Nvidia’s RTX 5070: Steam’s Bestselling GPU Barely Outpaces the RTX 4070 Super

 

June 18, 2025 — Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 has taken the gaming world by storm, claiming the title of the bestselling GPU among Steam gamers in May 2025. Priced at $600, this midrange Blackwell-based card has seen its market share skyrocket from zero to 0.71% in just two months, outpacing even the popular RTX 5060 Ti. However, with performance only about 5% faster than its predecessor, the RTX 4070 Super, is the RTX 5070’s hype justified? Here’s a deep dive into its specs, performance, and why it’s dominating Steam’s hardware charts.

A Meteoric Rise on Steam

The RTX 5070’s rapid climb to the top of Steam’s hardware survey is no small feat. In April 2025, it was the most-sold desktop graphics card, and by May, it solidified its position as the go-to GPU for Steam gamers. This surge suggests strong consumer demand, likely driven by its $600 price point—$50 less than the RTX 4070 Super’s launch MSRP—and Nvidia’s reputation for delivering solid midrange performance. But with the RTX 4070 Super still widely available, the question is whether the 5070’s modest gains warrant the upgrade.

Specs: Blackwell vs. Ada Lovelace

The RTX 5070, built on Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture, brings some upgrades over the Ada Lovelace-based RTX 4070 Super. It features 6,144 CUDA cores (14% fewer than the 4070 Super’s 7,168) but compensates with a 33% boost in memory bandwidth, thanks to 12GB of faster GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672GB/s compared to the 4070 Super’s 504GB/s with GDDR6X. The 5070 also has a slightly higher boost clock and a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, doubling data transfer speeds over the 4070 Super’s PCIe 4.0. However, its 250W TDP is 13.6% higher than the 4070 Super’s 220W, and the VRAM capacity remains a disappointing 12GB, a sticking point for a 2025 midrange GPU.

Performance: A Marginal Edge

In gaming benchmarks, the RTX 5070 offers a modest 3–6% performance uplift over the RTX 4070 Super at 1440p and 4K, falling short of Nvidia’s bolder claims of RTX 4090-level performance with Multi-Frame Generation (MFG). Without MFG, the 5070 struggles to differentiate itself. For example, in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, it delivers single-digit frame rate gains over the 4070 Super, averaging 51 FPS at 4K compared to 44 FPS. In some cases, like Stalker 2 at 1440p, the 4070 Super even outperforms it by up to 9%. The 5070’s strength lies in ray tracing and DLSS 4, where MFG can boost frame rates significantly, but only in supported games, and the 12GB VRAM cap limits its effectiveness in path-traced heavyweights like Indiana Jones, which demands up to 18GB.

DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation: A Mixed Bag

Nvidia’s DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation is the RTX 5070’s biggest selling point, promising up to 4x frame rate boosts in supported titles like Horizon Forbidden West. At 1440p, this tech makes the 5070 a strong performer for high-refresh-rate monitors, but its impact is less pronounced at 4K, where base frame rates often remain too low for MFG to feel smooth. For instance, in Alan Wake 2 with path tracing, the 5070 struggles at 26 FPS pre-MFG, making AI-generated frames less effective. Gamers who prefer native rendering or avoid upscaling may find the 5070’s raw performance too close to the 4070 Super to justify the cost.

Market Challenges: Price and Competition

While the RTX 5070’s $550 MSRP is $50 cheaper than the 4070 Super’s launch price, real-world prices often exceed $600 due to high demand and limited Blackwell stock. AMD’s Radeon RX 9070, launched at $549, offers better raw performance in some scenarios but lacks Nvidia’s DLSS 4 edge, though its market price hovers near $700. The RTX 5060 Ti, May’s second-most adopted GPU on Steam, gained 40.31% share, showing Nvidia’s lower-tier cards are also competing for attention. For budget-conscious gamers, the RTX 4070 Super, now available secondhand for as low as $450, remains a compelling alternative.

Design and Efficiency: Small but Thirsty

The RTX 5070’s Founders Edition sports a compact, dual-fan, two-slot design with a shorter PCB and improved airflow compared to the 4070 Super. Its angled 12-pin power connector supports either a 300W+ PCIe Gen 5 cable or two 8-pin adapters, fitting well in small form factor builds. However, its 250W power draw and higher operating temperatures—reportedly warmer than even the RTX 5090—raise concerns about efficiency, especially since the 4070 Super achieves similar performance with 30W less.

Why It’s Selling: Hype or Value?

The RTX 5070’s dominance on Steam likely stems from Nvidia’s brand loyalty and the allure of Blackwell’s new features, like improved AI performance (74% more AI TOPS) and DLSS 4. Gamers upgrading from older cards like the RTX 3070 see a 30–54% performance jump at 1440p, making it a worthwhile step up for those users. However, for 4070 Super owners, the 5% average gain feels underwhelming, especially with the same 12GB VRAM. The card’s success may also reflect Nvidia’s strategy of halting 40-series production, pushing consumers toward newer models despite inflated prices.

Should You Buy the RTX 5070?

The RTX 5070 is a solid 1440p GPU and a viable 4K contender with upscaling, but its minimal gains over the RTX 4070 Super make it a tough sell for current 40-series owners. Key considerations include:

• Pros: DLSS 4 with MFG, 33% higher memory bandwidth, compact design, $50 cheaper MSRP.
• Cons: Only 5% faster than 4070 Super, 12GB VRAM limits 4K potential, higher power draw, street prices often above $600.

If you’re coming from a 30-series or older GPU, the 5070 offers a noticeable upgrade, especially with MFG. But if you can find a discounted RTX 4070 Super or wait for AMD’s RX 9070 XT, you might get better value without sacrificing much performance.

What’s Next?

As Nvidia’s Blackwell lineup expands and AMD’s RX 9070 series hits shelves, the midrange GPU market is heating up. The RTX 5070’s Steam dominance shows its appeal, but its marginal improvements raise questions about Nvidia’s pricing and innovation. Will future driver updates or broader MFG support close the gap? For now, the RTX 5070 is a bestseller, but not a game-changer.

Join the Conversation

Have you picked up an RTX 5070, or are you sticking with a 40-series card? Is DLSS 4 worth the hype, or are you eyeing AMD’s alternatives? Share your thoughts and let us know how your rig’s handling the latest games!