The Nvidia RTX 5070 promised flagship-level performance at a fraction of the cost, targeting the performance of the RTX 4090. Initial benchmarks have surfaced, and the results raise questions about whether Nvidia’s claims hold up. Let’s dive into the data and explore what these early results suggest about the RTX 5070’s capabilities.
Early Benchmarks Paint a Mixed Picture
Recently leaked Geekbench results provide our first glimpse into the RTX 5070’s potential. The benchmarks, covering Vulkan and OpenCL APIs, show the card achieving scores of 188,712 and 187,414, respectively. The test system included an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and 32GB of RAM, though the RAM’s low speed might indicate a testing anomaly.
Nvidia benchmarks for the RTX 5070.
These scores position the RTX 5070 between the RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Ti, a reasonable performance uplift. However, compared to the recently released RTX 5070 Ti, the RTX 5070 shows a performance deficit of up to 20%. This gap aligns with the card’s anticipated lower price point of $550, though real-world availability and pricing could significantly deviate from this MSRP.
The DLSS 4 Factor: Bridging the Performance Gap?
While the raw benchmark numbers don’t suggest RTX 4090-level performance, Nvidia’s claims likely hinge on DLSS 4. The company’s Multi-Frame Generation technology could substantially boost the RTX 5070’s frame rates, potentially exceeding the RTX 4090 in specific scenarios. These early benchmarks seem to confirm that DLSS 4 plays a crucial role in achieving the advertised performance targets.
Generational Improvements and Pricing Concerns
Although falling short of RTX 4090 performance in raw benchmarks, the RTX 5070 does demonstrate a notable generational improvement over the RTX 4070 series. However, potential price inflation remains a significant concern. Given the current market trends, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the RTX 5070’s actual retail price considerably higher than the announced MSRP.
The Verdict Awaits: More Testing Needed
The RTX 5070’s true capabilities will become clearer with further testing, particularly in real-world gaming scenarios. The card’s official launch on March 5 will provide reviewers with the opportunity to evaluate its performance comprehensively, including the impact of DLSS 4. Whether the RTX 5070 can truly compete with the RTX 4090 remains to be seen, but these early benchmarks offer valuable initial insights.
