• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

BuildPicker

  • Ryzen Zen 2
    • Ryzen 5 3600
    • Ryzen 7 3700X
    • Ryzen 7 3800X
    • Ryzen 9 3900X
  • Guides
  • News
  • About
    • Contact

RTX 2070 Super

4 Best CPUs for RTX 2070 Super Builds

April 1, 2020 by BuildPicker Leave a Comment

Best CPUs for RTX 2070 Super

Nvidia’s RTX 2070 Super is probably the best mid-range GPU currently in the market. It’s great for gaming, and for mid-range workstations alike, without being too much of a hinderance to your finances.

To enable the RTX 2070 Super to reach its graphical processing potential, it will need the power of a proper CPU – and depending on what type of build you’re making, the word “proper” has a different meaning. If you’re focusing on gaming, you need to ask: what kind of games are you looking forward to playing? Do you play single player games, or just multiplayer? Do you plan to stream, and perhaps edit said streams to increase your viewership on different platforms? These questions all play toward your potential budget, which, in-turn, will impact the end-result of your build.

To maximize your investment, and help you find the best value for your money when it comes to CPUs, we will take each of these scenarios and find the best matching processor for your build; both in regards to Intel, and AMD processors.


Best Budget CPUs for RTX 2070 Super

So, you don’t care too much about single player games, or next-gen consoles, but would rather make sure that when you’re playing online competitive games, such as DotA 2 or Counter Strike: Global Offensive, you don’t have frame-rates dropping under 120 FPS, especially when using a 1440p, 144Hz, monitor. In that case, there are several CPU’s that will do the job, at only a fraction of the cost of higher-end processors, which would only give you a 5-10% speed boost anyway. 

Best Budget Intel CPU for RTX 2070 Super

Intel Core i5-9600KF

The midrange, Intel Core i5-9600KF, currently has almost nothing to envy from its higher-priced competitors. In fact, when comparing it to AMD’s Ryzen 7 3700X (which is 50% more expensive) one can see the i5-9600KF outperforming it in regards to framerates, while using the Nvidia 2070 Super to run many of the most popular online competitive games.

The i5-9600KF comes with 6 cores and 6 threads (most games will only use up to 4 cores currently, and rarely make use of additional threads) while reaching base speeds of 3.7 GHz, and over-clocking speeds of 4.6 GHz. It also has DDR4 2666 memory types, and will support 64-bit operating systems. 

 In regards to its thermal design, it has a TDP of 95W, which is pretty high for a mid-range CPU, so make sure you invest in a CPU good cooler given that no fan or heatsink is included with its purchase. 

Given that the i5-9600KF currently only costs $198.65 (though you’d also have to account for a cooler), it is the best option for online competitive gaming, and makes an amazing pair with the Nvidia’s RTX 2070 Super, as it avoids any unnecessary bottlenecking unfortunately found in AMD CPUs. 

View on Amazon

Best Budget AMD CPU for RTX 2070 Super

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

If you love online competitive games, and want to show off your skills while playing them, then we recommend the AMD Ryzen 5 3600. 

In comparison to the aforementioned Intel processor, it will run most games at a 3-23% deficit in terms of effective FPS, when paired with the RTX 2070 Super, but since it can readily play any of these games at over 120 FPS, it hardly matters. What you gain in comparison to the i5-9600KF is the ability to multithread, and a 25-38% multi-core mixed speed boost. This means your processor will run your streaming software in unison with your game of choice much smoother, and with minimal-to-no frame drops.

A great value for its price, the Ryzen 5 3600 has 6-cores and 12 threads, operating at 3.6 GHz, and 4.2 GHz when overclocked. It has AMD’s 7nm structure, DDR4 3200 memory types, and, of course, it supports 64-bit operating systems. It has a significantly lower TDP compared to the i5-9600KF, of 65W, so it will run at cooler temperatures and is more energy efficient. It also includes a Wraith Stealth fan and heatsink, though, according Techspot’s benchmarks, it isn’t that great a cooling unit. Still, $12-$50 will get you a much better cooler, allowing you to be able to consistently overclock your CPU, without the worry of overheating it. 

At a $175 pricetag, AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600 is one of the smartest options you can get for playing current generation, perhaps early next-gen, as well as competitive online games; all while also having the ability to steam, edit, and multi-task, quickly and efficiently.

