NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 custom cards are here, and there's a lot of them (Updated)

Updated on 15 July 2016: Added details on price of the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming and Xtreme Gaming.

Updated on 12 July 2016: Added details on the price of the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1070 and MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8G.

Updated on 7 July 2016: Added details on two new Gigabyte cards.

Updated on 5 July 2016: Added details on the recently announced Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Xtreme Gaming.

Originally published on 13 June 2016:

Custom versions of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 were announced only recently, but for all their much-vaunted performance, they still command a fairly stiff price. That’s where the GeForce GTX 1070 comes in, offering performance on the same level as the GeForce GTX Titan X at just half the price.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition cards from various brands are already available to buy at S$768, but you’re probably curious what the different vendors have cooked up, especially after the US pricing of custom GeForce GTX 1080 cards turned out to be less than the Founders Edition variant (which doesn’t even come with things like triple-fan coolers, factory overclocks, or extra power connectors).

As it turns out, brands are sticking to the same formula. This means more or less the same selection of cards as there was with the GeForce GTX 1080, complete with goodies like customizable RGB lighting.

ASUS

As with the GeForce GTX 1080, ASUS has unveiled two variants of the ROG Strix GTX 1070 – an overclocked version with boosted clock speeds and another clocked at reference speeds.

In OC mode, the factory overclocked card runs at a base clock of 1,657MHz and boost clock of 1,860MHz, a decent bump up from the reference 1,506MHz base clock and 1,683MHz boost clock. But while the other card ships with reference speeds out-of-the-box (Gaming mode), in OC mode it can be notched up to a 1,721MHz boost clock. On the other hand, its more aggressively overclocked counterpart already features a 1,835MHz boost clock in Gaming mode.

That aside, the cards are identical, and they feature the same DirectCU III triple-fan cooler, semi-passive wing-blade fans that have been engineered to increase airflow and static pressure, and heatpipes that are in direct contact with the GPU.

And like the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080, both cards also feature ASUS FanConnect technology, which is a new way of controlling chassis fan speeds by linking them – via two 4-pin fan headers – to the GPU instead of the CPU. GPU temperatures are apt to exceed those of the CPU, so this helps to ramp up cooling when it is most needed.

Other notable features include ASUS’ Aura RGB lighting on both the shroud and backplate, which you can customize with your choice of color and illumination effect. Then there’s the inclusion of a second HDMI port (in place of a third DisplayPort connector), which allows you to connect a VR headset and HDMI display simultaneously.

Finally, ASUS also highlighted the beefed-up components – dubbed Super Alloy Power II – on the cards that it says improve power efficiency, reduce component buzzing, and enable lower temperatures.

The overclocked version of the ROG Strix GTX 1070 retails for S$829 locally.

EVGA

In typical EVGA fashion, there are multiple flavors of the GeForce GTX 1070 with varying clock speeds available. Here’s a list of what’s been announced so far, and their prices where available (unlike the GeForce GTX 1080, there’s no Classified Gaming edition):

• EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 (US$420)
• EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC Gaming ACX 3.0 (US$440)
• EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 FTW Gaming ACX 3.0

They all feature the new ACX 3.0 cooler than debuted with the GeForce GTX 1080 a couple of weeks back. This means dual double ball-bearing 0dB fans, a dedicated memory/MOSFET cooling plate, straight copper heatpipes with a copper contact area, and white LED lighting to boot.

The SC Gaming edition – which stands for Superclocked – comes with a modest factory overclock to the tune of a 1,594MHz base clock and 1,784MHz boost clock. In comparison, the regular ACX 3.0 version retains the same clock speeds as the Founders Edition card.

EVGA hasn’t disclosed the clock speeds on the FTW Gaming edition yet, but it is shaping up to be the one with the highest clock speeds. On top of a custom PCB and an upgraded 10+2 power phase design, it will also feature dual BIOS for overclocking and larger 10cm fans for more robust cooling. A second 8-pin PCIe connector has been added as well for greater overclocking headroom.

Finally, the white LEDs on the other ACX 3.0 cards have also been upgraded to RGB ones that can be customized through EVGA’s PrecisionX OC utility.

