
The Bottom Line
Pros
- Excellent mid-range 1440p gaming performance
- DLSS 4 delivers fantastic results in 1440p
- Full Ray Tracing and Path Tracing ready
- Decent 4K uplift over the GeForce RTX 4070
- Compact Founders Edition design is a winner
Cons
- 12GB of VRAM instead of 16GB feels like a misstep
- Only slightly faster than the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
- No, the RTX 5070 doesn't deliver RTX 4090 levels of performance
Should you buy it?
AvoidConsiderShortlistBuyIntroduction
As the Steam Hardware Survey results have shown for months, the GeForce RTX 4070 and the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER are two of the most popular GPUs among PC gamers. The older Ampere-era GeForce RTX 3070 is right up there, showcasing that the mid-range 70-class offerings from NVIDIA often lead to the best value - while giving PC gamers access to cutting-edge technologies like ray-tracing and the hardware-intensive Full Ray Tracing.
The GeForce RTX 5070 offers a decent but not mind-blowing upgrade over the GeForce RTX 4070, with only a minor upgrade over the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER refresh from 2024. In a way, it's the least exciting release in the GeForce RTX 50 Series so far in that - outside of access to the new DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation feature for boosting performance - it feels more like a GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 2. More refresh than mid-generation game-changer, the GeForce RTX 5070 is still a great 1440p option - especially when you factor in the mind-blowing DLSS 4.
A quick look around the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition
DLSS 4's new transformer AI model for Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction is arguably one of the most impressive aspects of the GeForce RTX 50 Series launch. It delivers improved image quality and stability over native rendering - especially in motion. With the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, a GPU that is every bit the 1440p beast as the RTX 4070 SUPER, we spent quite a bit of time gaming with DLSS 4 in 1440p to see how the new and improved upscaler and denoiser performed when not gaming in 4K.
Regarding upscaling technologies, even the most basic spatial solution can look 'okay' in 4K. However, technologies like DLSS make the most sense with GPUs other than the GeForce RTX 5090, and seeing DLSS 4 in action in 1440p (with the Quality and Balanced presets) on the GeForce RTX 5070 raises the bar for AI-powered rendering. In fact, in titles with DLSS 4 support (native or via NVIDIA's DLSS Override feature), you're looking at a 'free' double digit performance improvement from software alone.

With DLSS 4 the GeForce RTX 5070 is what we'd consider an entry-level GPU for Path Tracing, where it delivers playable and impressive-looking visuals at 1440p. However, performance here is roughly the same as what you'd find with the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER - with the option to enable Multi Frame Generation for increased smoothness. The Path Tracing gains for the GeForce RTX 5070 (and ray-tracing for that matter) sit behind the raw or rasterized performance improvements - a surprising result, as beefier RT performance would have made the GeForce RTX 5070 stand out.
Thankfully, the $549 MSRP is lower than the $599 launch price of the GeForce RTX 4070 and GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER - which is excellent. However, for those eyeing the GeForce RTX 5070 there is another layer to the GPU in the form of AMD's new RDNA 4 offerings - the Radeon RX 9070 and Radeon RX 9070 XT. Our reviews of AMD's latest mid-range duo will go live in the coming days, so stay tuned. In the meantime, let's dig into the GeForce RTX 5070 - in stunning (and compact) Founders Edition form.

RTX Blackwell - NVIDIA's Gaming Architecture for the AI Era
Below is a summary of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell architecture, applicable to all models.
NVIDIA describes 'Neural Rendering,' which includes all previous versions of DLSS and the brand-new DLSS 4, as the 'next era for computer graphics.' They're not alone; the Lead System Architect for the PlayStation 5 Pro console, Mark Cerny, recently said that ray-tracing is the future of games and that AI will play an integral role in making that happen. DOOM: The Dark Ages developer id Software shared a similar sentiment, adding that the arrival of DLSS was an 'inflection point' for PC game visuals and performance and on par with the arrival of dedicated GPUs and programmable shaders.
With the arrival of the Blackwell generation and the GeForce RTX 50 Series, AI is now being used to accelerate programmable shaders with the brand-new RTX Neural Shaders. Yes, these are actual neural networks that use live game data, and the power of Tensor Cores to do everything from compress textures, render lifelike materials with a level of detail impossible to match using traditional rendering methods, and even use AI to partially trace rays and then infer "an infinite amount
of rays and bounces for a more accurate representation of indirect lighting in the game scene."

