ASUS Dual RTX 4070 SUPER Review & Benchmarks

The GPU market has been saturated with plenty of great options for gamers looking to play the latest titles at 1440p, with both AMD and NVIDIA looking to entice PC builders into an upgrade in resolution and performance. After the launch of NVIDIA’s RTX 4000 series and AMD’s Radeon 7000 series GPUs, Team Red claimed the upper hand within this highly competitive market, mainly thanks to RX 7800 XT being the best graphics card for 1440p gaming.

However, NVIDIA announced the release of their RTX 4000 SUPER graphics cards at CES 2024, which are upgraded versions of their mid-range graphics cards that are set to rival AMD’s offerings. The first of these variants to arrive is the RTX 4070 SUPER, an affordable mid-range GPU that aims to provide solid gaming performance at 1440p settings, no matter what game is being played.

But how does the RTX 4070 SUPER stack up against the range of existing 1440p graphics cards? For this review, we’ll be analysing the performance and design of the ASUS Dual RTX 4070 SUPER in closer detail, offering our thoughts on how this card compares to the competition.

Buy the ASUS Dual RTX 4070 SUPER on:

Specifications

Acting as a mid-generational upgrade from the original RTX 4070 that released in April 2023, the RTX 4070 SUPER provides increased clock speeds of 2.48GHz and 7,168 CUDA cores compared to the 5,888 on the RTX 4070. Additionally, the RTX 4070 SUPER raises the RTX Cores up to 56 and Tensor Cores up to 224, which will be useful for those looking to take advantage of NVIDIA’s DLSS technology.

These improvements are an attempt to overshadow its predecessor, leaving it to compete with the original RTX 4070 Ti, as well as AMD’s RX 7800 XT. However, the boost in performance does consume slightly more power, with the RTX 4070 SUPER using 220W rather than 200W. And unfortunately, the enhancements do not include a jump up in VRAM, which would allow the RTX 4070 SUPER to compete with the 16GB offered on the similarly-priced RX 7800 XT.

ASUS’ Dual variant bumps up the the baseline performance of the RTX 4070 SUPER even further, with the ability to reach clock speeds of up to 2.5GHz. Whilst only a slight enhancement on NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 SUPER, it will lead to marginal FPS gains in the latest titles. However, most of this changes with this SKU are focussed on the design, as the ASUS Dual is set to be available at MSRP.

What Does RTX 4000 SUPER Mean?

After hearing the what this GPU has to offer, you may be wondering what makes it so ‘SUPER’? The RTX 4000 SUPER cards are a refreshed version of the existing RTX 4000 series that aims to offer improved performance for a similar price. With significant improvements to key performance metrics, such as clocks speeds and CUDA cores, these GPUs bolster the gaming performance of their predecessors, allowing gamers to build a better-performing PC within a certain price range.

The RTX 4000 series of graphics cards aren’t the first to receive the SUPER treatment, as the RTX 2000 and GTX 1000 series also had SUPER variants within their line-up. Not to be mistaken with NVIDIA’s Ti GPUs, the SUPER variants aim to provide a minor upgrade to gaming performance and efficiency while sticking to a similar price point, whereas Ti variants tend to offer a more substantial upgrade, as well as major improvements to the design in some cases.

As the first SUPER variant of the RTX 40 series generation, the RTX 4070 SUPER has appeared to have stuck to the guidelines. This graphics card offers an improvement on its non-SUPER equivalent, but falls short when matched up to the RTX 4070 Ti – on paper at least!

Design

Like any graphics card, the RTX 4070 SUPER includes a variety of designs from different manufacturers, all of which vary slight in size, appearance, and performance. However, we’ll be focussing on the ASUS Dual model here, which we’ve considered one of the best RTX 4070 SUPER GPUs available. This specific model provides an alternative look to the Founders Edition model while sticking to MSRP, offering PC builders with some variety without having to spend more money for the privilege.

As the name would suggest, this graphics card keeps the dual-fan design used in NVIDIA’s Founders Edition, making it a great option to slot into a compact gaming PC. However, this graphics card opts for a more intricate design, which includes a split of solid and translucent material on the shroud, etched with various insignia.

This gives the ASUS Dual an intriguing industrial theming, which is a refreshing change from the RGB-heavy designs that flood the market. That being said, the aesthetic of this card is almost identical to its RTX 4070 counterpart.

However, the design choices are not only targeted at looks, as the ASUS Dual also provides an altered cooling system compare to other RTX 4070 SUPER graphics cards. Using ASUS’ axial-tech fan design, this GPU comes equipped with two fans designed to maximise airflow through increased downward pressure, while also increasing the products lifespan with more efficient usage.

The main advantage of this system is the 0dB mode, which causes the fans to switch off when the GPU is under lighter workloads, which helps to increase the longevity of the fans and provide some peace and quiet when possible.

Overall, the design of this graphics card suggests the ASUS Dual RTX 4070 SUPER has most of the ingredients to be a popular choice amongst those looking to build a 1440p gaming PC. However, there are some restrictions caused by the attempts to stay at the MSRP price point which will deter some away from this model. For example, the lack of a triple-fan design and RGB lighting is likely to cause some gamers to look elsewhere.

