NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti in 2025: Is it Worth Considering?

Architectural Overview, Performance, and Practical Tips

1. Architecture and Key Features

The Foundation – Pascal: A Proven but Outdated Platform

The GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, released in 2017, is built on the Pascal (GP104) architecture. This generation was a significant step for NVIDIA thanks to the transition to a 16nm process technology by TSMC, which allowed for increased energy efficiency compared to earlier series (Maxwell, 28nm).

Key Features:

- 2560 CUDA Cores: The basis for computation;

- Technologies of Its Time: Support for DirectX 12, Vulkan, and NVIDIA Ansel for creating 360° screenshots;

- Lack of Modern Features: RTX (ray tracing), DLSS (AI scaling), and FidelityFX (AMD's competitive solutions) are not supported.

Important: In 2025, the Pascal architecture appears archaic compared to Ada Lovelace (RTX 40 series) and RDNA 4 (AMD). However, for basic tasks and gaming without cutting-edge effects, the GTX 1070 Ti is still relevant.

2. Memory: Speed and Capacity

GDDR5 – A Step Back in the Era of GDDR6X

The GTX 1070 Ti is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. The bandwidth is 256 GB/s, which is half that of modern cards using GDDR6X (for example, RTX 4060 Ti - 288 GB/s with a 128-bit bus).

How Does This Affect Performance?

- In games with high textures (e.g., Cyberpunk 2077), there may be FPS drops at Ultra settings due to limited memory speed;

- For professional tasks (rendering in Blender), 8 GB may be insufficient for complex scenes.

3. Gaming Performance

Modest Results in 2025

At 1080p, the GTX 1070 Ti shows acceptable performance:

- CS2 — 120–150 FPS on High;

- Fortnite — 70–90 FPS on Epic (without ray tracing);

- Hogwarts Legacy — 45–55 FPS on Medium.

For 1440p, settings need to be lowered to Medium-High:

- Red Dead Redemption 2 — 40–50 FPS;

- Elden Ring — 50–60 FPS (with occasional drops).

4K – Not feasible: even on Low in Cyberpunk 2077, the card only achieves 25–30 FPS.

Ray Tracing: The lack of hardware support for RT cores makes this technology unavailable. Attempts to enable ray tracing through mods lead to FPS dropping below 20.

4. Professional Tasks

CUDA to the Rescue, But Lacking Special Features

Thanks to CUDA cores, the GTX 1070 Ti handles basic tasks:

- Video Editing: Rendering in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro is 1.5–2 times slower than on the RTX 3060;

- 3D Modelling: In Blender and Maya, the card is suitable for learning but not for commercial projects;

- Scientific Calculations: Support for OpenCL/CUDA allows the GPU to be used in machine learning (at the level of student experiments).

Limitation: The absence of Tensor Cores (for AI acceleration) and RT Cores reduces competitiveness in professional environments.

5. Power Consumption and Heat Generation

Efficiency as an Advantage

- TDP: 180W — a modest figure even for 2025 (e.g., the RTX 4070 consumes 200W with twice the performance);

- Cooling Recommendations:

- A system with 2–3 fans will handle the load, but temperatures may reach 75–80°C under stress;

- A case with good ventilation (at least 2 intake and 1 exhaust fan).

Tip: For overclocking (if the model allows), consider changing the thermal paste and using a case with mesh filters to keep dust out.

6. Comparison with Competitors

Budget Segment: Battle of Generations

NVIDIA:

- RTX 3050 (8 GB) — $250: 30% faster in games, supports DLSS and ray tracing;

- GTX 1660 Super — $180: 15% weaker but more energy-efficient.

AMD:

- Radeon RX 6600 — $220: Outperforms GTX 1070 Ti by 25–40%, features FSR 3.0;

- Radeon RX 580 (8 GB) — $150: Outdated but a cheap alternative.

Conclusion: The GTX 1070 Ti makes sense to purchase only at a price below $180; otherwise, newer alternatives are preferable.

7. Practical Tips

How to Avoid Problems?

- Power Supply: Minimum 500W (recommended 80+ Bronze);

- Compatibility: PCIe 3.0 x16 (works on PCIe 4.0/5.0 without losses);

- Drivers: NVIDIA continues to release updates, but optimization for new games is weaker than for the RTX series;

- Monitor: Ideally suited for 1080p @ 60–144 Hz.

Note: Some models of the GTX 1070 Ti (e.g., from MSI or ASUS) have DVI-D connectors, which are outdated by 2025 — ensure your monitor supports HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.4.

8. Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Sufficient performance for 1080p gaming;

- Low power consumption;

- Reliability (without overclocking).

Cons:

- No support for ray tracing and DLSS/FSR;

- Outdated architecture;

- Limited capacity and memory speed.

9. Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the GTX 1070 Ti in 2025?

This graphics card is suitable for:

1. Budget Gamers playing titles from 2010 to 2020 (The Witcher 3, Overwatch) or less demanding indie games;

2. Owners of Older PCs looking to upgrade without replacing the power supply;

3. Students learning the basics of 3D modeling.

Price: New models (rare in 2025) are priced at $180–220, but the card is more often available on the secondhand market for $100–150.

Alternative: If your budget allows $250–300, it's better to choose the RTX 3050 or RX 6600 — they guarantee support for modern technologies and future-proofing.

The GTX 1070 Ti remains a symbol of an era when technology evolved rapidly, but in 2025, it should only be viewed as a temporary solution.