The Nvidia RTX 4070 SUPER has been out since the start of the year, with multiple SKUs in play from AIBs across the board, each catering to users with different needs and budgets. It commands a base price of $600 for the FE (the older RTX 4070 being reduced to a slightly lower $550 price tag) and comparable aftermarket options, including Gigabyte's AERO OC offering, trading at a premium versus MSRP.
Updated on Sept 2, 2024, by Rahim Amir: The release of AMD's newer Ryzen 9000 series CPUs and subsequent price cuts across the board on multiple AMD and Intel CPUs meant that the guide below needed a refresh. It currently accounts for all recently released AMD CPUs as well as price movements, while providing an updated view when it comes to performance and value for gamers, power users, and enthusiasts alike.
The RTX 4070 SUPER is one of 3 SUPER series GPU models released by Nvidia in Jan 2024, all of which come with significant hardware upgrades under the hood in addition to a VRAM upgrade on the RTX 4070 Ti and a price cut for the RTX 4080 SUPER. The team at The Best War Games has covered each of these models in detail with dedicated information available to users looking for the best of the latest Nvidia SUPER offerings:
- The Mid-Range RTX 4070 SUPER offers considerably better performance than its predecessor, the RTX 4070 (which also sees a $50 price cut as a result). It offers a higher CUDA core count, a higher base clock, and the same price point as its now-discounted sibling, making it a no-brainer for gamers looking for a GPU listed at less than the $600-750 mark in 2024.
- The High-End RTX 4070 Ti SUPER offers a bump in VRAM to 16GB, with a matching bitrate jump to 256 bits from the 192 bits the RTX 4070 TI currently offers. It also throws in a bump in CUDA core count as well as a higher base clock, making it a great replacement with a moderate performance gain in tow for users looking for a price below $800-950 for their GPU in 2024.
- The Enthusiast-Grade RTX 4080 SUPER offers a higher CUDA count than the RTX 4080 while offering a significant $200 price cut that most users and reviewers previously felt was necessary to differentiate it from the RTX 4090. This, coupled with a sizable base and boost clock increase on the FE units, make it a compelling GPU upgrade in 2024 for users looking to spend between $1000-1500 on a unit.
All of the above GPU choices come with a free copy of Black Myth: Wukong ($60 value) at the time of writing due to an ongoing Nvidia promotion.
What Does The RTX 4070 Super Offer In 2024?
The Nvidia RTX 4070 SUPER offers better performance than the stock RTX 4070, packing in an impressive increase of just under 20% in CUDA cores, which results in a sub 15-20% performance uplift in most game benchmarks. It also retains the same price tag as its predecessor while bumping up its base clock by 60 MHz. This allows it to position itself as an aggressive play by Nvidia in a market segment that recently saw a lot of interest after subsequent AMD GPU releases targeting the sub-$500 price range arrived on the scene.
The Best RTX 4070 Ti SUPER GPUs
Nvidia's RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is now out in force. Here are some of the best models you can buy in 2024!
The Best CPUs To Pair With Nvidia's RTX 4070 SUPER
For users looking to get a CPU to go with their brand-new RTX 4070 SUPER GPU, here are some of the best options to consider in 2024:
AMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X3D 16-Core, 32-Thread Desktop Processor
Zen 4's 16-Core Juggernaut
- Brand
- AMD
- Cores
- 16
- Threads
- 32
- Socket
- AMD AM5
The 16-core, 32-thread desktop AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor is AMD's answer to a resurgent Intel 13th generation processor lineup as it attempts to wrest back the gaming crown with the same technology that made the last generation 5800X3D such a powerful CPU.
With 128MB of L3 cache on offer, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D leverages its 3D V-Cache muscle in gaming as well as its powerful new Zen 4-based cores in productivity to make for a potent enthusiast-grade CPU in the offing.
