MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio 12G Review

TweakTown's Rating: 94%

The Bottom Line

The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is faster, cooler, and quieter than the Founders Edition model. And when you mix remarkable efficiency with RTX 3080-like performance, you've got a fantastic GPU.

Pros

• + RTX 3080-like performance using significantly less power
• + Uncompromised 1440p gaming
• + DLSS 3 is a game changer
• + It runs faster, cooler, and quieter than the Founders Edition model
• + Excellent build quality with room for overclocking

Cons

• - 16GB of VRAM would have been the icing on the cake
• - Priced higher than the MSRP of USD 599

Should you buy it?

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Introduction

MSI's Gaming X brand has been around for several years, and it's a variant we've covered extensively here at TweakTown. Based on these sorts of past experiences, there wasn't any doubt that the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio would deliver after going hands-on with the GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition. And deliver it does, in a similar fashion to the recent MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio release from earlier this year.

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When it comes to the launch of a new GPU generation, the initial focus on flagship models like the GeForce RTX 4090 is on performance - and rightfully so. It's where we get to see what the new Ada Lovelace architecture is capable of while getting that first look at cutting-edge technology like DLSS 3 Frame Generation and moving to a more advanced node like TSMC's 4N.

With the release of the GeForce RTX 4070, even though performance still sits high on the list of things to look at, the Founder Edition model presented a picture of some genuinely remarkable efficiency. The result was GeForce RTX 3080-like performance with the added benefit of DLSS 3 in a small package that could do all that using roughly 40% less power when it came to gaming in 1440p.

As a custom model with a higher than MSRP price-point of USD 649, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio brings exceptional build quality to the table (especially when compared to the more affordable MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ventus 3X 12G we reviewed) alongside a notable factory overclock and an overall boost in TGB up to 220W from the Founders Edition's 200W rating. Does this lead to improved performance and more robust cooling? The short answer is yes, so let's dig in.

MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GAMING X TRIO 12G

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The Ada Lovelace Generation

Below is a summary of the GeForce RTX 40 Series technology, applicable to all models.

There was a time when outright visual quality was the main driver for determining how advanced real-time rendering, especially in games, had progressed. There was also a time when pure grunt in raw hardware power determined how good a game could technically look and how fast it ran. We're now at a point where visual quality and performance go hand-in-hand, with raw power only being a part of the equation.

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The GeForce RTX 40 Series, the Ada Lovelace generation, is a lineup of GPUs built on a cutting-edge process node while leveraging and evolving all of the advances in AI and hardware-based ray-tracing that NVIDIA helped become mainstream with the GeForce RTX 30 Series.

Named after mathematician Ada Lovelace, considered the world's first computer programmer, the GeForce RTX 40 Series is built on TSMC 4N process technology - a giant leap forward over the Samsung 8nm process used in the GeForce RTX 30 Series Ampere generation. From a pure numbers perspective, the full NVIDIA Ada GPU features 76.3 billion transistors, up to 18,432 CUDA Cores (70% more than the previous gen), and delivers clock speeds over 2.5 GHz while maintaining the same power requirements of the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti.

Ada also introduces the latest generation of RT and Tensor Cores, with the latter introducing brand-new hardware responsible for the next iteration of AI rendering - DLSS 3. NVIDIA's DLSS or Deep Learning Super Sampling is one of the reasons why raw power is no longer the be-all-end-all; it's an AI-based form of upscaling that can provide a sizable boost to in-game performance without sacrificing visual fidelity. In fact, in some cases, it can improve upon native rendering.

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For this reason alone, DLSS and other forms of algorithm-based upscaling have become some of the most talked about bits of technology in the PC gaming space.

Free frames, enough said.

DLSS 3 combines DLSS Super Resolution (DLSS 2) with NVIDIA Reflex to reduce system latency and the brand-new hardware-accelerated Frame Generation technology. Three bits of rendering tech = DLSS 3. And it's exclusive to the GeForce RTX 40 Series.

And it's here where NVIDIA is looking to do what it has done for real-time graphics upscaling to the idea of frame-interpolation - or what they call Motion Plus in the TV world. Which, to be fair, is not a fair comparison on account of tech like Motion Plus being - well - terrible. But the fundamental idea is the same, albeit using specialized AI hardware in the GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards to generate and create entire frames.

