Price When Reviewed

$699

Best Prices Today: GeForce RTX 4070 Amp Airo

$669.99

One of the issues we love about Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition graphics card is its diminutive measurement. Finally, after an RTX 40-series rollout solely composed of monstrous triple-slot beasts, a standard two-slot design arrives! But what if you would like the acute cooling and ample extras an even bigger graphics card supplies? Enter the Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Amp Airo.

Ostensibly a $699 providing (although we’re seeing it going for $669 in some locations RTX 4070s are sold), Zotac delivers much more heavy steel within the 2.5-slot Amp Airo, enhanced by enticing RGB lighting you received’t discover within the Founders Edition. It additionally comes with a slight manufacturing facility overclock. The tweaks assist Zotac’s 4070 flagship run cooler, quieter, sooner, and flashier than Nvidia’s homegrown mannequin. Is it sufficient to justify the value improve?

Let’s dig in.

Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Amp Airo specs and options

At its core, the Zotac Amp Airo revolves across the similar “GA104” GPU all RTX 4070s are constructed upon (which itself is a cut-down model of the GA102 die discovered within the $800 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Check out our original RTX 4070 review for the complete particulars.

In a nutshell, Nvidia’s RTX 4070 GPU delivers extremely environment friendly, ultra-fast 1440p gaming and best-in-class ray tracing efficiency, bolstered by DLSS 3 Frame Generation and GeForce’s arsenal of improbable software program options (like RTX Video Super Resolution and Nvidia Reflex). It mercifully comes with 12GB of quick GDDR6X reminiscence, an enchancment over the RTX 3070’s 8GB of fundamental GDDR6, however Nvidia geared up it with a slender 192-bit reminiscence bus that limits its future potential at 4K decision. Essentially, the RTX 4070 is a fully killer 1440p graphics card however don’t purchase it when you’re seeking to play at 4K long-term.

Keith May/IDG

Zotac modified just a few issues up, nevertheless—specifically, making use of a manufacturing facility overclock. The RTX 4070 Amp Airo is rated for two,535MHz enhance clock speeds, in comparison with the Founders Edition’s 2,475MHz. That jolt, together with the flashy RGB lights, bump the rated energy consumption to 215 watts, up from the Founders Edition’s 200W. It makes use of the identical 16-pin 12VHPWR connector as Nvidia’s card, nevertheless, which connects to twin 8-pin energy cables by way of an included adapter.

But the true motive to think about shopping for this explicit graphics card is for its kitted-out customized cooling design. The Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Amp Airo affords a superb tackle the GeForce RTX 4070. While it might be on the higher finish of the RTX 4070 pricing section, the Amp Airo actually has the development to again up the rise.

Keith May/IDG

Coming in at 2.5 slots, it’s as large and daring as pricier RTX 40-series graphics playing cards, however due to the a lot decrease energy the 4070 operates at, this beefy beast runs ice chilly and whisper quiet. The triple followers on the Icestorm 2.0 cooler permit Zotac’s Amp Airo to achieve core clocks of round 2,750MHz below gaming hundreds whereas sustaining a sub-65C temperature. Better but, we couldn’t seize the Amp Airo’s noise ranges as a result of the Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer 2 420mm cooler utilized in our testing rig made extra noise than the graphics card.

Seriously. It’s that quiet.

While the cardboard is very large for this efficiency section, it nonetheless has a smooth design that isn’t too garish, and Zotac had the foresight to toss a tasteful GPU help stand within the field. Thankfully, the cardboard is constructed rock stable, so sag must be minimal anyway—which means the help bracket received’t should work too onerous to maintain the GPU good and degree. Still, we respect Zotac including it.

Keith May/IDG

And this can be a card that can need to be proven off. When the RTX 4070 Amp Airo is powered on, the aspect of the cardboard illuminates in a surprisingly tasteful array of colours. By default, it’ll take you for a journey on rainbow highway, however the RGB lighting may be configured with Zotac’s FireStorm Utility when you need. Note, nevertheless, that this model of the Amp Airo lacks the twin BIOS swap discovered on pricier fashions.

With that out of the best way, let’s get to the benchmarks!

Our take a look at system

Keith May examined the Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Amp Airo on his testing system, which runs utilizing the identical core parts as Brad’s foremost PCWorld GPU testing rig. You can see Keith clarify the parts in his rig in video form here, whereas this link particulars what’s inside the primary GPU rig. Keith offered numbers for the Zotac card; the comparability knowledge was pulled from our just-updated database of GPUs utilizing the primary take a look at rig.