- TDP
- 120W
- iGPU
- Yes, RDNA 2
- L3 Cache
- 128MB
- Base Clock
- 4.2 GHz
- Boost Clock
- 5.7 GHz
- Leverages its 3D V-Cache stacked L3 advantage in gaming
- Offers 16 fast, overclockable Zen 4 cores
- Offers superior power efficiency vs its competition
- Not as good productivity benchmarks as AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
For users looking for a CPU that does it all, AMD pulls out all the stops when it comes to the Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16-core, 32-thread Desktop Processor, which offers a 2x multiplier on both ends versus more mainstream octa-core CPUs. It leverages the 3D V-Cache advantage that AMD continues to champion for superior gaming performance. Additionally, it ushers in a new tier of efficiency for productivity-based use cases, where it comes close to beating its Ryzen 9000 series peers.
With 16 cores in play, it targets content creators, editors, and users with needs for significant multi-core, multi-threaded application performance, while also tapping its L3 cache advantage to push for better gaming performance, making it an excellent all-around CPU for users needing the extra power in play now, or in the near future.
At the same time, due to multiple price cuts at Intel's end that see its Core i9 14900K/KF CPUs trade at around the $550 mark, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D has followed through with its own price cuts in time for the newer Ryzen 9000 series CPUs. It continues to offer comparable productivity and slightly better gaming performance to gamers versus Intel's offerings, making it AMD's best, but somewhat expensive offering even in 2024.
At the same time, it does clock in considerably cheaper than the newer Ryzen 9 9950X, which offers better efficiency and productivity out of the box, but lags behind considerably in gaming benchmarks while clocking in an additional $100 for the privilege of owning AMD's latest and greatest 16-core CPU.
There is no shortage of options from the AMD camp at this time, with both the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the Ryzen 9 7950X offering cheaper gaming and productivity options, respectively. However, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D continues to offer the best of both worlds to gamers and creators alike. Ultimately, this combination makes it a situational purchase, but one that users can't go wrong with.
At its current pricing, it is hard to beat for both, its 16-core siblings from AMD and Intel's higher-clocked CPU offerings offering excellent performance across the board for less than AMD's current flagship offering, the Ryzen 9 9950X, earning it The Best War Games's recommendation for the best overall CPU to pair with the RTX 4070 SUPER.
AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X3D also comes with a complimentary 2-game bundle that includes Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 and Unknown 9: Awakening.
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The Best RTX 4070 SUPER GPUs To Get In 2024
The Nvidia RTX 4070 SUPER is an excellent GPU that takes over the RTX 4070's slot as Nvidia's mid-range option with many SKUs available for gamers.
Intel Core i7 14700KF 20-Core, 28-Thread CPU
Powerful All-Around Performance
- Brand
- Intel
- CPU Model
- Core i7 14700KF
- CPU Socket
- LGA 1700
- Cores
- 20 (8P + 12E Cores)
The Intel Core i7 14700KF is the iGPU-less version of the unlocked Intel Core i7 14700K CPU, offering four additional efficiency cores and a lower price thanks to it skipping the integrated Intel UHD 770 that the latter offers. It requires a discrete graphics card for display and adequate cooling for one of the most power-hungry CPUs.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info- Threads
- 28
- Architecture
- Raptor Lake Refresh
- Process
- Intel 7 (10 nm)
- Base Clock Speed
- 3.4 GHz
- Boost Clock Speed
- 5.6 GHz
- Cache
- 28MB L2 + 33MB L3
- RAM
- Upto 192GB DDR5 RAM
- PCIe
- PCI-E 4.0/5.0 Support
- Graphics
- N/A
- Power Draw
- 253W Turbo
- Compatible with 3 generations of Intel motherboards
- Offers excellent multi-core performance
- Comes with a free promotional copy of Star Wars: Outlaws
- Considerably power-hungry
- Requires a powerful dedicated cooler
The Intel Core i7 14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread juggernaut that is identical to the more mainstream Core i7 14700K CPU. It leverages the fact that the RTX 4070 SUPER is already in play through a discount over the latter, offered thanks to the lack of an iGPU. It provides excellent single-core performance to allow it to push ahead in games with ease, plus some of the best multi-core performance end-users can buy for productivity use cases in a desktop processor.
With compatibility that stretches across three years of Intel motherboards (with mandatory BIOS updates), the 14700KF has plenty of options that it can be paired with. It makes for a well-rounded CPU entry that excels at both gaming and productivity equally, even as it costs a shade under $400 currently, making it a relatively better value offering than its other higher-end AMD and Intel alternatives.