RTX Mega Geometry is incredible in its own right; it essentially increases a scene's geometry detail and complexity (triangles or polygons) by up to 100x. 100 times the detail, it's hard to wrap your head around - but the added benefit in a game like Alan Wake 2 is dramatically improving the performance of the game's Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing mode. With DLSS 4 and RTX Neural Shaders, NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell architecture (which includes the same AI optimizations as data center Blackwell) can be viewed as the turning point for PC gaming - the moment when AI becomes integral to everything from designing a game to programming and then finally rendering it on a 4K display to play.
DLSS 4 includes more goodies than NVIDIA's highly touted new Multi Frame Generation technology, but let's start there. DLSS 3's version of Frame Generation has evolved with DLSS 4, powered by Blackwell hardware and software, and an innovative use of AI to generate frames 40% faster while using 30% less VRAM. Switching to a new model also means that Frame Generation and Multi-Frame Generation could soon come to GeForce RTX 20, 30, and RTX 40 Series owners. DLSS 4 benefits all GeForce RTX gamers.
With the 5th Generation of Tensor Cores in the GeForce RTX 50 Series delivering 2.5X more AI performance, NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs can execute five complex AI models - covering Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and Multi Frame Generation in a couple of milliseconds. Part of the reason it happens so quickly is the addition of hardware Flip Metering, which shifts frame pacing to the Blackwell display engine - the result is frame rates of up to 4K 240 FPS and higher without stuttering issues. With up to 15 of every 16 pixels generated by AI, the result is up to 8X the performance when compared to native rendering or rasterized performance.

DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction are also switching to a new 'Transformer' model, with over double the parameters and four times the compute requirement. This is one of the most exciting aspects of the GeForce RTX 50 Series, as it pushes DLSS into a new realm of image quality and performance. The best part is that it will work on all GeForce RTX GPUs; however, there will be a performance hit compared to running it on an RTX 50 Series GPU. Already available in games, DLSS 4's Transformer model is another DLSS 2.0-like moment for the technology, and the results speak for themselves.
Even better, DLSS 4 is integrated into the NVIDIA App with a new 'DLSS Override' feature that allows users to experience the latest tech without waiting for a patch or game update. DLSS 4 is built to be backward compatible, with 75 games and apps supported (so far).
It doesn't stop there, as the new AI Management Processor (AMP) allows AI models to share the GPU with graphics workloads. As a result, expect to see digital humans in games alongside AI assistants like NVIDIA's Project G-Assist becoming more prevalent in the coming years. This filters down to the creator side, with AI assistants for streamers, who will also benefit from the GeForce RTX 50 Series' expanded creator features.
RTX Blackwell introduces 4:2:2 chroma-sampled video encoding and decoding. The ninth-generation NVENC encoder also improves AV1 and HEVC quality. RTX Blackwell is a game changer for creators and editors, especially with the new low-voltage and cutting-edge GDDR7 memory that dramatically improves memory bandwidth and speed.
Specs and Test System
Specifications
Here's a look at the specs for the GeForce RTX 5070 compared to the previous generation's GeForce RTX 4070, GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti.
GPU Specs | GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | GeForce RTX 5070 | GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER | GeForce RTX 4070 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Architecture | Blackwell | Blackwell | Ada Lovelace | Ada Lovelace |
Process | TSMC 4N | TSMC 4N | TSMC 4N | TSMC 4N |
CUDA Cores | 8960 | 6144 | 7168 | 5888 |
Tensor Cores (AI) | 280 (5th Gen) | 192 (5th Gen) | 224 (4th Gen) | 184 (4th Gen) |
AI TOPS | 1406 | 988 | 568 | 466 |
Ray Tracing Cores | 70 (4th Gen) | 48 (4th Gen) | 56 (3rd Gen) | 46 (3rd Gen) |
GPU Boost Clock | 2452 MHz | 2512 MHz | 2475 MHz | 2475 MHz |
Memory | 16GB GDDR7 | 12GB GDDR7 | 12GB GDDR6X | 12GB GDDR6X |
Memory Interface | 256 Bit | 192 Bit | 192 Bit | 192 Bit |
Bandwidth | 896 GB/sec | 672 GB/sec | 504 GB/sec | 504 GB/sec |
TGP | 300W | 250W | 220W | 200W |
With the new GeForce RTX 50 Series and the arrival of the new RTX Blackwell architecture, one of the most surprising aspects of this new GeForce GPU generation was that it was arriving on a similar custom TSMC 4N process as the GeForce RTX 40 Series. Without the usual efficiency gains and room for more hardware that comes with a process node shrink, it's up to RTX Blackwell's architectural improvements - from neural rendering to next-gen RT Cores and improved AI hardware - to deliver. And with the GeForce RTX 5070 we probably see the most prominent example of this, with the GPU giving a clear picture of what RTX Blackwell can do. And that is, a lot more with less.
Without a process node shrink, the GeForce RTX 50 Series has been labeled by some as a GeForce RTX 40 Series refresh. We alluded to this in the introduction of this review by calling the GeForce RTX 5070 a GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 2. It is a statement that is more of a description of the RTX 5070's overall performance, not its hardware. Looking at CUDA, Tensor, and RT Cores, the GeForce RTX 5070 only has 4% more GPU hardware than the GeForce RTX 4070 it succeeds. A pretty minor upgrade, for sure, but when stacked up against the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, the GeForce RTX 5070 features 14% fewer CUDA, Tensor, and RT Cores.

