The fact that NVIDIA will release a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti graphics card, which will essentially duplicate the previously cancelled GeForce RTX 4080 12GB, is no longer a secret. Colorful and PNY have previously discussed the future novelty in a non-reference version. However, the manufacturers only displayed renderings of their respective versions of this graphics card. It’s finally time for some real photos. They were referring to the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Aero model.
The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti has already begun shipping to reviewers and retailers, according to VideoCardz. The Gigabyte version in question comes with a massive cooling system that includes three fans. The cooling system has an unpretentious appearance. The Aero series is the “spiritual successor” to the Vision series, which was eventually discontinued by the manufacturer.
NVIDIA 2×8-pin to 1×16-pin (12VHPWR) adapter, Source: VideoCardz
This RTX 4070 Ti has a single 16-pin power connector that is fed by a dual 8-pin NVIDIA adapter. This is a third variant of said adapter, with the RTX 4080 featuring a 38-pin to 16-pin power adapter and the RTX 4090 being the most power hungry of the bunch, requiring four standard 8-pin cables for the 600W “12VHWPR” adapter.
Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti AERO, Source: VideoCardz
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Aero model has a very short circuit board that is only half the length of the cooling system. Simultaneously, the cooling system is 2.5 expansion slots thick.
According to VideoCardz, the RTX 4070 Ti will be unveiled on January 3rd. The accelerator’s reviews will be published a day later, and the graphics card is expected to go on sale on January 5th, according to rumours.
Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti AERO Specs, Source: VideoCardz
Round-up of the Leak/Rumor
With the weight of rumours now behind it, and the appearance of photos of an actual third-party model of the RTX 4070 Ti, a CES launch is looking increasingly likely (or as certain as anything from the rumour mill gets, anyway).
There’s some doubt about whether it’ll be available for purchase right away, but that makes sense given that this GPU is essentially a (barely) reworked RTX 4080 12GB. (This is the card that was prepped and then ‘unlaunched’ by Nvidia, implying that everything was pretty much ready to go with this release).
The use of a 2 x 8-pin power adapter (required for ATX 2.0 power supplies, which most PCs have) reflects the fact that the 4070 Ti uses less power – it’s rumoured to be 285W – than the RTX 4080, which is 3 x 8-pin, and the RTX 4090, which is 4 x 8-pin.
Fortunately, we haven’t seen any reports of melted adapters with the RTX 4080. Those incidents have only occurred with the RTX 4090, and only in very rare cases, as Nvidia has stated (likely due to the connector not being seated properly in its port).
All that is unknown about the 4070 Ti is its price, which will, of course, be a critical factor. Given how AMD’s new RX 7900 XTX has made the RTX 4080 appear even more overpriced than it already was, we expect Nvidia to price the RTX 4070 Ti more competitively, while also lowering the price of the 4080 to compete better with the RDNA 3 flagship.
That’s the move that makes the most sense to us, especially since Nvidia needs to justify why the 4070 Ti will (presumably) be cheaper than the axed 4080 12GB, and a 4080 16GB price drop seems like the obvious way to do so. Still, in the GPU world, what makes sense and what happens are frequently at odds…