At the same time, the 14700KF needs a powerful cooler to sustain its higher clocks than the 13700K/KF, which it replaces with a higher power requirement in tow, as it pushes its efficiency considerably lower than its AMD alternatives that compete at a slightly higher price point.
Update: Despite the 14700KF trading at a discount versus its MSRP, it also sees itself kicked down a few notches in terms of recommendations, thanks to ongoing crashes on Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs, despite BIOS and microcode updates continuing to be deployed to mitigate these issues.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
The Gaming Specialist
- Brand
- AMD
- CPU Model
- Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- CPU Socket
- AM5
- Cores
- 8
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is AMD's latest and greatest CPU when it comes to gaming. With an excellent and highly efficient gaming performance that tops the charts currently, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is here to stay and has a crown to claim thanks to its 3D V-Cache-enabled prowess when it comes to gaming on a PC.
The octa-core CPU currently happens to be the fastest in the business for gaming even as it leads efficiency charts at the top, making it a very sought-after gaming upgrade.
- Threads
- 16
- Architecture
- Zen 4
- Process
- 5nm
- Base Clock Speed
- 4.2GHz
- Boost Clock Speed
- 5.0GHz
- Cache
- 8MB L2 + 96MB L3
- PCIe 4.0 Support
- Yes, Supports up to PCI-E 5.0
- TDP
- 120W
- iGPU
- Yes, Integrated Radeon 2 Core
- It is the fastest gaming CPU money can buy
- Considerably power efficient
- Has a lower TDP than most of its competition
- Offers PCI-E 5.0 and DDR5 RAM solutions
- Has limited productivity-centric usability
- Has limited overclock potential
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU that promises, and delivers, the fastest gaming experience a CPU can, despite clocking in at a small discount over MSRP currently. It continues to lead the charts as one of the fastest gaming CPUs thanks to it leveraging its stacked L3 Cache, something AMD calls 3D V-Cache, to deliver faster performance in games beyond most of its similarly configured and higher-end competitors.
It also does so with a mean power draw of just about 50 watts, making it the fastest and most efficient high-end gaming CPU on the market. Compatible with AMD's socket AM5, the 7800X3D delivers support for both PCI-E 5.0 hardware and DDR5 RAM. While the RTX 4070 SUPER itself is a PCI-E 4.0 GPU, it can't hurt gamers who might upgrade to the next generation to invest in a CPU that offers 24 PCI-E 5.0 lanes, enough for a GPU and 2 Gen 5 SSDs.
At the same time, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is what one would call a 'Specialist' CPU. It offers lower clocks and limited overclockability compared to the similarly configured Ryzen 7 7700X from AMD. As an octa-core CPU, it already has limited productivity use cases in multi-threaded applications, and while it is a clear-cut choice for gamers, it might not be the same for users aiming to get some productivity-related workloads (such as video edition) handled on the same CPU.
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D trades at a significant $80 discount over its previous MSRP, which makes it an even better bargain as it offers second-to-none performance for gaming in 2024. This makes it a no-brainer for gamers looking to get more value for money out of their RTX 4070 SUPER.
Update: While AMD's Ryzen 9000 series CPUs, including the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 9 9950X are promising upgrades for gamers looking to score a new GPU, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D remains king of the hill on benchmarks along with a steeper discount in tow that makes it a force to be reckoned with. This leads to it retaining The Best War Games's recommendation as the best gaming CPU across multiple use cases, including those with mid to high-end GPUs such as the RTX 4070 SUPER and its AIB variants.
AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D also comes with a complimentary 2-game bundle that includes Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 and Unknown 9: Awakening.