With the same VRAM capacity of 12GB, the only real notable upgrade comes with an increase to memory bandwidth - 672 GB/sec on the RTX 5070, which is 33% higher than the RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 SUPER. Add all of this together and it's enough to make the GeForce RTX 5070 20% faster than the GeForce RTX 4070, and anywhere between 4-6% faster than the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. The good news is that like the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and GeForce RTX 5080, the GeForce RTX 5070 is an excellent card for overclocking, with the ability to push boost clock speeds above 3 GHz for even more performance. Stay tuned for our thoughts on this side of the GPU as we look closer at OC models from MSI and ASUS in the coming days.
The GeForce RTX 5070 does deliver when it comes to creator-friendly features, future proofing, and AI performance - the latter delivering double the AI TOPS over the GeForce RTX 4070 thanks to FP4 support. Throw in DisplayPort 2.1, PCIe Gen5, and NVIDIA's latest NVENC hardware for video encoding and software improvements with things like RTX Broadcast, and the GeForce RTX 5070 is an impressive all-rounder. And with native support for RTX Neural Shaders and Multi Frame Generation, it's ready to power the biggest games of 2025, and beyond. However, when it's all said and done, we feel that the GeForce RTX 5070 would have been the hands-down winner at $549 if it included 16GB of GDDR7 memory, similar to the RTX 5070 Ti.
Item | Details |
---|---|
GPU | GeForce RTX 5070 |
GPU Codename | GB205 |
Model | GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition |
Interface | PCI Express Gen 5 |
SMs | 48 |
CUDA Cores | 6144 |
Tensor Cores (AI) | 988 AI TOPS (5th Gen) |
Ray Tracing Cores | 94 TFLOPS (4th Gen) |
Boost Clock Speed | 2512 MHz |
Memory | 12GB GDDR7 |
Memory Interface | 192-bit |
Memory Bandwidth | 672 GB/sec |
L2 Cache Size | 48 MB |
TGP | 250W |
Display | 3 x DisplayPort 2.1b with UHBR20, 1 x HDMI 2.1b |
Display Output | Up to 4K 12-bit HDR at 480Hz, Up to 8K 12-bit HDR at 165Hz |
Power Input | 16-pin PCIe (2 x 8-pin to 1 x 16-pin adaptor included) |
Dimensions | 240 x 100 x 40mm |
Weight | 1100 grams |
Kosta's Test System
Item | Details |
---|---|
Motherboard | ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X |
GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition |
Display | MSI MAG 321UPX QD-OLED 4K 240 Hz |
Cooler | ASUS ROG RYUO III 360 ARGB |
RAM | 32GB DDR5-6000 Corsair DOMINATOR TITANIUM RGB |
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 | ASUS TUF Gaming 1000W Gold |
Case | Corsair 5000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case |
OS | Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit |
Physical Design and Cooling
NVIDIA's refreshed Founders Edition design for the GeForce RTX 50 Series is beautiful, modern, sleek, and stylish, making it feel more like a futuristic piece of technology than your everyday gaming GPU. In GeForce RTX 5070 form you're essentially getting the GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition card put through a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids machine set to 50%. It's small and compact in a way we rarely see outside of pure budget gaming options, making it an excellent choice for slotting into a tiny build.

