Key Points:
- The RTX 3070 was released in 2020, and touted as the 1440p workhorse. The 3070-Ti in 2021 was also runs at 1440p in ultra settings.
- The TDP or thermal design power for the RTX 3070 is 220W, and the RTX 3070-Ti has a TDP of 290.
- It’s hard to recommend the RTX 3070-Ti over the RTX 3070, especially for the included price jump.
As much as Nvidia loves to compete with AMD GPUs, Nvidia loves to one-up their GPUs all the time. We are currently looking at the RTX 3070 and the RTX 3070-Ti. In this comparison, we will compare the outright performance, specs, features, and price for each of these cards. Whether you are looking at these for gaming or your next creative project, both cards are going to be great options, but depending on your performance or budget needs, one might be better.
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3070 vs 3070- Ti: Side-by-Side Comparison
| RTX 3070 | RTX 3070-Ti | |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date: | 9/17/2020 | 5/31/2021 |
| Original MSRP: | $499 | $599 |
| Actual Price Today: | ≈ $615 | ≈$700 |
| CUDA Cores: | 5,888 | 6,144 |
| Boost Clock/ Base Clock: | 1.725GHz/1.5GHz | 1.77GHz/1.575GHz |
| VRAM: | 8GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface: | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
| TDP: | 220W | 290W |
- Ampere RTX (second generation) architecture powered
- Enhanced Tensor and RT cores, new multiprocessors specifically for streaming, as well as G6 memory, allows you to enjoy even games with very high graphical requirements.
- Includes 8GB GDDR 6 memory
- Features 1695MHz boosted clock speed
- PCI Express 4.0
- Seamless functionality
- Unparalleled performance
- Packed with features
- Compact construction
3070 and 3070-Ti: What’s the Difference?
Gaming
While it’s always good to look at the cold hard specs of graphics cards or any PC component, unless you are an engineer of sorts, those numbers don’t mean much compared to real-world results. So, with that being said, let’s talk games. When the RTX 3070 was released in 2020, it was touted as the 1440p workhorse, and the 3070-Ti in 2021 was hoping to upstage its little sibling. So, with all these gaming results, the games will be running at 1440p in ultra settings.
As you can see, the gaming results are very close, especially with Total War within a frame of each other. Right now, it seems like the extra $100 or so you have to spend for the badge isn’t worth it. So what does the Ti behind the name actually mean? Let’s dive into some further tests to see if this Ti has some tricks up its sleeve regarding 3D rendering and a simulated test with 3DMark.
3D rendering
If you want one of these cards for your next creative workstation, this is the test to pay attention to; the 3D rendering tests are BMW and Classroom. We will be looking at these rendered in Blender with 300 samples.
For these results, the RTX 3070-Ti does pull away a bit in Classroom but loses that lead being so close to the 3070 in BMW. These are still very respectable results in their class and will make a creative workstation a new powerhouse. Overall, it is still hard to recommend the RTX 3070-Ti over the RTX 3070, especially for the included price jump.
Simulated GPU Test
Now, to take a look at the only simulated benchmark I like to have in the performance results: 3DMark Time spy. These results are from the leaderboards on their website with only one card in the machine, so, neither of these results benefits from SLI.
Again, the 3070-Ti does not blow the 3070 out of the water. Keep in mind these results don’t always speak to actual performance either, but more so on the ability to handle a stress test under a hefty load.
Strictly looking at performance, it is hard for me to recommend the RTX 3070-Ti as an upgrade to the RTX 3070. If this is the class and price point of cards you are looking at, I will go for the RTX 3070, strictly looking at performance and price. One more thing we are going to take a look at before a final decision is made is power consumption and thermal capabilities.
Mining
A new frontier that many of these GPUs are at the front of is crypto mining. Now, although I am not a massive fan of the environmental impact that mining has, it is a big reason people are buying graphics cards today. To compare the two cards, we will look at the estimated daily profit for FlexPool Ethereum Mining.
This is the only result in performance where the RTX 3070-Ti really pulls away from the RTX 3070. That’s good news for the RTX 3070-Ti because you can make that extra $100 back even quicker than the 3070. These estimates are only with one card in the machine as well. Most mining rigs have more than just one card in them. Something to keep in mind when it comes to mining is that it is a really power-hungry process, so make sure to keep in mind the TDP of these cards. This will also eat away at the longevity of your GPU and the whole system, so if you intend to have a hybrid PC, it will not last too many years.
Power and Thermals
Power consumption and thermal capabilities are a growing concern for many PC builders, especially with how power-hungry some of these cards are getting. The TDP or thermal design power for the RTX 3070 is 220W, and the RTX 3070-Ti has a TDP of 290. This lets you know the amount of energy under a maximum theoretical load.
Keep in mind that these RTX 3000 series cards are notorious for having power spikes that can, unfortunately, end a PC’s life. Nvidia recommends a power supply with at least 650W for the RTX 3070 and 750-1000W for the RTX 3070-Ti. These should give you enough headroom with the rest of your components to not have a crash when the GPU power spikes.
Regarding thermals, both cards handle the heat reasonably well. Of course, your results may vary depending on the case and the cooling methods you are using or planning to use. Neither of these cards will be happy in a low airflow case, so make sure to give it space to breathe if you want to see full performance results.
RTX 3070 vs RTX 3070-Ti: Four Must-Know Facts
- Seamless functionality
- Unparalleled performance
- Packed with features
- Compact construction
- Both the RTX 3070 and RTX 3070-Ti support DLSS or Deep Learning Super Sampling. DLSS allows the GPU to boost the performance from 30%-50% without a loss in image quality.
- Any RTX 3000 card has NVENC encoding capabilities. For all the streamers out there, be sure to take a close look at the RTX 3000 lineup.
- For most triple-A games, if you want to run 4K, it is possible with both the RTX 3070 and RTX 3070-Ti. I just recommend playing them on medium settings for the best results.
- Nvidia is the recommended brand for Adobe Creative Suite. The architecture they are built on is optimized for the Creative Suite.
Should I Buy the 3070 or the 3070-Ti?
- Ampere RTX (second generation) architecture powered
- Enhanced Tensor and RT cores, new multiprocessors specifically for streaming, as well as G6 memory, allows you to enjoy even games with very high graphical requirements.
- Includes 8GB GDDR 6 memory
- Features 1695MHz boosted clock speed
- PCI Express 4.0
Taking all the results and what we discussed earlier, I believe I have decided. The RTX 3070 is the winner. Plain and simple, the RTX 3070-Ti does not stand out enough to outway the extra cost, especially coming off the back of the GPU shortage.
For all you gamers out there, the RTX 3070 is still the 1440p workhorse; its new sibling has not shown it up. Creative types rejoice and save an extra $100; put that towards your next project instead. The 3070-Ti does not prove to be a worthy purchase. The only avenue I can recommend the RTX 3070-Ti over the RTX 3070 is in crypto mining. Even then it is not a huge lead and would probably only benefit you if your only goal was to mine with it. Overall as a Ti card goes, the RTX 3070-Ti is disappointing; it truly feels as if the $100 is for the two letters they added to the side of the card.
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