The GeForce GTX 1070 was a hugely popular graphics card of the series, and it could handle all the games at ultra settings and 2K resolution. The GTX 1070 is an old card, but it can still handle most of the modern games at 1080p@60fps at ultra settings. There are only a few games where you have to tweak some settings to get stable 60fps at 1080p resolution. The GTX 1070 was even more powerful than the Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti from the previous generation. 980 Ti was the most powerful card of the previous generation, and 1070 gave a better performance than that, which proved to be an excellent value for money. Today we’ll help you in deciding the best GTX 1070 graphics card.
Best GTX 1070 – Features Chart
Best GTX 1070
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 is manufactured by different companies like ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, ZOTAC. All of these companies are the trusted ones, and they offer different features in their cards. There are different pros and cons of every GPU on my list, and we’ll discuss them one by one.
#1 – ASUS GeForce GTX 1070
ASUS is a big name when it comes to the video games industry. ASUS ROG is their popular gaming series and is loved by many gamers.
1920 CUDA Cores. Aura RGB Lighting on the backplate, front, and side. VR Ready with dual HDMI ports. 2 Display Ports. 8GB GDDR5 Memory. 1657 MHz base clock. 1860 MHz boost clock in OC mode. Memory Bandwidth: 256 GB/sec. Memory Speed: 8 Gbps. Memory Interface Width: 256-bit. Bus Support: PCIe 3.0 Power Connectors: 1×8 pin. Power Consumption: 150 watts.
A lot of RGB on the front, side, and backplate. RGB can be customized or turned off. RGB can be customized to light up according to the temperature. 3 fans and a dual heat sink for excellent cooling. Fans stay off until 55 degrees for silent operation. Comes with a feature-rich software.
A little bit expensive. Very big card. It might not fit in all cases.
ASUS ROG Strix GTX 1070 is one of the most powerful 1070 cards in the market. It comes with 1920 CUDA cores. The VRAM is 8GB of GDDR5, which is enough even for today’s games. The ASUS Strix is factory overclocked to 1657 MHz with a boost clock of 1860 MHz in OC mode. This card comes with excellent software that lets you control different aspects of the GPU, including different modes. There’s a gaming mode, and you’ll run your GPU mostly in this mode. Then there is an OC mode which will unleash the maximum performance of the GPU in case you are doing some GPU intensive task or want to get the maximum fps out of your games. Then there is a silent mode which will, as the name shows, run the GPU with fans speed at slow to give you silent productivity and gaming experience. You can also configure your profile in the software to customize it. The software also lets you control your fan curve and overclock your GPU. You can also customize the RGB lighting through this software by switching between static, breathing, and color-changing modes depending on how you like it. You can even select a single color of your choice, and the card will only show that color. The ASUS Strix 1070 comes with a giant triple-fan cooler on the top of it. There are direct GPU contact heat pipes and dual heat sinks as well. The combination of which keeps the card 30% cooler and 3 times quieter. The max temp on this GPU while gaming is 68-70 degrees at room temperature, which is pretty decent. The triple fans on this card do not spin until the temperature reaches 55 degrees Celcius. This is a great feature as the card will run completely silent when you are browsing the internet or watching a video. There’s a black back at the backside of the GPU, which gives a pretty clean look and saves the card from unnecessary dust. There’s also a ROG logo on the backplate, which is RGB backlit. There’s also some more RGB lighting in the other areas of the card. The front side of the card has small strips of RGB lighting. Then there’s “Republic of Gamers” written at the top of the card with RGB lighting. There’s only one 8-pin connector to power the GPU, which is surprising considering how fast the card is. There are 2 fan headers available on the GPU to connect your case fans. The speed of the case fans will increase or decrease depending upon the load on the GPU. Moving to the ports, there are 2 Display Port 1.4 connectors, 2 HDMI connectors, and a DVI connector. The extra HDMI port is for VR if you want to connect a headset to it. The one cable, in this case, will go to your TV, and the other one will go to your VR headset.
#2 – ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 AMP! Extreme Edition
ZOTAC is another popular branch when it comes to graphics cards. It makes almost all Nvidia cards and has established itself as a trusted GPU brand. The ASUS ROG Strix 1070 is one of the best 1070 GPUs to have. Its beautiful RGB elements around the side, back, and front of the GPU makes it look beautiful and makes it a perfect choice for you if you are an RGB fan. Plus, it has an excellent cooling system to keep the card cooler and stable during gaming. Plus, there are 2 more fan headers on the GPU for even efficient cooling. Another major benefit that makes this GPU a good choice is the ASUS software it comes with. The software lets you control different aspects of the GPU, including overclocking, RGB control, and different profiles that can be customized. All of these features combined make this card a perfect choice for your system.