Gigabyte

Gigabyte has four different cards available in order to cater to different audiences. The GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming, the higher end GeForce GTX 1070 Xtreme Gaming, and the GeForce GTX 1070 WindForce OC Edition are your standard ATX cards, but Gigabyte also announced the GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC Edition, a mini-ITX card for small form factor systems.

The power delivery design on the G1 Gaming card has been upgraded over the Founders Edition cards, featuring a 6+2 phase design over a mere five phases. As expected, it is also factory overclocked out-of-the-box, with a 1,620MHz base clock and 1,822MHz boost clock in OC mode. Alternatively, a lower clocked Gaming mode is also available, with a base clock of 1,594MHz and boost clock of 1,784MHz. 

The WindForce 3X cooler is similar to the one on the GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming, and the fans sport a familiar 3D stripe design that supposedly helps the fans draw in more air. To help draw heat away from the GPU, Gigabyte has implemented hollow, composite heatpipes that it says improves heat transfer between two solid interfaces.

The shroud also features an illuminated Gigabyte logo and fan stop light – to indicate when the fans stop spinning as temperatures fall below a certain threshold – which can both be customized via Gigabyte’s OC Guru II software. Available lighting effects include things like breathing, flashing, and color cycling, so you’ll be able to add some panache to your system.

Gigabyte has stuck with just a single 8-pin power connector as on the Founders Edition card. 

On the other hand, the Xtreme Gaming card features beefier features like a 10+2 power phase design for more stable voltage output and better overclocking. There's also an additional 6-pin power connector to supply the card with more power for overclocking. And like the GeForce GTX 1080 Xtreme Gaming, the 1070 uses the same stacked fan design, where the middle fan is recessed and spins in the opposite direction from the other two. The fans also use double ball bearings, which should mean that they'll last longer than regular sleeve bearing fans. 

In addition, the card comes with two extra HDMI connectors at the front for use with VR headsets or any HDMI monitors you care to hook up.

Finally, you also get things like a metal backplate for better structural rigidity, and an aerospace-grade PCB coating that protects the card against moisture and dust. In OC mode, the card is clocked at a 1,695MHz base clock and 1,898MHz boost clock.

The GeForce GTX 1070 WindForce OC Edition is a more modest dual-fan card for gamers who don't see the need for the triple-fan solutions on the former two cards. It relies on two 90mm fans and two pure copper composite heatpipes for cooling, and the fans are able to stop spinning under low loads as well. Still, it retains the upgraded power phase design of the G1 Gaming with a 6+2 phase design for better overclocking. It has a base clock of 1,582MHz and boost clock of 1,771MHz in OC mode.

Then there's the GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC Edition, which is targeted at gamers looking to build compact but powerful gaming systems. It features just a single 90mm fan, but has three pure copper heatpipes that help channel heat away from the GPU. It uses a 5+1 power phase design, which is still a step up from the 5 phases on the Founders Edition cards. The factory overclocks are also expectedly lower because of the less robust cooling solution, and the card has a 1,556MHz base clock and 1,746MHz boost clock in OC mode.

With that said, the main draw is still the card's compact size. It measures just 169mm long (in comparison, the Xtreme Gaming card is 289mm in length), and you'll definitely be able to fit it into most small form factor cases.

The GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming retails for S$768, while the Xtreme Gaming is going for S$825. 

MSI

Much as it did with the GeForce GTX 1080, MSI has unveiled a huge selection of custom GeForce GTX 1070s that will leave gamers spoilt for choice. We’ve listed the cards as follow (prices have been added where available):

• MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Sea Hawk X
• MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Gaming X 8G (S$819)
• MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Aero 8G OC
• MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Aero 8G
• MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Armor 8G OC
• MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Armor 8G

The GeForce GTX 1070 Sea Hawk X features a hybrid cooling solution comprising a blower-style fan and a closed-loop Corsair H55 liquid cooler. We were surprised to see that MSI has extended the Sea Hawk treatment to the GeForce GTX 1070, as it looks like something that would be reserved for flagship cards only (it first appeared on the GeForce GTX 980 Ti Sea Hawk. Then again, the GeForce GTX 1070 does deliver flagship-level performance, so that’s probably justified.

