With a few days until the release of its latest graphics card, tech giant Nvidia confirmed that the upcoming GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER will have 48MB of L2 cache, which is 12MB more than previously stated. This boosted specification means that, for gaming performance, the new Nvidia GPU will receive more of a boost than initially stated.

At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Nvidia pulled back the curtain on the RTX 40 SUPER Series of graphics cards, which are set to launch through the rest of January. With an MSRP of $599, the RTX 4070 SUPER will be joined by the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and the RTX 4080 SUPER. Though the latter two graphics cards will supersede the non-SUPER variants, the RTX 4070 SUPER will be sold alongside the current RTX 4070 models. As a result of this launch, the RTX 4070 will see a price decrease, down to $549 on average. Whether this will entice PC builders to go for the RTX 4070 or wait a little longer to get their hands on an RTX 4070 SUPER remains to be seen.

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With the January 17 launch date in sight, Nvidia clarified one important specification for their incoming GPU. Though it was initially believed to have the same 36MB L2 (level 2) cache as the RTX 4070, the RTX 4070 SUPER will instead see it increased to 48MB. This detail was corrected by Nvidia on its website days before the launch of the RTX 4070 SUPER. While 12MB may not seem like a lot on the surface, the L2 cache of the graphics card works in tandem with the available VRAM and memory bus. Coupled with the same 12GB of GDDR6X video memory, and the same 192-bit memory bandwidth bus as the RTX 4070 series GPUs, the RTX 4070 SUPER will have significant performance gains for just $50 more than its non-SUPER counterpart.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

• 48MB L2 Cache (up from previously-stated 36MB)
• 12GB GDDR6X VRAM (192-bit memory bandwidth)
• Support for Ray Tracing and Nvidia DLSS 3
• 15% to 20% better performance than the RTX 4070 (around 7% slower than the outgoing RTX 4070 Ti)
• Available starting January 17 ($599 MSRP)

While performance is game-dependent, the additional L2 cache and higher CUDA core count on the RTX 4070 SUPER will put it within a few percent of the outgoing RTX 4070 Ti model in terms of performance. However, the RTX 4070 SUPER will have around a 15% to 20% performance gain over the RTX 4070, which is significant given the $50 MSRP difference between the two. At the $599 price point, the RTX 4070 SUPER could potentially be one of Nvidia's top-selling cards.

With features such as ray tracing and DLSS upscaling continuing to be Nvidia's talking points, the RTX 4070 SUPER will continue that trend. It remains to be seen how PC builders will respond once the GPU hits store shelves on January 17.

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  Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G

  $550 $600 Save $50

  The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G is a powerful graphics card that can run most modern games comfortably at 1440p. It comes with a triple fan design for better heat dissipation. It boasts higher clock speeds than the Founders Edition card at 2490 MHz. It has the same 5888 Cuda cores and 12 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 192-bit memory bus.
  
  A single 8-pin connector powers the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G, unlike its higher-end siblings which move to the newer 12VHPWR connector.

  See at Amazon$550 at Newegg$550 at Best Buy

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  ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 OC

  $650 $680 Save $30

  The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 OC is the most well-rounded offering from ASUS in terms of pricing, performance, and build quality when it comes to an RTX 4070. With excellent, quiet cooling, an above-average boost clock, and a rugged look, it is one of the best RTX 4070 SKUs money can buy.

  See at Amazon$687 at Newegg$650 at Best Buy

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  ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge

  $500 $633 Save $133

  The Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge offers unmatched gaming performance at its pricepoint. Supporting NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace architecture, gamers can experience the full impact of DLSS 3 and ray tracing. The RTX 4070 is also a more compact card for smaller less power-hungry gaming rigs. IceStorm 2.0 cooling lets gamers push their GPU to the max without it breaking a sweat.

  $500 at Amazon