Introducing the leading contender, ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO graphics card – a powerful new force in the RTX series!

ZOTAC RTX4070 AMP AIRO.

As NVIDIA refreshes the RTX 4070 graphics card lineup, Zotac has discontinued the AMP Extreme AIRO flagship variant and introduced the AMP AIRO series, which initially debuted with the RTX 4070 Ti. Measuring 30 cm in length and occupying 2.5 slots, this card features the IceStorm 2.0 cooling solution, ensuring optimal performance and efficient heat dissipation.

Specifications:
Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
CUDA Core: 5888
Memory: 12GB GDDR6X Memory
Interface: 192-bit
Core Boost Clock: 2535 MHz
Memory Clock: 1313 MHz
Memory Data Rate: 21 Gbps
PCI Express : 4.0 x16
Output interface: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1a
HDCP support: 2.3
Power supply interface: 1 x 16-pin 12VHPWR
Recommended power supply: 600W (maximum power consumption of graphics card 215W)
Dimensions: 307.7mm x 125.2mm x 58.5mm (2.5 Slot)

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO Unboxing

Zotac has introduced four variants of the RTX 4070 graphics card: AMP AIRO, Trinity, Twin Edge OC, and Twin Edge. The first two are equipped with triple-fan designs, while the Twin Edge models feature dual-fan configurations. The dual-fan compact cards cater to enthusiasts interested in building small form factor rigs with the RTX 40 series.

The new NVIDIA RTX 4070 employs the same AD104 core as the RTX 4070 Ti but with a slight reduction, leaving 46 SM units in the core. This results in 5,888 CUDA cores, 184 fourth-generation Tensor cores, and 46 third-generation RT cores. The eighth-generation NVENC encoder has also been scaled down from 2 to 1. While this change has minimal impact on gamers, professionals who require extensive encoding work may experience a noticeable performance difference.

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO package appearance.
There are product features on the back of the package.

Zotac’s flagship RTX 4070 AMP AIRO comes pre-overclocked with a boost clock speed of 2,535 MHz. Although the maximum power consumption of the graphics card is only 215W, it features a 16-Pin 12VHPER connector for power supply. A 16-Pin to dual 8-Pin adapter cable is included in the accessories, along with a straightforward graphics card bracket, providing users with sturdy support for the card.

16-Pin to dual 8-Pin conversion cable.
Graphic card bracket.

2.5-slot triple-fan RTX 4070 flagship

The design of the RTX 4070 AMP AIRO features the sleek aesthetics characteristic of this generation. It is equipped with three 90mm fans on the front. While the new version of the fan blade design is employed, this generation does not include the high-end staggered arrangement of alternating forward and reverse fans – all fans in this model rotate in the forward direction.

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO front view.
A new version of the 90mm fan.

On the side, there is a uniquely shaped light panel featuring an electroplating effect. The background color appears blue before the panel is lit, and when illuminated by the backlight, it displays a golden pearlescent hue. A curved light bar is present at the end of the graphics card.

The appearance of the side of the graphics card.
Schematic diagram of side light panel light calibration.
Schematic diagram of the lighting effect at the end of the graphics card.

The output section of the display features one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPorts. As the RTX 4070 AMP AIRO has a thickness of only 2.5 slots, its bezel component is designed for a 2-slot configuration.

The output list is displayed.

A significant portion of the metal backplane’s side appears to be hollow. Given that the PCB’s length is just slightly more than half of the card’s length, this hollow space in the rear metal backplane allows for direct air flow, enhancing the heat sink’s cooling efficiency.

Upon examining the metal backplane’s appearance, the logo on the left features a gradient print instead of a glowing design.
The end of the metal backplane.

IceStorm 2.0 upgraded cooling system, 9+2 phase power supply

The RTX 4070 AMP AIRO’s cooling component utilizes an upgraded IceStorm 2.0 cooling system. Once the heat sink is dismantled, thermal pads can be seen behind the metal backplane, offering extra heat dissipation for the memory. The central part of the front heat sink employs a nickel-plated copper base plate, which expels the core’s waste heat. This waste heat is then rapidly dispersed throughout the cooling fins via six heat pipes.

Disassembly list of the graphics card.
View at the bottom of the radiator.
In the memory and memory power supply regions, the metal backplane features thermal pads for enhanced heat dissipation.

At the heart of the RTX 4070 AMP AIRO PCB lies the RTX 4070 core chip with the code name AD104-250-A1. The power supply section features a 9+2-phase digital power supply design, while the memory consists of six 2GB GDDR6X Micron memory modules with the code name D8BZC.

PCB front side.
RTX 4070 core and 12GB memory.

Firstorm Software

Firstorm software homepage.
Information monitoring page.
Fan setting page.
Lighting effect setting page.