The Best GPUs For Gaming On The AMD Ryzen 7800X3D
AMD Ryzen 7800X3D Is the fastest gaming CPU on offer for gamers to date. Here are some of the best GPUs that you can pair to get the most out of it.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
A Cool 5th Gen Customer
- Brand
- AMD
- CPU Model
- Ryzen 9 9950X
- Cores
- 16
- Threads
- 32
- PCIe 4.0 Support
- Yes
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X desktop CPU is the top-of-the-line offering in the latest Ryzen 9000 series of processors. It comes with 16 cores, 32 threads, and a boost clock speed of 5.7 GHz. The CPU has 64MB of L3 cache and a TDP of 170W. It delivers considerably higher multi-core and single-core performance than the Ryzen 9 7950X at the same power draw, which is a testament to its efficiency and IPC count gain claims.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info- Architecture
- Zen 5
- Process
- 4nm
- Base Clock Speed
- 4.3 GHz
- Boost Clock Speed
- 5.7 GHz
- Cache
- 64MB L3 cache
- TDP
- 170W
- iGPU
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- CPU Socket
- AMD AM5
- Fastest consumer-grade 16-core or 32-thread CPU
- Excellent single-core and multi-core performance gains
- Very efficient cooling
- Not the best gaming benchmarks
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is AMD's fastest 16-core, 32-thread CPU, as it brings its purported 16% IPC gains and significant efficiency gains into play, backed by improved branch prediction and overhauled performance with the AVX-512 instruction set. That means, in layman's terms, that it is a marked improvement on one of the best productivity CPUs in terms of performance and efficiency alike.
This makes it an attractive proposition for programmers, game developers, video editors, and other power users alike thanks to its 16-core arrangement. AMD is also suggesting that further performance enhancements can be expected in the future with Windows updates, allowing it to catch up to the CPU's considerably better Linux performance at the time of writing.
The 9950X is better than the 7950X, which it replaces in pretty much every task out there, but it does find itself struggling versus AMD's more gaming-specific X3D CPUs, which continue to leverage their larger L3 caches to deliver significant performance increases across the board. It is also an expensive purchase at a $650 MSRP, versus its competition that trades at nearly $100 lower, and when compared to the more value-centric buy that the 7950X represents at a $200 lower price tag.
Users looking for the very best, however, and those factoring in power savings, especially for prolonged use of its 16-core configuration, might take a more lenient view given its generational gains in play. Plus, with the newer Zen 5 architecture on display, it makes for a great CPU to pair with the RTX 4070 SUPER for productivity needs.
Intel Core i9 14900KS 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU
A Cherry-Picked Affair
- Brand
- Intel
- CPU Model
- Core i9 14900KS
- CPU Socket
- LGA 1700
- Cores
- 24 Cores (8 P-Cores + 16 E-Cores)
The Intel Core i9 14900KS 24-core, 32-thread CPU is Intel's special edition CPU take on its flagship 14th generation CPU, the Core i9 14900K.
It is essentially a cherry-picked 14900K SKU that can push higher clocks with up to a minimum of 6.2 GHz on its P-Cores, making it effectively the highest-clocked CPU out of the box to date when it comes to boost clocks from Intel.
It trades at a significant premium as a result and is expected, as a limited-run chip, to be a collectible SKU with high demand from enthusiasts and overclockers in 2024.
- Threads
- 32 Threads
- Architecture
- Raptor Lake Refresh
- Process
- Intel 7
- Base Clock Speed
- 3.2 GHz (2.4 GHz E-Cores)
- Boost Clock Speed
- 6.2 GHz (4.5 GHz E-Cores)
- Cache
- 36 MB L3, 32 MB L2 Cache
- PCIe
- PCI-E 4.0 and 5.0 Support
- Graphics
- Intel® UHD Graphics 770
- TDP
- 150 Base TDP
- PCIe 4.0 Support
- Yes
- Transistors
- Unstated
- Power Draw
- 253 W
- Leads single-core benchmarks by a considerable margin
- Offers boost clocks of up to 6.2 GHz
- Impressive 24-core, 32-thread design
- Comes with a free promotional copy of Star Wars: Outlaws
- Consumes significantly more power than the competition
- Requires a high-end cooling solution
The Intel Core i9 14900KS is the equivalent of last year's 13900KS to the 13900K: an upgrade that essentially offered a cherry-picked version of the same CPU that allowed for higher boost clocks out of the box. It builds on the large single-core performance lead that the 14900K offers with an even faster boost clock speed of 6.2GHz on its fastest cores, while bumping up boost clocks for both the performance 'P-cores' and the efficiency 'E-cores' simultaneously.
This allows the 14900KS to be a bragging rights affair in its own right for enthusiasts and overclockers, but also makes it the most potent 24-core consumer-grade CPU Intel has on offer to date. As cherry-picked silicon goes, it offers a significant amount of overclocking headroom versus 14900K chips but does prove to be equally challenging to cool adequately.