Like its larger sibling, the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition sports a custom, small PCB, with two fans pulling air through the heat pipes and dense fin-stack. The build quality is exceptional and on par with the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 Founders Edition cards, with an all-metal premium feel, two-slot thickness, and high-quality components. The new Double Flow Through design is an aesthetic winner, and like the RTX Blackwell architecture, it scales extremely well, the smaller it gets. It will be interesting to see if NVIDIA releases a Founders Edition model for the GeForce RTX 5060 or RTX 5060 Ti.

With the GeForce RTX 5070's power rating of 250W, a 40% reduction from the GeForce RTX 5080, you might wonder if the design is efficient at cooling the GPU. The answer is yes. However, the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition will probably sit below partner and OC cards regarding thermal performance.
The Games and Tests
PC gaming not only covers a wide range of genres and styles, from indie games with simple 2D graphics to massive 3D worlds lit by cutting-edge real-time ray tracing technology. With that, the needs and requirements of each gamer vary. High refresh rates and latency reduction become more important than flashy visuals or playing at the highest resolution possible for those who live and breathe fast-paced competitive games. For those who want to live in a cinematic world and become a key player in an expansive narrative, ray-tracing, and high-fidelity visuals are a stepping stone toward immersion.

Our chosen benchmarks cover various games, engines, APIs, and technologies. For the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, all tests are run at 4K and 1440p and include results for performance-boosting Super Resolution technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 4 - including Frame Generation and the new Multi Frame Generation. In many ways, DLSS numbers are more important in 2025 than native rendering - a title with ray tracing isn't meant to be played without Super Resolution. Also, DLSS technologies like Ray Reconstruction and the new RTX Mega Geometry dramatically improve visual fidelity and detail compared to native rendering. However, our benchmark results are still sorted using 'raw performance' or native rendering.
Here's the breakdown of games, settings, and what's being tested.
Games and Settings Benchmarked
Game | Details |
---|---|
Black Myth: Wukong | A high-impact Unreal Engine 5 test showcasing a detailed cinematic world. The in-game benchmark tool with the 'Very High' fidelity setting without ray-tracing and with DLSS and FSR. |
Cyberpunk 2077 | Competitive multiplayer FPS test with DLSS and FSR. The in-game multiplayer benchmark tool is used with 'Ultra' quality settings. |
Counter-Strike 2 | Competitive multiplayer FPS test running on Valve's Source 2 engine. A stress test mod map is used to showcase CS2 at its most demanding. |
Cyberpunk 2077 | Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used with 'Ultra' quality settings without ray-tracing. |
Cyberpunk 2077 (RT) | Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used with the demanding 'Ray Tracing Ultra' quality setting. |
DOOM Eternal (RT) | Fast-paced single-player FPS gaming running on the id Tech and Vulkan with DLSS. The Mars Core campaign mission is used to benchmark. |
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (RT) | Cinematic RPG from veteran studio BioWare, benchmarking the action-packed introduction sequence with Ultra quality settings including ray-tracing with DLSS and FSR. |
F1 24 (RT) | Racing game with hardware-intensive in-race ray-traced visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used, with 'Ultra High' quality settings on a single lap of the Bahrain track. |
Horizon Forbidden West | Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The opening section is tested using the 'Very High' quality setting. |
Marvel Rivals | Multiplayer hero shooter set in the Marvel universe, in-game Practise Range map used to benchmark with 'Ultra' quality settings, DLSS and FSR. |