1920 CUDA Cores. VR Ready. 3 Display Ports. 1 HDMI Port. 8GB GDDR5 Memory. 1632 MHz base clock. 1835 MHz boost clock in OC mode. 3 dual blade fans with Ice Storm cooler. Memory Bandwidth: 256 GB/sec. Memory Speed: 8 Gbps which can be overclocked. Memory Interface Width: 256-bit. Bus Support: PCIe 3.0 Power Connectors: 2×8 pin. Power Consumption: 150 watts.
Brightness level control for lighting. Lights can be customized. 3 fans and a huge heat sink for excellent cooling. Silent operation when not gaming. Comes with a feature-rich software.
Power-hungry. Requires 2×8 pin connectors, unlike other similar cards.
ZOTAC Geforce GTX 1070 AMP Extreme is GTX 1070 on steroids. As the name shows, ZOTAC has gone a little extreme even with the packaging as this GPU comes in a very big box. The base clock of AMP Extreme is clocked at 1632 MHz as compared to 1506 MHz on the founder’s edition. The boost clock is 1835 MHz compared to 1683 MHz, and memory is also overclocked a little bit at 8.2 GHz compared to 8.0 GHz. It measures 13 inches long, and 6 inches in height, which makes AMP Extreme a triple slot GPU, and installing it in small cases might be a bit of a problem. Make sure to check if your case can fit this huge GPU before purchasing it. The ZOTAC AMP Extreme edition has always used the triple fan layout, and the GTX 1070 is no different. The fans have a dual blade design which makes it stand out from the competition. Dual blades are installed to increase the airflow of the GPU, and they work very well. This feature also helps the GPU work quieter. Just like the other custom cards, the fans only start spinning when you throw something heavy on the card. Otherwise, they stay idle for a silent working experience. The GPU also has more room for overclocking because of its proprietary Ice Storm cooler. The Ice Storm cooler from ZOTAC has proven to work better than most coolers from different manufacturers on the market. ZOTAC has installed the same cooler on the GTX 1080, so you can expect excellent results from the cooler on 1070. The heat sink is huge and covers most of the area of the card. It dissipates heat effectively, and the GPU’s temperature is one of the best we’ve seen. It stays between 65-68 degrees under heavy loads. The design on the front of the card has some glossy carbon detailing. The backplate of the GPU is designed in ZOTAC’s signature yellow and grey color scheme. The backplate also has grills installed for increased airflow and to keep the GPU cooler under heavy loads. On the I/O side, there is a DVI port, 3 Display Ports, and an HDMI connection. Unlike other 1070 cards, it uses a 2-8 pin connector because it’s a monster of a GPU and supports excellent overclocking. The AMP Extreme comes with a ZOTAC FireStorm software which is a very useful application to control different aspects of your GPU. For example, you can overclock the GPU by simply moving some sliders. You can even control the different lights on your GPU using the software. Different lighting modes supported are static, breathing, stroke and cycle.
#3 – ASUS Dual GEFORCE GTX 1070
ASUS Dual GeForce is the 2nd card in my list from ASUS. It is not STRIX or ROG branded but a simple ASUS card from the company. This GPU comes with 2 fans and has a smaller form factor. So if you are a little bit confined in the space department within your casing, you may consider this card. The ZOTAC AMP Extreme is one of the best 1070s available in the market right now. It is a huge card with excellent overclocking capabilities. Its cooling feature outshines the competition, and the GPU runs between 65-68 degrees which is amazingly good. There’s one thing to keep in mind unlike most 1070 cards on the market, this card uses 2×8 pin connectors. While other cards use only 1×8 pin connector. So make sure you have an extra free power connector before getting this GPU.
1920 CUDA Cores. Comes only in white color. VR Ready with dual HDMI ports. 2 Display Ports. 8GB GDDR5 Memory. 1697 MHz base clock. 1797 MHz boost clock in OC mode. Memory Bandwidth: 256 GB/sec. Memory Speed: 8 Gbps. Memory Interface Width: 256-bit. Bus Support: PCIe 3.0 Power Connectors: 1×8 pin. Power Consumption: 150-160 watts.
Smaller form factor which easily fits in smaller cases. Comes with an excellent software to customize the functionality of your card. 2 fans but still a cooler and quieter gaming experience. Fans run only after a certain temperature. Comes with a 1-year Gamecaster license. Comes with a free trial of World of Warships.
No RGB or any other lighting. No backplate.
