I've been using the RTX 5070 to play a bunch of games early, and it might be the console killing GPU I've been waiting for

I'm a mid-range gamer at heart, so I've been pretty hyped for the Nvidia RTX 5070 since it's CES 2025 unveiling. Now that I've got my hands on the Blackwell GPU, it has a chance to both validate my excitement while backing up the green team's launch claims. Thankfully, the card is already convincing me that $549 can get you a console killing gaming PC experience in 2025, especially when it comes to demanding settings.

I am praying that RTX 5070 stock will hold up on March 5 when the Nvidia GPU finally launches, but I'd be appalled if it isn't in high demand. Not only did CEO Jensen Huang suggest that the best graphics card contender is capable of GeForce RTX 4090 levels of performance for $549, but it is the most affordable Blackwell options of the bunch. Plus, when you consider the fact the PS5 Pro comes in at $699.99, its easy to see why budget conscious players might end up using this card to create a beefier rig instead.

As a prelude to my review this coming week, I thought I'd spend my lazy Sunday providing a RTX 5070 preview of sorts. I'll be crunching lots of numbers and comparative frame rates in the days ahead, but as a graphics card reviewer, I'd argue freeing your mind from frame rate counters and just straight up playing games on a GPU in real scenarios is vital.

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Don't get me wrong, GPU benchmarks ultimately help paint a performance picture that ties into overall value. The RTX 5070 will have to prove its a worth Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 successor this month while also convincing you to not buy an RX 9070 series card instead, as AMD is targeting the same mid-range ground with its duo. But, before we get to any of that, I want to talk about how kicking back with Nvidia's offering feels in demanding romps like Cyberpunk 2077, Obsidian's shiny new RPG Avowed, and speedy shooters like Marvel Rivals.

Letting the Nvidia app take the wheel

I spend a lot hours messing with PC settings, but for today, I'm going to let the Nvidia App do the hard work for me. The green team's GPU hub has a whole segment dedicated to automatic game optimization, which theoretically should help you strike the right balance between visuals and frame rates across most of your Steam library.

If you're enthusiast, you'll likely still find yourself in settings menus playing around with the usual array of lighting and texture dials. But, those of you who just want to dive into new outings like you would on PS5 and Xbox Series X will make full use of the Nvidia App. Rather than wondering if you can switch ray tracing on or whether you'd be better scaling things back to 4K, the program will come up with all that for you, and I've yet to pick in any real holes in the optimization process.

Automatic optimization will never be flawless, but neither is picking between performance and quality modes on a console. While I'm, going to say it'll kill off the ritual of messing with PC settings as we know it, I do think it provides those ready-baked vibes that make console gaming so appealing. Put it this way, if you end up using a small formfactor rig in your living room instead of a PS5 Pro, you'll want something that involves less faff so you can head straight into high-spec experience with a controller.

RTX 5070 preview: Cyberpunk 2077

No matter what GPU I'm using these days, I always start my road testing with a drive to Night City. You could call kicking off with Cyberpunk 2077 a birth by fire since the RPG is still one of the most demanding romps on PC, but the RTX 5070 doesn't seem to flinch when using the Nvidia App's optimized settings.

For traversing Cyberpunk 2077's neon soaked concrete jungle, Nvidia suggests running things at 1440p with Ultra Ray Tracing settings enabled. That's ambitious to say the least, and something I'd argue wasn't within the bounds of a mid-range GPU before the dawn of AI upscaling.

However, after spending some time messing around in Night City with the Alienware AW2725DF as a QHD OLED portal, it's clear that fancy lighting and lofty frame rates are absolutely a thing with the next wave of sub-$600 GPUs. While I'm deliberately not looking at frame rates as a sort of Pepsi challenge for the eyeballs, it absolutely felt like I was speeding around and picking fights with local gangs at well over 140fps, so there's potentially a lot of wiggle room if you do want to ramp things up to 4K or swap out other settings.

I've played Cyberpunk 2077 on everything from the best gaming handhelds to tiny mini PCs that are no bigger than a NES cartridge (looking at you, Ayaneo Mini PC AM01), which means I've got a feel of the game's visual range. I've also used a RTX 4090 to really push the RPG to its visual limit, and honestly? The RTX 4070 feels like it's singing from the same high-spec sheet. Ray traced reflections are out in full force and benefiting from Nvidia's Ray Reconstruction DLSS 4 features, and I couldn't really see any textures that felt compromised.

I'll obviously be looking to dive right into how the GPU fairs without Multi-Frame Generation and DLSS 4 providing an AI boost, but since I can't find any glaring reason to switch those off at a surface level, I'd say Nvidia's RTX 4090 levels of performance claims are pretty much holding up. Keep in mind we're talking about a $549 card with a much lower 250W TDP, so even vaguely mimicking the results of a $1,599 model is a feat.

RTX 5070 preview: Avowed

I'm carrying out this experiment on a Sunday, so I think I deserve to mess around with the new Obsidian outing Avowed as a treat. If I was putting together a mid-range rig to play the new RPG, I'd probably have my eye on the RTX 5070 anyway since I originally played through Skyrim using a good olde GTX 470 before upgrading to a GTX 970 a few years later.

