Linus Tech Tips - This is a 4090 Killer… and I’m a Liar - RTX 5070 Review
The RTX 5070 was expected to deliver high performance at a lower price, but it struggles to outperform the RTX 4070 Super in many traditional gaming benchmarks. At 1080p, it matches the 4070 Super in some games but loses in others like Red Dead Redemption 2 and F1 2024. At 1440p, it shows a slight improvement, but still not enough to justify its position as a significant upgrade. The card excels in AI tasks and ray tracing, outperforming AMD's 7900 XTX in ray tracing tests. However, its limited 12GB VRAM restricts its utility in larger AI models. The RTX 5070's design leads to higher temperatures, and its performance is more akin to a lower-tier card due to its architecture and core reductions. Despite these shortcomings, it offers high frame rates with AI upscaling and frame generation, appealing to gamers who prioritize these features over raw performance.
Key Points:
- RTX 5070 struggles against RTX 4070 Super in traditional gaming benchmarks.
- Excels in AI tasks and ray tracing, outperforming AMD's 7900 XTX in ray tracing.
- Limited 12GB VRAM restricts utility in larger AI models.
- Design leads to higher temperatures, similar to higher power cards.
- Appeals to gamers prioritizing AI upscaling and frame generation for high FPS.
Details:
1. 🔍 Unveiling the RTX 5070: Expectations vs. Reality
1.1. RTX 5070 vs. RTX 4090: Performance at 4K
1.2. RTX 5070 vs. RTX 470 Super: 1080p and 1440p Analysis
1.3. Comprehensive Scenario Analysis
2. 🎮 Benchmarking the RTX 5070 at 1080p: Wins and Losses
- RTX 5070 showed identical performance to 4070 Super in Alan Wake 2.
- Black Myth Wukong performance improved by 5% compared to 4070 Super.
- Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal showed an 8% improvement in average FPS with RTX 5070.
- RTX 5070 underperformed in Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us Part One, and F1 2024 compared to 4070 Super.
- In F1 2024, RTX 5070 also performed worse than AMD's RX 7800 XT, a GPU launched 1.5 years ago for $500.
- Possible reasons for performance variations include differing game optimizations and architecture compatibility.
- Power consumption and temperature metrics were not discussed but are crucial for a comprehensive performance review.
3. 📈 1440p Performance: A Mixed Bag of Results
- The 57d demonstrates a marginal improvement by winning one frame per second in Allen Wake 2, showcasing slight performance gains.
- In Red Dead Redemption 2, the 57d achieves parity instead of a previous loss, indicating a stabilization in performance outcomes.
- Overall, the 5070 exhibits a 4% performance improvement over the 4070 Super at 1440p, despite not being primarily optimized for traditional raster performance.
- Additional analysis across more games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom Eternal would provide a more comprehensive view of how the 57d and 5070 fare across different titles.
- Transitional insights between games could further clarify the performance trends and how they might impact user experience.
4. 🔦 Ray Tracing: Where the RTX 5070 Shines
- At 1080p, the RTX 5070 consistently outperforms AMD's 7900 XTX in ray tracing, with exceptions noted in specific cases like 'Black Myth Wukong'.
- Excluding outliers, the RTX 5070's performance is similar to the 470 Super and 470 TI.
- At 1440p, the RTX 5070 aligns with the 4070 Super, except in 'Returnal', where it shows a 6.5% increase in performance.
- The RTX 5070 is not tested at 4K due to its 12 GB VRAM limitation, which is inadequate for high-resolution textures.
- The RTX 5070 TI offers around 30% better performance than the RTX 5070, though availability at MSRP is limited.
5. 💡 Inside Nvidia's Blackwell Architecture
- The 5070 TI uses the GB 203 die while the 5070 uses the GB 205 die, indicating a differentiation in core components such as RT cores, tensor cores, shading units, TMUs, and ROPs. The GB 203 die has more of these components, suggesting potentially higher performance capabilities.
- Despite the higher numbers, the architecture of the 570 series does not always equate to better performance due to the fewer components in the GB 205 die, highlighting a nuanced strategy in product differentiation.
- Compared to the 3070 family, there's a marginal improvement in core metrics: a 4% increase in CICOR, a 2% rise in clock speeds, and a shift from GDDR6 to GDDR6X memory, reflecting modest but strategic enhancements.
- The 5070 TI is similar to a modified 5080, while the 5070 represents an upgraded 5060, indicating Nvidia's tactical approach to positioning within the product lineup. This strategic shift may aim to optimize performance segmentation and market positioning.
6. 🤖 AI and Productivity: A Double-Edged Sword
- Nvidia's AI improvements in their Blackwell architecture significantly enhance performance, with results comparable to a 4070 TI super in AI tests, highlighting a 45% increase in processing efficiency.
- AI workloads benefit from large amounts of VRAM; however, the card's 12GB limits effectiveness with larger models, indicating a need for increased memory capacity to fully leverage AI capabilities.
- The updated media engine in the 570 shows superior performance over the 470 TI super in DaVinci Resolve, improving video rendering speed by 25%, and approaches the 570 TI in Premier Pro, demonstrating enhanced multimedia productivity.
- Despite improvements, the 570's performance regresses to 4070 super levels in Blender's Barber Shop test, highlighting limitations in specific 3D modeling tasks.
- To maximize AI productivity, increasing VRAM and optimizing for specific applications are crucial steps.
7. 🌡️ Design and Thermals: A Closer Look
7.1. Design Features and Cooling System
7.2. Thermal Performance
8. 🎯 Target Audience: Who is the RTX 5070 For?
- The RTX 5070 is specifically designed for gamers who prioritize enhancing their in-game experience with more pixels and higher FPS, rather than focusing on PC building intricacies.
- It caters to gamers who value AI upscaling and frame generation technologies that significantly improve gaming performance and visual quality.
- Particularly suited for competitive gamers and those playing graphics-intensive games like first-person shooters or open-world adventures, where smoother visuals and higher frame rates are crucial.
- AI-driven features of the RTX 5070 make it ideal for gamers who wish to experience the latest graphical innovations without needing deep technical expertise in PC hardware.
9. ⚖️ Competition and Future Prospects
9.1. Nvidia's 5070 Performance and Market Position
9.2. Future Prospects and Strategic Considerations
10. 🔐 Highlighting Threat Locker: Cybersecurity Innovations
- Threat Locker hosted a Zero Trust World cybersecurity event featuring sessions, workshops, and demonstrations, such as using a hack five rubber ducky for hands-on learning.
- The event included guest speakers like Reggie Fame, adding expert insights to the discussions.
- Threat Locker announced new features: 'Insights' collects data from millions of endpoints globally, providing actionable information to save time on research.
- 'Patch Management' feature scans devices for outdated applications, ensuring they are updated and secure.
- 'Web Control' allows users to build libraries of restricted websites, enhancing cybersecurity measures.