Related: Best motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600 builds

View on Amazon

Best Performance CPUs for RTX 2070 Super (& Futureproof)

The next generation of consoles and games are just around the corner, and the RTX 2070 Super has more than enough graphic processing power to run their games at the same (and probably higher) FPS rates, so you’re going to need to pair it with a CPU that can handle these more demanding specifications. 

Current-gen games may only use 4 cores, and 8 threads at best, but the upcoming Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X will include 8-core AMD Zen 2 processors, meaning that we can expect to see next-gen games make use of this improved hardware structure. Having an equivalently strong CPU means that you’ll be able to enjoy these games as they arrive, not just at launch, but also later on in the life-cycle of the new consoles. 

Also, if you plan on streaming, editing, or other general content creation, then octa-core multi-threading processors will make these tasks much smoother and quicker in 2020 and beyond.

Best Futureproof Intel CPU for RTX 2070 Super

Intel Core i7-9700KF

Similar to the i5-9600KF, the biggest brother – the i7-9700KF – when paired with the Nvidia RTX 2070 Super, will run games to the GPU’s full potential, without any bottlenecking issues. This means it can run current-generation games much faster than any equivalent AMD processor. In fact, the lost performance can be so significant, that using the similarly priced Ryzen 7 3700X will result in effective FPS rates that will make you feel like you just downgraded to a 2060 Super. Of course, this may differ come the next-generation (or improved VR) games, since this Intel processor does not have any hyperthreading capabilities.

With 8 cores, and 8 threads, it does run at a base 3.6 GHz operating frequency, and overclocks at up to an impressive 4.9 GHz. It has a 14nm structure, and a 12MB cache. Once again, as with the i5-9600KF, this CPU also has a TDP of 95W, and also does not include a fan or heatsink. For its $379.99 price range, it is a bit expensive for its lack of cooler and hyperthreading, but that is the price you pay in order to avoid CPU-bottlenecking your Nvidia RTX 2070 Super GPU.

View on Amazon

Best Futureproof AMD CPU for RTX 2070 Super

AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

The main selling points of the Ryzen 7 3700X to pair with the RTX 2070 Super lie within Ryzen’s higher thread count, paired with its lower price rate compared to the 9700KF.

In addition, the Ryzen 7 3700X has a 65W TDP, which means it will run at lower temperatures, and hence it is easier to overclock it more consistently. Again, even though it has a lower price point in comparison to its Intel counterpart, it still does come with a cooling unit: namely the Wraith Prism cooler. Though not the best, it is a respectable cooler which also features some of that popular RGB lighting pizzazz. 

It may not reach Intel i7-9600KF’s 4.9 GHz max turbo speed, but it does reach 4.4 GHz when overclocked and operates at the same 3.6 GHz range. It has a 32MB L3 cache, and Ryzen’s third-generation seven-nanometer structure. But what really separates it from the aforementioned Intel processor, is its 16-thread count. Current games may not use more than 6-8 threads max, but next-gen consoles have already announced a hyperthreading function for the Xbox Series X, as well as a 16-thread count for the Playstation 5’s CPU. How long it will take for games to make use of this hardware upgrade, of course, is a different question. 

Spec-wise versus Intel’s i7-9700KH, this is the superior CPU, but the fact that Intel’s CPUs will run today’s games more efficiently leaves one to wonder how this will change in the future. Will it be to AMD’s benefit, or will next-generation games only exacerbate current bottlenecking issues? The answer is yet to be seen. 

In regards to the use of your PC as a workstation, this would be the superior CPU. If you plan on streaming or editing, it is definitely the recommended option. It is also recommended in regards to finances, as AMD’s CPU is more energy-efficient, and will currently only cost you $290 (over $80 less than the i7-9700KF) – and if one were to include the price of the cooler and heatsink, given that you decide to keep the Wraith Prism, the AMD Ryzen R7 3700X is a much better deal to be made.

