The past few years have introduced a new problem for PC enthusiasts, one which has nothing to do with AI for a change. As the power requirements and performance of our GPUs…
That is the current Amazon price for Gigabyte's RTX 5090 Gaming OC 32G GPU, over twice the purely theoretical MSRP of $2,350. However it does remain the most powerful consumer gaming…
There are many different options available if you want to buy a microSD card, but which one of these lasts the longest? Tech enthusiast Matt Cole wanted to find out, so he set up a torture rig in 2023 to put various cards through their paces and recently released an update on the status of his project on the r/DataHoarder subreddit. Cole said that he has a total of 351 microSD cards in his collection coming from 52 different brands and 111 unique models. Of these, 177 have already been tested until they completely stopped working, have become read-only, or more than half of the sectors on the card have experienced verification failure. Another 107 units are currently being put through their paces, while a further 67 are waiting for a microSD card slot to open up.
Cole has so far tested 200 cards last year, meaning 84 microSD's have failed in the intervening months. While this might sound disastrous for any manufacturer, we should note that the testing conditions are quite extreme, and it’s rare that a user would find themselves in these circumstances. If you want to check out the raw data, Cole’s database is publicly viewable on his website, but he’s also shared some of his observations after three years of testing. First, he divided his microSD cards into three categories: consumer-grade, high-endurance, and industrial-grade. Consumer-grade microSD cards are the typical cards you can get off Amazon, while high-endurance models are often labeled as such (or some other similar wording). Lastly, industrial-grade microSD cards are those that are specifically designed for heavy-duty use and would often come with a data sheet and an endurance claim.
According to the test results, the average consumer-grade microSD withstood 10,000 program/verify/erase cycles, with PNY, Kingston, Delkin Devices, Lexar, and Samsung rounding out Cole’s top five brands.
Brand | Failed | Total Tested | Average Lifespan (Days) | Average Cycles | Total Written Data (PB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PNY | 1 | 10 | 643 | 15,700 | 11.5 |
Kingston | 3 | 12 | 694 | 23,500 | 11.6 |
Delkin Devices | 0 | 3 | 662 | 13,500 | 5.1 |
Lexar | 3 | 8 | 684 | 15,800 | 5.8 |
Samsung | 3 | 10 | 553 | 11,100 | 7.2 |
Interestingly, Amazon Basics received an honorable mention, with none of the microSD cards being tested failing yet. They’ve been running for 788 days now, with 16,600 cycles and a total of 4.2PB of data written on them. The only reason they didn’t make the main list is that they’re technically generic or off-brand microSD cards and Amazon could replace the NAND chips used in these cards anytime, thereby making the survey results moot. There’s a separate shorter list for high-endurance and industrial-grade cards, given that the sample size is just smaller and the latter is significantly more expensive than all the other microSD cards available here.
Brand | Failed | Total Tested | Average Lifespan (Days) | Average Cycles | Total Written Data (PB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TEAMGROUP (High-Endurance) | 0 | 2 | 404 | 17,300 | 2.2 |
Transcend (High-Endurance) | 0 | 3 | 760 | 17,000 | 3.2 |
SanDisk (High-Endurance) | 6 | 7 | 452 | 16,200 | 4.7 |
Samsung (High-Endurance) | 1 | 3 | 822 | 18,800 | 1.8 |
Kingston (Industrial-Grade) | 2 | 3 | 77+ | 141,600 | 3.4 |
He also listed some of the worst performers per category from popular brands, like ADATA, Gigastone, Micro Center, Silicon Power, and, surprisingly, SanDisk, although Cole avoided no-name brands, since most users don’t expect much from them.
Doing all these tests simultaneously and continuously is no joke, and we see this in Cole’s setup. He runs a single Beelink Mini-S with an Intel N95 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB SSD, five TRIGKEY Green G4 mini-PCs and one TRIGKEY K-N100 with an Intel N100 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 500GB SSD, and an AOOSTAR mini-PC with an Intel N150 CPU paired to 12GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD. Aside from these mini-PCs, he also has an MSI GE62VR-7RF Apache Pro laptop with an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, a Lenovo IdeaPad Y850 laptop with an Intel Core i7-3630QM, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, and an ASUS ROG Strix Hero II GL504GM laptop with an Intel i7-8750H, 32GB of RAM, and a 500GB SSD.
Running this experiment can get expensive as Cole needs to purchase all the microSD cards himself (unless someone donates them), especially at a time when memory card prices are skyrocketing. Aside from that, he also needs to purchase and maintain all that testing hardware. Although these are either relatively affordable mini-PCs or used gaming laptops, the cost of acquiring and running all these units will eventually stack up.
GIGABYTE just gave the RTX 5060 an anime makeover. The new AORUS GeForce RTX 5060 ARI 8G ditches the usual gamer-look design for artwork based on GIGABYTE’s own character, ARI, splashed across the shroud and backplate, with RGB lighting on the side.
