High-end for 499 euros: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition in the test
Source: Hardware Luxx added 27th Oct 2020
Side 1: High-End for 499 Euro: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition in the test
Now that the GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3090 are presented and at least theoretically available, today the GeForce RTX 3070, which for the time being as the smallest Expansion stage of the ampere generation has its appearance. This will initially take the form of the Founders Edition, with custom designs to follow in two days. At least from today we can sound out what NVIDIA’s mid-range models have to offer.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 28. October, AMD will launch its Radeon RX – 6000 – Introduce the series. NVIDIA should originally do this for 12. and then on the 29. It was therefore not entirely by chance that the embargo set in October was applied to this day. To move the GeForce RTX 3070 it came because the demand for the larger models was and still is so high that they wanted to give themselves and their partners a little more time to stock up. Whether this has been successful will only be seen in the coming days, when the cards should also be available in stores.
| RTX 3070 FE | RTX 3080 FE | RTX 3090 FE | |
| GPU | Amps (GA 104) | Amps (GA 102) | Amps (GA 102) |
| Transistors | 17, 4 billion | 28 Billions | 28 Billions |
| Manufacturing | 8 nm | 8 nm | 8 nm |
| Chip size | 392, 5 mm² | 628, 4 mm² | 628, 4 mm² |
| FP 32 – ALUs | 5. 888 | 8th.704 | 10. 496 |
| INT 32 – ALUs | 2. 944 | 4. 352 | 5. 248 |
| SMs | 46 | 68 | 82 |
| Tensor Cores | 184 | 272 | 328 |
| RT Cores | 46 | 68 | 82 |
| Base clock | 1.500 MHz | 1.440 MHz | 1.400 MHz |
| Boost clock | 1.730 MHz | 1.710 MHz | 1.700 MHz |
| Storage capacity | 8 GB | 10 GB | 24 GB |
| Storage type | GDDR6 | GDDR6X | GDDR6X |
| memory interface | 256 Bit | 320 Bit | 384 Bit |
| Memory clock | 1.710 MHz | 1.188 MHz | 1.219 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 448 GB / s | 760 GB / s | 936 GB / s |
| TDP | 220 W | 320 W | 350 W |
| Price | 499 Euro | 699 Euro | 1. 499 Euro |
Unlike the GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3090 uses the GeForce RTX 3070 not the GA 102 – GPU, but the GA 104. This comes on a chip area of 384, 5 mm² and 17, 4 billion transistors – so it is only 2/3 as large and complex as the GA 102 – GPU. For the GeForce RTX 3070 uses NVIDIA 46 SMs (Streaming Multiprocessor) each with 128 FP 32- and 64 INT 32 Computing units. So we come to 5. 888 FP 32 – and 2. 944 INT 32 – units of calculation. For each SM, the card also offers a second generation RT core and four third generation tensor cores. We have the structure of the SMs as well as the innovations of the RT and tensor cores at the start of the GeForce RTX 3080 already illuminate more precisely.
The L2 cache is in the GA 104 – GPU 4.0 96 kB large. For the GeForce RTX 3080 this amounts to 5. 120 kB and the GeForce RTX 3090 can be changed to 6. 144 kB access.
NVIDIA has the ROPs otherwise coupled to the memory interface or the render backend with the Ampere architecture housed in the GPC (Graphics Processing Clusters). Therefore it is also possible that the GeForce RTX 3070 on 96 ROPs comes where previously only 64 were possible.
| RTX 3070 FE | RTX 2070 FE | |
| GPU | Amps (GA 104) | T uring (TU 106) |
| Transistors | 17, 4 billion | 10, 8 billion |
| Manufacturing | 8 nm | 12 nm |
| Chip size | 392, 5 mm² | 445 mm² |
| FP 32 – ALUs | 5. 888 | 2. 304 |
| INT 32 – ALUs | 2. 944 | 2. 304 |
| SMs | 46 | 36 |
| Tensor Cores | 184 | 288 |
| RT Cores | 46 | 36 |
| Base clock | 1.500 MHz | 1.410 MHz |
| Boost clock | 1.730 MHz | 1.710 MHz |
| Storage capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| memory interface | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Storage cycle | 1 . 725 MHz | 1.750 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 448 GB / s | 448 GB / s |
| TDP | 220 W | 185 W |
| Price | 499 Euro | 499 Euro |
Compared to GeForce RTX 2070 shows: The GeForce RTX 3070 offers more than twice as many FP 32 – arithmetic units, 28% more INT 30 – arithmetic units and an equal plus with the RT cores. The number of tensor cores is only 45% of the previously existing units, but theoretically they are twice as fast – this is how the minus should be compensated again. There are no major differences in timing.
The memory expansion is identical with 8 GB and GDDR6 is still used here. This is again via a 256 Bit wide memory interface connected and thus comes to a Memory bandwidth from 445 GB / s. The GeForce RTX 3070 draws its extra power completely from the GPU.
The significantly more complex GA 104 – GPU, should also be the decisive factor in the higher consumption. Approved the GeForce RTX 2070 yet 185 W, it is with the GeForce RTX 3070 now 220 W and the difference of 45 W should be found almost exclusively in the GPU. For this comparison you should also use the GeForce RTX 2017 Keep in mind that the GPU expansion, clock rate and consumption have already increased compared to the original model.
NVIDIA seems to be the Founders Edition of the GeForce RTX 02762 to position a little differently than this for the GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3090 the case is. While you give your partners less leeway here in terms of performance, the published clock rates indicate that the custom models of the GeForce RTX 3070 could sometimes be significantly faster than is the case for the Founders Edition.
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition |
|
| maximum power limit | 240 W |
| Default power limit | 220 W |
| minimum power limit | 100 W |
For the Founders Edition of the GeForce RTX 3070 allows the BIOS to increase the power limit from 220 on 240 W – so there is 9% additional margin. Most partner cards and especially the faster variants should go a step further in this regard.
Previous tests of the GeForce RTX – 30-Cards
- First custom model: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Eagle OC 10 G in the test
- Damn quiet under load: MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10 G in the test
- Little GeForce for a high surcharge: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming in the test
- An almost perfect all-rounder: ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 OC in the test
- Just before the Founders Edition: The INNO3D GeForce RTX 3080 ICHILL X3 in the test
- Fast and fully equipped: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3090 OC in the test
NVIDIA turns the ampere screw: The GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition in the test
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GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition – Impressions