Review – PNY GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 Gaming VERTO EPIC-X RGB

With NVIDIA announcing the RTX 40 SUPER series lineup, the existing RTX 4070, RTX 4070 Ti, and RTX 4080 will be replaced by the SUPER variant of each respective model. Of all the new RTX 40 SUPER models introduced, the RTX 4070 SUPER is the new bang for the buck model for gamers who have a slightly extra budget to go for 1440P gaming at the starting price of $599.

As we have previously tested the RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition, we will now take a look at the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12GB XLR8 Gaming VERTO EPIC-X RGB, we’ll call it the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 in this review. It is one of the OC models that comes with a higher boost clock that is supposed to deliver better overall performance over the stock models.

Specifications

Overview

The RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 comes in simple packaging with decent overall protection. Inside the box, you’ll find a user guide and a 2 x PCIe 8-pin to 12VHPWR adapter.

Despite having a triple-fan cooler, the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 is a dual-slot card that fits into most systems easily. This contrasts with some models that use a 2.5-slot or 3-slot triple-fan cooler, which I find excessive for the RTX 4070 SUPER. The RGB elements on this card are some of the decent-looking ones.

For RTX 40 series graphics cards, the 12VHPWR connector has become standard. If your power supply already comes with a 12VHPWR cable, you can use it; otherwise, you can use the included adapter to power the card. The recommended power supply for the RTX 4070 SUPER is at least 650W, which is the same as the RTX 4070.

The RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 comes with standard display output options, featuring 1x HDMI and 3x DisplayPort.

System Specifications

This is the list of hardware used to benchmark the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8, which we’re comparing against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition and the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming OC. This comparison helps us understand where the card stands in terms of performance. Our game benchmark tests evaluated multiple AAA games, running them with maximum settings on the specified setup in a room with an ambient temperature of 28°C.

Games Benchmark – Raster Performance

NVIDIA has promoted the RTX 4070 SUPER as a 1440p gaming card, promising it can handle AAA games at 4K resolution with over 60fps. Based on our observation, the new card can even perform close to an RTX 4070 Ti in a number of occasions.

Exceptions like Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 showed average frame rates around 40fps, the RTX 4070 Ti still have a slightly better performance over the RTX 4070 SUPER on titles that benefits from having more memory.

When reducing the resolution to 1440p, the RTX 4070 SUPER can be seen catching up to the RTX 4070 Ti in terms of performance on a few titles. On the other hand, the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 can be seen performing 3% better than the RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition thanks to the slightly higher boost clock.

Similarly, at 1080p resolution with highest settings, a noticeable pattern emerges. But given the $599 price tag, using the RTX 4070 SUPER solely for 1080p gaming seems impractical. Here’s the list of games tested at 1080p with highest settings:

• Watch Dogs Legion
• Alan Wake 2
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
• Cyberpunk 2077
• F1 22
• Far Cry 6
• Forza Horizon 5
• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Metro Exodus
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• The Division 2.

Games Benchmark – Ray Tracing Performance

Moving on to the ray tracing performance games benchmarks, here’s a list of games tested at 4K with the highest settings:

• Watch Dogs Legion
• Alan Wake 2
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
• Control
• Cyberpunk 2077
• F1 22
• Far Cry 6
• Forza Horizon 5
• Metro Exodus.

At 4K resolution, most titles achieve a very playable frame rate of 60fps or more. Just that you will need to manage your expectations with demanding titles like Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Metro Exodus. Perhaps lowering some settings to achieve higher fps.

Switching to 1440P resolution, the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 easily outperforms the Founder Edition card in nearly all games tested. In some cases, the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 achieved at least 70fps on average for Alan Wake 2 and can be seen performing on par with the RTX 4070 Ti on several occasions.

For the 1080P resolution, the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 decisively outpaces its competition across the board, delivering outstanding performance.

Thermals & Power Draw

Regarding power consumption and thermals, while the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 can perform similarly to an RTX 3090, it only consumes about 220W under load. Unlike the RTX 3090 which will be drawing at about 350W on load, the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 shows a remarkable 37% better power efficiency, and here’s the best part – you only need a 650W power supply for this card.

Though unlike the old RTX 4070, there aren’t any RTX 4070 SUPER that comes with a PCIe 8-pin connector this time. Looks like NVIDIA will be enforcing this on their next-generation GeForce graphics cards as well and hopefully, they will still include the PCIe 8-pin to 12VHPWR adapter in the future.

Final Thoughts

Performance-wise, the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 comes with a higher boost clock which gives it a better advantage over a stock model of the RTX 4070 SUPER. This gives it a performance that is much closer to the RTX 3090 and even the RTX 4070 Ti on a few occasions, and judging by its performance figures, it undeniably stands out as another impressive offering in NVIDIA’s ‘mid-high-range’ lineup. The next best thing about the RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 is its dual-slot design which operates efficiently with just a 650W power supply, making it an ideal choice for those aiming to construct a powerful yet space-saving system.

The RTX 4070 SUPER XLR8 as an overclocked model will cost slightly more than its stock counterpart. At RM3,368, I think it is still reasonable if you’re upgrading from older generation cards like the RTX 20 series or lower.

Where to buy? (Affiliate links)

By the way, all Malaysians, do keep an eye out for the yellow “FTS” sticker on the GPU. That signifies authenticity from the distributor and will be expedited for a speedy RMA process if anything goes wrong.

To get your warranty process, contact either of these two Facebook pages:

1. https://www.facebook.com/FTSMY/
2. https://www.facebook.com/PNYMalaysia