Viability of GTX 1070 for light gaming

[defaultluser]

still running gtx 1060 for main gaming system (1080p, mosrty ultra, 50-60 fps), and also enjoying easier console ports at 4k 30 fps on htpc running gtx 960!

you dont need the 1070 for light gaming today, and it should last you for several more years!

 

[Psyclown]

I'm still using a 1070 and I don't feel the need to upgrade quite yet but I may feel the need in a year or two I'm guessing. But it is still a very good card if you ask me. Oh and I'm running it with a 2560x1440 display.

 

[agent_x007]

Took the last few days to confront all of my options. What really happened was I found my two favorite TPU threads had been bumped yesterday (Ghetto mods and that awful disgusting Helpdesk Nightmares thread). While dusting out my computer afterwards I discovered my psu in fact has two 6+2 PCIe that would allow use of a 1070ti or maybe 1080 without hitting the 520w power ceiling.

Hmmm....

You can always downvolt GPU to be below rated TDP under furmark, and still retain 90-95% of it's performance (in your case, usually limited thermally by a blower cooler). It comes down to your skills and will, really.
I recently did 12100F + B660(non-M) DS3H DDR4 upgrade for my sister (she already had GTX 1080 FE), and that card has a single 8-pin. I run CPU at -0,1V Vcore (4.1GHz max single/dual core turbo) and GPU at 0.775mV (1620MHz max. turbo)
However, I did swap PSU along side it (just in case, as it was bronze lower tier unit when it was new, and that was 8Y ago).

 

[nomdeplume]

If I go the new at retail current model gpu route it makes sense to put the H370 Prime/i5 8400/2400 DDR4 equation aside and focus on more suitable system components. Deals and sales aligned that day so I couldn't shuffle my feet and wait for Z390 to hit shelves. It was a sore spot I'm considering correcting.

Smart move is still 10 or 20 series gpu + double or more the amount of slow RAM + grabbing a 650w psu at some point for security.

Asus ROG Strix Gaming Advanced 1070 Ti only has a 6+2 https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/asus-rog-strix-gtx-1070-ti-gaming-advanced.b4989

At the point we discussed this I was adverse to buying a new psu just to accomodate a graphics card I wouldn't be pushing very hard. Which was the point of going for a 3 fan card that ran silent until hitting the upper limits of my expected use. My other reasoning was the ti versions are more geared towards gaming only. Whereas a 1070/1080 are more appealing for those looking at CUDA offloading from programs or other uses. At least this is my perspective on market separation.

 

[tussinman]

If I go the new at retail current model gpu route it makes sense to put the H370 Prime/i5 8400/2400 DDR4 equation aside and focus on more suitable system components. Deals and sales aligned that day so I couldn't shuffle my feet and wait for Z390 to hit shelves. It was a sore spot I'm considering correcting.

Smart move is still 10 or 20 series gpu + double or more the amount of slow RAM + grabbing a 650w psu at some point for security.

To be honest I wouldn't even worry about a power supply. Your current powersupply has 40A on the 12V+ rail which is more then enough. The original concern was that you only had a 6+2 connector but like you've already said that was incorrect information (you have 2x 6+2).

Your CPU with a mid level card (1070, 1070ti, 1080, 2060, 2070, 3060) would see a whole system load of like 200-280 watts gaming wise which is nothing.

A low clocked i5 with a midrange card (neither of which will be heavily overclocked) is not an issue. An actual real world example of you having issues with your current powersupply would be like if you had a an i7 8700k overclocked to 5ghz with a high clocked 1080 Ti.

At the point we discussed this I was adverse to buying a new psu just to accomodate a graphics card I wouldn't be pushing very hard. Which was the point of going for a 3 fan card that ran silent until hitting the upper limits of my expected use. My other reasoning was the ti versions are more geared towards gaming only. Whereas a 1070/1080 are more appealing for those looking at CUDA offloading from programs or other uses. At least this is my perspective on market separation.

