The Nvidia Geforce RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 may have been around for a while now, but don’t let that put you off. With the arrival of the Super cards, the 4070 Super, 4070 Ti Super, and the 4080 Super, these ‘standard’ cards offer great value for money for those after a lower-mid range setup.
The RTX 4060 sits behind the RTX 4060 Ti and targets those on a tighter budget gaming on 1080p, who still want to enjoy Nvidia features such as ray tracing and DLSS. The RTX 4070, which has since been replaced by the more powerful RTX 4070 Super, is angling for PC gamers playing at 1440p. Of course, we’ve gone in-depth into the real nitty-gritty details of these cards in our reviews of the RTX 4060 and the RTX 4070.
In this comparison of the 4060 vs 4070, we will pit these two cards against each other to help you decide which offers better value for your hard-earned money and upcoming PC build. As with every comparison, there are both plus points and considerations relating to both cards. Let’s kick off.
Quick answer
If you’re wanting to game at 1440p, then the 4070 is absolutely the way to go. There’s plenty more VRAM under the hood, and it’ll allow you to crank up the graphics settings to enjoy the game looking its best. The 4060 is a great card, but its limited VRAM means you’ll be constrained to lower resolutions, especially if you’re wanting to crank up the fidelity.
RTX 4060 vs RTX 4070 – The Comparison
Here is a comparison table of the features present on the RTX 4060 and RTX 4070:
| Specs | RTX 4060 | RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|
| GPU Cores | 3072 | 4608 |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMUs) | 96 | 144 |
| ROPs | 32 | 48 |
| Base Clock | 1395 MHz | 1545 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1695 MHz | 1890 MHz |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR6 | 12 GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Speed | 14 Gbps | 19 Gbps |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit | 320-bit |
| Power Consumption | 170 W | 220 W |
| TDP | 170 W | 220 W |
In terms of the specs, it’s clear that these are both mid-range cards, but the extra $300 on the price tag of the RTX 4070 is reflected in its upgraded capabilities. The RTX 4070 has 4608 GPU cores and 144 TMUs, whereas the 4060 has 3072 and 96 cores and TMUs respectively, meaning you can expect a bit more overall graphical prowess from the 4070. Another significant disparity is with the VRAM, as the RT 4060 only has 8GB, 4GB less than the 12GB of the RTX 4070: this is the main reason that the 4060 is pretty limited to 1080p gaming, whereas the 4070 is way better for higher resolution gaming. Naturally, as a less demanding GPU, the RTX 4060 consumes significantly less power – 170 W – compared to the 220 W that the 4070 gets through.
4060 vs 4070 performance
The ASUS ROG Strix Gaming GPU in front of its original boxing © BGFG
The Gigabyte RTX 4070 graphics card, illuminated by blue LED lighting © BGFG
The RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 are built on the same Ada Lovelace architecture, which in our testing (we have reviewed a number of Nvidia’s cards using this architecture) offers exceptional gaming performance. The RTX 4060 is certainly one of the entry-level cards in this family and would struggle to keep up with its more powerful sibling, the RTX 4060 Ti. That being said, there is plenty to like here.
For one, 8GB of VRAM is nothing to be sniffed at – and is marginally behind one of the top cards a couple of years ago, the RTX 3080. How times have changed… This means the 4060 will be a beast at 1080p but will start to struggle at higher resolutions. It’s thus a perfect card for those playing less graphically intensive online games, such as Fortnite and Warzone. Our in-house testing conducted by WePC’s Sebastian Kozlowski, the RTX 4060 was seen to largely achieve this goal. The 4060 reached heights of 392 FPS / 1080p in Rainbow Six Seige and 493 FPS / 1080p in CS:GO, but dragged slightly in more demanding titles.
Overall, the 4060 is an attractive ‘first card’ for parents thinking about a first gaming build for their son/daughter. The conservative power draw is also a plus – as you’ll be able to get away with a far smaller, less powerful PSU.
