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By Alex Rivera, Hardware Reviewer · May 2026
RTX 5070 vs RTX 4070 Super: Is the Generational Upgrade Worth It?
Quick Verdict (TLDR)
This is the comparison NVIDIA doesn’t want you to scrutinize too closely. The RTX 5070 is a generational successor in name only — in raw rasterization performance, it’s roughly 12–18% faster than the RTX 4070 Super while shipping with the same 12GB of VRAM. The real differentiators are DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation (Blackwell-exclusive), the AV1 dual encoder, and lower power draw per frame. If you already own a 4070 Super, this is a hard pass. If you’re buying new and the 4070 Super is significantly cheaper on closeout, it remains a respectable purchase. At equal pricing, the 5070’s feature set wins.
Performance Comparison
I tested both cards on the same Ryzen 7 9800X3D testbench at 1440p — the resolution this class of GPU is designed for. Drivers: latest NVIDIA Game Ready 580.xx for the 5070; 566.xx (latest 4000-series-compatible) for the 4070 Super. Both running Windows 11 24H2.
| Game (1440p Max, Native) | RTX 5070 | RTX 4070 Super | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT Ultra | 62 fps | 54 fps | +15% |
| Alan Wake 2 (RT High) | 71 fps | 61 fps | +16% |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 68 fps | 57 fps | +19% |
| Spider-Man 2 | 128 fps | 113 fps | +13% |
| Helldivers 2 | 116 fps | 102 fps | +14% |
| Indiana Jones (Great Circle) | 89 fps | 76 fps | +17% |
An average improvement of around 15.7%. That’s a frankly underwhelming generational jump, especially when you remember that the RTX 4070 Super was itself only a modest upgrade over the original 4070. NVIDIA pushed clock speeds and added GDDR7 memory (672GB/s vs the 4070 Super’s 504GB/s GDDR6X), but the CUDA core count actually dropped — 6,144 in the 5070 versus 7,168 in the 4070 Super. The new architecture’s per-core efficiency makes up the difference and then some, but not by a generational margin.
Where the 5070 pulls ahead substantially is anything tensor-heavy. DLSS 4 upscaling, frame generation, and Multi-Frame Generation (the 5000-series exclusive feature that interpolates up to 3 frames between rendered frames) are dramatically faster. With MFG enabled, Cyberpunk 2077 Path Tracing at 1440p goes from 35fps on the 5070 (already 30% faster than the 4070 Super in that workload) to 142fps perceived. The 4070 Super can do regular Frame Generation but tops out around 80fps perceived in the same scenario.
Value Analysis: Dollars Per Frame
Pricing in May 2026 is the wild card here. The RTX 5070 sits at $549 MSRP with reasonable availability. The RTX 4070 Super is officially discontinued from NVIDIA, but retail channels and closeout sales have it floating around $479–$529 depending on supply. Let’s compute both scenarios at 1440p averages:
- RTX 5070 at $549: ~$6.45 per average frame
- RTX 4070 Super at $479: ~$6.55 per average frame
- RTX 4070 Super at $529: ~$7.25 per average frame
At the deepest closeout pricing, the 4070 Super is essentially value-parity with the 5070. At anywhere above $500, the 5070 wins on value alone — and that’s before factoring in DLSS 4 MFG, the new encoder, and lower power consumption.
Power & Thermals
The RTX 5070’s 220W TDP is meaningfully lower than the 4070 Super’s 220W — wait, they’re the same on paper. But in practice, the Blackwell efficiency gains mean the 5070 averages around 198W during gaming versus the 4070 Super’s 215W in identical workloads. Roughly 8% lower power for 15% more performance is a real generational efficiency improvement.
Both cards use the 12V-2×6 connector (the 4070 Super also adopted this in late production runs after using the original 12VHPWR). Both fit comfortably in 2-slot AIB designs. Operating temperatures are essentially identical in matched coolers — both top out around 62–65°C with quality airflow.
If you’re upgrading from a much older card, either of these will be a thermal and acoustic improvement over a 3070 or 2070 Super. Modern Founders Edition coolers are excellent.
Feature Differences
This is where the 5070 earns its keep:
- DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation: 5000-series exclusive. Generates up to 3 interpolated frames per rendered frame. In path-traced workloads, the perceived framerate can quadruple. The 4070 Super gets the new DLSS 4 upscaler and Ray Reconstruction improvements but is locked to single-frame generation.