Resident Evil 4 (RT) | Capcom's visually impressive remake, Chapter 1 - The Village used to benchmark with 'Max' settings. |
Returnal (RT) | Third-person action roguelike with in-built benchmark that tests environment destruction, particle effects, ray-traced reflections, and more. |
Total War: Warhammer III | Action-packed real-time strategy with hundreds of on-screen characters. The in-game 'Battle' benchmark tool is used with the 'Ultra' quality setting. |
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 | Cinematic third-person action game with impressive visuals. Opening mission tested using 'Ultra' quality setting with DLSS and FSR. |
Path Tracing Games and Settings Benchmarked
Game | Details |
---|---|
Alan Wake 2 | Full Path Tracing tested in 1440p using the new 'Ultra' setting with DLSS 4, Frame Generation, and Multi Frame Generation. Bright Falls town used to test. |
Cyberpunk 2077 | In-game benchmark tool used with the demanding 'RT Overdrive' or full Path Tracing mode, with DLSS 4 Performance, Frame Generation, and Multi Frame Generation. |
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Full Ray Tracing tested in this stunning first-person cinematic game, Marshall College walkthrough used to test with DLSS 4. |
Star Wars Outlaws | Open-world Star Wars game with cutting-edge ray-traced visuals and DLSS 4 technologies tested, including Multi Frame Generation on Toshara. |
Gaming Performance Analysis - 1080p, 1440p, and 4K
Average Gaming Performance - 1080p Results

As we start seeing more mid-range and mainstream GPU releases, we will add more 1080p results to showcase how the various new GPUs from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel perform. Looking at average performance, the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition is 15.3% faster than the GeForce RTX 4070 at this resolution while only 11% slower than the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. In 2025, 1080p is the realm of more budget or mainstream GPUs, with the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti making the most sense at 1440p. However, for competitive gamers, the GeForce RTX 5070 absolutely delivers this resolution even with Ultra quality visual settings. 127 FPS in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a whopping 344 FPS in Counter-Strike 2, and 140 FPS in Marvel Rivals.
Average Gaming Performance - 1440p Results

The GeForce RTX 5070 is an excellent GPU for 1440p gaming. In this resolution, DLSS adds an extra level of performance while also improving image fidelity in titles that support DLSS 4's new AI transformer model. With DLSS, using the Quality preset, the 133 FPS average becomes 135 FPS, to deliver 20% faster performance than the previous generation's GeForce RTX 4070. Looking back even further, the GeForce RTX 5070 is 45% faster than the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti at this resolution. Unfortunately we didn't have time to fully re-test the GeForce RTX 3070 for this review, but it's safe to say that the GeForce RTX 5070 is a significant upgrade over this popular Ampere-era card.
However, looking at the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER and the GeForce RTX 5070 is only 3.6% faster - on average. A result that warrants looking into the individual game results. In titles like Black Myth: Wukong, Counter-Strike 2, Cyberpunk 2077 (without ray-tracing), and Total War: Warhammer III, and the GeForce RTX 5070 is on par or faster than the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. However, switch to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or DOOM Eternal and the GeForce RTX 5070 is slower than the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER - which is disappointing.
DLSS 4 is a definite game changer at this resolution, especially for titles with ray-tracing. Cyberpunk 2077, with the RT Ultra preset, sees 45 FPS become 74 FPS. This is a massive 64% improvement in performance that arrives via AI hardware and software. The game also looks significantly better thanks to DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction.
Average Gaming Performance - 4K Results

