Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC in the test

– The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC is a sensibly extended custom design that does without luxury. The focus was on the cooler, which enables quiet operation at low temperatures. The FPS gain, however, is low.

With the GeForce RTX 2070 Super, Nvidia replied to the Radeon RX 5700 XT before it made it to the market. So far, however, the editors have only looked at the Founders Edition, which offers high performance but has weaknesses in the cooler. Testing a custom design shows that you can do better.

A look at the currently available models reveals that almost all models comply with the power limit of 215 watts specified by Nvidia. As a result, even the most expensive variants hardly differ from the cheaper models, at least in terms of performance. Since the Founders Edition, which has already been tested, is one of the inexpensive versions, the editors are now looking at a model in the medium price range.

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC

The choice fell on the GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC, which is also placed in the Gigabyte portfolio between WindForce and Aorus in the middle class. The graphics card dispenses with unusual features. The RGB lighting is very simple and otherwise there is "only" standard food. In contrast, the manufacturer did not save on the cooler and opted for a 2.5-slot design. The test clarifies whether the 555 euros are a fair offer for the hardware.

The GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC in detail

The GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC is currently available from 555 euros. First listings start at 549 euros. It is striking that the model is hardly available regardless of the price asked for.

Gigabyte installs the 2.5-slot version of the WindForce cooler in the GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC. This has a high cost of materials and is primarily composed of an aluminum core with various slats that cover the entire front of the graphics card. In addition, there are six heat pipes for faster heat dissipation that work with the direct touch principle. Three axial fans with a diameter of 80 mm provide the necessary fresh air. These only turn on at a GPU temperature of 61 degrees Celsius and therefore work silently on the Windows desktop.

The PCB of the graphics card is equipped with an 8 + 2-phase power supply. An eight-pin and a six-pin power connector are required for operation. The power limit of the gaming OC variant is configured to 215 watts, corresponds to the standard specifications of Nvidia and can be expanded up to 240 watts – Nvidia provides a maximum of 260 watts for the Founders Edition.

RGB is more of a checklist than a feature at the Gaming OC

The graphics card offers RGB lighting, but it is more a checklist feature than a meaningful lighting. Because there is nothing more than the gigabyte lettering on the side of the graphics card, which also glows rather dimly and cannot display some colors at all. Monitors or VR headsets can be connected to three DisplayPorts and one HDMI and VirtualLink output each.

The base clock of the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC is 1.605 MHz. The average turbo is specified at 1,815 MHz, while the 8 GB GDDR6 memory is driven at 7,000 MHz. The Turbo is 45 MHz higher than Nvidia's reference design, while the base and memory clock are identical.

In the BitcoinMinersHashrate forum, the question always arises of how the editorial staff tests graphics cards in detail. Since this is a fairly extensive undertaking with various benchmarks, measurements, tools and methods, the answer to this question is extensive.

How BitcoinMinersHashrate tests graphics cards

In order to give the topic sufficient space, the editorial team created a separate article. This is exclusively devoted to the question of how BitcoinMinersHashrate tests graphics cards.

Among other things, the article goes into detail about the test system used. This affects both the housing and the fan configuration – which is crucial for volume and temperature – as well as the built-in hardware and how it is configured. It is also discussed which graphics cards are operated at exactly which clock. It also explains in more detail how all series of measurements, for example for power consumption, are carried out.

Videos and scores for retesting

The most important aspect in almost all graphics card tests are the game benchmarks. The methodology article deals with the games themselves, deals with the possible special features such as DirectX 12 and Vulkan and describes the graphic details used – because the editorial staff does not test in every resolution with the best possible look.

In addition, there is a video of the test scene for each game and – if possible – a score is provided so that every reader can reproduce and understand the sequence. Finally, the article clarifies which tools BitcoinMinersHashrate uses for the benchmarks and also how the results are presented in the form of frames per second (FPS) and frame times.

The actual clock rates under load

If the power and temperature limits do not intervene, the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC runs at a maximum of 1,950 MHz under high load. The beat is achieved in some games, but not consistently. Battlefield V and Hitman 2 work in the range from 1,920 MHz to 1950 MHz. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider it is 1,935 to 1,950 MHz.

In Anno 1800, however, the highest clock is denied. There is no more than 1,905 MHz to 1,920 MHz in the demanding building game. The lowest frequency produces Metro Exodus. There the graphics card still works with 1.875 MHz to 1.905 MHz.

If that's not enough, you have to increase the power limit, while the temperature limit doesn't matter. The former can be switched from 215 watts to a maximum of 240 watts, which corresponds to an increase of almost 12 percent. That is almost enough for the full 1,950 MHz, only Metro Exodus works slightly below with 1,935 to 1,950 MHz.

On the next page: WQHD benchmarks, volume, other measurements and conclusion