NVIDIA unveiled its latest graphics card, the GeForce RTX 4070 Super, earlier this week. The new GPU aims to offer strong 1440p gaming performance at a more affordable $599 price point compared to other cards in the GeForce RTX 40 lineup.
Initial reviews of the RTX 4070 Super highlight impressive performance gains over the standard RTX 4070. However, low inventory levels and scalped pricing have already dampened excitement around the launch. As NVIDIA looks to rebound from a messy RTX 40 series rollout over the past several months, it remains to be seen whether the RTX 4070 Super can achieve mainstream success.
RTX 4070 Super Promises Flagship-Level 1440p Gaming
The GeForce RTX 4070 Super comes equipped with NVIDIA’s advanced Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 7680 CUDA cores and 12GB of 21Gbps GDDR6X memory paired with a 192-bit bus.
Key specs:
| Spec | RTX 4070 Super |
|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 7680 |
| Boost Clock | 2610 MHz |
| Memory | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit |
| MSRP | $599 |
While the RTX 4070 Super retains the same memory configuration as the standard RTX 4070, it benefits from nearly 25% more CUDA cores. This allows it to rival and even surpass the RTX 4070 Ti in gaming workloads based on early benchmark results.
Reviewers found the RTX 4070 Super capable of hitting well over 100 fps at 2560 x 1440 resolutions in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 with maxed out settings enabled. It even manages upwards of 70 fps in many games at 4K. This level of performance makes the RTX 4070 Super extremely viable for high refresh rate 1440p gaming.
The card also introduces support for NVIDIA’s latest technologies not found in its non-Super counterpart, including DLSS 3 frame generation and AV1 encoding.
Faster Than RTX 4070 Ti, But Struggles Against RX 7800 XT
The RTX 4070 Super decisively beats out the standard RTX 4070 and RTX 3090 Ti across gaming benchmarks. Surprisingly, it also outpaces the more expensive RTX 4070 Ti in certain tests by small single-digit margins. This unexpected performance advantage over superior hardware could coerce some consumers into saving $100 by opting for the new Super card.
However, AMD’s rival Radeon RX 7800 XT poses stiff competition. The two cards trade blows in ray tracing and rasterization workloads. But the RX 7800 XT pulls ahead more often, especially in titles optimized for AMD hardware. Still, DLSS 3 support gives the RTX 4070 Super an edge in future games.
Ultimately, choosing between the cards comes down to gamers’ specific needs and loyalty to NVIDIA or AMD’s feature sets. Nonetheless, competition from Team Red may force NVIDIA into offering better value on current and upcoming graphics cards.
Early Adopter Tax Remains High Due to Limited Inventory
Although the RTX 4070 Super undercuts its RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080 siblings at $599 MSRP, finding one at the standard retail price has proven nearly impossible in the few days since launch.
Stocks sold out instantly at major retailers on release day. The fortunate few who secured a card faced notorious scalpers selling them on secondary markets for nearly double MSRP or higher. Listings currently sit between $900 to $1200 on sites like eBay.
Insider reports indicated extremely low inventory for the new Super SKU compared to NVIDIA’s non-Super offerings. This intentional scarcity allows the company to gauge demand before ramping up production. However, it often works against consumers hoping to purchase new hardware at reasonable prices.
Industry analysts predict that the earliest chance for stocks to stabilize falls between mid-February and March. But nothing guarantees the RTX 4070 Super won’t suffer the same months-long shortages as other RTX 40 cards at launch. Gamers may need to temper expectations around actually owning one soon after release.
What’s Next for NVIDIA and GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs?
Between the RTX 4080 debacle, recall of the RTX 4080 12GB, and reports that the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4090 haven’t met internal sales targets, NVIDIA faces growing scrutiny over its handling of the Ada Lovelace generation so far.
The RTX 4070 Super launch continues this rocky trend of high prices and low availability plaguing the product stack. NVIDIA likely hoped the new card would turn fortunes around after previous missteps.
Rumors suggest NVIDIA may next prepare an even more powerful RTX 4090 Super graphics card for release later this year. But with an assumed $2000+ pricing, that SKU caters strictly to enthusiasts rather than mainstream gamers.
More significant and affordable launches could come in the form of RTX 4060 and RTX 4050 cards built for 1080p gaming. However, NVIDIA may stagger these downmarket GPUs over late 2023 and early 2024 to avoid cannibalizing sales of pricier cards still struggling to meet demand.
In contrast, AMD can leverage its early mover advantage with RDNA3 graphics cards leading up to its RX 7600 XT launch expected this April. The company may continue enticing budget-conscious gamers unless NVIDIA rapidly reorients its roadmap and messaging around more affordable and available hardware.
The coming months will prove decisive for NVIDIA in upholding its market dominance in the face of AMD’s resurgence. While the RTX 4070 Super makes a strong case for excellent 1440p performance per dollar, that value means little if consumers still cannot purchase the product at reasonable prices months after launch. NVIDIA must refocus efforts around supply chain improvements and consumer satisfaction if it hopes to thrive throughout this generation.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
