ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070, TUF-RTX3070-8G-GAMING, 8GB GDDR6, 2x HDMI, 3x DP

That's more like it, ASUS. We've recently looked at the RTX 3060 Ti TUF in our roundup of the latest addition to the Nvidia Ampere range, and the pricing of the RTX 3060 Ti was so aggressive that the addition of this cooler to that card meant the price was just untenable. By virtue of placing it on a card which has a larger margin on the price the RTX 3070 TUF, by contrast, is actually more affordable than many of it's rivals and right in the midst of the RTX 3070 options. Suddenly the cooler which made the Ti card overpriced becomes one of the best in its price bracket. Undeniably the star of the show, the cooler feels premium straight out of the box. We understand the feel of a card is nowhere near as important as its ability to produce buttery smooth gaming, but when you've just spent £600 on a new graphics card you want to gingerly remove it from the anti-static packaging and feel that you've got good value on your investment. With an all-metal surround both front and back that definitely is the case here. Additionally the feel isn't even the best bit about the cooler, but it's ability to keep your card frosty. It's easily the coolest of the RTX 3070s we've tested, and this has benefits when it comes to it's ability to boost - just a shade behind the more expensive MSI Gaming X Trio - and how quiet it is in operation. The three fans counter-rotate and that helps reduce airflow noise as well as push huge swathes of air across that 3 slot cooler. We're also big fans - heh - of the subtle RGB lighting on the TUF. Just a single TUF logo and line helps keep its no-nonsense vibe going. Of course all that's well and good but we want smooth gaming performance too and the ASUS RTX 3070 TUF is right in the heart of the 3070s we've reviewed. It's not quite hitting the heights of the aforementioned MSI card, but neither is it quite as inconsistent as the Nvidia FE or Gigabyte models were. It's rock solid, and that is in keeping with the whole aesthetic of the card. From the high quality power components, through the outstanding cooling ability, and those business-like looks, it's a card that promises to deliver and does so. We know it's extremely hard to get hold of any of the new Nvidia Ampere cards, such has been their popularity and the current world climate, but when they do start to reappear on the shelves of your local hardware emporium we recommend you add the ASUS RTX 3070 TUF Gaming to your shortlist. Cool, quiet, fast, lovely. The ASUS RTX 3070 TUF has an MSRP of £599.99.

Both the MSI RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio and Asus RTX 3070 TUF Gaming OC are expected to arrive at around $560, which is a 12% markup from MSRP. This seems reasonable given how much cooler and quieter they run when compared to the Founders Edition board, which may only sell at the MSRP for little while and then disappear forever in traditional FE fashion. Asus has suggested that the base RTX 3070 TUF Gaming (the non-OC version) will start at $530 which seems like a better deal as you can just overclock yourself if you care about getting that extra 1-3 FPS. MSI will offer the Ventus 2X OC at the $500 MSRP, but of course, that won’t compare to the Gaming X Trio's cooling capabilities. All in all, both Asus and MSI offerings are solid contenders though we're leaning towards the Asus TUF in this comparison as it includes an all-aluminum design and most crucially, a dual BIOS option.