Keith May/IDG

Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Amp Airo efficiency benchmarks

Since we already understand how the usual RTX 4070 performs, we carried out a number of checks to see how the Zotac RTX 4070 Amp Airo performs, utilizing the usual testing strategies outlined intimately within the second hyperlink above. We additionally included ray tracing and DLSS benchmarks after the usual rasterization checks.

We’ll let these benchmarks converse for themselves, merely setting the stage with some preliminary commentary. The Zotac Amp Airo’s gentle manufacturing facility overclock and outrageous cooling answer helps it run about 5 % sooner on common than the RTX 4070 Founders Edition, although that jumps to 11 % in Total War: Troy. Differences in reminiscence timings between the 2 take a look at rigs might account for a few of that, nevertheless, however anticipate the Zotac to run barely sooner than the Founders Edition total.

Again: This is a good, extremely environment friendly 1440p graphics card with top-notch ray tracing and DLSS.

Keith May/IDG

Keith May/IDG

Keith May/IDG

Keith May/IDG

Keith May/IDG

Keith May/IDG

Keith May/IDG

Keith May/IDG

Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Amp Airo energy and thermals

We take a look at energy draw by looping the F1 22 benchmark at 4K for about 20 minutes after we’ve benchmarked every part else (to heat up the GPU) and noting the very best studying on our Watts Up Pro meter, which measures the ability consumption of our whole take a look at system. The preliminary a part of the race, the place all competing vehicles are onscreen concurrently, tends to be probably the most demanding portion. 

This isn’t a worst-case take a look at; this can be a GPU-bound recreation working at a GPU-bound decision to gauge efficiency when the graphics card is sweating onerous. If you’re enjoying a recreation that additionally hammers the CPU, you would see larger total system energy attracts. Consider your self warned.

Keith May/IDG

As you possibly can see, the RTX 4070 and Zotac’s Amp Airo completely sips energy whereas delivering knockout 1440p efficiency. Props to Nvidia for the effectivity it achieved with this GPU.

When it involves cooling, the Amp Airo stayed beneath 65 levels Celsius always. That’s deeply spectacular, nevertheless it’s value noting that the Founders Edition topped out at 67 levels, so damned-good temperatures are a calling card for the 4070. Where Zotac provides its particular sauce is within the noise ranges: We couldn’t even attempt to seize these as a result of the CPU cooler in our testing rig was louder than the Amp Airo’s followers. For all intents and functions, this card is just about silent—one thing the Founders Edition can’t declare.

Should you purchase the Zotac RTX 4070 Amp Airo?

If you’re on the lookout for a extremely environment friendly 1440p graphics card backed by a bevy of recent options, like DLSS 3 Frame Generation and best-in-class ray tracing, the RTX 4070 is value contemplating. It’s not a slam dunk advice given its excessive worth, and you need to look elsewhere for 4K gaming. We delve deeper into that breakdown in our original RTX 4070 review.

But if you would like a 4070 particularly, is the Zotac RTX 4070 Amp Airo value shopping for? It will depend on your wishes.

Further studying: GeForce RTX 4070 vs. RTX 3080 vs. Radeon RX 6800 XT: Which GPU should you buy?

Keith May/IDG

Nvidia’s RTX 4070 Founders Edition delivers basically the identical efficiency and energy effectivity in a smaller two-slot design. Go that route when you’re constructing a small form-factor PC. If you’re rocking one thing extra giant and in cost, the beefier Zotac Amp Airo is value contemplating. Its heft not solely helps it carry out a wee bit sooner than the Founders Edition, however all that heavy steel additionally retains this beast working ice-cold and totally silent even when below probably the most strenuous gaming hundreds. Silent working is a large quality-of-life improve that may’t be understated. And scorching rattling, its rainbow LEDs look good.

The downside is that the RTX 4070 is already priced uncomfortably excessive for our tastes. Adding additional prices on high solely exacerbates that. That stated, you’ll at all times pay a worth premium for a slickly designed, well-engineered customized card just like the Zotac Amp Airo. We’re seeing it go for wherever from $669 to $699 relying on the place you store. If the whisper-quiet noise ranges, barely sooner efficiency, eye-catching RGB lights, and frigid temperatures are worthwhile to you, go for it—although we’d counsel going with one of many decrease priced retailers when you can.