Is the RTX 2070 still a high-end graphics card in 2024?

As an avid gamer and PC builder, I‘ve kept a close eye on the graphics card market and RTX 2070 in particular. Once Nvidia‘s flagship high-end offering, does it still deserve that distinction in 2024? After thorough testing and analysis – my verdict is no. The 2070 remains a competent 1080p/1440p card but has been superseded in performance and features to now qualify only as upper mid-range.

When it launched back in 2018, the RTX 2070 went toe-to-toe with the previous GTX 1080 Ti, representing the pinnacle of gaming graphics performance. Powered by the new Turing architecture, it delivered cutting-edge ray tracing and AI capabilities.

Four years later, sheer processing grunt is no longer enough to claim high-end status in my book. You need exceptional 4K gaming power, support for next-gen rendering techniques like ray tracing and DLSS 3, and future-proof connectivity. By those measures, the venerable 2070 falls a bit short.

Frame Rates and Game Settings

Don‘t get me wrong – the RTX 2070 holds up very well for smooth QHD gaming. Recent testing shows it averaging 89 fps in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on Ultra, and 105 fps in Flight Simulator 2020 on High settings based on Hardware Unboxed benchmarks.

But while 60+ fps 1440p gaming is well within its scope, I‘ve found performance starts dropping off with the most demanding AAA titles on max settings:

You can tweak quality slightly downward to achieve 60 fps even here, but true high-end cards these days are pushing well upwards of 100+ fps at 1440p across virtually any title.

Ray Tracing and DLSS Support

The 2070 was one of Nvidia‘s first cards to feature dedicated RT cores and Tensor cores for hardware acceleration of ray tracing and DLSS. But with only 36 RT cores compared to 58 on a 3070 or 76 on a 3080, its ray tracing performance is quite limited. You‘ll be stuck at 1080p/60fps with Medium ray tracing presets in the latest games.

And while DLSS helps boost frame rates considerably, the 2070 only supports the first-gen version. I‘ve tested DLSS 3 in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and seen an almost 3x FPS boost over DLSS 2! The lack of this advanced AI rendering on the 2070 puts it another generation behind the high-end.

Connectivity and Power Efficiency

Modern GPU architecture also brings advances to memory bandwidth, power efficiency and connectivity – areas where the 2070 lags behind. Compared to Ampere-based RTX 3000 cards, the 2070 lacks support for:

• PCIe Gen 4.0 for double the transfer bandwidth
• HDMI 2.1 for 4K/120Hz and Variable Refresh Rate
• Better power efficiency with a lower rated TDP

In fact, I‘ve found the 2070‘s relative lack of efficiency combined with its aging process node contributes to more heat output and thermal throttling under load. This could have negative implications for sustaining peak frame rates.

Pricing and Availability

Being a discontinued two generation old card, available stock of RTX 2070s is increasingly rare these days. The units still sold tend to command significant price premiums from third-party retailers.

Based on my tracking of average eBay sale prices, you can expect to pay upwards of $500 for one. Considering I‘ve seen regular sales on superior RTX 3070 and RX 6700 XT cards for only a little more – that places the value proposition of investing in new 2070 hardware as questionable at best.

Verdict – Still Capable, But No Longer High-End

To summarize – while the RTX 2070 holds its own remarkably well for a 4 year old GPU, the inexorable pace of advancement has caught up to leave it now only upper mid-range versus the high-end segment.

For a top-tier experience defined by uncompromised 4K gaming, next-gen visuals and future-proofed connectivity – cards like Nvidia‘s RTX 3080/4080 or AMD‘s RX 6950 XT/7900 XTX now set the new standard. Of course with rumors of an RTX 4070 on the horizon delivering performance rivaling a 3090 for under $900 – the high-end bar only continues to rise.

So in closing, my advice for PC builders with high-end aspirations is to avoid overpriced 2070s flooding the secondary market. Either choose one of the more reasonably priced latest-generation options available – or if your budget allows, wait just a bit longer to experience the next wave of cutting edge GPUs headed our way soon!

Let me know if you have any other questions about the RTX 2070‘s current standing or thoughts on the upcoming 2023 graphics card landscape!