Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super review: what the RTX 4070 should have been

Supe’s on

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It’s been two whole graphics card generations since Nvidia last tried the whole Super-branded refresh thing , and from what I recall of that sweaty 2019 summer, most of the updated RTX 20 series cards were meek rejigs of GPUs that didn’t really need replacing in the first place. Having tried the new RTX 4070 Super, though, it looks like Nvidia aren’t just redeeming the Super badge – they might just right the wrongs of the RTX 40 family as a whole.

Obviously, ultimate success will depend on the RTX 4070 Ti Super and the RTX 4080 Super as well. But all three promise higher performance, with or without DLSS and DLSS 3 sorcery, and at prices that either match or undercut their original versions. As the whole issue with the Ada Lovelace generation has been fat costs compounded by middling speed improvements over the 30 series, that all sounds good in theory, and the RTX 4070 Super shows it can deliver in practice. It even makes the RTX 4070 Ti obsolete, let alone the RTX 4070 it replaces.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Super Aero OC specs: CUDA Cores: 7168 Boost clock: 2565MHz VRAM: 12GB GDDR6X Power: 220W Recommended System Power: 700W Price: £670 / $680 (other RTX 4070 Super models start at £579 / $600 )

GIn this specific case, I’m getting a little help from the factory overclock on the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Super Aero OC, which bumps up the boost clock from 2475MHz to 2565MHz. But even if it was running stock, boost speed isn’t actually a Super-specific improvement. Instead, it’s the base clock that gets a little nudge, up from 1920MHz to 1980Hz, while CUDA core count rises from 5888 on the RTX 4070 to 7168 here. That’s quite a chunk of extra brainpower, and the Ada Lovelace architecture remains efficient enough that max power draw only swells from 200W to 220W as a result. That’s still far less PSU slurpiness than that of the 263W Radeon RX 7800 XT , AMD’s recent-ish RTX 4070 rival.

Besides being a bit of a looker – more rounded edges please, graphics card makers – this Aero model also sports a nigh-unbelievably quiet triple fan cooler. Next to my own PC’s RTX 3090 Founders’ Edition, which whirrs like a panicked Roomba whenever it needs to render something in three dimensions, the RTX 4070 Super Aero OC keeps to a mere whisper even when firing out frames at 4K. Which, incidentally, it’s not half bad at.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super review: 4K benchmarks

The RPS test PC: CPU: Intel Core i5-11600K RAM: 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX Motherboard: Asus TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WiFi PSU: NZXT C1000 Gold

While Nvidia originally pitched the RTX 4070 as a 1440p machine, the RTX 4070 Super is basically 4K-ready from the off. Even at native rez, with zero aid from upscaling or DLSS 3’s frame generation, most games can zip along above 60fps, so you’re certainly looking at 100fps-plus in those that support DLSS or FSR. These results show how tidy a performance boost the RTX 4070 Super actually has over last year’s model: in a lot of cases, the difference between the two is roughly as big as that between the RTX 4070 and RTX 3070 . Click, as always, to enlarge:

Even more enticingly, the RTX 4070 Super repeatedly catches up to – and sometimes slightly outpaces – the RTX 4070 Ti. True, that’s about to be shoved aside in favour of its own Super version, but the fact is that this GPU can go toe-to-toe with one that can easily cost £200 more. Not bad, not bad at all.

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It must be said that the Radeon RX 7800 XT does well to stay on the RTX 4070 Super’s tail, even edging past in Hitman 3 . Still, it’s a far more regular occurrence for the new GeForce GPU to finish ahead, and again, that’s before it can even leverage its added bonus of DLSS support. If anything, Nvidia’s upscaler seems to work even better on the Super hardware than it did before, with Quality-level upscaling able to more than double the framerates of a fully ray-traced Cyberpunk 2077 . Mix in DLSS 3’s frame gen, and it even starts knocking on the RTX 4080 ’s door, bypassing the RTX 4070 Ti entirely:

If you are window shopping for a new 4K card, it’ll be worth waiting to see how the RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4080 Super fare as well. Especially the former, which is receiving a major VRAM upgrade that should address the OG RTX 4070 Ti’s issues with certain games running max-rez textures at 4K. In terms of affordability, mind, the RTX 4070 Super is absolutely going to be the least expensive RTX 40 series option for smooth 4K, and that’s a pretty attractive notion all by itself.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super review: 1440p benchmarks

You might even say that the RTX 4070 Super makes more sense as a ‘budget’ 4K card than it does as a devourer of 1440p. Not because it fails in this regard – again, it’s capable of major gains over the RTX 4070, especially in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Horizon Zero Dawn . Nonetheless, its advantages narrow at this resolution, leaving the competition feeling much fiercer.

For native-rez, non-ray tracing play, the cheaper RX 7800 XT repeatedly looks like the smarter option. It matches the RTX 4070 Super’s impressive HZD peak and then some, doing the same in Forza Horizon 5 , and is rarely far behind otherwise.

Once you get into more advanced settings, however, the RTX 4070 Super rises again. For one, it’s simply better than the RX 7800 XT at ray tracing, and not by particularly modest margins: Metro Exodus , running both Ultra quality and Ultra ray tracing, averaged 82fps on the RTX 4070 Super and 61fps on the RX 7800 XT. Get a gaming monitor with any refresh rate above 60Hz, and you will notice that difference. Hitman 3 , with Ultra quality settings and all the ray-traced trimmings, also managed 60fps on the GeForce GPU; AMD’s card could only squeeze out 45fps.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun

Then there’s DLSS, which even outside of framerate concerns is a better-looking upscaler than any version of FSR thus far. But it can go faster as well, as Hitman 3 demonstrated – adding Quality-level DLSS to those RT settings allowed the RTX 4070 Super to hit 91fps, utterly thumping the 69fps that the RX 7800 XT recorded with Quality FSR 2.

The arrival of FSR 3 means that Radeon GPUs now have a frame generation alternative to DLSS 3, but AMD’s version is so lacking in game support right now that the RTX 40 series’ compatibility with DLSS 3 can still be considered a win. And with DLSS 3.5’s Ray Reconstruction available as well, albeit in just a few games itself, the RTX 4070 Super comprehensively beats the RX 7800 XT on features. As such, the fact that the two are so close on ‘core’ 1440p performance matters… maybe not little, but definitely less. You still get much, much more for your money with the Super.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun

Ah, the M word, a derailer (if justifiably so) of so many conversations about the 40 series’ gaming merits. I’m sure we’d all prefer it if the RTX 4070 Super was a bit cheaper, but with non-overclocked models starting from £579, you’re ultimately claiming more power for less cash than you would if you grabbed an RTX 4070 at launch. Looking at its performance, 4K included, that’s a decent deal. A tougher question would be whether to go for a customised card, like this £670 / $680 Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Super Aero OC right here.

That is a hefty premium, no doubt, and much as I appreciate its willingness to be played and not heard, I suspect part of me would want to prioritise more RRP-leaning models. That said, another, more wide-eyed part might just be too enamoured with its build quality and quietness, and would likely justify itself by pointing out how this spec is still a hundred-odd quid less than the RTX 4070 Ti. Despite, remember, sometimes outperforming it. And really, how much can I argue with myself?

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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