MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Gaming Z Review: Quietest RTX 2070?!

1. Introduction, Availability & Pricing
2. Detailed Specs: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z
3. Detailed Look: MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING Z
4. Cooling Tech: TWIN FROZR 7
5. Test System Specs
6. Benchmarks - Synthetic
7. Benchmarks - 1080p
8. Benchmarks - 1440p
9. Benchmarks - 4K
10. Final Thoughts

TweakTown's Rating: 98%

The Bottom Line

Even today, MSI's kick ass GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z -- is still, kick ass. Offering performance of around the GTX 1080 Ti while doing it in style.

Buy at Amazon

Introduction, Availability & Pricing

Edit: I found this review in our back end and wondered why it never went live... the first paragraph explains why -- my mother-in-law passed away from cancer (it was all very sudden) and there are a few reviews I never got around to finishing. This is one of them. For that, I apologize to you (the reader) and to MSI.

I've had a week of intense benchmarking, planning and writing graphics card reviews where I'm finally getting through all of my custom MSI GeForce RTX series graphics card reviews after going through some hard family times.

After falling in love with MSI's high-end GeForce RTX 2080 Ti LIGHTNING Z, the mid-range GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING Z went up on the review chopping block. It's the fastest out-of-the-box RTX 2060 with huge GPU boost clocks, plenty of room to OC, and some low temps/noise from the fans.

Now it's the slightly higher-end GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z that we're looking at today, offering GeForce GTX 1080 Ti levels of performance, but with RTX abilities. The new RTX 2070 is powered by the new Turing GPU architecture which has a plethora of improvements alongside the inclusion of the super-powered GDDR6 memory. We have 8GB of GDDR6 at 14Gbps on the RTX 2070 GAMING Z, like all RTX 2070s on the market.

If you were in the market for a new graphics card that had GeForce GTX 1080 Ti levels of performance, you will really find home in the GeForce RTX 2070. MSI has made some really nice tweaks to an already kick ass card with its TWIN FROZR 7 cooling technology, RGB lighting, out-of-the-box GPU overclocks, and low noise operation.

MSI's new GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z sits in a great position pricing and performance wise, becoming a great contender for your money if you want to use a 1080p or 1440p gaming display with 120/144/165Hz refresh rates. You'll hit those FPS numbers easily, with some games needing some visual settings changed to reach 144/165FPS, but it's there and ready.

The only card that competes with this that is worth buying from AMD is the Radeon RX 590 and the Radeon VII which is $699. MSI's card is $599, a full $100 cheaper and has similar performance. The new Radeon VII has performance that falls between NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 2070 and RTX 2080, but without ray tracing abilities and a hell of a lot more power being consumed.

MSI GAMING GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z 8G

	Today	Yesterday	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$679.00	$679.00	$679.00	$679.00	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 4/17/2024 at 6:25 pm CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission.

Detailed Specs: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z

Detailed Specs

This is the detailed specifications of the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z.

Detailed Look: MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING Z

Detailed Look

The front of the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z box details what you need to know: we have the new TWIN FROZR 7 cooling technology on this card, it's powered by the RTX 2070 GPU has GDDR6 technology, DX12, Ansel, and ray tracing support.

We get more information on the back of the box that includes the TWIN FROZR 7 thermal design, a tease of 'blazing performance' which it definitely has, and more details on the GeForce Experience features and general GPU features and system requirements.

The front of the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z and its dual-fan TWIN FROZR 7 cooler.

MSI uses a gorgeous brushed metal backplate on its GAMING Z series cards, and I really love the look of it in the system, especially with RGB lighting reflecting off of it... it looks great.

See what I mean?!

MSI bumps up the PCIe power connectors to an 8+6-pin setup on the GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z.

You'll need a little room in your rig to fit the card, with MSI making the GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z a triple-slot graphics card.

We have the same display connectivity on the GeForce RTX 2070, RTX 2080, and RTX 2080 Ti: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI, and 1 x VirtualLink USB-C connector for next-gen VR headsets that will eventually use it.

