NVIDIA's latest mid-range graphics card has officially hit the market, bringing Blackwell architecture to a more accessible price point. The GeForce RTX 5070 arrives as the third installment in NVIDIA's RTX 50 series lineup, following the high-end RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 models. With an official MSRP of $549 US, this new GPU aims to deliver significant performance improvements over its predecessor while supporting the latest DLSS 4 technologies.
Technical Specifications and Architecture
The GeForce RTX 5070 is built on NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture, utilizing the GB205-300-A1 silicon die. It features 6,144 CUDA cores, 192 Tensor Cores, and 48 RT cores, alongside 80 ROPs. Unlike some other models in the RTX 50 series that suffered from a production defect resulting in disabled ROP units, the RTX 5070 appears to maintain its full ROP count. The GPU contains 48 MB of L2 cache and packs an impressive 31.1 billion transistors within a 263mm² die.
Memory specifications remain similar to its predecessor in some aspects, with 12GB of VRAM on a 192-bit bus. However, the RTX 5070 upgrades to faster GDDR7 memory, which helps boost overall performance. The card operates at a boost clock of 2,512 MHz, slightly higher than the RTX 4070's 2,475 MHz. Power requirements have increased, with the RTX 5070 rated at 250W TDP—30W higher than the RTX 4070 and 50W more than the RTX 3070.
Performance Claims and Improvements
According to NVIDIA's own benchmarks, the GeForce RTX 5070 delivers approximately 20% better performance in native ray tracing (without DLSS) compared to the RTX 4070. For users upgrading from an RTX 3070, NVIDIA promises a substantial 65% improvement in traditional raster performance and over three times better performance when utilizing DLSS 4 technologies.
The most dramatic performance gains come when leveraging DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation (MFG), where NVIDIA claims up to 1.9x performance jumps over the RTX 4070. However, it's worth noting that without MFG, the RTX 5070 doesn't approach RTX 4090 performance levels in either rasterization or ray tracing. Only with 4x MFG mode enabled does the card reach comparable speeds to the previous flagship.
DLSS 4 and Software Support
A key selling point for the RTX 5070 is its support for NVIDIA's latest DLSS 4 technologies, which are now available in over 75 games. The card supports DLSS Super Resolution with the latest transformer model, as well as Frame Generation and Multi-Frame Generation features. NVIDIA has also released a new Game Ready driver optimized for the RTX 5070 and upcoming titles like Fragpunk, which will utilize the full DLSS 4 suite.
Other software advantages include 3x faster GenAI performance compared to the RTX 4070, thanks to Blackwell architecture's support for FP4 operations. Content creators will also benefit from dedicated hardware acceleration for 4:2:2 video export, which NVIDIA claims is 6x faster than on the RTX 4070.
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| NVIDIA DLSS technology enhances gaming performance, as showcased with support for over 75 games |
Pricing and Availability
The official MSRP for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is set at $549 US, with various models from AIB partners like ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ZOTAC, and PNY expected to be available at launch. The Founders Edition is being sold through Best Buy, while partner cards are available through retailers like Newegg.
International pricing varies by region, with Malaysian prices ranging from RM2,850 (approximately $675 US) for base models like the ASUS Prime RTX 5070 12G and MSI RTX 5070 12G Shadow 2X OC, up to RM3,899 (approximately $923 US) for premium variants like the ASUS TUF RTX 5070 O12G Gaming.
Market Competition
The RTX 5070 enters the market just as AMD prepares to launch its competing Radeon RX 9070, which is expected to target the same $549 price point. This sets the stage for an intense battle in the mid-range GPU segment, with both companies vying for the attention of gamers looking to upgrade their systems without spending flagship-level money.
With its combination of improved raster performance, enhanced ray tracing capabilities, and advanced DLSS 4 features, the RTX 5070 represents an attractive option for users upgrading from older generation cards. However, the true value proposition will depend on real-world availability at the advertised MSRP, something that has been challenging with previous GPU launches.