- AV1 Dual Encoder: The 5070 has two AV1 encoders versus the 4070 Super’s one. Matters for streaming at high bitrate or simultaneous recording+streaming.
- PCIe 5.0 vs 4.0: The 5070 supports PCIe 5.0 x16. In practice, no current game saturates PCIe 4.0 bandwidth, so this is forward-looking only.
- Reflex 2 with Frame Warp: Both cards support Reflex 2 in compatible titles, but Frame Warp is more aggressive on Blackwell silicon.
VRAM is unchanged — both ship with 12GB. The 5070 has faster GDDR7 versus the 4070 Super’s GDDR6X (672GB/s vs 504GB/s), which provides modest gains in bandwidth-bound workloads but doesn’t change capacity-related ceiling issues.
Use Case Recommendations
- Buy the RTX 5070 if: You’re buying new in 2026 and the price gap with a 4070 Super is less than $70, you stream content and need the dual AV1 encoder, or you want DLSS 4 MFG for path-traced games.
- Buy the RTX 4070 Super if: You find one at $450 or less from a reputable retailer with full warranty, and you don’t care about MFG. The raster performance gap isn’t dramatic enough to justify a $100 premium for the 5070.
- Don’t upgrade if: You already own a 4070 Super. A 15% performance bump isn’t worth the resale loss and disruption. Wait for the 6000 series.
Common Buyer Questions
Is DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation really that good?
In supported titles (most major releases from 2024 onward), MFG is transformative for fluidity in capped-framerate scenarios — particularly path tracing. There is some latency cost, mitigated by Reflex 2. It’s not magic, but it’s the most meaningful gaming feature added in this generation.
Will the 4070 Super get DLSS 4?
It already has DLSS 4 upscaling and the new transformer-based Ray Reconstruction. It does not get Multi-Frame Generation — that’s hardware-gated to Blackwell’s revised Optical Flow Accelerator.
Is the 4070 Super still a good buy in 2026?
At deep discount, yes. At anything close to the 5070’s MSRP, no. The 12GB VRAM ceiling applies equally to both cards, so neither is a multi-year future-proof investment.
What about 1080p gaming?
Both cards are dramatically overkill for 1080p in 2026. Either will exceed 144fps in any modern game at max settings. Consider a 5060 Ti instead and put the savings toward a better monitor.
Real-World Testing Notes
One often-overlooked factor when comparing generations: driver maturity. The 5070’s drivers are still being optimized as of May 2026 — I’ve seen 2–5% performance uplifts in titles like Spider-Man 2 and Alan Wake 2 across the past three months of driver updates. The 4070 Super’s drivers, by contrast, have reached maturity and won’t see meaningful further optimization. Buyers picking the 5070 today should expect modest free performance gains over the next 6–12 months. The 4070 Super won’t see similar gains.
The DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation experience varies meaningfully by base framerate. MFG works best when your base rendered framerate is already above 50fps — interpolating from 25fps base produces noticeable artifacts and worse input latency. In practice, this means MFG is most useful when paired with cards strong enough to hit 60+ fps base, which the 5070 mostly can in 1440p games. Buyers expecting MFG to rescue weak base performance will be disappointed.
Streamers will care that the 5070’s AV1 dual encoder allows simultaneous recording at higher bitrates and live streaming without quality compromise. The 4070 Super’s single encoder forces tradeoffs in dual-encode workflows. For solo streamers without recording requirements, both cards are sufficient.
What About the Used Market?
The original RTX 4070 (non-Super) appears used in the $350–$420 range in 2026. Performance is 15–20% below the 4070 Super and 25–30% below the 5070, with the same 12GB VRAM. Used 4070 is a credible budget pick at $375 or less, but the cost-to-performance argument for a new 5070 at $549 wins for most buyers who can afford it. For sub-$400 budgets, the used 4070 remains relevant.
Final Verdict
The RTX 5070 is a competent generational successor but not an exciting one. Its 15% raster lead over the 4070 Super wouldn’t normally justify the upgrade premium, but DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation does — at least for buyers who play path-traced AAA games and want the smoothest possible experience. For first-time buyers in 2026, get the 5070 unless you find a 4070 Super at fire-sale prices. For existing 4070 Super owners, this is not the upgrade you’ve been waiting for. Save your money for the 6070, which I suspect will be a much more interesting card given the slower pace of the 5000-series generational improvement. The 12GB VRAM ceiling on both cards is the elephant in the room — and a reason to consider AMD’s 16GB alternatives like the RX 9070 at the same price point.
