Right here for evaluation at this time I’ve MSI’s RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio (opens in new tab). It is a card that brings Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace structure right down to a cheaper price level, although the three phrases ‘cheaper price level’ are very a lot relative. Nonetheless, it is a card that primarily matches the RTX 3090 (opens in new tab) in efficiency whereas costing much less. When seen in these phrases, the RTX 4070 Ti (opens in new tab) is not a foul proposition.
If you have not already learn it, now can be a superb time to take a look at our Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti review (opens in new tab). The cardboard previously often known as the RTX 4080 12GB is essentially an excellent graphics card that is nonetheless harm by its value.
It looks like each GPU article over the previous few years is framed by value discuss. Given the middling spec of the RTX 4070 Ti, you get the sensation Nvidia has a whole lot of room to drop costs. We’re nonetheless early within the life cycle of the Ada technology of playing cards, I might think about that your entire GPU product stack from each AMD and Nvidia is due for a value correction. Although when that may happen is anybody’s guess.
However earlier than drawing too many conclusions (within the introduction no much less) let me introduce to you the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio. It is the newest iteration of MSI’s widespread mannequin, which sits above its Ventus sequence and beneath the Suprim sequence. The Gaming X Trio carries the distinctive styling of its predecessors, with a stylized and considerably angular aesthetic with a superb dose of RGB lighting, a customized PCB and a manufacturing facility overclock.
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio overview and specs
Gaming X Trio specs
GPU: AD104-400-A1
Shader Items: 7,680
Enhance clock velocity: 2,680MHz
Reminiscence capability: 12GB GDDR6X
Reminiscence velocity: 21Gbps
Outputs: 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.1
Energy connectors: 1x 16-pin
Worth: $879 (opens in new tab)| £889 (opens in new tab) | AU$1,599 (opens in new tab)
The MSI, like all RTX 4070 Ti playing cards launched up to now, is constructed across the third Ada Lovelace GPU to be launched, the AD104. It follows the AD102 discovered within the GeForce RTX 4090, and the AD103 that sits on the coronary heart of the GeForce RTX 4080. AD104 is a 4nm GPU with all of its options enabled, together with 7,680 cores, 60 RT Cores and 240 Tensor Cores. For its half, MSI has set the clocks of the Gaming X Trio at a lift clock of 2745MHz, a wholesome enhance of 135MHz over the Nvidia reference velocity.
The cardboard comes with 12GB of 21Gbps GDDR6X reminiscence linked to a 192-bit bus. The ensuing 504.2GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth is not dangerous, but it surely’s truly lower than the 256-bit RTX 3070 Ti’s 608.3GB/s. I simply can’t get used to the thought of a card costing this a lot coming with a reminiscence bus like one you’d have gotten on a mid-range card from 10 years in the past.
The MSI board has a 285W TDP whereas energy is supplied by a single 16-pin 12HPWR energy connector. Show outputs are the three commonplace DP 1.4 ports plus one HDMI 2.1 port. DP 2.0 is lacking from the Ada technology, not like AMD’s newest GPUs.
The Gaming X Trio is a giant triple slot card at 34cm lengthy, and truthfully, it is overkill for this class of card. Not that that is a foul factor! The shroud is generally black with grey highlights. It is received an RGB MSI emblem on the facet, with further components both facet of the central fan. A full-length metallic backplate resides on the rear of the cardboard.
MSI’s Gaming X Trio playing cards have a long-standing status for delivering a wonderful steadiness of low noise ranges and cooling potential. As a cooler constructed to deal with greater TDPs, it has no downside preserving the 285W AD104 GPU working cool and quiet.
The primary heatsink cools the GPU, reminiscence and VRM. There are six heatpipes used to switch warmth away into what looks like acres of fins. There’s additionally a small body separate from the principle heatsink to chill some further parts. It provides some rigidity to the cardboard too.
The PCB is a customized one. It features a 10-phase design with one other two for the reminiscence. In comparison with a few of the excessive VRMs we have seen on some RTX 4090 or AMD RX 7900 XTX (opens in new tab) class playing cards, the MSI 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio PCB is kind of worldly compared. The AD104 GPU merely doesn’t require a high-end VRM design.
The Gaming X trio comes with twin BIOS. The default setting is joined by a silent choice, which runs a much less aggressive fan curve. Nevertheless, the cardboard runs with so little noise anyway, I see no purpose to have interaction the silent setting.