Cooling Tech: TWIN FROZR 7

If there's something I'll never get sick of, it is MSI's attention to detail with its cooling technology.

The new GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z features their latest TWIN FROZR 7 cooling technology which rolls out with a wave-curved heat sink for the ultimate in heat dissipation and noise reduction.

MSI has amped up the cooling the RTX 2070 GAMING Z compared to the RTX 2060 GAMING Z, with more heat pipes touching the base collecting more heat, and dissipating it quicker.

Turing puts out some heat, and MSI is able to handle it.

We have the same ZERO FROZR technology as the higher-end GeForce RTX 2080 Ti LIGHTNING Z (my review here) where the fans won't spin unless the card reaches 60C. Speaking of the fans, MSI has once again used TORX Fan 3.0 fans on the RTX 2070 GAMING Z with the two blade types on the card generating more concentrated airflow for improved cooling.

MSI has used a 5+2 phase PCB design and an 8+6-pin PCIe power connector setup, which handles all of its stock and heavily overclocked performance.

There's also the great use of MSI's own RGB Mystic Light technology, something that really pops on the card and isn't overly used. You can customize until your hearts content through the RGB Mystic Light 3 beta.

Test System Specs

Our New GPU Test Rig

Welcome to the latest revision of our GPU test bed, with our system being upgraded from the Intel Core i7-7700K to the Core i7-8700K. The CPU is cooled by the Corsair H115i PRO cooler, with the 8700K overclocked to 5GHz. We've stayed with GIGABYTE for our motherboard with their awesome Z370 AORUS Gaming 7.

We approached our friends at HyperX for a kit of their kick ass HyperX Predator DDR4-2933MHz RAM (HX429C15PB3AK4/32), with 2 x 8GB sticks for a total of 16GB DDR4-2933. The RAM stands out through every minute of our testing as it has beautiful RGB lights giving the system a slick look while benchmarking our lives away, while the Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 motherboard joins in with its own array of RGB lighting.

Detailed Tech Specs

• CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K @ 5GHz
• Cooler: Corsair Hydro Series H115i PRO
• MB: Z370 AORUS Gaming 7
• RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) HyperX Predator DDR4-2933
• SSD: 1TB OCZ RD400 NVMe M.2
• SSD: 512GB OCZ RD400 NVMe M.2
• PSU: InWin 1065W PSU
• Chassis: In Win X-Frame
• OS: Windows 10 Pro x64

Additional Images

Benchmarks - Synthetic

3DMark Fire Strike - 1080p

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3DMark has been a staple benchmark for years now, all the way back to when The Matrix was released and Futuremark had bullet time inspired benchmarks. 3DMark is the perfect tool to see if your system - most important, your CPU and GPU - is performing as it should. You can search results for your GPU, to see if it falls in line with other systems based on similar hardware.

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3DMark Fire Strike - 1440p

3DMark has been a staple benchmark for years now, all the way back to when The Matrix was released and Futuremark had bullet time inspired benchmarks. 3DMark is the perfect tool to see if your system - most important, your CPU and GPU - is performing as it should. You can search results for your GPU, to see if it falls in line with other systems based on similar hardware.

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3DMark Fire Strike - 4K

3DMark has been a staple benchmark for years now, all the way back to when The Matrix was released and Futuremark had bullet time inspired benchmarks. 3DMark is the perfect tool to see if your system - most important, your CPU and GPU - is performing as it should. You can search results for your GPU, to see if it falls in line with other systems based on similar hardware.

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3DMark TimeSpy

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3DMark TimeSpy Extreme

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3DMark Port Royale

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3DMark NVIDIA DLSS feature test

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Heaven - 1080p

Heaven is an intensive GPU benchmark that really pushes your silicon to its limits. It's another favorite of ours as it has some great scaling for multi-GPU testing, and it's great for getting your GPU to 100% for power and noise testing.

