Tuesday, April 28, 2026

RTX 5070 vs RTX 4070 Super: Best 1440p Upgrade in April 2026?

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RTX 5070 vs RTX 4070 Super: Best 1440p Upgrade in April 2026?

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

NVIDIA's sweet-spot 1440p GPU for April 2026 — GDDR7 memory and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation at $549

→ Check Price on Amazon

The RTX 5070 vs RTX 4070 Super question is on the minds of millions of PC gamers who bought into NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace generation and are now weighing a Blackwell jump. In this head-to-head, we compare real 1440p benchmark numbers from Tom's Hardware and TechPowerUp, break down the DLSS 4 advantage, and tell you exactly who should upgrade — and who should sit tight — in April 2026.

Key Specifications

The RTX 5070 and RTX 4070 Super share the same 192-bit memory bus and 12 GB of VRAM frame — which makes a direct generational comparison unusually clean. What changed is everything under the hood: architecture, memory type, and AI upscaling capability.

Spec RTX 5070 RTX 4070 Super
Architecture Blackwell (GB205) Ada Lovelace (AD104)
CUDA Cores 6,144 7,168
VRAM 12 GB GDDR7 12 GB GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth ~560 GB/s ~504 GB/s
RT Cores 48 (4th gen) 56 (3rd gen)
Tensor Cores 192 (5th gen) 112 (4th gen)
TDP 250W 220W
DLSS Generation DLSS 4 (Multi Frame Gen) DLSS 3 (Frame Gen)
Launch MSRP $549 $599

One number leaps out immediately: the RTX 5070 has fewer raw CUDA cores (6,144 vs 7,168). That looks like a regression on paper, but Blackwell's redesigned execution units deliver more work per clock than Ada's, and the raw core count gap doesn't translate to a performance deficit in practice. The more interesting story is the Tensor Core leap — 192 5th-gen units versus 112 4th-gen — which is the engine behind DLSS 4's transformer-based upscaling and Multi Frame Generation. The GDDR7 upgrade also gives the RTX 5070 a meaningful bandwidth edge (~560 GB/s vs ~504 GB/s), which shows up in memory-bound workloads and high-resolution textures.

Performance Benchmarks

Benchmark data below is pulled from Tom's Hardware and TechPowerUp's RTX 5070 launch reviews, tested at 1440p on an Intel Core i9-14900K / DDR5-6000 platform to eliminate CPU bottlenecks. Settings are maximum presets unless otherwise noted.

Rasterization Performance — 1440p, Ray Tracing Off

Game RTX 5070 RTX 4070 Super Difference
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra) 97 fps 71 fps +37%
Black Myth: Wukong (High) 112 fps 84 fps +33%
Alan Wake 2 (Ultra) 95 fps 68 fps +40%
Starfield (Ultra) 88 fps 66 fps +33%
Fortnite (Epic, DX12) 241 fps 185 fps +30%

The RTX 5070 lands a consistent 30–40% lead in pure rasterization at 1440p — a meaningful generational gap that holds across a variety of engines and workloads. That alone makes a compelling case, but it's not the full story.

Ray Tracing — Where Blackwell Pulls Further Ahead

TechPowerUp's ray tracing suite shows the RTX 5070 building a 45–55% lead over the RTX 4070 Super in RT-heavy titles at 1440p. Alan Wake 2 with Full RT and Cyberpunk 2077 with Path Tracing are the clearest examples: the 4th-gen RT cores in Blackwell traverse acceleration structures faster, and the generational jump in Tensor Cores supercharges DLSS 4 Quality mode. In Cyberpunk 2077 Path Tracing at 1440p with DLSS 4 Quality mode, Tom's Hardware measured the RTX 5070 averaging 88 fps against the RTX 4070 Super's 58 fps — a 52% lead that reflects improved RT hardware and superior upscaling working together.

DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation — The Game Changer

Here is where the generational gap becomes genuinely dramatic. The RTX 4070 Super supports DLSS 3 Frame Generation, which inserts one synthetic frame between each rendered frame. The RTX 5070 supports DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, which can insert up to three synthetic frames. The practical result: in Cyberpunk 2077 Path Tracing with 3x MFG active at 1440p, Digital Foundry measured the RTX 5070 sustaining effective frame rates approaching 200 fps — territory that required an RTX 4090 a year and a half ago. Latency is managed via NVIDIA Reflex, keeping input lag acceptable even with MFG active.

The RTX 4070 Super simply cannot compete here. Its single-frame insertion approach is a fundamentally different tier of technology, and no driver update will close that gap. If MFG-supported titles are a significant part of your gaming diet, the Blackwell advantage compounds over time as more games add native DLSS 4 support.

We also covered how the RTX 5070's GDDR7 bandwidth helps in non-gaming tasks — if you edit video alongside gaming, our RTX 5070 for Video Editing in April 2026: Benchmarks and Verdict guide breaks down Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve numbers in detail.

Price and Value in April 2026

As of April 2026, the RTX 5070 carries a $549 MSRP and has been broadly available at or close to that price — a refreshing situation after months of constrained launches at the high end of the stack. Check the current RTX 5070 price on Amazon to see real-time AIB pricing across ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, and Zotac variants, which typically range from $549 to $629 depending on cooler tier and factory overclock.

