In the ever-evolving world of gaming, GPUs have become an essential component for those seeking an immersive experience. NVIDIA has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible in this realm, and their latest addition to the ADA product line, the GeForce RTX 4070, is no exception. A powerful yet more affordable option, the RTX 4070 caters to a broader audience of gaming enthusiasts.
ASUS, a key player in the GPU market, has unveiled its own version of this graphics card, the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual GPU. Boasting a compact design, solid baseline performance, and ASUS’s unique spin on the RTX 4070, this card is worth considering for anyone looking to upgrade their gaming setup.
The GeForce RTX 4070 is built upon NVIDIA’s powerful architecture, leveraging advanced ray tracing capabilities and enhanced DLSS technology to offer significant performance improvements over its predecessors. The RTX 4070 provides a nice balance of gaming performance and rendering quality, allowing for gaming at 4K resolution, though it’s primarily designed for WQHD. With most gamers playing at UWHD, QHD, or UHD monitor resolutions, the 4070 appeals to a wide range of enthusiasts.
| RTX 4090 24GB | RTX 4080 16GB | RTX 4070 Ti 12GB | RTX 4070 12GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | AD102 | AD103 | AD104 | AD104 |
| Transistors | 76.3B | 45.9B | 35.8B | 35.6B |
| Die Size | 608mm² | 379mm² | 295mm² | 295mm² |
| CUDA Cores | 16384 | 9728 | 7680 | 5888 |
| Boost Clock | 2.52GHz | 2.51GHz | 2.61GHz | 2.475GHz |
| Memory Interface | 384-bit | 256-bit | 192-bit | 192-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 1018GB/s | 742GB/s | 557GB/s | 504GB/s |
| TGP | 450W | 320W | 285W | 200W |
| PSU Recommendation | 850W | 750W | 700W | 650W |
| PSU Cables | 4x 8-pin | 3x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Base Price | $1499 | $1199 | $799 | $599 |
| Release date | October 12th, 2022 | November 16th, 2022 | January 5th, 2023 | April 13th, 2023 |
ASUS has made the RTX 4070 even more accessible by introducing the more cost-effective DUAL GeForce RTX 4070. This compact graphics card, measuring around 27cm, effectively manages heat dissipation with its dual-fan cooling system, maintaining a 65°C threshold. The silent operation, with a noise output of 36-37 dBa, offers a reasonably tranquil gaming experience. This card has no RGB, which further differentiates it from other GPUs.
Much like the other 4070-series cards we’ve looked at, the RTX 4070 Dual features 5,888 CUDA cores, 184 Tensor cores, 46 Ray Tracing cores, and a base clock speed of 1,920 MHz that can be bumped up to 2,475 MHz. With a power consumption of 270W, the RTX 4070 is the epitome of efficiency, delivering unparalleled performance while consuming an impressive 16% less power than its predecessor.
The ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual GPU is more than just an attractive piece of hardware; it also delivers impressive performance. The card excels in the 2560×1440 resolution range, providing excellent performance, energy efficiency, and visual quality. It is also positioned as a more environmentally friendly alternative to the 4080/4090 graphics cards. With HDMI 2.1 support and a generous 12GB VRAM, the card is built to handle high-resolution gaming and intricate creative tasks, even if the size masks just how powerful this card truly is.
The ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual’s design is strikingly different from other cards in the 4070 family. While it features all the power and features of the bigger brethren, it does so in a much more compact and optimized package. The dual-fan cooling system effectively manages heat dissipation, maintaining a temperature threshold of around 65°C. This design ensures that the GPU can perform optimally even during extended gaming sessions without overheating. Furthermore, the compact size of the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual makes it an ideal choice for those with limited space in their gaming rigs.
“The ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual is more than just an attractive piece of hardware; it also delivers impressive performance.”
If that were not enough, the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual uses a single 8-pin power connector that allows for a 225 W power draw. This is in contrast to the new 16-pin connector, which, although more capable, for this card is not needed allowing people that have not yet upgraded their PC PSU the option to connect everything without using an adapter. While this most likely was a choice based on cost, it still manages to be great for people looking to upgrade and makes the process as simple as possible.
The performance of the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual is further enhanced by its potential for tweaking. You can significantly improve your GPU’s performance by fine-tuning the clock frequency and memory speed. For instance, adjusting the power limiter can yield an additional 8% increase, leading to a clock frequency increase of approximately +150-200 MHz. This can result in an overall performance improvement of around 6% in demanding GPU scenarios compared to the reference performance. The ASUS RTX 4070 Dual also has the option to switch from performance to quiet mode with a simple flip of a switch, giving options based on your needs.
Value is crucial for any gamer, and the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual delivers in this department. With an MSRP of $599, this card is more accessible to many end-users. While the price may still be steep, the RTX 4070 offers a solid baseline performance and an elegant design without sacrificing quality. Typically third-party cards command a higher price, but the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual stays at or below the MSRP, something gamers can celebrate.
Slotting the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual In our state-of-the-art testing rig, we saw how the card fairs in real-world testing. As seen in other benchmarking, our test bench features a quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 case armed with a 13th gen Intel i9-13900K, an MSI 850W PSU, a whopping 64GB of SK Hynix DDR5 RAM, and a blazing fast PCIe Gen 4 2TB Kingston Fury M.2 SSD, this setup was primed to reveal the power hidden inside the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual.