It’s not just a paint job either. The card uses GIGABYTE’s WINDFORCE cooling setup, built around a Hawk Fan, a big copper plate, and several composite copper heat pipes. GIGABYTE claims the fan design cuts turbulence while boosting air pressure by up to 53.6%, and pushes 12.5% more air overall. The fans also spin in alternating directions to keep airflow smooth.
The card also gets a metal backplate locked to the I/O bracket for extra rigidity, plus server-grade thermal pads on the VRAM and MOSFETs to keep temps in check.
Here’s the fun bit: every box hides a random ARI doll, one of five colour variants. So you’re not just buying a GPU, you’re getting a mystery collectible with it. Anime aesthetics on a graphics card is a unique move, but GIGABYTE clearly knows its audience.
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It's a familiar story by now. With Samsung reportedly increasing its DRAM prices by around 20 percent for the ongoing quarter, NVIDIA felt it had no choice but to raise the prices of its consumer graphics cards, constituting the third such inflationary episode so far this year, one that has purportedly emptied store shelves as distributors enter a full-on panic mode. Unlike NVIDIA's price hike in May, the current inflationary episode has reportedly impacted a lot more consumer-facing graphics card models, spurring empty store shelves as rumors ran rampant According to Taiwan's Economic Daily, NVIDIA has increased the prices of […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nvidia-hikes-graphics-card-prices-for-the-third-time-this-year-and-by-up-to-30-as-distributors-enter-panic-mode/
Recently, Valve made the official announcement that they would no longer be selling physical Steam gift cards at retailers, claiming that scammers were to blame for this decision. Promising “an even better experience” moving forwards however, Valve has now officially detailed its new Steam wishlists and gifting and improvements.
Taking to their blog to make the announcement, Valve officially unveiled their new improvements to gifting games on Steam, writing:
“Steam gifts are a popular way to send copies of games and digital gift cards to friends and family. Today we’re shipping some great new features that improve the gifting experience, making it easier to send both digital gift cards and games.”
With that, the full list of improvements being made is as follows:
All of these features tie in nicely with Steam’s other major update – that being the overhaul to wishlists. Full details on this aspect can be found HERE, but in essence, Steam now allows you to add categories to your wishlist for far greater levels of organisation and clarity.
All-in-all, this latest update to Steam is highly welcome and should make the act of buying games (for yourself or someone else) far more seamless.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest update? Did Steam wishlists need improving? What other features would you like to see added? Let us know down below.
The post Valve overhauls Steam Wishlists and Gifting with far more options first appeared on KitGuru.There have been rumours about an RTX 50 Super launch for months now, but continued price rises across memory products have apparently derailed the planned launch. According to reports, a shortage of 3GB GDDR7 modules and increased pricing has forced Nvidia to delay RTX 50 Super.
VideoCardz reports that while partners possess the chips for RTX 50 Super graphics cards, they can't proceed with manufacturing due to a lack of available memory, coupled with high pricing for the GDDR7 chips available. To put it in perspective, a 3GB GDDR7 chip is currently estimated to cost between $60 and $70. On the other hand, a 2GB GDDR7 chip reportedly costs about $20.
The rumoured RTX 50 Super refresh was apparently planned with 3GB GDDR7 modules in mind, up from the standard 2GB chips found on regular RTX 50 cards. This upgrade shifts the RTX 5070 Super to 18GB of VRAM, while both the RTX 5070 Ti Super and RTX 5080 Super should feature 24GB. However, Nvidia is allegedly redirecting these specific 3GB components to its more profitable AI graphics cards, including RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell and Rubin CPX, where it's easier to mask the increased price of the 3GB GDDR7 modules.
According to the Seasonic Power Supply calculator, the RTX 50 Super GPUs may also have higher TGP targets than their non-Super counterparts. Apparently an RTX 5080 Super will draw as much as 415W, a 55W increase over the RTX 5080. The RTX 5070 Ti Super has been seen listed at 350W and the RTX 5070 Super is listed at 275W. The theory is that the increased power draw is tied to the denser memory configuration, as well as potential clock speed bumps.
KitGuru Says: Do you think we will eventually get an RTX 50 Super refresh, or will Nvidia jump right to RTX 60?
The post Nvidia RTX 50 Super GPUs reportedly delayed due to GDDR7 pricing first appeared on KitGuru.There’s a new remake of the legendary Gravis Ultrasound ISA soundcard on the block with the arrival of the open-source Beavis Ultrasound project. Developer schlae shared details of this amusingly named mid-90s-cultural phenomenon portmanteau, Beavis Ultrasound PnP ISA Sound Card Replica, on GitHub on Monday. The repository includes complete KiCad schematics, PCB layout, sample ROM, reverse‑engineered GAL logic (for an operational IDE CD-ROM interface), assembly notes, and more. You’ll still need to source an old AMD AM78C201 InterWave chip to complete this DIY project, though.
