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Can the RTX 4070 do 4K 60fps

With the announcement of Nvidia's new RTX 4070, many are wondering if the card can hit 4K 60fps gaming metrics

Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock

Last Updated on April 13, 2023
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Nvidia has just unveiled its brand-new graphics card to some immediate hype, given its marketed 1440p 60+ fps potential metrics. While most of the reviews prove that the card is a welcome addition to the firm’s growing fleet, all eyes are poised on its higher resolution standards. In essence, many wonder if the RTX 4070 is 4K 60fps capable and if the card is ultimately worth that $599 price tag.

RTX 4070 4K 60fps gaming

Officially announced on April 13, Nvidia’s RTX 4070 is already a dream come true for some enthusiast PC builders, due in large part to that somewhat accessible price tag. At that range, however, many might be a bit stunted by the RTX 4070’s overall performance, as it is readily overshadowed by its 3080 counterpart, which debuted back in 2021.

Nvidia has stressed its incredibly high metrics tailored for 1440p gaming, making a huge point of it in all of the RTX 4070’s marketing. But, in terms of 4K gaming, the 4070 drops off by a wide margin, and shows that even with DLSS 3, the RTX 4070 isn’t so much of a generational leap that many had been hoping for.

In his review of Nvidia’s newest hardware on The Verge, Tom Warren explicitly states that the RTX 4070 “misses in nearly every game” when it comes to 4K. Linus Tech Tips similarly states in his own review that “outside of Forza, the RTX 3080 ends up outrunning [the 4070] by anywhere from 5% to 19%” when gaming in 4K. That is, however, without ray tracing enabled, upon which as Linus himself states “the gap narrows significantly.”

Thus, while it is certainly one powerful new card, expressed not merely in its multitude of high specs, the RTX 4070 4K 60fps potential falls flat with ray tracing enabled. But, users can expect 60+ fps gaming with ray tracing turned off, depending on the specific title.

Will RTX 4070 be better than the 3080?

As mentioned previously, the RTX 4070 is about on par with the 3080, if not a little bit stunted in terms of 4K gaming. As Linus Tech Tips showed in his review, the 3080 outperformed its newest rival in most titles, and may well be a better option for those looking to experience 4K 60fps gaming. The 4070 is tailored for 1440p 60+ fps. 

Can the RTX 4080 game at 4K?

Yes, the RTX 4080 can run games at 4K, but not optimally. Most, especially with ray tracing turned off, prove to run over 60fps, but while enabled can’t cross the 50-55fps range. That doesn’t mean the card is bad for 4K experiences, just that it’s better suited for 1440p. 

Ryan Epps is a copywriter and content manager for PCGuide. He loves researching the newest PC components and watching underrated anime from the 90s.