This GPU comes in white color, so if you are going for a white build, you may consider this card. Plus, if you are using the ASUS X99-A motherboard, this GPU is the perfect fit for it, and it even says so on the box. The Dual GeForce comes with a 1-year Gamecaster license for easy streaming of your games to multiple online platforms, including Twitch and YouTube. The license normally costs $99 a year. Plus, it also comes with a free trial of the popular game World of Warships. Because this GPU has 2 fans, the temperatures are not as good as the other 3 fan cards in the list. But it still stays between 70-75 degrees during gaming which is not bad. The temperatures are still better than the reference unit, and it also operates silently when compared to the reference GPU. The ASUS dual has a base clock of 1697 MHz compared to the 1506 MHz base clock of the founder’s edition. The boost clock reaches 1797 MHz compared to the 1683 MHz of the founder’s edition. When it comes to I/O, the ASUS Dual has 2 HDMI ports, 2 DP ports, and 1 DVI port for connecting multiple monitors. It has a 1×8 pin power connector, as expected. Like other ASUS gaming cards, the Dual Edition also comes with software to control different aspects of it. There are multiple preset profiles that you can select to make your GPU behave differently. There’s an OC mode that will give your GPU its maximum performance. Then there is a silent mode which will, as the name shows, make your GPU run silently. Then there is a gaming mode, and you’ll be running your GPU mostly in this mode. If you do not want to use any of these preset modes, you can create your custom profile for the GPU and select the settings that suit you the most. There’s one thing to notice that this GPU does not come with a backplate. We think that ASUS should have included it to save the card from dust and the backplate generally makes the card look beautiful. However, this is not a big enough problem to not get this card.
#4 – Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 G1
Gigabyte is another big name in the gaming industry. They also make custom GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD. The GeForce GTX 1070 is a similar great offering from the company. ASUS is a trusted name when it comes to GPUs or general gaming. This is the 2nd card from ASUS in my list because it is different from the first one in many departments. First of all, this card comes with 2 fans and a smaller form factor, so if you have a smaller case, you should make this choice. Then this card is white in color with no RGB lighting, which means if you are building an all-white PC and fancy lights are not your priority, you can choose this.
1920 CUDA Cores. RGB Lighting that can be controlled with software. VR Ready. 3 Display Ports. A DVI port and an HDMI port. Dual heat sink with dual heat pipes. 8GB GDDR5 Memory. 1620 MHz base clock. 1822 MHz boost clock in OC mode. Memory Bandwidth: 256 GB/sec. Memory Speed: 8 Gbps. Memory Interface Width: 256-bit. Bus Support: PCIe 3.0 Power Connectors: 1×8 pin. Power Consumption: around 150 watts.
Metal backplate for a sleek look. A fan stops RGB sign which glows when the fan is not spinning. RGB can be customized or turned off. 3 fans and a dual heat sink, and 2 heat pipes for excellent cooling. Fans stay off on less load for silent operation. Comes with a feature-rich software.
No RGB on the backplate.
The cark has a sleek looking black and orange color scheme at the front side. The front side is all plastic and does not feel as premium as it costs. The backside of the card, however, has a metal plate which looks good and also helps in better cooling the card. The Gigabyte G1 has a base clock of 1620 MHz compared to the 1506 MHz base clock of the founder’s edition. The boost clock reaches 1822 MHz compared to the 1683 MHz of the founder’s edition. The card has 3x80mm fans with Gigabyte’s Windforce cooler, which is proven to work great. There are 2 separate heat sinks attached to the cards, which are connected with 2 copper heat pipes for better heat dissipation. The GPU has a fan stop logo that will light up when the fan is not spinning. The fan will stay idle most of the time, and it will mostly run only when you are doing some GPU heavy task or gaming. The GPU runs around 65 degrees on gaming, with fan speed at 50%. The I/O is the same as most other cards on the list. It has a DVI connector, an HDMI port, and 3 Display Ports for connecting multiple displays at once. The Gigabyte G1 comes with gaming extreme engine software to control lighting and other settings. The GPU has 3 different modes called OC, gaming, and eco mode. When you select gaming mode, the factory default overclocked state will be used for maximum gaming performance. The OC mode will further overclock the GPU by pushing its limits. And at the eco mode, the GPU will run silently and at low power. You can even push the GPU further by using manual settings in the software. The GPU can reach around 2000 MHz speed on GPU core clock in manual settings. The software can also be used to control the RGB lighting on the card. You can select colors and animation of the lighting effects in the software. The built-in effects available are breathing, flashing, consistent, and dual flashing. The brightness of the lights can also be controlled.