1080P Benchmarks
| Benchmark | RTX 3070 | RTX 4080 | RTX 4070 Dual | RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 154 | 278 | 218 | 247 |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 88 | 169 | 148 | 209 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 82 | 189 | 146.2 | 155 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 + RT | 49 | 94.7 | 59.32 | 75 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 DLSS + RT | 71.89 | 140.08 | 155 | – |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 128 | 249 | 147 | 236 |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 524 | 643 | 626 | 522 |
Looking at our 1080P benchmarks, the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual GPU, despite its size, delivered a solid showing, keeping up with other RTX 4070 cards we have tested. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla all delivered fantastic results, well outpacing the 3070 in every test we threw at it. Even DLSS showed fantastic results, with it delivering staggering framerates that should make even the most hardcore gamers happy to show off what the card can do.
Continuing the trend we have seen with other 4070 offerings, the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual also delivered great results in competitive games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, and CS:GO making it a fantastic card for people looking to jump online and dominate the competition. At the same time, it does lag behind other GPUs in the ADA family of cards.
1440P Benchmarks
| 1440P Benchmarks | RTX 3070 | RTX 4080 | RTX 4070 Dual | RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 100 | 178 | 154 | 224 |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 72 | 144 | 115 | 170 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 63 | 124 | 84 | 128 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 + RT | 26.35 | 61 | 36.4 | 55 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 DLSS + RT | 59.2 | 117.44 | 118.75 | – |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 81 | 159 | 110 | 171 |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 376 | 590.5 | 472 | 508.8 |
Stepping things up to 1440P, the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual continued with impressive numbers, keeping in line with other 4070 variants. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Shadow of the Tomb Raider all delivered fantastic results, often doubling what you can expect from an RTX 3070, with games like Rainbow Six Siege delivering excellent results worthy of online players that want to ensure they will not be bogged down while online. This is before taking into account DLSS, which further pushed the potential of the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual, giving more options when taking on more demanding titles.
Moving over to 4K, DLSS really shows what is possible, even on demanding titles. Cyberpunk 2077, with ray tracing enabled, comes to a crawl on the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual, at least until you let DLSS work its magic, pushing framerates from a depressing 17 FPS to a very playable 74. This is true of all titles that support DLSS and ray tracing, although the degree they improve things does vary by title. Give the above chart a look to see how the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual stacks up, even with its size being much less than other 4070 cards on the market.
4K Benchmarks
| Benchmark | RTX 3070 | RTX 4080 | RTX 4070 Dual | RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 65 | 134 | 86 | 131 |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 52 | 97 | 65 | 108 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 32 | 79.5 | 37.14 | 80.8 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 + RT | 7.94 | 29.3 | 17.73 | 31.3 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 DLSS + RT | 36.65 | 80.2 | 74 | – |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 52 | 119 | 63.5 | 125 |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 201 | 468.1 | 241 | 383.1 |
Although it might struggle to keep up with the more expensive Radeon RX 7900 XT, the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual still provides several advantages. For example, the DLSS 3 and ray tracing features perform exceptionally well, giving gamers an immersive experience that AMD’s offerings currently can’t match. The old rasterizer engine also breaks through the previous limit of extreme performance, showcasing the RTX 40 series’ new generation of ray tracing and Tensor cores that are more powerful and efficient.
As we have seen with the RTX 4070 Founders Edition, the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual delivers in non-gaming applications. This GPU is a reliable and robust asset for content creators across multiple disciplines thanks to its Ada Lovelace architecture, next-generation CUDA cores, and Tensor cores.
From AV1 encoding to fantastic performance in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve, this GPU is great for creative workflows and delivers fantastic results at a fraction of the cost of other members of the Ada Lovelace family. Granted, the 12GB of RAM will be a limiter on some tasks, such as AI image generation, but most people should not hit this limit when putting the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual to work, and still great to see it increased from the 8 GB seen with the RTX 3070.
“With an MSRP of $599, this card is more accessible to many end-users.”
With benchmarks out of the way, it is worth looking at how the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual managed the extensive benchmarking and if the smaller size had any noticeable impact on heat or sound. On the sound front, the card produces a relatively quiet 36~37 dBA, which is acceptable for most gaming setups. Under stress, the card’s temperature may approach ~65°C, but this figure can vary based on the airflow efficiency within the computer case. FLIR imaging reveals no cause for concern. It is also worth noting that the presence of coil squeal in the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual is minimal and typically blends into the background noise within an enclosed case.
All things considered and compared to the other options on the market, it is hard to deny how well the ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual stacks up for people looking for their next upgrade. While not as flashy as some of the cards in the 4070 range, the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual delivers fantastic results, is quiet, and looks fantastic in most builds. While GPUs are seemingly getting bigger and bigger with each new release, it’s great to see ASUS bucking the trend and pushing the technology forward without making it so big that it won’t fit in a standard case.
The ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Dual stands out as a powerful, accessible, and environmentally friendly option for gamers looking to upgrade their graphics card. With its elegant design, impressive performance, and potential for customization, this GPU is an appealing choice for those who value both performance and style. While other RTX 4070 cards may offer similar baseline performance, the ASUS RTX 4070 Dual’s unique combination of features and design elements makes it a strong contender in the market. With a reasonable MSRP of $599, this card is highly recommended for gamers seeking a well-rounded, cost-effective, high-performance graphics solution.