Don't know where you live but using my countries currency I would either get a used 1070 for sub $150 or get a used RTX 2060 for around $200.

The used 1070 Ti and 1080s where I live are kinda pointless since they trend the same price as the 2060 (2060 is newer, on par performance wise with the 1080, and has DLSS which improves performance in modern games)

 

[oobymach]

1070 = good, great for 1080p good for 1440p and just ok at 4k. It can do 4k if you compromise some settings or if you're running an older game but wouldn't recommend it, but if you have a 120hz+ 1080p monitor the 1070 is a solid choice if you don't need raytracing.

 

[nomdeplume]

To be honest I wouldn't even worry about a power supply. Your current powersupply has 40A on the 12V+ rail which is more then enough. The original concern was that you only had a 6+2 connector but like you've already said that was incorrect information (you have 2x 6+2).

650w Gold or Platinum for increased efficiency.

Your CPU with a mid level card (1070, 1070ti, 1080, 2060, 2070, 3060) would see a whole system load of like 200-280 watts gaming wise which is nothing.

A low clocked i5 with a midrange card (neither of which will be heavily overclocked) is not an issue. An actual real world example of you having issues with your current powersupply would be like if you had a an i7 8700k overclocked to 5ghz with a high clocked 1080 Ti.

Fair point.

Don't know where you live but using my countries currency I would either get a used 1070 for sub $150 or get a used RTX 2060 for around $200.

The used 1070 Ti and 1080s where I live are kinda pointless since they trend the same price as the 2060 (2060 is newer, on par performance wise with the 1080, and has DLSS which improves performance in modern games)

I'd say the market is highly unstable locally. Hard to say what will come up used (or stockpiled new) from day to day. Right now finding a working sub $150 1070 is going to take some work. The next rumor might send people scrambing to ditch their cards before value drops to small fractions of what they paid.

Pretty much everything else one might upgrade is starting to flow out nice and evenly without the same level of anxiety attached. Enough to make me consider how common 4K screens are getting.

 

[Lei]

Knew I forgot something. Yes, 1080p-60 at whatever settings are comfortable for a given game.

Forza Horizon 5 plays at around 55~60fps on ultra settings. It's a 2021 game:

 

[lexluthermiester]

Forza Horizon 5 plays at around 55~60fps on ultra settings. It's a 2021 game:

Excellent point.

 

[nomdeplume]

Forza Horizon 5 plays at around 55~60fps on ultra settings. It's a 2021 game:

Never even considered searching youtube for card benchmarks. This is a 2019 game, max settings in 4K with similar fps.

I need to let this thread tail off until a purchase has been made.

 

[Lei]

Never even considered searching youtube for card benchmarks. This is a 2019 game, max settings in 4K with similar fps.

I need to let this thread tail off until a purchase has been made.

In the video you posted, GPU temp and usage shows that 1070 can offer a lot more than this game can take. I assume the game doesn't allow more than 60fps.

in other words, 1070 can run Trials Rising at above 100fps, but the game intentionally cripples it.

 

[Sub Nanometer Process]

My friend has an 8th gen i7 and a 1070ti. He runs 32GB system memory and he is able to play Battlefield 4 and Star Citizen, well enough.

 

[P4-630]

the i7 9700 would have a slight bottleneck compared to the latest gen but the FPS given by that in combo with a 3060 would be enough at 1080p imho

https://www.cpuagent.com/cpu/intel-core-i7-9700/bottleneck/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060?res=1&quality=ultra

the i5 8400 for comparison (FPS are still sufficient, technically )

Intel Core i5-8400 Bottleneck RTX 3060? - CPUAgent

Will Intel Core i5-8400 bottleneck NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060? Find out in our detailed analysis of Intel Core i5-8400 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 bottleneck based on game, quality settings, and resolutions of 4K, Ultrawide, 1440p, and 1080p showing results in terms of average framerate, frametime...

www.cpuagent.com

Well, just tested that site, it said 106 fps at high settings GTAV @ 1440p...
Whereas I'm getting around 140fps average and up to 150+.....
They don't mention MSAA, i use x2 MSAA + MFAA enabled in nvidia control panel though.