#5 – MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1070 Gaming X
The list of the best graphics cards cannot be completed without having an MSI card on it, as we all know the importance of MSI as a brand in the gaming industry. In terms of cooling this card performs outstandingly because of the 2 separate heat sinks, there’s no RGB on the backplate which can be a plus point if you don’t want a very flashy PC, but for some it back be a downside because of it being so simple and silent looking. The clocks speeds of this GPU are very competitive when compared to other GPUs in the market, it can reach a boost clock of 1822 Mhz which is amazing. Overall the card is great in every department i don’t have any serious complaints.
1920 CUDA Cores. Red and black theme. Twin Frozr 6 cooler. TORX 2.0 fan technology. 1 DVI and 1 HDMI port. 3 Display Ports. 8GB GDDR5 Memory. 1607 MHz base clock. 1797 MHz boost clock in OC mode. Memory Bandwidth: 256 GB/sec. Memory Speed: 8 Gbps. Memory Interface Width: 256-bit. Bus Support: PCIe 3.0 Power Connectors: 1×8 pin and 1×6 pin. Power Consumption: 150 watts.
RGB in MSI logo and on the front side. RGB can be customized or turned off. Fans only run when the temperature reaches 60 degrees. Twin Frozr 6 cooler for excellent cooling. Comes with industry leader MSI Afterburner software.
Needs 2 power connectors, unlike most 1070s in the market.
The MSI GPU comes with a beautiful red and black theme and adding more textured surfaces with some red LED accents. The top of the card has the familiar MSI logo with RGB. Both the RGB logo and Red LEDs can be independently controlled to show different effects, or they can be disabled. The MSI Gaming X has a base clock of 1607 MHz compared to the 1506 MHz base clock of the founder’s edition. The boost clock reaches 1797 MHz compared to the 1683 MHz of the founder’s edition. These clocks are in the OC mode, and they slightly change when we switch the modes to gaming or silent mode. The GPU comes with MSI’s Twin Frozr 6 cooler and TORX 2.0 fan technology which provide efficient cooling even with 2 fans. The fans will only spin when the GPU hits 60 degrees Celsius. The backplate is metal, and it has beautiful vents that also help in better airflow to keep the temperature down. In addition to the reference 8 pin connector, an extra 6 pin connector is included for better overclocking stability. So make sure that you have an extra 6 pin power connector free before getting this GPU. The I/O ports are just like the other cards mentioned in the list. There are 3 Display Ports, 1 DVI and 1 HDMI port. The GPU comes with MSI Afterburner for overclocking and controlling other functions of your GPU. There is no doubt that MSI Afterburner is the most widely used software for overclocking GPUs. Another included software is MSI Dragon Eye. You can watch any YouTube or Twitch video using Dragon Eye even when you are in a game. It will make a popup window for you, which will keep floating even in games. Like other GPUs, the MSI Gaming X also lets you choose between OC mode, gaming mode, and silent mode, depending on what you are doing on your card. However, gaming mode is always the perfect mode to choose as it keeps the balance between performance and silent operation.
#6 – Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 WINDFORCE OC
This is the 2nd card in the list from Gigabyte. This is a dual 90 mm fan edition and comes with overclocking capabilities. MSI is one of my personal favourite Graphics card vendors because of their very extreme boost clocks and high performing Twin Frozr and TORX 2.0 fan technologies also not to forget the flashy and loud looks. Despite being a twin fan GPU this GTX 1070 Gaming X outshines the competition in cooling department with MSI’s great technologies. Beware that this thing is a power eater unlike most 1070 GPUs it requires two 8 pin power connectors.
1920 CUDA Cores. No Light on the card. VR Ready. 3 Display Ports. An HDMI and a DVI port. 8GB GDDR5 Memory. 1582 MHz base clock. 1771 MHz boost clock in OC mode. Memory Bandwidth: 256 GB/sec. Memory Speed: 8 Gbps. Memory Interface Width: 256-bit. Bus Support: PCIe 3.0 Power Connectors: 1×8 pin. Power Consumption: 150 watts approx.
2 uniquely designed fans and a dual heat sink for excellent cooling. Fans stay off until a certain temperature for silent operation. Unique blade fan design. Comes with feature-rich software that lets you control different settings of your card.
No Backplate. The plastic feels cheap.