Intel's 14th generation CPUs, at the higher end, come with support for its APO thread scheduler optimizations, which can make all the difference in the world in titles like World of Warcraft, for example, and the 14900KS is the highest-end beneficiary currently in play. The 14900KS does deliver stellar performance while working with existing LGA 1700 motherboards, but it does come at a cost of power efficiency compared to the competition and also requires a significant amount of cooling to prevent it from throttling with a chip that crosses 300W of TDP routinely on most configurations when running productivity workloads.
Update: While the 14900KS does offer the best performance possible that one can expect from an Intel CPU when paired with Nvidia's mid-range RTX 4070 SUPER GPU, it does currently have its drawbacks, especially when pushed higher. This is largely due to Intel's newer unlocked Rocket Lake CPUs crashing and degrading over time. While BIOS and microcode updates are already being deployed, they do not mitigate the damage already done, even as Intel is offering an additional 2 years of cover to affected CPUs, including the 14900KS.
The Best Motherboards To Pair With Core i9 14900KS
Intel's Core i9 14900KS is the fastest LGA 1700-based CPU out there but it needs a motherboard to match its pace and get the most out of it in 2024!
AMD Ryzen 5 7600
Budget Zen 4 Offering
- Brand
- AMD
- CPU Model
- Ryzen 5 7600
- Cores
- 6
- Threads
- 12
The Ryzen 5 7600 is the entry-level, yet very capable, gaming CPU from AMD that features 6 cores, 12 threads, and 32MB of L3 cache. It has a base clock speed of 3.8GHz and a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz. The Ryzen 5 7600 is an unlocked processor with a default TDP of 65W. It also has integrated RDNA 2 graphics and is the cheapest offering in the lineup with an iGPU.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info- PCIe 4.0 Support
- Yes
- Architecture
- Zen4
- Process
- TSMC 5nm FinFET
- Base Clock Speed
- 3.8 GHz
- Boost Clock Speed
- 5.1 GHz
- Cache
- L1:384Kb, L2:6MB, L3:32MB
- TDP
- 65W
- iGPU
- Yes, RDNA 2
- CPU Socket
- AM5
- RAM
- DDR5 Support
- PCIe
- PCI-E 5.0 and lower
- Graphics
- RDNA 2
- Offers superior gaming performance
- Comes unlocked
- Includes a stock cooler
- Not the best for productivity
- Might feel dated in the near future for gaming
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is not a new CPU by any measure, but one that has aged particularly well even as it benefits from a series of price cuts in the wake of the newer Zen 5 CPU offerings from AMD. Despite its price tag, it ships unlocked and comes with a stock cooler, both of which are huge advantages versus its competition that does one of, but not both of these things.
It offers gaming performance on par with some of the best gaming CPUs from previous generations, while also offering a much lower price tag despite, being a relatively more recent offering. The Ryzen 5 7600 does, however, have its limitations as a hexacore CPU, offering a somewhat muted use case for productivity users who demand higher clocks and more cores, even as the more efficient AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X are in play currently. Overall, it can feel slightly dated in comparison, especially when most mid-range PCs and modern consoles alike have shifted to octa-core offerings.
For those looking for value, however, the Ryzen 5 7600's price-to-performance ratio is nigh-unbeatable when one factors in the extras stated above, even as it can be paired to a more potent cooler and pushed close to, if not higher than the Ryzen 5 7600X with a bit of effort, making it The Best War Games's undisputed budget CPU pick to pair with the RTX 4070 SUPER in 2024.
The Best CPUs to Pair with the RTX 4080 SUPER
Here are some of the best CPUs to pair with Nvidia's penultimate RTX 4000 Series GPU in 2024.
FAQ
Q: What is the CUDA Core count on the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super?
The Nvidia RTX 4070 SUPER offers 7168 CUDA cores, a marked improvement over the 5888 that the RTX 4070 currently offers
Q: How Much Does The Nvidia RTX 4070 Super Cost?
The Nvidia RTX 4070 Super costs $599 for the FE and most non-OC aftermarket SKUs. More premium models can cost as much as $750, putting them within spitting distance of the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti SUPER FE at $800.