGB, the FTW3 variant comes with a ton of it, with a massive RGB bar on the top of the fans. Additionally, the EVGA logo on the back also lights up.
Cooling: EVGA has kept the heat sink design rather simple with the FTW3 Ultra Gaming GeForce RTX 3070, featuring a total of 5 copper heat pipes. A thermal pad on the backplate can also be added to reduce the PCB temperatures. Three 90mm fans can be seen at the front of the card.
Performance: Moving on to the VRM design, it uses a 12-phase design for the GPU voltage and a 2-phase design for the memory voltage. Overclocking is not an issue with the EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra, it manages to reach high core clocks while also maintaining decent temperatures, thanks to the beefy cooler and high 270W power limit.
The EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 checks all the right boxes for a top-tier RTX 3070 variant. It is the ideal choice for gamers since it does not make too many compromises, and covers all the bases effectively. It may be a little pricy, but you get exceptional cooling as well as overclocking performance in one package.
– Awais Khan
What Makes It The Best Gaming RTX 3070 Graphics Card?
EVGA has gone above and beyond with the GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming, packing all the latest features along with great thermal performance. It is worth considering due to the factory overclock and its amazing overclocking potential, making it our pick as the best gaming RTX 3070.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Vision OC
Best White RTX 3070
Specifications: Dimensions: 286 x 115 x 51 mm | Boost Clock: 1815 MHz | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-Pin, 1 x 6-Pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 2 x Display Port 1.4a, 2 x HDMI 2.1 | Recommended PSU: 650W
Pros
- Breathtaking white design
- Windforce 3X cooling system
- Solid factory overclock
Cons
- Limited RGB lighting
- Unremarkable overclocking potential
Design and Build Quality: The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Vision OC is a premium GeForce RTX 3070 card that features an all-white design that is a treat to look at. The backplate shares a similar look to the other cards on this list. It comes with Vision branding and a cutout on the back. A Gigabyte logo can be seen on top of the card, with RGB lighting.
Cooling: Gigabyte has equipped the GeForce RTX 3070 Vision OC with three 80mm fans that make use of the Windforce 3X Cooling system, which includes features such as an alternate spinning middle fan and a 3D Active fan. To cool down the PCB, Gigabyte has gone with 5 copper heat pipes that also cover the VRAM.
Performance: It comes with a factory overclock, increasing the boost clock speeds to 1815 MHz. The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Vision OC has a default power limit of 270W. For the VRMs, Gigabyte has used the same setup as the Founder’s edition with 9 phases for the GPU voltage and a 2-phase design for the memory voltage.
Seeking expert commentary on the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Vision OC, we turned to our resident graphics card specialist, Nauman Siddique.
“While its higher price and limited overclocking potential might not suit budget-conscious buyers, it stands out for its top-notch performance and aesthetics in the mid-to-high-end gaming spectrum”.
What Makes It The Best White RTX 3070 Graphics Card?
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Vision OC is, without a doubt, the best-looking GeForce RTX 3070 you can get right now. If aesthetics are something you care about, then this is the card you should consider. On top of its breathtaking design, it sustains reasonable temperatures even under load, making it the best white RTX 3070.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 10/10 |
Gaming Benchmarks
Our hardware experts tested the RTX 3070 against other graphics cards of both the latest and last-generation NVIDIA and AMD line-ups. Here are their results:
How We Tested & Picked These RTX 3070 Graphics Cards
These are the vital factors to keep in mind when you’re in the process of buying a graphics card.
- VRM: VRMs are an important parameter to consider when purchasing any graphics card, especially for people who intend on overclocking their GPU. The reference Geforce RTX 3070 comes with a 9-phase design for the GPU voltage and a 2-phase design for the memory; however, premium cards have added extra phases.
- Power limit: Power Limit becomes an extremely important factor when you add overclocking into the equation. Since most modern GPUs have the cooling performance to boost to high clock speeds, the power limit is the only factor stopping them from reaching higher clock speeds.
- Performance: While most variants of the GeForce RTX 3070 will provide similar performance to the founder’s edition card, some premium cards can push the GPU to its limit. Great VRMs, high power limits, and excellent cooling solutions are what increase the performance of aftermarket cards.
- Size: The RTX 3070 card dimensions are going to depend on the variant you end up with. Most variants equipped with a triple fan cooler are pretty massive in size, which is expected given the monstrous performance. Before finalizing your purchase, make sure the card you end up going with is going to fit in your case.
- Temperatures and Cooling: Cooling is an important factor that you should definitely consider before choosing a variant of the Geforce RTX 3070. Bad cooling can lead to issues such as thermal throttling. Better cooling also results in better overclocking performance and increases the life span of your card.
Frequently Asked Questions
The GeForce RTX 3070 can run every modern triple-A title at 1440p while maintaining 60 frames per second with most titles.
As far as the GeForce RTX 3070 motherboard compatibility is concerned, you can pair the GeForce RTX 3070 with any motherboard that is compatible with your processor; however, motherboards with PCIe Gen 4 connectivity are preferred.
The Intel Core i7-12700k is a perfect match for the GeForce RTX 3070. Over on the AMD side of things, the Ryzen 7 5800X is perfectly capable of handling the Geforce RTX 3070.
The GeForce RTX 3070 is capable of running triple-A titles at 1440p with over 60 frames per second; however, if you intend on playing games on Native 4K then a GeForce RTX 3080 should suffice.
We have tested other RTX 3000 series graphics cards as well:
- Best RTX 3090 Ti Graphics Cards
- Best RTX 3090 Graphics Cards
- Best RTX 3080 Ti Graphics Cards
- Best RTX 3080 Graphics Cards
- Best RTX 3060 Ti Graphics Cards
- Best RTX 3060 Graphics Cards
- Best RTX 3050 Graphics Cards
Recent Updates
- February 18, 2024: Added gaming benchmarks of the RTX 3070 against the RTX 4070, RTX 3070 Ti, RX 6750 XT, and RTX 4060 Ti at 1080p, 1440p and 4K after testing on the latest AAA titles.
- December 31, 2023: Few text changes to improve readability. No products were changed.
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[Hardware Reviewer]
Awais Khan is a Tech Geek, conscientious, reliable, and hardworking individual who pays attention to detail with excellent time management skills. Alongside that, he is an expert in PC Hardware; dealing with Benchmarks, Analysis, and testing before sharing information with readers. Whenever free, Awais occasionally shares Gaming Videos on his YouTube Channel.
Get In Touch: awais@old.tech4gamers.com
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