The Gigabyte Windforce has a base clock of 5182 MHz compared to the 1506 MHz base clock of the founder’s edition. The boost clock reaches 1771 MHz compared to the 1683 MHz of the founder’s edition. The front side of the card is made up of plastic and does not feel premium at all. Moreover, it does not have a backplate which is a big drawback as the backplate makes the card look beautiful, protects it from dust, and also helps in keeping the overall temperature down. Moreover, there is something weird about this card. Starting from the half, the plastic is extended 2 cm from the PCB, and we don’t know why Gigabyte thinks it is a good idea as neither it looks good, nor it serves any purpose. It has 2 copper heat pipes which are directly connected to the cooler. The heatsinks are fairly large, and 2 uniquely designed 90mm fans keep their temperature down. Just like the founder’s edition, it has 3 Display Ports, 1 HDMI port, and 1 DVI port. For power, it has an 8 pin power connector and draws about 150 watts of power. The Gigabyte WINDFORCE comes with an extreme gaming engine that lets you control different functionalities of the card. The software lets you select between OC, Gaming, and Eco mode. The OC mode will push the card to its limits and will give you maximum performance out of it. The Eco mode will force the card to run at lower speeds for a silent experience, and the Gaming mode is perfect for gaming as it will slightly overclock the card and will give you maximum performance out of it. There’s one more thing to keep in mind that the card does not have a single LED. Even the Gigabyte logo is not backlit, which is surprising. This means if you are an RGB lighting fan, you should skip this card and choose another one from the list.
How To Select The Best GTX 1070 Card For Your PC?
There are different things to consider before making a final decision about a 1070 graphics card, from gaming benchmarks to cooling capabilities to overclocking performance. All of these things should be checked before selecting your final card. This card is cheaper than the other cards mentioned. You should consider this card if you have a smaller case and you do not want to spend a lot on a GPU. The card is made up of plastic which feels cheap. Plus, there is no backplate which should not be the case for a card of this caliper. Also, keep in mind that it does not have any LED on it. Overall it’s a good card with a good value for money. The software it comes with lets you control overclocking and different modes of the card according to your needs. Overclocking capabilities of WINDFORCE are also good. Let’s have a look at important points one by one. Related stuff:
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Different Games Benchmarks
You should always check different gaming benchmarks of your card as gaming is the main thing you are going to use your card for. The GPU should be checked for its performance in modern AAA titles. All games should be checked at different resolutions. The 1070 can easily run games at 2K resolution, so make sure to benchmark the games at 2K and 1080p resolution. Competitive games benchmarks like CS: GO, DOTA 2, valorant, etc., should also be checked.
Performance & Cooling
This is also a very important factor. A GPU will only be able to deliver its maximum performance when its cooler is great, and it runs at lower temperatures. So make sure the GPU you are getting comes with an excellent cooler and good fans. You should stress test your card for 15 minutes and check the maximum temperature it reaches. It will give you a fair idea about the temperatures in gaming.
Budget & Overall Look
Looks do matter. Always select your card based on the system you have. Like the ASUS Dual, we recommended above comes in white color. So if you are going for a white build and other components of your system are also white, go for it. Similarly, if a card supports RBG color customization, you can fit it with almost any color build as you can select that light color from the card settings. The budget should also be kept in mind as you need to save for other PC components as well. Set a target budget first and then decide around it.
Size & Clock Speed
The size of the card is also an important thing to consider. For example, the ZOTAC AMP Extreme in my list today has a huge form factor, and it won’t fit all cases. So make sure your case has enough space for the card you are getting. And the card you are getting should be easily overclockable as higher clock speeds will improve gaming performance significantly. All of the cards i have mentioned today are easily overclockable.
Trusted Vendors
Make sure to get the card only from a trusted manufacturer. Gigabyte, ASUS, ZOTAC, and MSI are all trusted brands, and you should get their cards with peace of mind. This card is still holding up well in 2023 and will continue to do so for the next 2-3 years.
Question 1: Is a GTX 1070 still good in 2023?
Yes, it is still good in 2023. When it came out in 2016, it could easily run all the latest titles at 2K resolution. In 2023, it can easily handle most of the modern AAA games at 1080p and ultra settings. You will have to tweak down the settings a little bit only for a few titles.
Question 2: What is the best GTX 1070 graphics card?
There is not much difference in all the cards we mentioned. You can get any one of them as there is a minor difference between all of them. If we had to choose one card, the ZOTAC AMP Extreme is slightly better than all the cards mentioned above.
Question 3: Does GTX 1070 support 240Hz?
Yes, it does support 240Hz games in most competitive games like CS: GO, DOTA 2, and Valorant.
Question 4: Why is GTX 1070 so expensive?
Because it is a very powerful card. We think it provides excellent value for the money.
Question 5: How long will a GTX 1070 last?
GTX 1070 is already a 4 years old card. But it was so powerful that it is still holding up well in 2023, and it will continue to work great for another 2 to 3 years.
