Best RTX 3070 graphics cards in 2023
Deep diving major online retailers to find the best RTX 3070 AIB's on offer this 2020
This guide is designed to help you find the best Best RTX 3070 graphics card as an individual component. However, if you are struggling to find RTX 3070 graphics card stock, an RTX 3070 prebuilt gaming PC is an alternative you could consider.
As many will know, Nvidia’s Ampere GPU launch didn’t exactly go to plan – leaving thousands of eager buyers disappointed thanks to the lack of physical stock levels.
Luckily (for Nvidia), AMD also had similar stocking issues regarding their new 6000-series GPU lineup, meaning buyers didn’t have the chance to flock to Team Red in raw desperation.
That being said, we are starting to see stock levels begin to replenish, allowing buyers to purchase some of the most well-priced (and value-oriented) GPUs that we’ve seen in years. The RTX 3070 hits shelves at around $500, making it a great value card when available.
The following article will be a closer look at some of the great RTX 3070 AIBs available today. We’ll be recommending only the best RTX 3070 graphics cards on offer, prioritizing performance, cooling, and overall value for money as we go.
So, with plenty to get through, let’s waste no further time and dive straight into it to find the best RTX 3070 graphics card for you!
Our top picks
- 01Best RTX 3070
ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming
- 02Runner up RTX 3070
EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
- 03Best value RTX 3070
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
Best RTX 3070 graphics cards
ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming
Clock Speed
1755MHz Boost Clock (OC)
VRAM
8GB GDDR6
Thermal Design
Axial-tech Triple Fan
Power Input
2 x 8-pin
Size
318mm x 140mm x 57mm
- Excellent aesthetic design
- Great cooling solution
- High boost clock speed
- On the higher end of the price spectrum
As with all card launches, ASUS has released several different SKUs for the RTX 3070. However, our favorite has to go to the ROG Strix – their premium gaming brand.
Despite not having quite the same overclocking potential as the EVGA (discussed below), the ASUS excels in almost every other area. It comes equipped with sublime out-the-box cooling, characterized by efficiency and its flagship design language. In addition to the ROG’s hefty cooling solution, ASUS has also equipped it with a very hand 1755MHz boost clock frequency that, if deemed necessary, can be overclocked further with relative ease.
As far as inputs go, the ROG Strix is one of the only cards on the market that actually offers more than one HDMI input. While this may seem a little mundane for many users, HDMI still plays a major role in today’s tech. Having the additional options allows users to utilize HDMI-limited accessories that other cards can’t.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
Clock Speed
1815MHz Boost Clock (OC)
VRAM
8GB GDDR6
Thermal Design
EVGA iCX3 Cooling
Power Input
2 x 8-pin
Size
300mm x 136mm x 60mm
- Fantastic build quality
- EVGA iCX3 Cooling
- Adjustable ARGB LED
- Design can be a little basic for some
When it comes to high-end graphics cards, EVGA is one of the biggest names in the game. They have been designing some of the best GPUs on the market for years now, providing users with high-end build quality, excellent overclocking ability, and fantastic performance across the board.
With that, their RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra gaming gets our runner-up award, losing narrowly to the ROG Strix in terms of the raw value. Having said that, the EVGA comes with a whole host of its own pros, including massive overclocking headspace and a design that is arguably one of the best on the market.
The FTW3 Ultra gaming houses its best-binned silicon, boasting a rock-solid PCB that can be overclocked in abundance. That said, if you don’t feel quite up to the task of overclocking your brand-new GPU, this card still provides great performance right out of the box – bringing one of the highest boost clock frequencies to the table.
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
Clock Speed
1830MHz Boost Clock (OC)
VRAM
8GB GDDR6
Thermal Design
TORX Fan 3.0 cooling
Power Inputs
2 x 8-pin
Size
323mm x 140mm x 56mm
- Stylish, gaming aesthetics
- Strong materials and build design
- High-end cooling solution
- On the expensive side
Unlike the RTX 3060 guide, which gave MSI’s Ventus 3X as our top value pick, we’ve decided to go for their flagship offering from their RTX 3070 range.
With stellar aesthetics and great out-the-box cooling, the MSI RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio really does tick a lot of the right boxes. To touch on cooling briefly, the Gaming X Trio is up there with the best RTX 3070s on the market, offering a cool and quiet operation that is hugely important with a GPU of this caliber. This is mainly thanks to the TORX fan 4.0 technology that MSI has implemented in this card. It offers better airflow over the PCB to ensure cool temps are met at the most intense of times.
Out-of-the-box boost clock frequency sees this card hit 1830MHz when under load. Whilst that isn’t the highest you’re likely to find, it’s still very good compared to last-gen’s alternative.