Related: Best RAM Timings for Ryzen 3000 Processors

View on Amazon

Filed Under: Graphics Cards, Guides, RTX 2070 Super

4 Best RTX 2070 Super Aftermarket Cards for 2020

October 25, 2019 by BuildPicker Leave a Comment

Best RTX 2070 Super Cards

The RTX 2070 Super is NVIDIAs latest mid-lineup graphics card based on its Turing architecture, positioned between the great value RTX 2060 Super and the enthusiast-grade RTX 2080 Super. The RTX 2070 Super offers close to RTX 2080 Super levels of performance but at a more attainable price – with MSRPs of reference cards at $500. This has made the RTX 2070 Super the most popular offering from NVIDIA, with many builders opting for the RTX 2070 Super rather than build with the RTX 2080 Super.

All of NVIDIAs latest ‘Super’ range of graphics cards all offer considerable improvements in performance and value over its previous generation line of Turing-based graphics cards, such as the RTX 2070 and RTX 2080. The release of the ‘Super’ line of RTX cards comes as a response to the release of AMD’s RX 5700 & RX 5700 XT – both cards aimed at mid-range market builds with fantastic performance for the money have both proven to be quite the success.

The RTX 2070 Super features 8GB of GDDR6 memory and a boost clock speed of 1770 MHz, resulting in an impressive 9.1 Teraflops – which gives a +1.6 TF improvement over its predecessor the RTX 2070, and comes close to the RTX 2080s performance at 10 TF.

In this guide, we are going to focus on what the best RTX 2070 Super cards are in 2019, now that users have been able to get their hands on these cards, as well as plenty of hardware tests, reviews & benchmarks are now available for the RTX 2070 Super.

You have two choices when picking for a RTX 2070 Super – you can either purhase a Founders Edition RTX 2070 Super with a reference design or instead purchase an aftermarket (also known as custom, AIB or partner) RTX 2070 Super card.

Benefits of aftermarket RTX 2070 Super cards vs Reference design

Opting for an aftermarket RTX 2070 Super from a manufacturer such as MSI, Gigabyte or EVGA, often presents a range of benefits compared to building with just a reference design RTX 2070 Super card.

The main benefits are listed below:

  • Some RTX 2070 Super partner cards feature a custom PCB design which allows manufacturers to improve the VRM design of the card and thus allow for greater power delivery and more stable overclocking. In addition, a custom PCB allows manufacturers to add features not present on reference 2070S cards such as RGB lighting, custom fan speeds, dual BIOS and an increase (normally) in power connectors (such as dual 8-pin, or 8-pin, 6-pin setups). The reference RTX 2070 Super features a 6-pin and 8-pin power connector, but some AIB 2070S cards such as the Palit 2070 Super Jetstream features dual 8-pin power connectors.
  • Beefier cooling designs such as dual or triple-fan cooling setups, such as the MSI Gaming X Trio, offer quieter operation and improved cooling performance. This, in turn, allows for manufacturers to raise the factory overclock speeds in comparison to the reference design, whilst often operating cooler and quieter at the same time. For example, the ASUS Strix Super OC features a beefy triple fan setup, and has a factory boost clock of 1935 MHz, a huge +165 MHz improvement over the stock 1770 MHz boost overclock of the 2070 Super Founders Edition!
  • Form factor – due to custom PCB designs from partner 2070S cards, this allows to manufacturers to alter the form factor of the RTX 2070 Super, such as increasing the size to accomodate for beefier VRM and cooling solutions, or smaller designs to allow for the 2070S to be more compact and be more suitable for ITX/small form factor RTX 2070S Super builds. The FE (Founders Edition) comes in at 267mm length, whilst the MSI Ventus OC is 12mm shorter at 257mm length, and the MSI Gaming X Trio is far larger at 328mm length!
  • Partner cards can typically command a price premium over the Founders Edition of the RTX 2070 Super, usually, when the partner card features an improved cooling solution, factory overclock gain or improved features over its reference version. For example, of the of the most expensive RTX 2070 Super cards, the EVGA FTW3 Ultra commands a $90 premium over the FE edition, at $590.
  • On the contrary, many partner/AIB 2070S cards retail for the same price as the Founders Edition, and these often have similar factory overclocks, feature-set PCB design – they just provide better value and often better availability.

Now we’ve gone over the various benefits there are when opting for an aftermarket version of the RTX 2070 Super, let’s get onto our favorite and best performing RTX 2070S cards on offer right now in 2019.