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Heaven - 1440p

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Heaven - 4K

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Benchmarks - 1080p

1080p Benchmarks

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EA and DICE put everything they had into Battlefield V which runs the latest version of the Frostbite engine, and really stretches its legs in terms of graphics quality and squeezing the most from our cards. It's one of the best looking engines and best looking games on the market, until the new slew of games launches over the coming months, that is.

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Overwatch is one of the most popular games on the market, from legendary game developer Blizzard. It's a game that looks great but doesn't require a huge amount of GPU grunt, but it's tested for another reason: high-FPS for enthusiast/professional gamers. Overwatch in our testing is to provide a two-fold result: first, it's a popular esports title and second it gives us a look at what we need to run it at 1440p for 144/165Hz displays and at 4K on those new 144Hz HDR G-Sync displays.

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Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a sequel to the popular Shadow of Mordor, which was powered by the Lithtech engine. When cranked up to maximum detail, it will chew through your GPU and its VRAM like it's nothing.

You can buy Middle-earth: Shadow of War at Amazon.

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Rainbow Six: Siege has been a strong entry into the franchise, popular for its realistic feel and great graphics. Stable as a rock for benchmarking, right up to 3440x1440 and 4K.

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Metro: Last Light Redux comes from developer 4A Games, making the Redux version of Metro: Last Light the 'definitive' version of the game. Redux had a fresh coat of paint on the already impressive 4A Engine, and it really pushes our GPUs to their limits.

You can buy Metro: Last Light Redux at Amazon.

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Far Cry 5 was developed by Ubisoft, and is powered the Dunia Engine, an engine that has been modified over the years for Far Cry. Dunia Engine itself was a modified version of CRYENGINE, scaling incredibly well on all sorts of hardware.

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider is one of the latest games to join our graphics card benchmark lineup, with the game built using the Foundation engine as a base, the same engine in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Eidos Montreal R&D department made lots of changes to the engine during the development of Shadow of the Tomb Raider to make it one of the best-looking games out right now.

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Benchmarks - 1440p

1440p Benchmarks

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EA and DICE put everything they had into Battlefield V which runs the latest version of the Frostbite engine, and really stretches its legs in terms of graphics quality and squeezing the most from our cards. It's one of the best looking engines and best looking games on the market, until the new slew of games launches over the coming months, that is.

63

63

Overwatch is one of the most popular games on the market, from legendary game developer Blizzard. It's a game that looks great but doesn't require a huge amount of GPU grunt, but it's tested for another reason: high-FPS for enthusiast/professional gamers. Overwatch in our testing is to provide a two-fold result: first, it's a popular esports title and second it gives us a look at what we need to run it at 1440p for 144/165Hz displays and at 4K on those new 144Hz HDR G-Sync displays.

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Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a sequel to the popular Shadow of Mordor, which was powered by the Lithtech engine. When cranked up to maximum detail, it will chew through your GPU and its VRAM like it's nothing.

You can buy Middle-earth: Shadow of War at Amazon.

63

63

Rainbow Six: Siege has been a strong entry into the franchise, popular for its realistic feel and great graphics. Stable as a rock for benchmarking, right up to 3440x1440 and 4K.

63

63

Metro: Last Light Redux comes from developer 4A Games, making the Redux version of Metro: Last Light the 'definitive' version of the game. Redux had a fresh coat of paint on the already impressive 4A Engine, and it really pushes our GPUs to their limits.

You can buy Metro: Last Light Redux at Amazon.

63

63

Far Cry 5 was developed by Ubisoft, and is powered the Dunia Engine, an engine that has been modified over the years for Far Cry. Dunia Engine itself was a modified version of CRYENGINE, scaling incredibly well on all sorts of hardware.

63

63

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is one of the latest games to join our graphics card benchmark lineup, with the game built using the Foundation engine as a base, the same engine in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Eidos Montreal R&D department made lots of changes to the engine during the development of Shadow of the Tomb Raider to make it one of the best-looking games out right now.