Zotac NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC
Clock Speed
1755MHz Boost Clock (OC)
VRAM
8GB GDDR6
Thermal Design
IceStorm 2.0 Cooling Solution
Power Input
2 x 8-pin
Size
231.9mm x 141.3mm x 41.5mm
- Very good value for money
- Smaller dual-fan design
- Efficient cooling and quiet output
- Build quality could be a little better
Zotac has released two SKUs in their RTX 3070 range, with the Twin Edge OC being our recommended choice for gamers on a budget.
The Zotac comes to shelves with a subtle yet stylish aesthetic that would suit most builds. It brings nicely thought-out RGB to the table, alongside a hint of gaming style thanks to the sharp edges.
Moving onto cooling, despite only having a dual fan setup, the Zotac actually performs extremely well for the most part. Zotac has installed their IceStorm 2.0 advanced cooling in this card, helping better direct airflow over the PCB for better cooling. Like all other cards in this guide, the Zotac also brings stop/start technology to the table as well.
Whilst build quality isn’t the best in the world, Zotac has made adjustments to their 30-series GPUs, equipping them with a reinforced backplate to added rigidity.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for all the perks that an RTX 3070 offers without splashing out on the premium price tag, the Zotac Twin Edge OC could be exactly what you’re looking for.
How we chose the best RTX 3070 GPU
Choosing the right components for our best of guides (whether it’s the best monitors for under $300 or the best gaming headset) is never an easy task.
It requires hours of product research, performance benchmarking, and user feedback to get anywhere close to a definitive conclusion.
If you aren’t tech-savvy and struggle to put time aside to go through the above requirements, you may end up purchasing a GPU that simply isn’t right for you or your build.
Fear not though, friends! Here at WePC, we like to take the stress of all that research away and transform it into an easy-to-follow, complete buyers guide.
That’s right, our team of PC enthusiasts has done all the hard work, so you don’t have to.
How we test
Testing the products we recommend is a huge part of the overall selection process in our best of guides. It’s a way to make sure what we recommend is the absolute best option in its specific category.
To be sure a product is “the best,” it must show excellent performance in our tests and display better qualities than the competition it faces.
Most of the products we recommend here at WePC have gone through a strict testing process that involves everything from price and looks to performance and efficiency.
Each product is pushed to the limit to see how it performs under intense stress to make sure it warrants the top spot.
Doing this enables us to provide you with the most accurate review of how the product performs and, ultimately, whether it’s worth your hard-earned cash.
Things to consider
Choosing which graphics card is best for your new build or upgrade can be a fairly tricky task – even more so if you’re not totally up to speed with the latest GPU tech know-how.
That being said, if you’ve managed to narrow down your search to the RTX 3070, you’ll be happy to know that there isn’t a great deal that separates the different AIBs in today’s market.
Obviously, there are certain factors that do make each GPU AIB unique, and for those interested in those factors, we’re going to be outlining the main considerations that affect performance, cooling, and overall build quality.
So, with that in mind, let’s dive straight into it:
Price
Most people’s number one consideration when it comes to buying, well, anything, is the price. Fortunately for you RTX 3070 lovers, there isn’t a massive difference between AIBs when it comes to price. For the most part, they’re all within around $75-100 of each other.
Whilst that’s the case, many individuals still ask where that extra price comes from. This a valid question if you’re new to the tech game.
Price increases between AIBs can come down to a number of factors. However, most of the time it comes down to the cooler used and the overall build quality of the GPU.
Furthermore, some manufacturers may add a premium to their GPUs if they offer more ports or far better user software – two factors that, for me personally, don’t really add any value to a GPU.
With competition becoming more fierce amongst GPU manufacturers, it’s no surprise that pricing between AIBs has become much tighter over the years.
Fortunately, we take price extremely seriously when creating these best of guides – prioritizing value first.
Cooling
Cooling is another hugely important factor to consider when looking into any GPU purchase. Because the GPU is one of the hardest working components (if not the hardest) in your build, they tend to get extremely hot when in use.
Whilst this is great for those cold winter nights, it’s not ideal for efficiency and general longevity.
For that reason, GPU manufacturers have been fine-tuning the cooling of their graphics cards for years – with modern-day GPUs coming equipped with highly advanced cooling technology.
That said, we prioritize cooling when recommending GPUs, only selecting cards that offer the highest levels of thermal design.