Performance

To evaluate the performance of the ASUS Dual RTX 4070 SUPER compared to other graphics cards on the market, we ran a number of gaming benchmarks with this GPU. Our in-house benchmarking expert, Harry Coleman, put this GPU and other RTX 4070 SUPER cards into a range of the latest titles. During this testing procedure, we have also included a cost per frame section, which shows how the RTX 4070 SUPER compares to the rest of the market in terms of value for money.

To see how the ASUS Dual RTX 4070 SUPER compares to other RTX 4070 SUPER variants, check out the performance benchmarks conducted for our best RTX 4070 SUPER graphics cards roundup.

Apex Legends

Settings: 1440p, Anti-aliasing TSAA, Texture Filtering 8X, Model Detail High, VSync Disabled, Effects High, Ambient Occlusion Quality High

In Apex Legends, the RTX 4070 SUPER exceeded expectations by surpassing the RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Ti with ease. On average, the RTX 4070 SUPER reached 235FPS, which is more than enough to enjoy a buttery smooth gameplay experience in this battle royale. The performance on offer falls just short of being able to take full advantage of a high-end 1440p gaming monitor, but the RTX 4070 SUPER will get very close to the 240Hz threshold.

COD Warzone

Settings: 1440p, Texture Resolution High, Texture Filter Anisotropic High, Level of Detail High

It was a similar story for the RTX 4070 SUPER in COD Warzone, as the 157FPS average allowed this GPU to outperform the competition. With a clear advantage over the original RTX 4070, as well as the RTX 4070 Ti and AMD’s RX 7800 XT, this graphics card is quickly showing its worth for competitive gamers. For 1440p gaming, 144FPS is often considered a ‘sweet-spot’ between performance and visual fidelity, which the RTX 4070 SUPER reaches with ease.

F1 2022

Settings: 1440p, Ray Tracing Quality Medium, Lighting Quality Ultra High, Post Process High, Shadows Ultra High, Weather Effects Ultra High, Ambient Occlusion HBAO+, Asynchronous Compute On, Texture Streaming Ultra High, Anisotropic Filtering 8x, DLSS: Enabled

In a slightly older title such as F1 2022, the RTX 4070 impressed once again. Whilst the 241FPS wasn’t enough to beat AMD’s RX 7800 XT to the finish line in this title, the performance provided is excellent for 1440p gaming at top gear on a premium display.

Hogwarts Legacy

Settings: 1440p, Effects High, Material High, Fog High,Sky High, Foliage High, Post Process High, Shadows High, Textures High, View Distance High, Population High, Anti Aliasing TAA High, Windowed Fullscreen

The RTX 4070 SUPER also managed to impress in Hogwarts Legacy, as it outperformed the RTX 4070 Ti and RX 7800 XT. Hitting performance comfortably over the 100FPS mark, the RTX 4070 SUPER will provide one of the smoothest experiences possible while flying around this mystical playground.

Starfield

Settings: 1440p, Shadow Quality High, Indirect Lighting High, Reflections High, Crowd Density High, Particle Quality High, Volumetric Lighting High, Motion Blur off, GTAO Quality High, Grass Quality High, Contact Shadows High VSync Off, DLSS/FSR OFF

Despite Starfield being one of the most demanding titles out there, the RTX 4070 SUPER manages to achieve framerates well above the 30FPS limit on consoles. Once again, this GPU surpassed the competition with an average of 88FPS, which is more than enough to give explorers a better method of travelling across the universe.

Cost Per Frame

For a greater look at the performance of the RTX 4070 SUPER compared to rest of the market, we’ve compiled the data from all of our benchmarks to create a cost per frame rating for a selection of AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards. These results aim to provide an indication of which graphics card offer the best value for money.

Apex Legends

In Apex Legends, the RTX 4070 SUPER managed a cost per frame score of 2.55 USD, which puts this graphics towards the higher end of the scale. More importantly, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits below its non-SUPER counterpart, as well as edging out by AMD’s 7700 XT. However, the RTX 4070 SUPER was comfortably outscored by the RX 7800 XT, which is arguably the main competition for this GPU in terms of raw performance.

Hogwarts Legacy

The results from Hogwarts Legacy looked less positive for the RTX 4070 SUPER, as the 5.76 USD per frame is much higher than AMD’s Radeon 7000 competitors, both of which sat below 5 USD per frame. However, the RTX 4070 SUPER did score a lot lower than the RTX 4070, which sat at more than 7 USD per frame.

Is It Worth Waiting for RTX 5000?

With a mid-generational upgrade of any product, the main question that starts to arise for most gamers is whether the improved performance is worth considering, or is it best to wait it out for the next generational leap? This is why we feel the need to address any concerns or questions you might have with NVIDIA’s RTX 4000 SUPER GPUs.

According to various rumours, the RTX 5000 series could arrive as early as late 2024, which would be less than a year on from the launch of RTX 4000 SUPER. If the current generation of cards is anything to go by, it isn’t likely that the rumoured RTX 5000 range of cards will provide a staggering performance bonus versus RTX 4000 options. Games have become significantly more demanding within the past few years, making exceptional framerates much harder to hit across AAA titles.

However, until RTX 5000 becomes more than mere speculation, its hard to suggest waiting for a set of GPUs that may not arrive in the foreseeable future. On top of this, the 1440p market is more competitive than its ever been, leading to lowest prices in years for the performance on offer. The emergence of a new generation is bound to shuffle prices around once again, so it could be worth grabbing an excellent 1440p gaming GPU while prices remain competitive.

Conclusion