Best RTX 2070 Super Cards – Top Picks

Best RTX 2070 Super Aftermarket CardsDesignRecommendation
Best Performance RTX 2070 Super CardEVGA RTX 2070 Super FTW3 UltraEVGA RTX 2070 Super FTW3 Ultra
Quietest RTX 2070 SuperMSI 2070S Gaming X trioMSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
Best Budget RTX 2070 Super CardGigabyte RTX 2070 Super Windforce OCGigabyte RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC
Best Water Cooled RTX 2070 SuperEVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Hybrid GamingEVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Hybrid Gaming

Best Performance RTX 2070 Super Card

EVGA RTX 2070 Super FTW3 Ultra

If all-out-performance is the driving factor in your RTX 2070 Super build, then you should go for the EVGA RTX 2070 Super FTW3 Ultra – the fastest RTX 2070 Super partner card with the highest power limit and best cooling setup. With the triple fan setup of the FTW3 Ultra, thermals are super low as well as the acoustics – also being one of the quietest 2070S cards out there. In addition, with EVGAs fantastic post-purchase customer support and warranty terms, should there be any problem with this card – EVGA will have your back and be proactive in sorting it.

Retailing at $590, the FTW3 Ultra has a 2.75-slot, triple cooling fan solution, resulting in an 1815 MHz boost clock speed. If you want the fastest RTX 2070 Super out of the box, then the EVGA RTX 2070 Super FTW3 Ultra is the card to go for.

View on Amazon

Quietest RTX 2070 Super

MSI 2070S Gaming X trio

Aftermarket RTX 2070S cards run as a general rule of thumb far quieter than the FE variant, but if you want the absolute quietest RTX 2070 Super partner card, then the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is the AIB card for you.

The Gaming X Trio is based on a custom 8+2 phase VRM, cooled by a massive triple TORX 3.0 fan setup, generating huge amounts of airflow and making this a well-ventilated card – with the card at load maxing at just 66 degrees Celsius. Factory overclocks only result in this card in being a 2% improvement over the FE 2070S, although it is possible to tweak this card and get further performance out of it.

Acoustics wise, the Gaming X Trio is one of the quietest cards out there, with a super silent cooling solution, no audible coil whine, and will be unnoticeable when placed into a PC enclosure.

View on Amazon

Best Budget RTX 2070 Super Card

Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC

Sometimes you don’t care about having the absolute best if it means paying a huge premium. All the cards have the same chip anyways, aside from binning and factory overclocks. With the Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC, you can get the RGB, USB Type C connector and triple fan configuration of the AORUS, while only spending $500 compared to $590.

It’s smaller, too, with a width of 2 PCIe slots and a length of only 280mm. Still a large card, but it covers one less PCIe slot, which might be handy for a future upgrade like an NVMe SSD or a 10gb ethernet port. It even only requires an 8 + 6 power cable.

The only notable downside is that the boost clock is 120 MHz lower at 1785 MHz. However, that’s only a 6% reduction in clockspeed. For reference, if a game’s performance changed linearly with clockspeed (Which it usually doesn’t), you would be getting 135fps instead of 144fps. Some people may be able to feel this, but to a large majority of people it will be unnoticeable enough to not warrant spending an extra $90.

And of course, you can manually OC to get it on par or better with a stock AORUS. This one still works with Gigabyte RGB Fusion, too, so paying a lower price doesn’t mean you sacrifice glowy lights. It is the recommended RTX 2070 Super card for the majority of you.

View on Amazon

Best Water Cooled RTX 2070 Super

EVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Hybrid Gaming

There are non-Gigabyte cards worthy of mention too, such as the EVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Hybrid Gaming. It’s relatively expensive at $590, but it’s the only card that’s water cooled out of the box. It’s usually more complicated to install a water cooler on a GPU than a CPU, thus you will get all the benefits of water cooling without the effort of putting it on yourself. The size is smaller than the other two; 266mm long and 2 PCIe slots wide, making it better if you aren’t sure the others would fit in your case. It has USB Type C and RGB, but unfortunately no RGB sync. The boost clock is a respectable 1800 MHz and it only needs an 8 + 6 pin power cable. It’s a very solid card apart from the price, so those who feel strongly about having water cooling for performance or aesthetic reasons should consider this card. Just make sure your case has a space to mount the single fan radiator.

