Reviewing Nvidia's midrange graphics cards evolution: A gaming comparison between the RTX 5070, 4070, 3070, and 2070
In a recent test series by ComputerBase.de, NVIDIA's latest graphics cards have been put to the test, comparing the RTX 2070, 3070, 4070, and 5070 across 1080p and 4K resolutions.
The RTX 5070 has made a significant impact, particularly in high-resolution gaming. In Horizon: Forbidden West, performance climbs from 31.6 FPS on the RTX 2070 to 91.1 FPS on the RTX 5070, marking a substantial improvement. Similarly, in Quake 2 RTX, the RTX 5070 achieves 166.5 FPS, more than five times the RTX 2070's 52.6 FPS.
However, the RTX 5070 fares unimpressively against the RTX 4070, a GPU that exemplifies efficient architecture, intelligent memory handling, and AI-assisted frame generation. In Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX 4070 delivers 27.8 FPS at 4K ultra settings with ray tracing and FSR Balanced, while the RTX 5070 manages 32.0 FPS.
The RTX 5070 provides peak throughput for most scenarios but with diminishing practical returns. For instance, in Overwatch 2, the RTX 5070 achieves 275.2 FPS at 4K resolution, proving that high-refresh 4K competitive gaming is no longer out of reach. Yet, in Diablo II: Resurrected and Overwatch 2, the latest cards push into the 300-380 FPS range at 1080p, far beyond the limits of most monitors.
For 4070 owners, the leap to a 5070 often feels underwhelming due to higher power and thermal costs and modest raw FPS improvements. On the other hand, owners of the 2070 will find transformative gains by moving to either the 4070 or 5070, while 3070 users benefit most from the 4070's efficiency and DLSS enhancements.
The article suggests that the RTX 4070 offers the most value for players who care about thermals and acoustics as much as raw frame rates. With an average power consumption of 231W, the RTX 5070 consumes more power compared to the RTX 2070's 171W.
ComputerBase.de's testing confirms many anticipated trends and offers insights into the bigger picture. The mid-range segment today rewards intelligent architecture, efficient memory handling, and AI-assisted frame generation over brute-force scaling.
For those interested in staying updated on the latest news, analysis, and reviews in the world of gaming and technology, the article encourages readers to follow Tom's Hardware on Google News. ComputerBase.de also provides interactive charts that offer a granular understanding of the differences between the compared GPUs.
In summary, NVIDIA's RTX 5070 delivers impressive performance in high-resolution gaming, but the RTX 4070 may offer a better balance of performance, efficiency, and thermal management for many users.