With a 63 FPS average that increases to 84 FPS when you factor in DLSS 'Quality' upscaling, it's safe to say that the GeForce RTX 5070 is a GPU that can be used for 4K gaming. At this resolution, the lead over the GeForce RTX 4070 increases to 23.5%, with the lead over the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER increasing to 6.8%. It's also 53.7% faster than the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. 4K performance is roughly on par with the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and Radeon RX 7900 XT, which does decide to stick with 12GB of VRAM over bumping it up to 16GB, looks like a mistake. The higher the resolution, the more critical VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth become. So, having the increased speed that comes with GDDR7 but not the capacity makes it feel like something's missing.
12GB is not a deal breaker, it only means that in some titles you'll need to play around with settings and things like texture pool sizes - which is par for the course as the GeForce RTX 5070 is not a 4K 'max settings' GPU. Thankfully, NVIDIA's updated Frame Generation now uses significantly less VRAM than the previous version and upcoming RTX Neural Shaders leveraging AI for texture compression will open the door for more hardware intensive ray-tracing on the GeForce RTX 5070. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the more potent 4K gaming GPU, which is to be expected.
Benchmarks - 3DMark Synthetic Tests
3DMark offers a suite of synthetic benchmarks built to test GPUs in various scenarios. 3DMark Steel Nomad is a cutting-edge DirectX 12 benchmark with newer, modern rendering techniques designed to push GPUs to their limit. The 'Light' version tests at 1440p, while the main Steel Nomad benchmark tests pure native 4K rendering. Port Royal is a benchmark focusing exclusively on real-time ray tracing for lighting effects like reflections, shadows, and more.


Built for modern gaming, the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light synthetic benchmark results are a relatively accurate representation of what you'll find regarding GeForce RTX 5070 performance. The score for this 1440p test, which doesn't include upscaling or ray-tracing, sees RTX 5070 performance sit slightly above the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER to join the likes of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and the Radeon RX 7900 XT.

3DMark Port Royal is a pure ray-tracing benchmark and here the results reflect what we see in several titles with ray-tracing - there's not a lot separating the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, and the new GeForce RTX 5070. It's also a reminder that even though you're looking at ray-tracing performance that is up to 35% faster than the GeForce RTX 4070, it's not a massive leap forward over the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER - which is something you see first-hand when you enable Path Tracing or Full Ray Tracing.
Benchmarks - 1080p Gaming














Benchmarks - 1440p Gaming














Benchmarks - 4K Gaming














DLSS 4, Frame Generation, and the new Multi-Frame Generation
DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation are impressive bits of technology, thanks mainly to the overall improvements to performance and latency on the Frame Generation side and the new 'Transformer' model for Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction. We used the DLSS 'Quality' mode preset for these benchmarks, often delivering better-than-native image quality.

Paired with the right game, settings, and Frame Generation, and the new Multi Frame Generation can be a game changer. Exclusive to the new GeForce RTX 50 Series, Multi Frame Generation gives RTX 5070 owners the option to choose between 2X, 3X, or 4X - which refers to one or three AI-generated frames that will be rendered on top of the standard DLSS frame. As long as the input frame rate is ideally above 70 FPS, then the minimal increase in latency is barely noticeable, thanks to excellent frame-pacing and NVIDIA's Reflex technology doing its magic. Cyberpunk 2077 with RT Ultra enabled, the 126 FPS with Frame Generation and the 218 FPS of Multi Frame Generation look excellent, smooth, and responsive.
One of the benefits of Frame Generation and Multi Frame Generation is that the increased smoothness is immediately noticeable as it improves motion clarity. However, this benefit is only felt when you've got a display that can match the FPS number you see in refresh rate. For most displays this would mean toning down the 317 FPS of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to Frame Generation 2X or 3X. This might be sacrilege, but Frame Generation works surprisingly well in Marvel Rivals as the increased smoothness can make it easier to play and notice things on the battlefield.
Path Tracing Performance - 1440p
Path Tracing, or Full Ray Tracing, arrived with the GeForce RTX 40 Series and DLSS 3 and is leveling up with the GeForce RTX 50 Series and DLSS 4. It's only possible thanks to AI technologies like DLSS Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and RTX Neural Shader technology like RTX Mega Geometry. It's designed specifically for these technologies, and we're only including native or rasterized performance to highlight just how intensive it is on a GPU like the GeForce RTX 5070. In fact, outside of the massive increase in performance, these games also look notably worse without DLSS 4.