So far, the results, although not without flaws, are impressive - with dramatic improvements to overall performance (in the frame-per-second stakes) seen in games like Cyberpunk 2077, F1 22, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, and more.

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As seen with DLSS 3, the Ada generation is much more than "smaller = more," with NVIDIA introducing back-end technology in the form of Shader Execution Reordering - which effectively ensures render tasks happen more efficiently and without running into bottlenecks. This means a leap forward in the real-time rendering of hardware-intensive ray-tracing effects.

The Ada generation also levels up NVIDIA's already formidable content creation chops with the arrival of AV1 encoding for better video quality for streamers without sacrificing anything in the way of performance or more bandwidth.

Specs and Test System

Specifications

Here we can see how the specs and hardware stack up for the GeForce RTX 4070 compared to the previous generation's GeForce RTX 3070 and the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.

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Interestingly, the GeForce RTX 4070 bucks the trend we've seen with the GeForce RTX 40 Series so far in that it's not a case of more and more. The GeForce RTX 3070 is the Ampere generation's equivalent GPU, and it features the same number of CUDA Cores, RT Cores, and overall Tensor Cores as the new RTX 4070. A cause for alarm? Not really, as the synthetic and in-game benchmarks paint the generational leap picture you'd expect.

Clock speeds differ, with the Boost Clock speed of the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio, 2610 MHz, representing a 51% increase over the RTX 3070's 1725 MHz. It's also increased over the GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition's 2475 MHz. Likewise, the increase in memory to 12GB of GDDR6X is a 50% increase in overall capacity, even though the memory interface has been stripped back to a 192-bit bus.

Compared to the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, which was released in January - and was initially meant to be the GeForce RTX 4080 12GB - the RTX 4070's baseline stats are roughly cut back by around 23%. As a premium variant, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio also ups the TGP to 220W, an increase over the Founders Edition's 200W rating and a number on par with the GeForce RTX 3070. But, as we'll see later, the overall in-game usage rarely hits this threshold - so there's still an impressive gen-on-gen efficiency gain.

The 220W power rating is approximately 23% less than the RTX 4070 Ti. Even in factory overclocked form, the GeForce RTX 4070 is efficient and then some, which makes the performance numbers below even more impressive.

It's also worth noting that the above specs do not capture all the hardware that makes up the GeForce RTX 4070, as it also includes the new AI Optical Acceleration technology not present in the GeForce RTX 30 Series. And this is what makes DLSS 3 possible - and the RTX 4070's performance (especially in 1440p) to punch well above its weight class. The GeForce RTX 4070 significantly increases L2 Cache Size compared to the RTX 3070, with 36.8 MB.

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
• Model: MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio
• Interface: PCI Express 4.0
• CUDA Cores: 5888
• Tensor Cores: 184 (4th Generation)
• RT Cores: 46 (3rd Generation)
• Clocks: Base Clock: 1920 MHz, Boost Clock: 2610 MHz
• Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
• Memory Speed: 21 Gbps
• Memory Interface: 192-bit
• Total Memory Bandwidth: 504 GB/s
• Display Connections: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI 2.1 x 1
• Power Connectors: 2 x PCIe 8-pin cables (via adapter)
• Recommended PSU: 650W
• What's in the Box: MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio, 16-pin to 2x8-pin adapter, GPU Bracket, Quick Start Guide

Kosta's Test System

• Motherboard: MSI MPG X670E Carbon Wi-Fi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
• Cooler: Corsair iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler
• RAM: 64GB (2x32GB) Corsair DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB DDR5 DRAM 5200MHz
• SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 850W
• Case: Thermaltake Core P3 Tempered Glass Snow
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

Physical Design and Cooling

Compared to the compact two-slot design of the GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is noticeably more prominent with its 2.5-slot thickness. But its design is similar to what we've seen with custom GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs, with exceptional cooling and silent performance to match the in-game action. As per its namesake, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio features a triple-fan design using MSI's new TORX FAN 5.0 double ball bearing blades designed to maintain high-pressure airflow.

