Now the big question is if you really need the best GTX 1070 considering their prices when placed right beside the GTX 1080. That is a valid concern but when you look closely, even though the GTX 1080 is the newer version, it doesn’t offer as much in performance as the GTX 1070. In fact, that is why its price had to be brought a little down.
What you will see is that when you compare the performance and the price of the two, you’ll realize that the GTX 1070 offers relative value. The claim is not entirely bold because when you add a little close to a hundred dollars, you will get a GTX 1080.
But then, 100 bucks can be big money, and the 1070 still offers excellent performance.
When you decide to put price aside, there are things that you need to consider when trying to pick a good GTX 1070. You have the raw performance to look out for, which is the most important thing of all. There are also other things like noise, software, and price, of course, among other things.
You will find that most of these graphics cards come with almost the same performance, but there are some slight differences which have been the separating factors.
Best GTX 1070
EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC GAMING ACX 3.0
The EVGA GeForce FTW GTX 1070 comes with the promise of good overclocking and better cooling. This dual slot card comes ready to fit in almost any available case.
More so, to the design, it has a premium touch to it with a good backplate and it generally meets the demands of any good aesthetics department. The design is further enhanced by the RGB lighting it features.
Let’s get to the cooling of the fan. This graphics card has the EVGA ACX 3.0 cooling which is designed to give better fan blade count and more efficient cooling.
The performance of the card is very good. The FTW delivers factory base clocking of 1506 MHz and a boost clocking of 1683 MHz. For memory overclocking, you get to reach up to 8000 Mhz.
With the silence of performance, this card delivers a noise of 30 decibels when idle, and only 33dB when under load. This is one of the quietest you can get.
Another important thing with this is with the horsepower it gives most especially when you consider its GDDR5 memory at 8 Gbps.
Pros
- Very silent performance
- The general performance is top notch.
- It is very durable with a 3-year warranty
Cons
- Some people may consider it a little expensive.
Verdict
At the end of the day, this has risen to be one of the best GTX 1070 because of the amazing performance that also comes very cool. If you place this on per dollar performance basis, you will have this go even better than the GTX 1080. Yes, if you are for a quiet piece, this is as well your pick.
ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 (STRIX-GTX1070-8G-GAMING)
This graphics card is designed with loads of cool features to accompany its excellent performance. With a triple card design, it has good RGB lighting and easy looks that can be appreciated easily.
The Strix GTX1070 comes with good performance as it hits a 1657 MHz Base clock in its OC mode, while in the boost clock you get to achieve 1869 Mhz. More so, it comes with 8GB GDDR5.
Besides, overclocking with this is even as easy as you can get, and that is thanks to the GPU Tweak II software.
The cooling performance is also very good as while the reference GTX 1070 from NVIDIA reaches 80 degrees in temp, this has a way of controlling things to ensure that you barely reach or even pass 60 degrees. Even when you decide to go with very demanding games, this still manages to hold without reaching 66.
I don’t see noise as something that you will need to worry about because this is also very controlled and you almost don’t get to hear anything.
Lastly, if you want to achieve some level of 4K gaming, this will also give that to you, even though it may not be able to take it all the way.
Pros
- Good looks and RGB lighting.
- Well thought of GPU Tweak II software
- Decent and silent cooling performance.
- Crazy general performance.
Cons
- Again, the price of this graphics card may also be a problem for some.
Verdict
For the price you are paying for this card, you will expect to get nothing short of the best. That, in fact, is what you get as it doesn’t just deliver good features, but also comes with performance and good looks.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming
The Gigabyte G1 Gaming is for me, one of the most brilliant you can have in the GTX 1070 collection. This is because of what it gives you from previous generations.
With the looks and design, I will not stick my neck on the beauty of this card, even though it has very little LED lighting. But apart from the looks, it has features that are very good and it is not one of the largest you will see. More so, it is not heavy to overburden your motherboard.