 

[GreiverBlade]

Well, just tested that site, it said 106 fps at high settings GTAV @ 1440p...
Whereas I'm getting around 140fps average and up to 150+.....
They don't mention MSAA, i use x2 MSAA + MFAA enabled in nvidia control panel though.

it's just a base, it's not 100% accurate ofc but as a generic base it can be of use, with some .... NaCl added

 

[nomdeplume]

In the video you posted, GPU temp and usage shows that 1070 can offer a lot more than this game can take. I assume the game doesn't allow more than 60fps.

in other words, 1070 can run Trials Rising at above 100fps, but the game intentionally cripples it.

It is capped at 60fps and has low requirements ▼ that make it a 4K friendly game. Integrated graphics on an 8400 might even be capable of loading and playing it. Supposedly a very challenging game to gain base skill level in.

Forza Horizon series looks fun too. Looking around that channel I did notice their 1070 runs at 99% across multiple games. That is in a nutshell what kills even cool running cards isn't it?

it's just a base, it's not 100% accurate ofc but as a generic base it can be of use, with some .... NaCl added

Recently I did ask specifically where the base level performance of a card was cpu limited. Variance between identical SKU cpu/gpu alone makes direct comparison abstract, ie "golden". Beyond that metric it does allow some insight towards hardware matching and capabilities.

 

[Lei]

Forza Horizon series looks fun too. Looking around that channel I did notice their 1070 runs at 99% across multiple games. That is in a nutshell what kills even cool running cards isn't it?

Cards are supposed to work at 99%. If they don't, they are not worth the bread.

watch this:

I don't know what to say to your nutshell hypothesis. Among things that kill cards are constant overheat and power-on cycle. Saying a card shouldn't be at 99% load is like saying what kills a bird is flying.

 

[nomdeplume]

I don't know what to say to your nutshell hypothesis. Among things that kill cards are constant overheat and power-on cycle. Saying a card shouldn't be at 99% load is like saying what kills a bird is flying.

Migrational flight (hypothetically at 99%) is extremely taxing and they are not overly active beyond eating and resting afterwards. Birds don't just fly around the skies +8 hours a day as often as their avian brains can assess ways to make that a reality.

I wasn't even coming close to saying they shouldn't be capable of handling the load. My angle was why own a card that needs to be constantly running as hard as it can if their are feasible options that may put this reality off to an unspecified date in the future. At the outset I was looking at a three fan OC'd 1070 that offset some of the known concerns.

Power cycling something that doesn't need to was factoring into considering possiblity of putting current parts into a different case. Where all my web browsing etc. would then take place. Then put lower hours on a fancy screen and gaming hardware.

 

[Lei]

@nomdeplume
You can set an fps limit using Nvidia Control Panel.
If your game runs with enough fps you need, then card won't be under 100% load.

My point is, with 1070 at 1080p60Hz, you can play all those games.
Then if Hitman can run at 80fps, your card will render it at 60fps cap and under ~80% load

Migrational flight (hypothetically at 99%) is extremely taxing and they are not overly active beyond eating and resting afterwards. Birds don't just fly around the skies +8 hours a day as often as their avian brains can assess ways to make that a reality.

birds don't fly with half of their each wing! maybe lower the altitude (underclocking) but keep using 100% of your wings.
Or just migrate by walking rapidly (Max Frame Rate reached), then your wings are at more rest.

 

[nomdeplume]

You can set an fps limit using Nvidia Control Panel.
If your game runs with enough fps you need, then card won't be under 100% load.

