Building a gaming PC from scratch (or updating the one we already have) is a process that requires time and some reflection. Everything is reduced to fit a series of components that have a good synergy between them, although always without exceeding the budget that we have previously set. Obviously, not all parts cost the same, and the one that is going to get all the attention is going to be the graphics card.
This 2023 has meant a radical change in the situation of these components. We have gone from a few years where it was almost impossible to get an assembly at a good price (at least, first hand) to a moment where we can finally see cards at sensible prices. Many are “to blame” for this shift, although much of the responsibility falls on the arrival of the new cards from NVIDIA and AMD.
As far as NVIDIA is concerned, the new RTX 4000 have arrived making a lot of noise. The launch of this new line has been staggered, with the highest-end ones coming first to the most recent RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti, the most affordable options. Be that as it may, the truth is that they all offer very good performance, although it may not be within the reach of all pockets.
For this reason, and as we did in the case of the RTX 4060, in this article we are going to give you a series of alternatives from the following on the list, the RTX 4070. Do you want to know which is the best of them? Well let’s go with it!
What to consider when buying an alternative to the NVIDIA RTX 4070?
It would be very easy at this point to recommend a card with a performance or price range to the RTX 4070, but it is worth stopping for a moment along the way to take into account a number of things. The eternal “battle” between NVIDIA and AMD cards It is present when choosing alternatives to this new RTX, but in addition to this, other points related to performance or the equipment that we have must be considered.
What are our claims when playing?
Beyond the budget (which, as we have said before, is the starting point), you also have to think very carefully about what you want to play when choosing components. There are many users who only want a gaming PC to play competitive video games and not too demanding for the hardware (such as League of Legends or Valorant), where it rewards more to have a high performance than to play at a high resolution.
In this sense, the RTX 4070 is indicated above all for all those users who are looking to play the most current titles at 1440p with outstanding performance. Here our monitor also has a lot to say, since it is useless to make a large outlay for one of these new cards if we do not have a monitor that shows the image at that resolution, with good refresh rate and minimal response time.
NVIDIA RTX 4070: is it better to choose the most current?
There is a maxim in gaming that many users follow: always bet on the latest technology. That, as far as graphics cards are concerned, goes directly to an RTX 4000 or an AMD RX 7000. It is true that these graphics cards have a plus in performance and even with exclusive technology like DLSS 3.0 (which we will talk about below), but that does not mean that they are the best option for us.
Now we can see ensembles of all kinds on sale, being even more frequent to find ensembles from last year with irresistible prices. In this sense, a great alternative in value for money is to bet on an ensemble from last year. These cards continue to offer a high level of performance and will last us many years at a good level, also being its price significantly lower than the graphics of this year.
NVIDIA or AMD graphics?: DLSS vs. FSR
In addition to performance and greater energy efficiency, the RTX 4000 have reached the market with DLSS 3.0 as one of its greatest assets. This scaling technology allows you to extract much higher performance from video games without losing sight of graphic quality and other technologies such as ray tracing. Till the date, DLSS 3.0 is exclusive to NVIDIA RTX 4000 cardsso if we want to use it we have no choice but to buy one of them.
Although it may seem like a compelling reason, the truth is that you have to take into account that this technology is not, to date, compatible with too many games. Also, AMD’s FSR (which, remember, is open source) also does its job well, and the new FSR 3 promises to offer a significant leap in quality, although it remains to be seen when it starts to reach the first compatible games.
You always have to look at the rest of the PC components
In addition to taking into account everything that we mentioned above when choosing a graph, It is also time to look carefully at the other components of the computer. For example, depending on the type of card or assembly that we choose, we may need more space inside the case, since some assemblies with three fans are quite long and require plenty of space to not be cramped.
In addition, it is also important that we carefully review how much energy our new assembly will need. If we bet on a card with high consumption, it is possible that we will also have to change or acquire a new power supply with more power, since otherwise we may have function and performance problems.
VRAM is important, but it’s not everything
When choosing a graphics card, a characteristic that is usually taken into account is the amount of memory or VRAM it has. This characteristic can become key to decide on one or the other model, since the games are more and more demanding (especially the triple A).
If we choose an assembly with little memory, we may have to change the graphics card sooner rather than later, especially if we want to always be playing the latest without suffering performance problems. However, this amount of VRAM is not a differentiator, since a greater amount of memory does not imply that the graphics card is more powerful. An RTX 4070 with 8 GB of RAM will always have more power than an RTX 4060 with 12 GB of RAM.
Are all assemblies the same?
If we start to look in the different specialized stores, it is not difficult to find several different models of the same graphics card. There are many assemblers out there today, each with their own model different from the others. These usually differ from each other in terms of design, cooling and components, although the difference that stands out the most between all of them will always be the price.
So, how can we opt for one or the other assembler? Here it is best not to be blinded by the design, but to look at other elements such as consumption, refrigeration or price. The list that you will find below includes very interesting assemblies from some of the best assemblers out there, so we are not going to have problems with any of them.
Which alternative graphics card to the NVIDIA RTX 4070 to buy
MSI AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT MECH 2X 12GB GDDR6 V1
The first alternative to appear on this list is also the cheapest. This MSI RX 6750 XT is a great option if we want to play 1440p for as little money as possible right now. This has the great advantage of having 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, in addition to three DisplayPort 1.4 and an HDMI port. It is a fairly compact assembly although with very good cooling, and its price is currently 379.90 euros. In addition, both this and the rest of the AMD cards on the list include Starfield as a gift.
Zotac Gaming Geforce RTX 3070 Twin Edge LHR 8GB GDDR6
When looking for an alternative to the NVIDIA RTX 4070 it is logical that a mandatory stop along the way is the RTX 3070, in this case from Zotac. We have another assembly on our hands here with a compact size, a signature design and 8 GB of VRAM. It is a spectacular assembly to play 2K, and also has a fairly moderate consumption. We have it on Amazon at 499.90 euros (in PcComponentes it also marks the same price).
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti EAGLE OC 8GB GDDR6 DLSS3
If we want current technology, but without spending what most RTX 4070 assemblies cost, a very good alternative is to go down a notch in terms of power. The RTX 4060 Ti is quite an interesting option, as it offers high performance and support for DLSS 3.0. This Gigabyte assembly already has a larger size, three powerful fans, 8GB of VRAM and good connectivity. It costs 438.99 euros.
XFX SPEEDSTER MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE 16GB GDDR6
We’ve already said that last year’s builds are very attractively priced now, so it’s a good time to level up. This XFX RX 6800 XT is a good example, a graphics card with which we will have no problem playing at 1440p or even 4K. Its design is quite minimalist with straight lines, it has 3 fans and has 16 GB of VRAM. The price that it currently marks is brutal (for what it cost a few months ago): it costs 529.90 euros in PcComponentes.
XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Black Gaming 16GB GDDR6
The last alternative on the list is also the most powerful of all. If we want approximately what an RTX 4070 costs in more power, the correct option is to go for the XFX RX 6950 XT, superior to the RX 6900 XT. This is AMD’s top of the line from last year, a great card for 4K gaming with outstanding performance. It is quite demanding as far as necessary power is concerned, but its price is not crazy right now: in PcComponentes it costs 659.90 euros.
