Best RTX 2070 Graphics Cards For 2022 – GPU Buying Guide
Whilst there is no 30-series stock available, we explore the best RTX 2070 GPUs the market has to offer!
The RTX 2070 was released at the back end of 2018 and was brought to shelves as a mid/high-range GPU which was reasonably priced and boasted performance stats that knocked on the door of the top graphics cards available in today’s market. The RTX range as many will know has been equipped with the latest real-time ray tracing technology, AI-enhanced graphics and takes advantage of Nvidia’s powerful new Turing architecture which they say ‘Immerses you into incredible levels of realism and performance’.
Since its release, we have seen a plethora of custom cards follow, and in today’s article, we look at selecting our best picks, which ones are best suited to you, and how each of them performs in the heat of battle. We’ve been looking forward to this for a while now so let’s dive straight in.
Our Top Picks
Best RTX 2070 GPUs
In-depth Review
MSI GAMING Z GeForce RTX 2070 8GB
MSI GAMING Z GeForce RTX 2070 8GB
MSI has brought a rather good card to the table with the Gaming Z RTX 2070. This graphics card brings about some tweaks from MSI that bring its performance seriously close to the impressive GTX 1080 Ti. Despite this increase in performance, we don’t really see any dramatic rise in temperatures. furthermore, the card is incredibly quiet for what it does. Like most GPUs, the fans run idle until needed but the card has been measured at around 33 DBa, which is considered excellent.
When it comes to gaming there is little to separate the various GPU models that you can buy but you are looking at something that sits above the GTX 1080. You can game pretty well in 1440p and there is some room for 4K but this is certainly better suited for lower resolutions. The image quality is superb and the 8GB of VRAM goes a long way to future proof this card for years to come.
The Gaming Z comes with aesthetics that many with a tempered glass case will love, that being said, the design could be quite loud for some. Either way, the RGB lighting looks great and the available effects through the Mystic Light software are great to see.
The only downside to this GPU is the price as you could argue that the MSI Armor version offers better value. That being said, the temps never really go past 66-67 degrees while gaming and you do seem to get a slight FPS increase on the other version. So for a card that ticks all the boxes and manages to perform extremely quietly, go for the MSI Gaming Z RTX 2070!
ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 8GB Overclocked
ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 8GB Overclocked
If you’ve read our Best RTX 2060 article then you;ve probably noticed that Gigabyte and Asus Rog have switched positions in this article. It was always going to be difficult to give the ROG the top performance position due to its lower out-of-the-box clock speed. However what we are comfortable in saying is that the ROG takes the top spot when considering a solid all round option. Fantastic cooling which was both the coolest and quietest, a fantastic meaty design that boosts the aesthetics of any rig and the ability to manually overclock very efficiently. Asus’s brilliant heatsink and fan configuration overclocking the Rog becomes much more forgiving and achievable at high levels. Obviously whenever overclocking any PC component take extreme care, but with the ROG you do have the confidence to really push this card. The Rog is currently retailing under $600 dollars and wins many of our benchmark tests for performance and FPS. Overall the top all rounder in this list.
PNY Geforce RTX 2070 XLR8 Gaming OC Edition
PNY Geforce RTX 2070 XLR8 Gaming OC Edition
PNY are considered to be one of the budget aftermarket brands which have really come out of the woodwork these last few years producing quality products at very affordable prices. Their RTX 2070 iteration, the XLR8 Gaming OC Edition, comes to shelves at the lower end of the price spectrum once again but surprisingly doesn’t really skimp on the performance. It comes clocked at 1710MHz which is very respectable and a dual fan setup which offers a pair of scythe-bladed fans which do produce some noise but nothing which would be considered noisy. A honeycombed bracket and RGB light strip which sits on top of the cooling heatsink pair together to create a stylish look that is both sleek and versatile. You get all this for substantially less than the other cards on the list and for this reason we have awarded the PNY with our Top budget award.
ZOTAC RTX 2070 8GB AMP Extreme
ZOTAC RTX 2070 8GB AMP Extreme
The Zotac, for anyone wondering, just missed out the top all rounder spot but is still considered one of the best RTX 2070’s available to date. It has an impressive 1860Mhz clock speed and was very high on our list of performance and FPS benchmark tests. The areas that let this card down were unfortunately build quality and its cooling system, which under pressure was fairly loud and quite warm. The positives of this card however are a great slim design which will fit into almost any case, fantastic versatility in terms of OC’ing and compatibility, and finally it’s middle of the road price tag. Overall a very good card but for an extra 40-50$ you could push the boat out and get one of the top ranked models.
Gigabyte Geforce RTX 2070 Mini ITX 8GB
Gigabyte Geforce RTX 2070 Mini ITX 8GB
We always like having a Mini ITX version of the card were looking at in our list because it both promotes top performance and fantastic versatility. This card comes set at 1.62GHz which is factory overclocked from 1.41GHz and has Gigabytes fantastic single fan heat sink setup which is considered relatively quiet and efficient. If you;re considering a smaller build and want something that is both powerful and practical then this surely needs to be high on your list of primary considerations.
Final Word
So, we come to the end of our best RTX 2070 of 2022, and to our surprise, they all performed incredibly well under stress tests and FPS benchmarks. When looking for a 2070 it really all boils down to which one you feel has the best design and how efficient the heat sink and cooling system is. Of course, if you’re into overclocking then the heat sink is a vital piece of your GPU makeup and hopefully, in the above, we have outlined which ones are most effective. You can see how it improves over the 2060 with our RTX 2060 vs RTX 2070 comparison.
The performance difference between the cards in real-life situations is pretty slim, but we managed to fit each card into its own specific category to help consumers make the right choice. Below is the final roundup of what we thought:
- Performance – Performance is obviously a massive part of what consumers look for when buying a GPU, our top performer went to the MSI Gaming Z and would be a welcome addition to anyone’s build.
- All-round choice -For some, performance is not their only agenda, some are looking for the perfect all-around product and for us, that award went to the ASUS ROG STRIX. Solid performance, fantastic cooling, and superb aesthetics are we it gets this title.
- Budget – Looking for the new technology the RTX series has to offer whilst still offering brilliant value for money? Look no further than the PNY Geforce RTX XLR8 Gaming Edition.
- Balanced – The balanced pick is what it says on the tin, a balance between performance power, price, and aesthetics. Thanks to Zotac’s brilliant RTX 280 AMP EXTREME cooling system and clock speeds we consider this the perfect balance.
- Low Profile – Finally we come to our low profile pick which comes in the shape of the Gigabyte RTX 2070 Mini ITX. It’s perfect if you’re looking for solid performance in a small package.
Unfortunately, the 2070, which has been developed to have the same punching power as the 2080 but with a more realistic price tag, hasn’t filled those claims entirely. It’s quite a bit behind in terms of performance but we can forgive it as it’s a good 200-300 dollars cheaper.
Overall, if you’re looking to reap the rewards of Nvidia’s new ray-tracing GPUs but haven’t quite got the capital to fork out for their top range card, the 2070 will tick those boxes at a much more affordable price point. It won’t just allow you to play future games that support the tech, it’ll also ensure you won’t need to upgrade for a good for years to come.
You can check out our GPU Hierarchy right here.