My point is, with 1070 at 1080p60Hz, you can play all those games.
Then if Hitman can run at 80fps, your card will render it at 60fps cap and under ~80% load

Perfect, I regret to say this is a case of not knowing what I don't know. That was a very useful description.

birds don't fly with half of their each wing! maybe lower the altitude (underclocking) but keep using 100% of your wings.
Or just migrate by walking rapidly (Max Frame Rate reached), then your wings are at more rest.

I understand what you are saying. The alliteration was a bit flawed though. The difference between spreading your wings (99%) while sailing the air and putting on a full power acrobatics show (99%) is a pretty large span comprising the easiest to the hardest effort.



My only update is I appear to have entered used market blower and single fan purgatory.
A trip to MC would sure offer relief.

 

[nomdeplume]

Update to thank all those who corrected my skewed view of the current gaming landscape.

Unexpectedly an Asus GTX1060 STRIX came up for sale locally and I had very pleasant experience completing the transaction. At some point in the near future when the honeymoon wears off I'll take it apart to do a full clean and repaste. First order of business is turning off the RGB.

Seller did clean the card up considerably before handing it over but I'll get in there with a paintbrush and start fresh.

 

[Mussels]

Cards are supposed to work at 99%. If they don't, they are not worth the bread.

Indeed they are, if a card cant handle 100% load it's got issues


That said, for gaming you want to make sure you're not using 100% and hitting Vsync as you'll cop some nuts input delay (cap 3FPS below refresh rate, or use low latency mode/reflex to cap to 99%)

 

[lexluthermiester]

Update to thank all those who corrected my skewed view of the current gaming landscape.

Unexpectedly an Asus GTX1060 STRIX came up for sale locally and I had very pleasant experience completing the transaction. At some point in the near future when the honeymoon wears off I'll take it apart to do a full clean and repaste. First order of business is turning off the RGB.

Seller did clean the card up considerably before handing it over but I'll get in there with a paintbrush and start fresh.

View attachment 263936

That's a good card too! At 1080p you'll get some love from it. Depending on the title you'll need to turn some settings down to get good framerates. That really only applies to games made in the last 2 or 3 years and then only AAA titles. For example, CyberPunk2077 is not going to run well until you turn setting down and drop to 720p or even 540p. However, you'd be surprised how good it looks at those settings. But that was just an example. Most titles will run fine at 1080P and medium settings.

 

[Lei]

Update to thank all those who corrected my skewed view of the current gaming landscape.

Unexpectedly an Asus GTX1060 STRIX came up for sale locally and I had very pleasant experience completing the transaction. At some point in the near future when the honeymoon wears off I'll take it apart to do a full clean and repaste. First order of business is turning off the RGB.

Seller did clean the card up considerably before handing it over but I'll get in there with a paintbrush and start fresh.

View attachment 263936

What's the vram? There are 3, 5 and 6 versions of 1060

 

[lexluthermiester]

What's the vram? There are 3, 5 and 6 versions of 1060

I believe the Strix models were 6GB only..

 

[Dr. Dro]

What do you consider light gaming? If it's playing games like CS:GO, League of Legends or Valorant, you'll be fine until your card croaks.

The problem of the 10 series is its rapidly aging Pascal architecture and backseat-level attention to driver issues (as it is EOL and has been superseded by several generations of hardware since). At the end of the day, you must decide if the performance you are getting in the games you play satisfy your needs and/or desires. If you asked me, can you have fun with a 1070 today? I'd say "hell yeah, man!". But if I had to tell you it keeps up with a modern GPU in games designed to take advantage of modern GPU features, then I'm going to have to tell you no, even if these are for the lower spec games released more recently.

Hardware Unboxed did a revisit on the GTX 1080 Ti, and in the handful of games where it is able to compete, it's usually around matching the 5700 XT and most of the time slightly behind the RTX 3060 in performance overall, while missing every single one of the new features introduced in GPUs ever since. With DLSS, for example, the RTX 3060 would leave it in the dust, using a lot less power to achieve the same result, or leaving enough headroom for light raytraced effects.