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A copper base plate transfers heat from the GPU to the pipes, with a section of the core pipe being square-shaped to ensure maximum contact and spread to the heatsink. It's all a part of the TRI FROZR 3 Thermal Design system MSI implements with its Gaming X Trio range, including a custom PCB and a sturdy metal backplate with flow-through ventilation. There are also enhanced voltage controls for additional reliability.

In terms of the look, it follows the standard black Gaming X Trio physical design with RGB lighting with Mystic Light support, not to mention complete software-based monitoring and customization via MSI Center and MSI Afterburner - which can push the already impressive factory overclocked settings even further.

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Even though the design is similar to the Gaming X Trio variants we've seen for the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080, the 2.5-slot thickness and 1243-gram weight make the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio the smallest variant for the GeForce RTX 40 Series to date. Remarkably this doesn't affect cooling, where we saw - on average - temperatures of around 58 degrees Celsius when gaming in 1440p using our 15-game benchmark suite.

The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is a solid, robust, stylish GPU with impressive cooling and a great physical design.

Benchmarks - 15 Game Averages

The Games and Tests

In 2023 PC gaming is a complicated and varied space, from indie games to major blockbuster releases and titles that push hardware and technology to their limit with the adoption of effects like real-time ray-tracing.

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This is all a way of saying that the 15 in-game benchmarks we've chosen (and run at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K) represent a wide range of styles, not only in terms of genres, like first-person shooters and racing games but also in the API technology (DirectX 11, 12) and cutting-edge features like ray tracing and upscaling technology.

Where possible, results include DLSS and FSR 2, as both technologies are the sorts of things, especially in 4K, which you'd turn on. Six of the 15 game benchmarks also feature ray tracing, so this is a great way to see the additional benefit of NVIDIA's DLSS and Frame Generation technology. Also, each title is set to ultra-equivalent quality settings to push GPU hardware and minimize CPU bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

Also, it's just fun to max out a game's visual settings and see the results. Here's the breakdown of games, graphics settings, and what's being tested.

And with 15 games, a special shoutout goes to Sabrent for providing us with the storage to ensure we can keep everything installed - and then some - with both the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB and Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB offering exceptional performance, capacity, and reliability.

We can keep all our benchmark software installed while also installing every new game release that comes our way.

• Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Ultra High-quality settings, with the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Borderlands 3: Ultra quality settings, with the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II: Ultra quality setting, in-game multiplayer benchmark tool used.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Cyberpunk 2077 (RT): Ray tracing Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• DOOM Eternal (RT): Ultra Nightmare quality setting with ray-tracing enabled, the opening of Mars Core campaign level used to benchmark.
• F1 22 (RT): Ultra High-quality setting with ray tracing, one lap of the Bahrain track benchmarked. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Forza Horizon 5 (RT): Extreme quality setting with ray tracing enabled, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Hitman (RT): Ultra-quality settings with ray-tracing, Dubai scene benchmarked. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Horizon Zero Dawn: Ultimate quality setting, in-game benchmark used.
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (RT): Ultra quality setting with ray tracing enabled, the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Rainbow Six Extraction: Ultra quality settings and in-game benchmark tool used.
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Maximum quality settings, with in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• The Division 2: Ultra quality settings with in-game benchmark tool used.
• Total War: Warhammer III: Ultra-quality settings with the in-game Battle Benchmark tool used.

15 Game Average FPS - 1080p Results

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Even though you wouldn't consider the RTX 4070 and the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio a card designed for 1080p performance, the results are still excellent for this widely used resolution. Across 15 games tested, many featuring ray tracing and other high-end visual effects, the average frame rate of 159 frames-per-second bests the formidable GeForce RTX 3080 by an impressive 8%. And is within striking distance of the GeForce RTX 3090.

Compared to the GeForce RTX 3070, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio presents a 36% increase in overall 1080p game performance -an impressive generational leap forward in that the RTX 4070 does so by also using less power. Of course, there is still some CPU bottleneck action at this resolution, but with average frame rates and 1% lows in the triple-digits, the RTX 4070 is a beast for those that game on a high refresh-rate 1080p display.

Compared to the Founders Edition, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio at factory settings delivers better performance with notable gains in some titles like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Borderlands 3, and DOOM Eternal.