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Benchmarks - 4K

4K Benchmarks

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Overwatch is one of the most popular games on the market, from legendary game developer Blizzard. It's a game that looks great but doesn't require a huge amount of GPU grunt, but it's tested for another reason: high-FPS for enthusiast/professional gamers. Overwatch in our testing is to provide a two-fold result: first, it's a popular esports title and second it gives us a look at what we need to run it at 1440p for 144/165Hz displays and at 4K on those new 144Hz HDR G-Sync displays.

63

63

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a sequel to the popular Shadow of Mordor, which was powered by the Lithtech engine. When cranked up to maximum detail, it will chew through your GPU and its VRAM like it's nothing.

You can buy Middle-earth: Shadow of War at Amazon.

63

63

Rainbow Six: Siege has been a strong entry into the franchise, popular for its realistic feel and great graphics. Stable as a rock for benchmarking, right up to 3440x1440 and 4K.

63

63

Metro: Last Light Redux comes from developer 4A Games, making the Redux version of Metro: Last Light the 'definitive' version of the game. Redux had a fresh coat of paint on the already impressive 4A Engine, and it really pushes our GPUs to their limits.

You can buy Metro: Last Light Redux at Amazon.

63

63

Far Cry 5 was developed by Ubisoft, and is powered the Dunia Engine, an engine that has been modified over the years for Far Cry. Dunia Engine itself was a modified version of CRYENGINE, scaling incredibly well on all sorts of hardware.

63

63

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is one of the latest games to join our graphics card benchmark lineup, with the game built using the Foundation engine as a base, the same engine in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Eidos Montreal R&D department made lots of changes to the engine during the development of Shadow of the Tomb Raider to make it one of the best-looking games out right now.

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Final Thoughts

Final, Final Thoughts - Given this review is 12 months late (RIP Mary x) even 12 months on, the GeForce RTX 2070 represents great value for money and if you can get one cheap you're in good footing as a high-end gamer even in the tail end of 2019. The new SUPER variant isn't that much faster, so if you find an MSI RTX 2070 GAMING Z for the right money, grab it -- you won't be disappointed.

NVIDIA already has a great card in its own GeForce RTX 2070 Founders Edition, but not everyone wants the look of the RTX 2070 FE and they might want a card with better, or more silent cooling. This is where MSI steps in with its GAMING Z range of cards.

MSI leads its custom GeForce RTX 2070 with the GAMING Z edition, rollout out as a faster-than-FE version of the RTX 2070. We have cooling that is silent for the most part, and performance that beats the RTX 2070 FE and edges against the higher-end GeForce GTX 1080 Ti.

The super-fast 8GB of GDDR6 gels well with the card as it doesn't offer the 11GB that the big daddy RTX 2080 Ti offers, but it gives its all with the same high-end 14Gbps of bandwidth. With some easy overclocking I had another 2Gbps of bandwidth added, hitting a huge 16Gbps of bandwidth when overclocked. NVIDIA ships its GeForce RTX 2070 with much lower boost GPU clocks out of the box versus the higher-end MSI GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z, while the 8GB of GDDR6 is stock at 14Gbps on both cards.

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Founders Edition: base/boost GPU - 1410/1710MHz
• MSI GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z: base/boost GPU - 1620/1830MHz

If you're using a higher-end 1080p or 1440p gaming monitor with 120-165Hz refresh rate, and can't quite afford the RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti but didn't like the performance of the RTX 2060, MSI's new GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z is the perfect card for you.

It offers GTX 1080 Ti levels of performance with RTX abilities (if you want that) while running nice and cool and ready for high resolution games thanks to its faster GDDR6 memory that can be overclocked to 16Gbps of bandwidth.

MSI has an awesome range of custom GeForce RTX cards in its GAMING Z family, with each one of them standing out on their own away from NVIDIA's in-house GeForce RTX Founders Edition cards. Once again, MSI earns some big praise for its GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING Z, one of the fastest custom RTX 2070 cards on the market.