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio benchmarks and efficiency
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The RTX 4070 Ti is priced across the stage of the RX 7900 XT (opens in new tab). How do they stack up in opposition to each other?
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For those who have a look at the cooling outcomes, you could be shocked to see the MSI Gaming X Trio working hotter than a few of the different playing cards.
Check rig
CPU: Intel Core i9 12900K
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Apex
RAM: 2x 16GB G.Ability Trident-Z DDR5-6000 C36
Storage: 2TB Seagate FireCuda 530
Cooling: Cooler Grasp PL360 Flux 360mm AIO
PSU: Corsair AX1000
It is a deliberate selection by MSI, and its one I largely agree with. At this temperature, the RTX 4070 Ti’s enhance clocks are allowed to succeed in their most, but the cooler is all however silent. There’s merely no level to working the fan speeds any greater as all it does is add noise for no efficiency profit.
When taking a look at pure energy consumption numbers, the RTX 4070 Ti actually stands out. It beats out the RX 7900 XT however simply as importantly, completely smashes the RTX 3080 Ti (and due to this fact the RTX 3080 all the best way as much as the RTX 3090 Ti) The RTX 4070 Ti is not an ideal card however when it comes to energy consumption, it is glorious.
Artificial gaming efficiency
1440p Gaming Efficiency
4K Gaming Efficiency
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio evaluation
Let’s ignore the pricing for a minute and concentrate on relative efficiency. The RTX 4070 Ti is an excellent 1440p card, hitting the bottom 60 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 even with out enabling DLSS voodoo. It pulls forward of each the RTX 3080 Ti and RX 7900 XT in benchmarks with ray tracing enabled.
The tables are turned in the case of conventional rendering the place the RX 7900 XT pulls out a wholesome lead. All of it comes again to the enduring query: Do you worth ray tracing and DLSS? Each playing cards have their strengths and weaknesses.
At 4K the RTX 4070 Ti seems to lose a little bit of efficiency. That is most likely a results of a reminiscence bandwidth bottleneck. It is nonetheless able to 4K gaming however the likes of the RTX 3080 and Ti stay potent opponents.
Curiously, the MSI card was completely satisfied to constantly run at as much as 2,850MHz. Nvidia (and MSI) deserve credit score for extracting such a clock velocity with out dropping the plot on energy consumption.
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio verdict
You get the sensation Nvidia is making critical cash on every RTX 4070 Ti bought.
So, the RTX 4070 Ti is a potent 1440p card and greater than able to 4K gaming with the ever-impressive DLSS enabled, but it surely does not exist in a vacuum, and which means pricing comes again into the equation. In comparison with the RX 7900 XT it isn’t dangerous, however that is a way more sophisticated design. You get the sensation Nvidia is making critical cash on every RTX 4070 Ti bought. All we are able to do is hope that it’s going to ultimately ship some aid to players who’ve had little to cheer about in recent times with the pandemic, provide chain points and mining demand to cope with.
Getting again to the MSI Gaming X Trio, and I am happy to say MSI has once more achieved a stellar job. The cooler is tuned excellent, permitting the GPU to succeed in its highest enhance states with out compromising on noise ranges.
It appears to be like good, it is received a superb high quality PCB, twin BIOS and its Afterburner software program at all times will get a good point out, though its future maybe isn’t entirely certain (opens in new tab).
Whether or not the RTX 4070 Ti is the best card for you comes right down to what you’ve in your rig proper now. For those who’re upgrading from a GTX card or RTX 20 sequence card, you will get pleasure from a shocking efficiency uplift, plus get pleasure from the advantages of a lot improved ray tracing efficiency and DLSS. However if you happen to’ve received an RTX 30 or RX 6000-series card, the positive aspects aren’t wherever close to as dramatic, particularly given the associated fee concerned.
For those who do determine to seize an RTX 4070 Ti, the MSI taste is an efficient one. It blends efficiency cooling capability and construct high quality right into a well-balanced bundle. It isn’t overly costly in comparison with the high-end Asus Strix or MSI Suprim, and that is particularly vital when you think about these playing cards actually are overkill for what is actually a mid-range GPU.
Knock 100 off the worth Nvidia, after which the RTX 4070 Ti turns into one thing totally different, one thing extremely potent.