A lot has changed since those GeForce GPUs were on the battlefield, but I reckon the RTX 5070 is aiming for that same console-beating experience. The GTX 970 specifically arrived just in time to showcase what a PC could do at 1080p compared to the PS4 and Xbox One, and the Blackwell card pulls some incredible tricks that feel out of reach for current gen consoles.

The optimized settings presented to me by the Nvidia App ended up being everything cranked to its highest at 4K, AI upscaling set to "performance", and Multi-frame Generation on. As soon as I reached the character creation screen, I knew I was in for something special based on how detailed my Fungai-covered fantasy persona was.

Upon landing on the sandy beaches of the RPGs opening, I fully expected to see some weird nonsense going on since there's an absurd amount of foliage. Instead, I was treated to incredibly detailed greenery that managed to avoid any textural weirdness or aliasing issues. The only thing I could stop across the whole area was some slight shimmering on a highlighted bush, but I almost didn't even notice that.

I ended up pretty engrossed with Avowed's opening and was having a blast poking Lizard soldiers with a pointy dagger. Not one did I find myself distracted by anything that felt like a frame rate dip or spike, and everything felt far beyond 60fps to say the least. If were to guess, I'd say I was hitting over 100fps, which is fabulous considering how delicious Obsidian's world looks even with MFG and DLSS 4 filling in frame rate gaps.

Seeing a mid-range GPU provide punchy visuals at 4K in what could be the closest thing we'll get to a new Elder Scrolls game for a while is pleasing. I want to reiterate that we're talking about a GPU that starts at $549 and small enough to fit comfortably in a compact small formfactor build, and I can imagine such a system becoming a high end living room solution that'll pair nicely with the best gaming TVs. That's not to say it's not an excellent choice for desktop dwellers too since I played with keyboard and mouse, but it'd be hard to justify buying a Series X to play Avowed since I could upgrade an existing PC instead and kick back with a controller.

RTX 5070 preview: Marvel Rivals

I'll admit that I was a little less keen on letting the Nvidia App dictate Marvel Rivals settings on behalf. Non-competitive adventures are on thing, but I wasn't sure if throwing MFG and AI upscaling into the optimized settings mix would impact responsiveness at higher refresh rates.

Those fears ended up being unfounded, as the Apps suggested 4K ultra settings paired with DLSS 4 felt slick. If you're using a high refresh rate monitor or something like the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B with dual 1080p 480Hz abilities, you'll want to engage in some manual tinkering to boost fps to suit. But, since the romp features some excellent semi-cell shaded takes on iconic Marvel characters, I imagine many of you would want to stick with UHD settings and still hit what felt consistently around 120fps.

I'd frankly be horrified if I didn't see a big benchmark difference compared to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti in many games. The card honestly shares more in common with the GeForce RTX 5080 since they use different flavors of the same GB203 GPU. However, in games like Marvel Rivals, I'm getting the impression that those beefier cards aren't entirely necessary unless you're gunning for perhaps solid 1440p 480Hz performance using something like the Sony Inzone M10S. Alas, I'll be presenting my RTX 5070 findings for Marvel Rivals and other games in my final review.

RTX 5070 impressions

Casually playing games with the RTX 5070 has taught me two things. The first is that mid-range graphics cards this generation should potentially pack enough punch to take on current gen consoles like the PS5 Pro, especially since the latter will also be relying on Sony's PSSR AI upscaling rather than relying solely on native results.

The second is that the RTX 5070 could end up being the perfect jumping on point for console players craving a visual upgrade. I'm still a big fan of console-like experiences and a hands-off approach to running games, but features like the Nvidia App and DLSS 4 mean you'll worry less about whether your settings are right. I know too well the pain of trying to hit minimum requirements and recommended specs for new games, but it feels like the green team is elevating a lot of that worry offering up optimizations that that strike a nice balance alongside Multi-frame Generation that'll potentially fill in any problematic gaps in future releases.

All of my RTX 5070 impressions right now are all qualitative, and my final benchmarks could end up telling a different story. That said, based my time simply enjoying Avowed, exploring the streets of Cyberpunk 2077, and clashing with superheroes in Marvel Rivals, I'd be pretty happy with spending $549 for the experience at hand.

The RTX 5070 will still be a significant investment, but I can see the GPU being a solid upgrade option for an existing systems. Plenty of you will no doubt be looking to upgrade from an older GTX 10-series or maybe even RTX 20-series model, and the Blackwell 70-series contender feels more worthwhile than trying to pick up an older GeForce graphics card that lacks DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation. Those features will likely play a big role in keeping your system relevant for multiple generations, and I've got a funny feeling the 5070 will still be kicking by the time the PS6 rolls onto the scene.

Still browsing for GPUs? Check out RTX 5090 stock and RTX 5080 stock for premium graphics card options. You'll also want to peek at the best CPU for gaming if you're putting together a new rig.