Best NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPUs 2020
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3070 isn't the best graphics card from the company right now, but it's still excellent. If you need a GPU that will allow for some high-fidelity and butter-smooth gameplay at 1440p and 4K, this is a great value option. Think of it as a step up from the RTX 2070, but with considerably more firepower than the RTX 2080 SUPER. We've rounded up the best RTX 3070s right here.
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070
Best Overall
This monster of a GPU from ASUS can boost up to 1,755MHz for the core and comes rocking 5,888 CUDA cores. It's one of the best RTX 3070s you can buy (if you can locate one), and it has 8GB of 256-bit RAM for good measure. If you want to push your PC gaming to new levels without needing to sell your house, this is a solid choice.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 XC3 ULTRA GAMING
Good Value
Not everyone can afford even the mid-tier RTX 3070 GPUs, which is where the EVGA XC3 ULTRA GAMING comes into play. It has a fancy name, but it also has an awesome price and great specs. This card can boost up to 1,770MHz, 5,888 CUDA cores, and the same 448GB/s of memory bandwidth and PCIe 4.0 support as other RTX 3070 GPUs.
PNY GeForce RTX 3070 8GB XLR8 Epic X
Epic Colors
This NVIDIA Turing architecture-based GPU from PNY has a core clock speed of 1,500MHz, which can boost all the way up to 1,725MHz. It has 8GB of GDDR6 256-bit memory with 2,944 CUDA processing cores and up to 448GB/s memory bandwidth for an ultimate PC gaming experience. There's PCIe 4.0 support, DisplayPort, HDMI, and NVIDIA's GeForce software suite to boot.
Sleeper Powerhouse
Don't desire all the flashing lights in the XLR8 Epic X from PNY? The company has a more subtle GPU available in the form of the XLR8 Uprising, which is essentially the same graphics card with a different shroud and cooling solution. It has the same base and boost clock speed of 1,500MHz and 1,725MHz for the core, 2944 CUDA cores, and 8GB of GDDR6 RAM with 448GB/s of bandwidth.
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070
TUF Performance
The TUF has plenty going for it. Not only is it more affordable than some other RTX 3070 GPUs, but it also comes with slightly faster clock speeds with an OC boost of around 1,845MHz. 5,888 CUDA cores are present, alongside a memory bandwidth of 448GB/s, making this an awesome addition to any gaming rig.
Picking the best GPU
Why you can trust Windows Central
Graphics card stock is simply ridiculous right now. The pandemic, cryptocurrency mining, and scalpers are making it difficult for gamers and creators to purchase a GPU. Keep checking storefronts, but don't go on eBay and other classified sites to part with obscene amounts of cash for a graphics card. $800 for an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti simply isn't worth it.
One of the best NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 cards is the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070 thanks to its aggressive styling, impressive performance, and good price. This thing will easily be able to handle 1440p gaming and even some 4K so long as you don't max out all the settings.
Other RTX 3070s are very similar but come rocking different designs and coolers. Regardless of which 3070 you choose for your gaming rig, you'll be sure to enjoy the latest, most demanding games at high settings.
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Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.