Below are some tips on choosing a good GPU cooling solution:
- Triple fan setups are more efficient than dual fan setups
- Larger cooling solutions can create much more noise but are generally more efficient
- Blower-style cooling solutions (usually seen on Founder Edition GPUs) are much less efficient than generic dual/triple fan setups
Remember, the more heat your GPU creates, the higher the internal temperature of your PC will become – leading to other hardware components not running as efficiently.
Size
The last thing you should consider before diving into a GPU purchase is the size.
The physical dimensions of a GPU have been increasing over the last decade or so, the opposite of what you’d probably expect from modern technology.
However, because of this size increase, some people are struggling to fit the new GPUs into aging case chassis.
As you can see from the image above, the RTX 3070 is a fairly large card when compared to just a few generations ago. At over 300mm, you can see why the sizing should be a major consideration.
Understanding the specs
Familiarizing yourself with the specifications of a GPU is a great way to determine which GPU is actually right for your needs.
If you’re already keen on an RTX 3070, chances are you’ve already taken the time to research some of the below specifications.
However, for those that are fairly new to PC tech, below, we will underline some of the topline specifications to help you better understand where the RTX 3070 sits within the overall GPU hierarchy.
Clock Speeds
The first specification most people will likely see on a GPU is the clock speed. Clock speed, or clock rate, refers to the speed at which the microprocessor operates.
So, in its simplest form, clock speed refers to how fast your GPU can perform instructions and render graphics – albeit not the only factor that is essential in this particular department.
Despite each GPU having very similar base clock speeds, that doesn’t stop aftermarket manufacturers from overclocking their version to extract additional performance.
That being the case, many manufacturers are limited to the capabilities of their cooler – the main reason why many lesser-known brands with weaker coolers will over-offer low boost clock frequencies.
VRAM
VRAM can be quite a tricky specification to understand, especially if you’re relatively new to the tech world. That being said, VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) acts in the exact same way as your system RAM does.
It provides your GPU with the instant data that is needed to run active programs and games more efficiently. So, having more VRAM effectively lessens the time it takes for your GPU to render a scene.
VRAM is extremely important for high-resolution 4K gameplay and also plays a huge role in how successful your GPU is in productivity-type scenarios.
Like the RTX 3060 Ti, the RTX 3070 also comes with 8GB of GGDR6 VRAM – more than enough for most gaming scenarios and intermediate workflow tasks.
TDP
TDP, also known as thermal design power, refers to the maximum amount of heat that the GPU’s cooler can dissipate when at full load.
We usually reference TDP when discussing CPUs and the cooler they require to run efficiently.
However, because a GPU comes equipped with a pre-installed cooler, this figure doesn’t offer as much relevance – and is more geared towards marketing than any real-world performance.
That being said, it’s still a pretty good indication of how much heat your GPU will create. That said, remember, each brand determines the TDP based on a unique formula – so comparing them side by side is a fairly mundane task.
Final word
So, there you have it guys, our comprehensive guide to the best RTX 3070 GPUs the market has to offer. Thanks to stock levels being at an all-time low, you’re probably going to struggle to get your hands on one of Nvidia’s latest Ampere GPUs. However, we recommend using this as a good guide to know which RTX 3070 graphics card best suits your specific needs.
Ultimately, the RTX 3070 is an extremely well-priced, mid-range GPU that ticks many of the right boxes. Not only does it perform 1080p and 1440p gaming to a very high standard, but it also offers great value for money as well. If you’re looking for a GPU that isn’t going to break the bank but comes with all the perks that Ampere offers, we feel the RTX 3070 should be high on your list of considerations.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you decide which GPU is best for your needs. If you have any other questions regarding this GPU or any of the RTX family, feel free to drop us a comment in the relevant section below.
Other GPU guides
Best RTX 3070
What is the best RTX 3070?
The best choice for RTX 3070 is the ASUS ROG Strix. Combining great quality and performance to get the most out of the card. Especially overclocked it can push beyond others in the order.
For other options, there are also the EVGA FTW3, MSI Gaming X Trio, and Zotac Twin Edge. Which gives some alternatives that offer different values. Such as more budget options and qualities.
Is the RTX 3070 still good?
Yes the RTX 3070 is still a great performing card. Even pushing performance at 4k, is a good mid-range card. It will get you 60 FPS at those high resolutions with a much more solid performance lower. So until the next generation comes it is still a good choice.
How much should a RTX 3070 cost?
The RTX 3070 has an MSRP of $499 USD so the Founders Edition card and lower-end AIBs should be going for around that. Whilst other custom cards might cost a bit more than that with an additional cost on top of them.
What does the 3070 compare to?
The RTX 3070 has the performance of the RTX 2080 Ti from the previous generation. Whilst in terms of AMD, it compares to the RX 6750 XT in terms of performance
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