View on Amazon

Best RTX 2070 Super without RGB

Lastly, for those adamantly opposed to RGB, there are two recommended options: the EVGA RTX 2070 Super Black Gaming if you care about USB Type C on your GPU, and the MSI RTX 2070 Super Ventus if you don’t. Both are dual fan, have a boost clock of 1770 MHz, are 2 PCIe slots wide, are roughly the same length, and require 8 + 6 pin cables. The only real difference is the price, with the EVGA card being $520 and the MSI card being $500. The decision just comes down to whether you want to spend $20 more for USB Type C, which really means “do you want to spend an extra $20 to make VR easier to set up”?

View on Amazon


Choosing Your Own Model:

If you don’t agree with the recommended choices but don’t know enough about what to look for in a GPU model, look here (Link to general buying guide) for a general GPU model choosing guide. Then, you can search the full list of GPU choices below and pick the one most suited to your needs.

ModelMSRPBase ClockBoost ClockFan DesignLength (mm)Width (Slots)Warranty (Years)PSU RequirementsUSB-CRGB?
NVIDIA RTX 2070 Super Founder Edition$5001605 MHz1770 MHzDual Fan 267218 + 6 pin1
ASUS Turbo RTX 2070 Super EvoTBC1605 MHz1770 MHzBlower Fan268238 + 60
ASUS Dual RTX 2070 Super EvoTBC1635 MHz1800 MHzDual Fan 2672.738 + 60
ASUS Dual RTX 2070 Super Evo AdvancedTBC1605 MHz1815 MHzDual Fan 2672.738 + 60
ASUS Dual RTX 2070 Super Evo OC$5301635 MHz1845 MHzDual Fan 2672.738 + 60
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2070 SuperTBC1635 MHz1800 MHzTriple Fan3002.738 + 81Yes
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2070 Super Advanced$5851635 MHz1830 MHzTriple Fan3002.738 + 81Yes
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2070 Super OCTBC1635 MHz1935 MHzTriple Fan3002.738 + 81Yes
EVGA RTX 2070 Super Black Gaming$520Not given1770 MHzDual Fan 270238 + 61
EVGA RTX 2070 Super Gaming$530Not given1770 MHzBlower Fan266238 + 61Yes
EVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Gaming$540Not given1800 MHzDual Fan 270238 + 61Yes
EVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Ultra Gaming$550Not given1800 MHzDual Fan 270238 + 61Yes
EVGA RTX 2070 Super FTW3 Ultra Gaming$590Not given1815 MHzTriple Fan3012.7538 + 81Yes
EVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Hybrid Gaming$590Not given1800 MHzWatercooler266238 + 61Yes
Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC$500Not given1785 MHzTriple Fan280238 + 61Yes
Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC$550Not given1815 MHzTriple Fan28750mm48 + 61Yes
Gigabyte AORUS RTX 2070 Super $590Not given1905 MHzTriple Fan29060mm48 + 81Yes
MSI RTX 2070 Super Ventus$500Not given1770 MHzDual Fan257238 + 60
MSI RTX 2070 Super Ventus OC$510Not given1785 MHzDual Fan257238 + 60
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming TrioTBCNot given1770 MHzTriple Fan32857mm38 + 80Yes
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio$515Not given1800 MHzTriple Fan32857mm38 + 80Yes
Zotac RTX 2070 Super Twin Fan$500Not given1770 MHzDual Fan268238 + 60Yes
Zotac RTX 2070 Super AMPTBCNot given1800 MHzDual Fan268238 + 60Yes
Zotac RTX 2070 Super AMP ExtremeTBCNot given1830 MHzTriple Fan3082.538 + 60Yes
Palit RTX 2070 Super XTBC1605 MHz1770 MHzBlower Fan269238 + 60
Palit RTX 2070 Super JSTBC1410 MHz1815 MHzDual Fan2922.738 + 80Yes
Palit RTX 2070 Super GRTBC1605 MHz1770 MHzDual Fan2922.738 + 81Yes
Palit RTX 2070 Super GRPTBC1605 MHz1830 MHzDual Fan2922.738 + 81Yes

Filed Under: Graphics Cards, Guides, RTX 2070 Super

Copyright © by BuildPicker.com · All rights reserved