Because it is a WINDFORCE 3X fan, it is only normal that it comes with 3 fans that do a good job in keeping cool most especially when you consider its good heatsink and overall cooling solution. Another thing is that with the fans, the card performs without making any noise.
To the performance of this beast, out of the box it has a default overclocking of 1784 MHz, and 1822 MHz on boost clock. Sure, with manual overclocking, you can even achieve some more in performance.
You can have your card working on three modes. While gaming allows you stick with the factory overclocking, the OC mode gets you up to 20 MHz frequency.
For controls and adjustability of fans, RGB, and manual overclocking, you can easily use the Xtreme Gaming Engine Utility from Gigabyte.
Pros
- Good cooling solution.
- Good performance.
- It offers value for money.
- Nice size and features.
Cons
- It is made of plastic, even though it has a good backplate.
Verdict
If you are looking for one to take part in a beauty contest, this will definitely take you nowhere. But if crazy performance is what you’re looking for, this is a promise to keep. To a greater extent, I will recommend this if you are looking to upgrade your GTX 970 Graphic card.
Zotac GTX 1070 AMP! Extreme
For someone looking for a card that promises quality, this broad-shouldered graphics card may just be the best GTX 1070 for you out there.
While with a good design, it is very important that you understand this card is one of the largest GTX 1070 out there and it takes a space of 2.5 slot.
For the cooling, this large piece comes with excellent cooling thanks to the 3 90mm fans it comes with as well as its many heat pipes and heatsinks. On idle, it records a 36 degrees C temp and 65 degrees C when on heavy load.
Considering the size of this card, it will be good for one to get a bracket that will help in ensuring it doesn’t sag on the motherboard.
With the performance of this virtual reality-ready piece, you get to have a memory overclocking of 1835 MHz when boosted, which is a good jump from its 1632 MHz base overclocking. Manually, you can get to achieve even better things with it.
With the FireStorm utility, you will be able to make various adjustments including the RGB lighting, Fan performance, and overclocking.
It features an 8 GB DDR5 memory which adds to the performance.
It has 3 1.4 DisplayPort, 1 2.0b HDMI, and 1 Dual-link DVI.
Pros
- Very bold and strong build quality.
- Good design and LED lighting with many effects and easy control.
- Great performance.
- Good cooling and low noise.
- Will be able to deliver good 4k gaming.
Cons
- It is on the larger side.
Verdict
If you do not mind the side but are instead, looking for a graphics card that will give excellent cooling and overall performance, this is the pick for you. But more than that, this is the champ when the goal is to get a strongly built GTX 1070.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC
So yeah, you also get good things in small sizes. That is the testament of the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC. Hence if you are looking for a graphics card that will serve for a small form factor, this is a great choice.
After this was launched, MSI came up with the GTX 1070 AERO ITX 8G OC to compete. While the card from MSI doesn’t perform badly, it still doesn’t answer some questions this pushes across especially on performance.
Looking at the performance of the card, like others it comes with 8GB GDDR5 memory and gives you an overclocking of 1746 MHz in Boost mode as against the base of 1556 MHz in OC Mode. In gaming mode, what you get is 1721 MHz in boost while in the base you get to record 1531 MHz.
For cooling, it comes with a single 90mm fan and a robust heatsink that keeps you in the right temp. With just a fan, you will not expect it to make much noise, and it doesn’t. If you think it won’t be efficient enough in cooling, you would be wrong because the heatsink does very well and the fan does a good job.
Pros
- Best 1070 GTX for small form factors
- Beautiful and compact.
- The performance is very good.
- Surprisingly quiet.
- Excellent build and components.
Cons
- It is not the most silent.
Verdict
In a small form factor, this is an excellent piece to give generous power. The piece comes with good performance and build, as well as stability.
Conclusion
Getting the best GTX 1070 or any other is central to the type of gaming you are able to play, and the general graphical performance of the gaming. That is what the cards on the list are able to perform, with some coming with the ability to even push you through 4K gaming. Most importantly, there are cheaper cards out there, but while most would be from lower generation, there are others that are in the 1070 generation but may not be able to give as much as these.