The 4070, meanwhile, is a bit of a step up, and therefore perfect for those who game at 1440p resolution. Like the other Nvidia cards, you’ll be able to enable ray tracing, DLSS and more to improve and customise performance to your likings. There’s a lot more VRAM to play around with here, with 12GB more than enough to enjoy most AAA games maxed out at 1440p with decent framerates. Our benchmarking found CS2 hitting 313 FPS average at 1080p, 214 at 1440p, and 103 at 4K. While Cyberpunk 2077 is optimized with Nvidia cards, you can expect averages of 108, 74, and 27 FPS in 1080, 1440, and 4K respectively.
The biggest issue we have with the 4070 right now is actually because of the 4070 Super, which we reviewed and thought it was fantastic. In 2024, this is absolutely the card to get for 1440p, but if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, the RTX 4070 is still viable as a strong contender.
Pricing
Regarding pricing, the RTX 4060 is more budget-friendly than the higher-end RTX 4070, although the latter has come down in price following the launch of the Super variants. The RTX 4060 offers a great balance between price and performance, making it an attractive choice for gamers who want to upgrade without breaking the bank. If you did want to stretch yourself, or want a bit more VRAM, you could even consider looking at the 16GB 4060 Ti variant.
So, we’ve established that both these cards have been out for a while: have either of them dropped in price, and are they still getting cheaper? Luckily for you, we’ve also done some background research into the pricing history of these two cards on the reputable price-tracking website Camelcamelcamel.com.
In the graph above, we used the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4060 as an example. As you can see, the pricing of the card has been quite unstable, but on the whole, there is a decreasing price trend: it’s normal to see a price peak over the holiday season. The card is now regularly sitting around the $294 mark, which is slightly lower than its original $314 price.
The RTX 4070 provides superior performance but at a higher cost. It sports an MSRP of $540, but the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 OC started at $749: it’s now fallen by $100, to the price of $649. Unsurprisingly, there is also a strong decreasing trend shown in the graph. As mentioned earlier, this card has been replaced by its newer model, the 4070 Super, so the original 4070 has started dropping its price in order to stay a bit more relevant in comparison.
4060 vs 4070 features
The RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 are equipped with advanced features that enhance your gaming experience. These are nothing new for those looking to upgrade from 3rd generation Nvidia cards, but features such as ray tracing, frame generation, and DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), all help these cards deliver stunning visuals and improved performance in compatible games.
However, it’s important to note that the RTX 4070 boasts more CUDA cores and higher memory bandwidth, resulting in better graphics rendering and faster loading times. In the real world, this will only really affect gamers playing at higher resolutions, so if you’re gaming at 1080p, the difference will be marginal between the two cards until the graphics settings are ramped up.
Future-Proofing
Future-proofing your system is crucial when investing in a new graphics card. You will be at risk of being left behind with the RTX 4060, as the GPU’s VRAM is now on the lower end when tackling some of today’s most intensive games. The 4070 is already an outdated card, so if you’re worried about future-proofing, opt for the 4070 Super instead. The 12GB VRAM is certainly enough to enjoy most of today’s games at a very decent level of performance and fidelity, however, as games become more graphically intensive you may run into issues in the next year. Still, we think the RTX 4070 is still good enough in 2024 for 1440p. If in doubt, opt for the RTX 4070 Ti or, even better, the RTX 4070 Ti Super.
Compatibility
Before purchasing a new graphics card, ensuring it is compatible with your existing hardware is important. The RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 require a compatible motherboard and power supply. Additionally, you’ll need to ensure your system has adequate space to accommodate the physical size of these cards. Double-check your system’s specifications to determine the compatibility of these cards before making a decision.
Final Verdict
The RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 offer excellent value for their respective price points, especially now the cards have been out for a while. The RTX 4060 is a great option for gamers on a budget who want solid performance and modern features without spending a fortune. Just be aware that the card will not be great for those looking to crank up graphics settings at 1440p.
On the other hand, the RTX 4070 is a great choice for those wanting a decent 1440p contender, but if you’re looking to upgrade we would recommend considering the Super variants of this card. They offer improved performance over this base-level GPU. As always, consider your budget, gaming needs, and compatibility requirements when choosing between these graphics cards.
Remember, upgrading your graphics card is just one aspect of improving your gaming experience. To maximize the benefits, ensure that your system’s other components, such as CPU, RAM, and storage, are up to par. For more graphics cards choices, be sure to check out our curated list of best graphics cards, which we’ve updated for 2024.
