Review – ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC

Now that we already have a better idea of the performance of the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER non-OC or MSRP model, it’s time to take a look at the OC models that have a slightly increased GPU boost clock to give you that tad bit of extra juice. We got our hands on the Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC this time, a model that is known for its compact design which is great for for small form factor builds.

This time, we have tested the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC against the RTX 4070, RTX 4070 SUPER, and RTX 3090 altogether to see what we can expect from that slight increase on the boost clock.

Specifications

Overview

The RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC ships in the same familiar-looking small box from a year ago, with all the basic details printed at the front and the back of the box. The content of the box is very much the same as well, the user’s guide, PCIe 8-pin to 12VHPWR adapter, and the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC.

Design-wise, it’s almost identical to the non-SUPER variant RTX 4070 Twin Edge but Zotac has embraced the 12VHPWR connector this time instead of staying on with the 8-pin PCIe connector. The same two-slot dual cooling fan compact design measures 234.1mm in length, allowing it to easily fit inside the majority of the SFF build cases you can find on the market – well, except for the fan badge.

According to the official product page, Zotac recommends a 750W power supply for the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC but I believe a 650W is already sufficient for the card even though it’s an OC model with a slightly higher boost clock.

As mentioned earlier, Zotac went on with the 12VHPWR connector this time but they did include the PICe 8-pin to 12VHPWR adapter with the card so you can still use your existing power supply that doesn’t come with a dedicated 12VHPWR cable. However, I find the gap between the shroud and the 12VHPWR connector to be extremely small, and removing the cable from the card can be a real pain in the back if you have big fingers like mine.

The display output is the usual single HDMI and 3 x DisplayPort, but here’s something that caught my attention – just how much clearance is there between the PCIe bracket and the heatsink fins? Seeing how little space there is, you’ll need to have exceptional airflow for your system to get the heat out effectively.

System Specifications

Here is the hardware lineup employed for benchmarking the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC. The comparison involves three distinct Founders Edition cards: the RTX 3090, RTX 4070 SUPER, and RTX 4070. The intention is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the card’s performance and positioning. The game benchmark test concentrated on a selection of AAA titles, ensuring they ran at their highest possible settings. All tests were conducted using the following setup, maintaining an ambient temperature of 28°C.

Games Benchmark – Raster Performance

Although NVIDIA has positioned the 4070 SUPER for 1440p gaming, the test result shows that the card is capable of running several AAA titles at 4k resolution with over 60fps, surpassing even that of the RTX 3090. However, exceptions exist, as evident in Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, where the average frames hover around 40fps+-. The performance of the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC can be seen to be close to the Founders Edition model despite its slightly higher boost clock.

Upon reducing the resolution to 1440p, the RTX 4070 SUPER generally performs at a comparable level to the RTX 3090, with the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC showing a slightly better performance this time. In instances where the RTX 4070 SUPER outperforms, the observed gain ranges from 13-18%.

Similar trends persist at 1080p resolution, although it may not be a good idea for users to invest $599 solely for 1080p gaming as the RTX 4070 SUPER is way more capable than that.

Games Benchmark – Ray Tracing Performance

Moving on to the ray tracing performance, we’ve opted to exclude DLSS3 from this test to assess the inherent ray tracing capabilities of the RTX 4070 SUPER in comparison to the RTX 3090, without frame generation. This choice is made to avoid the advantage that the RTX 40 series cards may have over older counterparts. Of course, the settings we used are still the usual highest graphics settings, ray tracing set to ultra preset, and DLSS on quality preset.

At 4k resolution, the majority of tested titles manage to achieve highly playable frame rates of 60fps or more. However, both the RTX 4070 SUPER face challenges with more demanding titles such as Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Metro Exodus.

For 1440p resolution, the RTX 4070 SUPER convincingly outperforms both the RTX 3090 and RTX 4070 in nearly every title tested. Results indicate a minimum average of 70fps in Alan Wake 2, and better performance of up to 20% over the 3090 in other titles.

This trend continues at 1080p, with the RTX 4070 SUPER decisively outperforming its competition.

Thermals & Power Draw

Now for the power consumption and thermal performance, despite noting a comparable GPU load temperature between the RTX 3090 and RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition, the latter exhibits remarkable power efficiency. In our load tests, the RTX 3090 peaks at around 350W in power draw, whereas the reference RTX 4070 SUPER only draws approximately 220W under load.

The RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC with a slightly bumped-up boost clock is not too far off as well, where the power draw recorded during the tests peaked at 249W. The higher boost clock means that the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC will draw a bit more power but seeing the numbers it can deliver, I think it’s still fair and the power efficiency is well displayed.

The GPU load temperature though, is slightly on the higher side as it peaked at 75.2°C during our load test. The hotspot temperature too is about 5°C higher than the Founders Edition card but the memory junction temperature is about 8°C lower on the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC. The fan noise is bearable even at close distances when the load test is being conducted, so I’d say the cooler design is still considered decent.

Final Thoughts

Aside from the RTX 4070 which I think was the best bang for the buck back in 2023, the RTX 4070 SUPER join the ranks and is worthy to be recommended for those who are looking for an upgrade from their RTX 20 series or lower models with the impressive performance it has displayed throughout our tests, and its launch price of $599. But I believe that there are many of you out there who are waiting for the price drop for the RTX 4070 just like I do because obviously, it’s still a great card for that price and a lowered price will make it even more attractive to the end users.

The RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC also exhibits impressive performance and power efficiency but the limited space that makes removing the 12VHPWR connector a real pain is something to take note of if you’re planning to get this card. As for the price, the RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC will retail at RM 3,199 and we have confirmed from the local dealers that there will be no non-OC model this time. While the price is still somewhat justifiable based on the performance it can deliver, I’m more interested to see if Zotac will be doing any price adjustments to its RTX 4070.