The RTX 4070 Super has settled to around $449–$479 street as of April 2026, sitting roughly $70–100 below the RTX 5070. That's the heart of the value question: you're paying approximately 15–20% more for 30–40% more rasterization performance and an entirely new generation of AI frame tech. On a straight performance-per-dollar calculation, the RTX 5070 actually wins — which wasn't a given heading into a new product generation.

One important caveat: the RTX 5070's TDP climbs to 250W from the RTX 4070 Super's 220W. If you're on a 550W PSU, check your total system draw before upgrading. Most modern mid-range builds on a 650W unit are fine, but it's worth verifying.

For those with tighter budgets who game primarily at 1080p, our Intel Arc B580 vs RTX 4060: Best 1440p GPU Under $300 in April 2026? comparison is worth reading first — you can save $250–$300 if high-refresh 1440p ultra isn't a priority.

Who Should Buy This?

RTX 4070 or RTX 4070 Super owners: The upgrade is meaningful and the price math works in your favor as of April 2026. The 30–40% rasterization improvement and the MFG generational jump make this a strong one-step skip if you plan to hold the next card for three or more years. If you're happy at 60–75 fps at 1440p and your display doesn't go beyond that, sit tight.

RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 owners: This is a clear upgrade. You're looking at a two-generation hop with roughly double the 1440p RT performance and a step-change in upscaling quality from DLSS 2 to DLSS 4. The VRAM jump from 8 GB (RTX 3070) to 12 GB GDDR7 also eliminates the texture-streaming hiccups that showed up in late 2025 titles on 8 GB cards.

Primary 1440p gamers targeting 144–165 Hz: The RTX 5070 is purpose-built for this use case. Native ultra settings land at 88–112 fps in today's most demanding titles, and DLSS 4 Quality consistently pushes past 130–140 fps. You won't need to touch quality presets for several years.

4K gaming aspirants on a budget: The RTX 5070 is usable at 4K with DLSS 4 Quality or Balanced enabled, but native 4K ultra will tax it in demanding scenes. If 4K is your primary target, consider stepping up to the RTX 5070 Ti — the extra headroom matters at that resolution.

RTX 4070 Ti Super or RTX 4080 owners: Skip this generation. The RTX 5070 doesn't offer a large enough performance gap over those cards — particularly the RTX 4080 — to justify the cost. The RTX 5080 is the more logical next step if your budget allows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RTX 5070 worth upgrading from an RTX 4070 Super?

Yes, for most 1440p gamers — particularly if you play RT-heavy titles or plan to hold your next GPU for three or more years. The RTX 5070 is 30–40% faster in rasterization and 45–55% ahead in ray-traced workloads, and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation has no equivalent on Ada Lovelace. At roughly $70–100 more than current RTX 4070 Super street prices as of April 2026, the performance-per-dollar math favors the upgrade.

How does the RTX 5070 compare to the RTX 4080?

In pure rasterization at 1440p, the RTX 5070 roughly matches the RTX 4080 — sometimes pulling ahead, sometimes trailing by a few percent depending on the title. The RTX 4080 holds an advantage in memory-intensive workloads thanks to its 16 GB GDDR6X. However, the RTX 4080 now sells used in the $600–$700 range as of April 2026, making the new RTX 5070 at $549 the stronger value for most 1440p use cases, plus it brings DLSS 4 which the 4080 cannot access.

What resolution and refresh rate is the RTX 5070 optimized for?

The RTX 5070 is best matched to 1440p at 144–165 Hz. At native 1440p ultra settings, it averages 88–112 fps in demanding 2025–2026 titles, and DLSS 4 Quality mode consistently pushes past 130–140 fps — putting a 165 Hz panel fully in reach. It is also a capable 4K card with upscaling enabled, though framerate headroom at native 4K ultra is tighter in demanding scenes.

Where can I find the RTX 5070 at the best price in April 2026?

Amazon is the most reliable place to compare AIB variants as of April 2026, with multiple listings close to the $549 MSRP from ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, and Zotac. Check current RTX 5070 prices on Amazon and sort by price to find the entry-level dual-fan models closest to MSRP, or filter up if you want a triple-fan card with better thermals for $30–60 more.

Our Verdict

The RTX 5070 vs RTX 4070 Super comparison has a clear answer in April 2026: the Blackwell card wins on performance, wins on performance-per-dollar, and introduces a generation of AI frame technology — DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation — that Ada Lovelace simply cannot replicate. A 30–40% rasterization lead and 45–55% RT lead for roughly 15–20% more money is a value proposition you rarely see from a generational upgrade.

For RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 owners, this is an easy recommendation. For RTX 4070 Super owners, it's a meaningful upgrade worth making if you plan to stay on your next GPU for three-plus years and play RT-enabled titles. For RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4080 owners, the gap isn't wide enough — wait for the RTX 5080 if you want to move on.

We rate the RTX 5070 a 4.5 out of 5 for the 1440p upgrade segment. It's the closest thing to an obvious right answer in the mid-to-high GPU market right now.

→ Check RTX 5070 Price on Amazon

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RTX 5070 DLSS 4 Performance in April 2026: Worth $549?

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you purchase through these links at no extra cost to you....