Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Review

When the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 was released, it disappointed many with its modest performance gains over the RTX 4090, especially given its significantly higher price. In contrast, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, while not a massive leap forward in speed compared to its last-generation counterpart, offers a more budget-friendly option. Priced at a base of $749, the RTX 5070 Ti is an outstanding choice for 4K gaming, effectively overshadowing the pricier RTX 5080. However, transparency is key: the RTX 5070 Ti model I reviewed is an aftermarket MSI version, which comes in at a steep $1,099, surpassing the $999 RTX 5080. If you manage to secure the RTX 5070 Ti at its base price of $749, it's likely the best graphics card for most gamers, particularly those eyeing 4K gaming.

Purchasing Guide

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti becomes available on February 20, 2025, starting at $749. It's important to note that this is merely the starting price, and you can expect to find various higher-priced versions on the market. At $749, it's a great value, but its appeal diminishes as the price approaches that of the RTX 5080.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti – Photos

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Specs and Features

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti marks the third entry in Nvidia's Blackwell architecture lineup. Originally crafted for supercomputers powering AI models like ChatGPT, this architecture has been adapted for gaming GPUs while maintaining its AI capabilities. The RTX 5070 Ti shares the GB203 GPU with the RTX 5080 but operates with 14 of its streaming multiprocessors (SM) disabled, resulting in 70 SMs, 8,960 CUDA cores, 70 RT cores, and 280 Tensor Cores. It also comes equipped with 16GB of GDDR7 RAM, albeit at a slightly reduced speed. The real highlight, however, is the Tensor Cores, which Nvidia relies on to enhance performance through AI-driven upscaling and frame generation.

The introduction of the Blackwell architecture brings a new AI Management Processor (AMP), which streamlines GPU workload management, traditionally handled by the CPU. This shift enhances the efficiency of processes like DLSS and frame generation. Nvidia has also revamped DLSS to utilize a Transformer model, significantly improving image quality by reducing ghosting and other artifacts. Additionally, DLSS 4 introduces "Multi-Frame Generation" (MFG), which can generate up to three AI frames for each rendered frame, although this comes with increased latency, mitigated somewhat by Nvidia's Reflex technology.

With a Total Board Power of 300W, the RTX 5070 Ti is only slightly more power-intensive than its predecessors, the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4070 Ti Super, which both require 285W. Nvidia suggests a 750W power supply, but for peace of mind, especially with high-end models like the MSI Vanguard Edition, an 850W PSU is recommended.

DLSS 4 – Is It Worth It?

The RTX 5070 Ti's performance is improved over its predecessor, but Nvidia's focus for this generation is undoubtedly DLSS 4, especially its multi-frame generation capabilities. This technology is particularly beneficial for gamers with high-refresh-rate monitors, although it does not significantly reduce latency. MFG uses Tensor Cores to analyze rendered frames and motion data to predict and generate new frames, potentially quadrupling frame rates. However, the actual performance gain is typically less than a full 4x increase.

In Cyberpunk 2077, with the Ray Tracing Overdrive preset and DLSS set to performance, the RTX 5070 Ti achieves 46 fps with 43ms of PC latency. With 2x frame generation, this jumps to 88 fps, but latency increases to 49ms, even with Reflex enabled. At 4x frame generation, it reaches 157 fps, with a latency of 55ms, resulting in a 3.4x frame rate increase but with noticeable latency.

In Star Wars Outlaws, the RTX 5070 Ti delivers 67 fps at 4K Max settings with DLSS set to performance. Enabling 2x frame generation boosts this to 111 fps, and latency decreases from 47ms to 34ms, thanks to Reflex. However, with 4x frame generation, the frame rate rises to 188 fps, with latency increasing to 37ms.

Multi-Frame Generation enhances smoothness on high-refresh displays but does not improve responsiveness. The minimal increase in latency is manageable, provided you maintain a solid frame rate. Higher frame rates give the algorithm more data to work with, improving its predictive accuracy. With the RTX 5070 Ti, even at 4K, you're unlikely to encounter issues with lag or artifacts.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti – Benchmarks

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Performance

At 4K resolution, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti outperforms the RTX 4070 Ti Super by about 11% and the RTX 4070 Ti by 21%, marking a significant generational improvement compared to the RTX 5080. The RTX 5070 Ti consistently achieves over 60 fps at 4K, even in demanding titles like Black Myth Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077.

My test system included an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard, 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RAM at 6,000MHz, a 4TB Samsung 990 Pro SSD, and an Asus ROG Ryujin III 360 CPU cooler. While I tested the MSI Vanguard SOC model of the RTX 5070 Ti, I ran it at stock settings to reflect the performance of the base model, which is priced at $749.

All tests were conducted using the latest game versions and drivers. Nvidia cards, except the RTX 5070 Ti, used Game Ready Driver 572.42, while AMD cards used Adrenalin 24.12.1. The RTX 5070 Ti was tested with a prerelease driver from Nvidia. Games were tested without frame generation, and upscaling was used where both DLSS and FSR were supported.

In 3DMark Speed Way, the RTX 5070 Ti scored 7,590 points, a 19% increase over the RTX 4070 Ti Super's 6,374 and a 36% leap over the RTX 4070 Ti's 5,552. In Port Royal, it achieved 18,839 points, compared to 15,670 and 14,136 for the RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4070 Ti, respectively, demonstrating its potential for future improvements.

In actual gameplay, the RTX 5070 Ti showed mixed results. In Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 4K Extreme, it managed 121 fps, only a 5% improvement over the RTX 4070 Ti Super's 115 fps. However, in Cyberpunk 2077, it led by 9% over the RTX 4070 Ti Super and 17% over the RTX 4070 Ti, maintaining 75 fps at 4K with the Ray Tracing Ultra preset.

In Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition, without upscaling, the RTX 5070 Ti achieved 48 fps at 4K on the Extreme preset, compared to 45 fps for the RTX 4070 Ti Super and 42 fps for the RTX 4070 Ti. In Red Dead Redemption 2, however, it was 2% slower than the RTX 4070 Ti Super, with 113 fps versus 115 fps.

Total War: Warhammer 3, which lacks ray tracing or upscaling, showed the RTX 5070 Ti achieving 78 fps at 4K max settings, a 15% improvement over the RTX 4070 Ti Super and 30% over the RTX 4070 Ti. In Assassin's Creed Mirage, it managed 149 fps at 4K with the Ultra High preset, compared to 141 fps and 132 fps for the RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4070 Ti, respectively, though it was slightly below the Radeon RX 7900 XT's 150 fps.

Black Myth Wukong, a demanding title, saw the RTX 5070 Ti achieving 66 fps at 4K with the Cinematic Preset and 40% DLSS, a 10% improvement over the RTX 4070 Ti Super's 60 fps. In Forza Horizon 5, it delivered 152 fps at 4K with the Extreme preset, a 15% increase over the RTX 4070 Ti Super and 21% over the RTX 4070 Ti, even outperforming the Radeon RX 7900 XT by 10%.

In conclusion, if you can find the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti at its starting price of $749, it represents the best value for money in the RTX 5000 series, particularly for 4K gaming. Not only does it offer a solid performance uplift over its predecessor, but it does so at a more accessible price point than the $799 RTX 4070 Ti.