It's great to see Path Tracing running on the GeForce RTX 5070, however, the performance here - outside of Multi Frame Generation - is on par with what you can achieve on the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. Playable? Definitely. But there's not a lot of headroom, and you might need to tweak settings to get the best Frame Generation and Multi Frame Generation results. DLSS 4 is the real star and the secret weapon alongside new technologies like RTX Mega Geometry. Going from 36 FPS to 73 FPS in Alan Wake 2 is not only a massive 103% increase to performance - but the new transformer model, alongside RTX Mega Geometry, delivers a more detailed image. It looks stunning, and it's the sort of visual fidelity and performance currently impossible to achieve on any gaming hardware that doesn't feature 'GeForce RTX' in the naming.


Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is probably our favorite example of Path Tracing or Full Ray Tracing as the game is built on a custom version of id Tech. The same engine that is powering the upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages. You can run Path Tracing on the GeForce RTX 5070 and achieve a playable frame rate without DLSS. However, as the game now supports DLSS 4, the 57 FPS to 87 FPS jump is accompanied by a light switch or light bulb-style moment where the visuals dramatically improve to reveal one of the best-looking games ever made. This title still looks fantastic without Path Tracing, but if you were to do a side-by-side comparison it would be like looking at the same game running on a PlayStation 4 versus the PlayStation 5 Pro.
Temperature and Power Efficiency

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition is a quiet GPU; however, it runs more remarkably than some of the GeForce RTX 50 Series partner models we've been testing in recent weeks. If the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 are anything to go by, we fully expect to see overclocked GeForce RTX 5070 GPUs push the boost clock to over 3 GHz for a 5% or so increase to performance and run cooler than the Founders Edition variant. That said, NVIDIA's design is super compact and stylish, and there's enough headroom to overclock and boost performance - however, you might want to check out other models if you want to overclock the RTX 5070.
Final Thoughts
DLSS has come into its own with the arrival of the GeForce RTX 50 Series, and with widespread game support, it's reason enough to pick up a GeForce RTX GPU - which says a lot. 20% faster raw performance than the GeForce RTX 4070 for 1440p and 4K gaming is a decent uplift, but not groundbreaking. It's enough to offer fantastic 1440p gaming performance, but the incredible DLSS 4 is the icing. DLSS 4 delivers a free double-digit boost to performance that remarkably makes games look better, even when enabled in 1440p.
That said, the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER's existence makes the GeForce RTX 5070 feel less exciting, which shouldn't have been the case. The GeForce RTX 5070 features 14% fewer CUDA, Tensor, and RT Cores than last year's SUPER refresh; however, the 6.8% improvement in performance in 4K is not all that noticeable. And yes, in some games the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is faster - which is strange. Path Tracing performance is virtually the same, making the GeForce RTX 5070 an entry-level Path Tracing GPU (regarding image fidelity and resolution) and not the game changer we hoped to see.

Of all the GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs released so far, the GeForce RTX 5070 will be the one that sells the most and the quickest to skyrocket up the Steam Hardware charts. With stiff competition from AMD (stay tuned for our RDNA 4 reviews), we're hoping that this is one release that offers several MSRP models as the performance you get makes the most sense when viewed from the lens of it costing $549. At this price, it's the best value offering in the GeForce RTX 50 Series lineup, and it has an excellent GPU to power your 1440p gaming for the next few years.