Are you building a gaming PC on a tight budget? Nvidia GTX 1070 might be the perfect choice if you’re looking to spend under $100 on GPU. Even though it was released in 2016, this GPU still holds its ground in 2024. Let’s dive into what makes the GTX 1070 an excellent budget option and see how it performs with some of today’s demanding games.
The GTX 1070: A Quick Overview
The GTX 1070 was part of the Nvidia 10 series and was launched on June 10, 2016. It was developed based on Nvidia’s Pascal architecture. Earlier it cost 379$, while today you can buy it for 85$ at stores.
The GDDR5 memory with 8GB is in this card and as for the memory bus, it has 256 bits. It’s a PCIe 3. 0 card that somehow can still run gaming at 1080p even in the year 2024. While this is a great card for those willing to build a budget gaming PC they shouldn’t complain.
The model that we will be discussing today is the Aero ITX version and it is quite small, single-fan cooler. Well here in this card, the size is small so it can perfectly fit in compact form of buildings. There have been other prices, but the current price is about $ 85, and thus great for the gamer on a tight budget.
The Test Bench
To see what this GPU can do, we tested it on a powerful setup. The test bench included:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, 8 cores, 16 threads.
- RAM: 32GB of DDR5 at 6000 MHz.
- Storage: 4TB NVMe SSD.
- Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix B650 Wi-Fi.
- PSU: 1200W 80 Plus Gold.
- Case: Full ATX with high airflow.
While this setup is high-end, the goal was to push the GTX 1070 as far as possible. Let’s now get into how this GPU performs in some modern games.
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p High Settings)
Average FPS: 63
Max FPS: 78
Min FPS: 52
We tested Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p on high settings without FSR (upscaling technology). The GTX 1070 delivered a solid 63 FPS on average. At its lowest, it dropped to 52 FPS, and it peaked at 78 FPS.
This is impressive for a card under $100. You get smooth gameplay with decent graphics quality. However, if you want even better performance, you can enable FSR to increase the frame rates. The single fan on this model kept the temperature around 75°C, but a dual or triple-fan model would likely cool better.
Black Myth: Wukong (1080p Medium Settings with FSR and Frame Gen)
Average FPS: 76
Max FPS: 86
Min FPS: 36
Black Myth: Wukong is one of the more demanding titles. Running at 1080p with medium settings, with FSR and frame generation enabled, the GTX 1070 averaged 76 FPS, with troughs down to 36 FPS.
Without frame generation, the game could still hit around 60 FPS on medium settings. The 8GB of VRAM helps the GTX 1070 stay relevant even in 2024. It’s playable. With frame generation, however, performance picks up a notch, especially for such an older GPU.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (1080p Medium Settings, No FSR)
Average FPS: 60
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is all about the open-world environment and graphics-a treat indeed. Running at 1080p, medium settings, without FSR, the average FPS for GTX 1070 was 60.
This is where the 8GB VRAM shines. While this game could push the card to its limits, the GTX 1070 delivers a very stable and smooth experience at 60 FPS. Of course, you can expect minor dips in busy areas, but for a budget GPU under $100, performance is pretty good.
The Finals (1080p Medium Settings, No Upscaling)
FPS: 60-70
The Finals is one of those rather demanding titles, which puts a load on both the CPU and the GPU. The GTX 1070 managed to keep the action in the 60-70 FPS range at medium settings with no upscaling at 1080p.
This is a game where your CPU matters a lot. On our test setup, the Ryzen 7 7700X boosted performances, but even with a more budget-friendly CPU such as the Ryzen 5 5500 or Intel i3-12100, decent frame rates are within expectations.
As for those who would play The Finals on a tight budget, the GTX 1070 will have a good gaming time at 1080p, especially with a mid-range CPU.
Warzone (1080p Balanced Settings, No FSR)
FPS: 60-70
Warzone does indeed require good hardware. The GTX 1070 managed to pull 60-70 frames per second with balanced settings at 1080p.
But there were some dives into the high 40s during intense moments, overall it was a smooth experience. Turning on FSR would help to keep the FPS higher, but without that, this card still manages to provide playable performance in Warzone. The casual playing you’re not competing at the high end-the GTX 1070 has no problems playing Warzone.
Final Thoughts: Is the GTX 1070 Worth It?
Anything less than $100 is hard to find and beat with the GTX 1070. Although this is an older card, in 2024 it still performs well. You should expect smooth gameplay at 1080p for most modern games at medium to high settings.
The GTX 1070 is one of the most value-for-money, budget Nvidia GPU options for gaming. Just keep in mind that this card is already in the last phase of its driver support, and cards like the GTX 1660 Super or RTX 3050 would give you more life, though at a much higher price.
The GTX 1070 is a great choice to make a budget gaming PC at 1080p without actually breaking the bank. You can find one for about $85, and it’ll get you through the next couple of years with ease and be okay with its potential driver limitations in the future.
In conclusion, the GTX 1070 provides gamers on a budget-reliable, solid, and powerful can afford an Nvidia GPU under $100.
Want to know about two GPU PC setups? Click here!
FAQs
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