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wonderings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 19, 2021
928
900
I am thinking of upgrading my GPU. I currently have an RTX 2070. I am looking at a 4070 and have noticed there are 2 basic hardware versions, a 12gig model and a 16gig model. There is an around a $350 CDN difference between the two. Is there a noticeable improvement going with a 16 gig version? Not a super high end game, the most taxing game I probably play is Star Citizen. I play some other games off and on, Red Dead, GTA V, CyberPunks and random games through Ubisoft Premium so to replace with Xbox cloud. Assassins Creed, Batman, etc.
 

1BadManVan

macrumors 68040
Dec 20, 2009
3,258
3,401
Bc Canada
What resolution are you playing at? 1440p? 4k? 1440p you could get by on 12gb but some of the newer games out are definitely pushing the tram limits these days. the two variants you speak of is the 4070 super vs 4070 ti super. The ti model is faster as well on top of the extra vram, it is a decent upgrade overall.
 

wonderings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 19, 2021
928
900
What resolution are you playing at? 1440p? 4k? 1440p you could get by on 12gb but some of the newer games out are definitely pushing the tram limits these days. the two variants you speak of is the 4070 super vs 4070 ti super. The ti model is faster as well on top of the extra vram, it is a decent upgrade overall.
Not actually sure what resolution it is playing at, I generally just leave settings wherever they are when I load a new game. Monitor is 4K. So I am not a hardcore gamer, would just like to upgrade and get a little boost, especially with Star Citizen. I am assuming either variants of the 4070 is going to be a decent upgrade from the 2070?
 

wonderings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 19, 2021
928
900


From what I’m seeing in YT video comments, including about low GPU usage, the game has quite a ways to go regarding optimization.
oh the game is glitchy for sure, but I love the realism of it all and simply flying around on my ship as the sun crests over the horizon, it looks pretty great and would love to be able to handle it better. I am not expecting butter smooth, but a nice upgrade from the 2070 I am using now.
 

1BadManVan

macrumors 68040
Dec 20, 2009
3,258
3,401
Bc Canada
If you’re after the best visuals, being able to take advantage of the higher resolution is a big deal. I would go with the 4070 ti personally
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,529
11,175
Usual rule of thumb is buy the most GPU and VRAM you can afford but you can always dial down resolution and graphics quality if needed.

Only the 4070 TI Super has 16GB VRAM while the 4070 Ti, 4070 Super and 4070 only have 12GB.

Don't have readily access to Canadian prices but base on US prices the 4070 Super wins with best performance per dollar and performance per watt recurring cost.

$800 16GB 4070 Ti Super, Starfield 97.0fps @ 1080p, 304W gaming power consumption
$600 12GB 4070 Super, Starfield 86.6fps @ 1080p, 218W gaming power consumption

4070 Ti Super is only 12% faster but initial cost is 33% more and recurring gaming power consumption 39% higher.

Starfield GPU performance comparison
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-super-founders-edition/28.html

GPU gaming power consumption comparison
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-super-founders-edition/41.html
 

1BadManVan

macrumors 68040
Dec 20, 2009
3,258
3,401
Bc Canada
Usual rule of thumb is buy the most GPU and VRAM you can afford but you can always dial down resolution and graphics quality if needed.

Only the 4070 TI Super has 16GB VRAM while the 4070 Ti, 4070 Super and 4070 only have 12GB.

Don't have readily access to Canadian prices but base on US prices the 4070 Super wins with best performance per dollar and performance per watt recurring cost.

$800 16GB 4070 Ti Super, Starfield 97.0fps @ 1080p, 304W gaming power consumption
$600 12GB 4070 Super, Starfield 86.6fps @ 1080p, 218W gaming power consumption

4070 Ti Super is only 12% faster but initial cost is 33% more and recurring gaming power consumption 39% higher.

Starfield GPU performance comparison
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-super-founders-edition/28.html

GPU gaming power consumption comparison
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-super-founders-edition/41.html
It’s about 15% faster in 4K and he has a 4K monitor. The higher the res, the bigger the gap will be with the extra vram. And games are only getting more demanding, look at the specs for the new flight simulator and monster hunter wilds coming out soon.

Again it comes down to what you can afford and how long you want it to last. I tend to keep my pc’s for several years so I go for top shelf components so I’m not spending my money again in a couple years just to play the next title without having to turn everything down and have it look like crap.
 
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