15 Game Average FPS - 1440p Results

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1440p is the current sweet spot resolution, the fastest growing PC gaming display segment, because you get the best of all worlds: image quality and crispness, response times, and performance. With the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio hitting an average frame rate of 116 frames-per-second here, this triple-digit performance is impressive-a 35% improvement over the GeForce RTX 3070 and a result faster than the GeForce RTX 3080's 112 frames-per-second average. This makes the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio a triple-digit 1440p GPU, which is excellent.

This is where we see a clear picture of the 220W MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio. Performance that is on par with the 320W beast from the Ampere generation. On top of this, you have the added benefit of DLSS 3 and Frame Generation - more on this in a bit - but really, the results here point to the RTX 4070 being a brilliant GPU for 1440p gaming without compromise. From competitive titles to those with ray tracing, it's all possible here.

The 1440p results show that the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is a noticeable step down from the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (with our results also covering an MSI Gaming X Trio variant). The latter is a more capable Ada offering, delivering a 17% increase in 1440p performance compared to the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio.

15 Game Average FPS - 4K Results

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The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio 4K results, although they still align closely with the GeForce RTX 3080, see a significant drop compared to the 1440p results. The 45% decrease from an average of 116 to 64 frames-per-second indicates how demanding native 4K rendering is on a GPU. Thankfully DLSS 2 picks the slack, as seen in the individual games results below, so the RTX 4070 is as much of a 4K card as the RTX 3080 is.

The 31% increase in raw 4K performance over the GeForce RTX 3070 shows that the RTX 4070 is the sort of GPU you'd pair with an Ultrawide 21:9 display to deliver greater than 60 frames-per-second performance even in the most demanding titles - with the aid of DLSS where need be. Native 4K performance in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II still hits 60 fps, with performance hitting 120 fps in DOOM Eternal - so DLSS isn't a must.

Benchmarks - 3DMark FireStrike

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3DMark FireStrike is a DirectX 11 test that has been around for many years and covers quite a large portion of games released over the past decade - at least in terms of the API and graphics technologies used. The three tests cover the resolutions - 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Looking at the 1440p FireStrike Extreme test, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio delivers a result 32.4% higher than the previous gen's RTX 3070, 20.8% higher than the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, and a result 17.8% lower than the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.

The three 3DMark FireStrike benchmarks also solidify the overall benchmark results for the GeForce RTX 4070, painting a picture of a smaller and more efficient GeForce RTX 3080, with 4K being the only resolution where it falls behind by around 5%. Compared to the Founders Edition model, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio delivered higher results in all FireStrike tests.

Benchmarks - 3DMark TimeSpy and Port Royal

With 3DMark TimeSpy being DirectX 12-based, it's a more relevant synthetic benchmark for modern games. The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio performs on par with the GeForce RTX 3080 in the standard 1440p benchmark (4% faster) and the 4K-based TimeSpy Extreme (0.5% faster). The 1440p score is 33% higher than the previous generation's GeForce RTX 3070, with the 4K score being 31% higher - a worthy generational leap forward.

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3DMark Port Royal is a synthetic ray-tracing benchmark. The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio results show that the Ada generation presents a significant leap forward for real-time ray tracing. You're looking at an overall score increase of 42% compared to the RTX 3070, which once again puts the ray-tracing performance in the realm of the GeForce RTX 3080 with considerably less power usage.

For 1440p, with DLSS, the GeForce RTX 4070 can render Cyberpunk 2077 with RT using the DLSS Quality setting at an average of 72 frames per second. This result edges out AMD's flagship Radeon RX 7900 XTX using the FSR 2 Quality Mode - which is remarkable for a 220W card. And a reminder that NVIDIA is still a generation ahead of the competition regarding ray tracing.

Benchmarks - 1080p Gaming

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Benchmarks - 1440p Gaming

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Benchmarks - 4K Gaming

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Benchmarks Summary, Ray-Tracing Performance, and DLSS 3

When looking at all 15 games, with varying results, the overall picture is straightforward - the GeForce RTX 4070 delivers RTX 3080-like performance using considerably less power, with 1080p and 1400p gaming results being the standout, especially in modern titles.

Regarding the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio at 1080p and 1440p, it consistently outperforms the GeForce RTX 3080, which is fantastic to see. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II in 1440p, it's only 5% slower than the GeForce RTX 3090. With ray-tracing enabled, it bests the RTX 3090 in Forza Horizon 5 in 1080p and 1440p.