Basic performance test

ZOTAC RTX4070 AMP AIRO.

Test platform:
Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K
Motherboard: ROG STRIX Z690-E GAMING WIFI
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 6400Mhz CL30 8GBx2
Display card: ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO
Operating system: Windows 11 Pro

At the time of the deadline, GPU-Z had not yet updated the full RTX 4070 information, but the core and memory details of the ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO are still visible. The RTX 4070 core features 5,888 CUDA cores, and the memory comprises Micron GDDR6X with a 192-bit interface and a capacity of 12,288 MB (12GB). The core clock is set at 1,920 MHz, the Boost clock at 2,535 MHz, and the memory clock at 1,313 MHz.

GPU-Z.

3DMark is a performance testing software that simulates 3A-level game graphics computations. The Fire Strike series emulates the performance of DX11 games. In the FHD resolution Fire Strike test, the RTX 4070 AMP AIRO achieved a graphics card score of 45,460 points. At 2K resolution, it scored 21,773 points in the Fire Strike Extreme test, and in the 4K Fire Strike Ultra test, it reached 10,129 points.

3DMark Fire Strike.
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme.
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra.

3DMark is also used to conduct the DX12 API test, with the Time Spy series primarily assessing game performance under DX12. The default resolution is 2K. The RTX 4070 AMP AIRO achieves a graphics card score of 18,044 points in this test, and in the 4K Extreme test, it garners a score of 8,590 points.

3DMark Time Spy.
3DMark Time Spy Extreme.

Port Royal is a game simulation test that integrates ray tracing technology with a default test resolution of 1440p. The RTX 4070 AMP AIRO passed this test, achieving a graphics card score of 11,241 points. The newly introduced Speed Way test is conducted at a 1440p resolution and is developed using the DirectX 12 Ultimate API. This test incorporates many cutting-edge technologies in its design, and the RTX 4070 AMP AIRO scored 4,506 points in this evaluation.

3DMark Port Royal.
3DMark Speed ​​Way.

In the NVIDIA DLSS feature test project, both DLSS 2 and DLSS 3 are evaluated. The tests are conducted at 1440p and 2160p resolutions in performance mode, while ultra-high performance mode is tested at 4320p. The results indicate that DLSS 2 can deliver performance improvements of approximately 2 to 3 times, while DLSS 3 offers a slightly greater enhancement.

3DMark NVIDIA DLSS feature test.

Game performance test

In the game testing section, we’ve selected “Cyberpunk 2077”, “Watch Dogs: Legion”, “Far Cry 6”, “Forza Horizon 5”, “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla”, “Microsoft Flight Simulator”, and “Rainbow Six: Extraction” for evaluation. The test resolutions used are 1440p and 2160p to serve as a reference for players.

Based on actual measurements, with all the special effects of AAA titles fully enabled, the performance of the RTX 4070 can support most AAA games at 2160p resolution with over 60 FPS. However, some performance-demanding games may have frame rates below 60 FPS. To achieve smoother gameplay, slightly lowering the settings can be an effective solution.

AAA masterpiece game testing.

In the ray-tracing game segment, the RTX 4070 finds it more challenging to run “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Watch Dogs: Legion”. To achieve a better gaming experience, these games still require the assistance of DLSS technology for improved performance.

Light chase game test.
DLSS 3 / DLSS 2 game testing.

Creation software

In the productivity test, Blender, a cross-platform 3D creation software, was chosen for evaluation. During the Blender Benchmark 3.5 test, the RTX 4070 achieved 3,123 samples per minute for the monster scene, 1,511 samples per minute for the junkshop scene, and 1,534 samples per minute for the classroom scene.

Blender Benchmark 3.5.

Chaos Group’s V-Ray 5, a ray-tracing rendering software, offers the V-Ray 5 Benchmark, allowing users to evaluate their CPU and GPU performance in ray-tracing rendering. In the V-Ray GPU CUDA test, the RTX 4070 scored 1,866 vpaths, while in the V-Ray GPU RTX test, it achieved 2,558 vrays.

V-Ray 5 Benchmark GPU CUDA test.
V-Ray 5 Benchmark GPU RTX test.

Temperature Power Consumption

Temperature measurement.
The actual measurement of power consumption.

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO Summary

Despite being based on the RTX 4070 Ti core, the RTX 4070 still performs well in terms of performance. However, as observed in the tests, enabling DLSS is necessary for a smoother gaming experience in ray-tracing games.

Zotac’s latest RTX 4070 AMP AIRO offers a smaller, more reasonable size while maintaining good performance and heat dissipation. Players looking to upgrade their graphics card need not worry about compatibility issues with their computer cases.

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Title: Introducing the leading contender, ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO graphics card – a powerful new force in the RTX series!

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