And if you look closely, you’ll also notice that the shroud and fan are actually the same as on the MSI Aero series cards. In OC mode, the card operates at a 1,607MHz base clock and 1,797MHz boost clock, almost a good 100MHz over the 1,506MHz reference base clock.

Then there’s the GeForce GTX 1070 Gaming X 8G, which is the real king of the hill in MSI’s line-up. As with past versions of this series, the card is designed to be overclocked, with a custom PCB design, 10-phase power design, and an additional 6-pin PCIe power connector.

The Twin Frozr VI cooler has also been upgraded over its predecessor with double ball-bearing Torx 2.0 fans, an improved fan blade design for better airflow, and thick 8mm square copper heatpipes. The nickel-plated copper baseplate also reportedly helps to channel heat to the heatsink more efficiently.

Of course, there’s customizable RGB lighting included as well, in the form of an illuminated MSI logo on the top of the card. Red accents around one of the fans also glow red when the card is powered on.

The GeForce GTX 1070 Armor cards feature more modest dual-fan Armor 2X coolers, but with the same Torx fans as found on MSI’s Twin Frozr V coolers. The fans here are of the semi-passive variety as well, and can shut down under low loads. Reference and overclocked versions are available, although the overclocked version only has a rather modest 1,556MHz base clock and 1,746 MHz boost clock.

Finally, the Aero cards utilize a blower-style fan similar to that on the Founders Edition cards. These are the most basic out of MSI’s custom cards, which means there’s no RGB lighting or flashy, colored accents. Instead, MSI has gone with a nearly all black design with just a single silver accent. It is available in reference and overclocked versions as well, where the OC variant is clocked at a 1,531MHz base clock and 1,721MHz boost clock.

Palit

Palit has released two different series of the GeForce GTX 1070, including the familiar JetStream cards and the new GameRock edition ones. In total, four different cards were announced:

• Palit GeForce GTX 1070 GameRock Premium Edition
• Palit GeForce GTX 1070 GameRock
• Palit GeForce GTX 1070 Super JetStream
• Palit GeForce GTX 1070 JetStream

The GameRock cards are targeted at gamers, while the JetStream cards remain geared toward overclockers and enthusiasts. Both GameRock cards come with out-of-the-box factory overclocks – the Premium version is the higher clocked one with a 1,670MHz base clock and 1,873MHz boost clock, while the regular version features a 1,556MHz base clock and 1,746MHz boost clock.

The striking blue-and-white cooling shroud probably isn’t for everyone, and the metal backplate even has the GameRock branding emblazoned on it. According to Palit, the heatsink on the GameRock cooler has a denser design, which when combined with the large copper base, helps improve cooling performance over the reference design.

Other features include a honeycomb mesh at the rear for better airflow, dual BIOS, and an 8-phase power design.

On the other hand, the Super JetStream features a 1,632MHz base clock and 1,835MHz boost clock. The JetStream edition follows the reference clock speeds. Both cards share the same dual-fan JetStream cooler, which comes with expected features like semi-passive fans, RGB lighting, and a beefed-up 8-phase power design.

Zotac

Zotac also debuted the GeForce GTX 1070 AMP Edition and AMP Extreme, which differ mainly in terms of clock speeds. But while the AMP Edition card features a base clock of 1,607MHz and boost clock of 1,797MHz, Zotac is currently withholding details on the clock speeds of the AMP Extreme, although it will likely be higher.

The cards are equipped with two- and three-fan cooling shrouds respectively, and both feature Zotac’s new Spectra RGB lighting that illuminates the front of the GPU and the backplate with any color you desire.

They utilize Zotac’s IceStorm cooling solution, which really just involves an aluminum heatsink attached to six copper heatpipes that are in direct contact with the GPU. In addition, Zotac highlighted the size of its fans – the GeForce GTX 1070 AMP features two 100mm fans, while the AMP Extreme version has three 90mm blowers.

The overhauled FireStorm GPU-tweaking software also comes crammed with new features, of which the Spectra lighting is a part. You’ll be able to adjust things like the color, brightness, and lighting effects in the software, and the user interface has reportedly been tweaked to be more intuitive and easier to use, with things like individual controls for each card in SLI configurations.

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