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On average, the GeForce RTX 4070 regularly falls behind the GeForce RTX 3080 when it comes to 4K gaming, but the drop-off isn't drastic and usually only a few frames-per-second or a small percentage. Some notable exceptions exist where the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio has a commanding lead over the GeForce RTX 3080. In DOOM Eternal running in native 4K with ray-tracing enabled, the 120 frames-per-second performance is 25% faster than the RTX 3080 and on par with AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XT.

What all GeForce RTX 4070 models have that the GeForce RTX 3080 doesn't is the ability to enable DLSS 3 and game-changing Frame Generation.

For 1440p gaming, the results are eye-opening. For Cybeprunk 2077, using the Ultra ray-tracing setting, the triple-digit frame-rate result with DLSS 3 represents a 2.7X increase over native 1440p rendering. And this is using the DLSS Quality settings to maintain excellent visual quality. The similarly ray-tracing intensive Hitman in 1440p offers up a 2.2X increase in performance with DLSS 3 versus native rendering. For F1 22 in 1440p, you're looking at a 1.9X increase, with Forza Horizon 5 offering a more modest 1.3X increase.

DLSS 3 is still a relatively new technology, but it's beginning to appear in many more titles. Its adoption rate is high enough to make it a killer feature for the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio and its 1440p capabilities.

Temperature and Power Efficiency

You've probably heard that the Ada Lovelace generation and GeForce RTX 40 Series lineup has incredible power efficiency compared to the previous Ampere generation and AMD's RDNA 3 flagship cards. The GeForce RTX 4070 takes this to a new level regarding improved performance and doing more with less.

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The 1440p power usage across the 15 games benchmarked above is the most power-efficient card in our testing lineup, just behind the Founders Edition model. It provides a generational leap over the GeForce RTX 3070 and uses roughly 9% less power. With in-game performance on par with the GeForce RTX 3080, the real eye-opener is that the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio manages this using an incredible 37% less power in 1440p.

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As the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is a custom model with an increased 220W TGP, it uses more power than the Founders Edition model from NVIDIA. For 1080p, 1440p, and 4K gaming, the average power usage is 5-6% higher than the GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition, which is negligible when you factor in the overall efficiency of the RTX 4070.

Not only is it a power-efficient 1440p-capable GPU, but the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is quiet and cool, with temperatures under full load staying below 61 degrees. During 1440p gaming, this was closer to the 58-degree mark on average, significantly cooler than the Founders Edition model. The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio features an entirely silent, no-fan-spin mode, so it's what you'd consider a quiet GPU. Fan speeds consistently remain around 35%, too, so there's enough headroom for some manual overclock action to deliver extra performance.

Final Thoughts

The GeForce RTX 4070 is here, and the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio represents a truly impressive custom partner model that delivers in all areas. It performs better than the Founder Edition from NVIDIA, with the slight bump to the power rating, and the excellent cooling on offer means it runs, well, cooler and quieter.

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The 2.5-slot design makes this Gaming X Trio model physically larger than the 2-slot RTX 4070 models, but the build quality you get from MSI is hard to look past. In addition to the recognition and reliability of the Gaming X brand, you've got excellent software support with MSI Center and the robust MSI Afterburner for overclocking, monitoring performance, and general tinkering with fan curves.

Above all, though, with the underlying RTX 4070 hardware delivering unprecedented efficiency over the previous generation and performance that is RTX 3080-like at all resolutions, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is a winner. The addition of DLSS 3, which is beginning to crop up in more and more titles, is a definite game changer. With Frame Generation, you're getting ray-traced Cyberpunk 2077 performance that breaks the 100 frames-per-second barrier - which shouldn't be possible. And sure, an AI-generated frame isn't the same as a natively rendered frame, but it's exciting forward-thinking tech nonetheless.

And with 12GB of VRAM, AV1 video encoding support, and NVIDIA's brilliant integration with design and content creation apps, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio is also a supremely efficient creator card that doesn't require a massive power supply or a complete rebuild that you'd probably need with the formidable RTX 4080 or RTX 4090.

In the end, if you thought the GeForce RTX 3080 was a great GPU - and it still is - then the GeForce RTX 4070 is even better.