The appeal of the new Beavis Ultrasound is nicely summed up by schlae, as they explain that “unlike other clones, this design includes the entire schematic as well as the reverse-engineered source code of the GAL.” This GAL provides transparent and reproducible logic and is key to this project being able to handle IDE connectivity, like original Gravis Ultrasound (GUS) PnP cards. And, yes, this is not a GUS Classic or MAX clone, but caters to enthusiasts wanting a clone of the more complex and advanced GUS PnP.
A particular strength of the Beavis Ultrasound is its authenticity. It could be described as a faithful hardware‑level reproduction rather than a functional approximation. No microcontrollers take the place of real hardware here; there’s no emulation software, and features like the aforementioned GAL logic and IDE interface aren’t swerved by the developer.
However, this authenticity could also be an Achilles heel, as you’ll need to source an old AMD AM78C201 InterWave chip to complete a Beavis Ultrasound build and enjoy once again its marvelous sound. Actually, there’s another point to note before following schlae’s plans. There are no tried and tested footsteps to follow at the time of writing, as the dev admits they “have not actually fabricated the board and tested it for functionality,” so interested parties are instructed to “build this board at your own risk.”
In recent weeks, we also reported on the return of the Orpheus II ISA soundcard due to “popular demand.” This device includes some GUS functionality but is a commercial, non-open-source proprietary product. Probably the most popular DIY-able solution around would be the PicoGUS, built around a Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040) microcontroller, which handles all its GUS‑compatible audio playback in software – eschewing the need for rare vintage components like the AMD Interwave.
AMD seems to be testing its upcoming FSR multi-frame generation (MFG) technology within its Radeon drivers. Discoveries in the third-party software RadeonTuner show that the company has added placeholders for the feature, offering options ranging from 1x to 8x frame generation.
RadeonTuner allows users to modify Radeon driver settings without using the standard AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition application. According to the utility's developer, AMD frequently implements placeholders well ahead of a feature's official launch. The multi-frame generation within AMD's ecosystem was the latest one to be found.
Image credit: Chiphell
A Chiphell user (via Wccftech) attempted to force the technology on using a Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card but found it entirely non-functional. AMD has not yet shipped the underlying model required to make the frame generation operational. This upcoming technology puts AMD against competitors like Nvidia, which offers DLSS Dynamic MFG with up to 6x generation, and Intel, which provides 4x XeSS MFG through its XeSS 3 release.
Other options available in the RadeonTuner tool include overrides for FSR Ray Regeneration and FSR Neural Radiance Caching. These are already available, but they require native support to be enabled. However, according to this third-party tool, AMD appears to be working on a manual override to extend these benefits to more games.
KitGuru says: Are you a fan of multi-frame generation? What MFG multiplier do you usually choose?
The post RadeonTuner leak points to AMD FSR multi-frame generation with up to 8x multiplier first appeared on KitGuru.Nvidia has announced its first series of GeForce Trading Cards, a free collection featuring 14 distinct designs celebrating major milestones in the company's PC gaming and graphics hardware history.
The Series 1 lineup features 14 card designs that highlight iconic GPUs, classic software tech demos, and notable games. Hardware milestones represented in the collection include the 1995 NV1 multimedia processor, the 1999 GeForce 256, and the programmable shader-capable GeForce 3. Later hardware generations, such as the GeForce 7800 GTX and the Pascal-based GeForce GTX 1080, also received dedicated cards alongside the limited-edition GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 Edition.
Nvidia is also highlighting its software history through cards featuring the classic Bubble, Chameleon, and Medusa tech demos. Long-running software partnerships from the “The Way It's Meant To Be Played” era are represented by Unreal Tournament 2004 and Borderlands. A checklist card completes the 14-piece set, helping collectors track their acquisitions.
Distribution of the physical cards will be handled through both digital and in-person channels. Fans can secure cards through Summer of RTX giveaways hosted on official GeForce social media channels. The company confirms it will also distribute the cards at its booths and partner booths during upcoming summer events, including Bilibili World 2026, QuakeCon 2026, and Gamescom 2026.
KitGuru says: It's a neat piece of nostalgia for long-time hardware collectors, though you'll have to be lucky to complete the collection.
The post Nvidia is joining the trading card trend with the Trading Cards Series 1 collection first appeared on KitGuru.If you've got a Nintendo Switch 2 and need more storage, the Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card is now just $39.99 at Amazon, down from $79.99.
● Check out this deal on Amazon
With sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s and write speeds of 200 MB/s, the P9 is much faster than your average microSD card. This unique format for Switch 2 means you can store more games on the go, without needing to install and uninstall titles whenever you want to play them.
Flash storage is suffering from the AI shortage, but this $39.99 deal is just $7.50 shy of the best-ever price we've seen on this drive, which was $31.50 in March.
This Samsung P9 Express microSD express card offers up to 800 MB/s data transfer speeds and is fully compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. It also offers features such as Host Memory Buffer (HMB), Dynamic Thermal Guard (DTG), and 6-proof durability. View Deal
As you can see from our testing data, the Samsung P9 Express isn't the fastest microSD Express card on the market, but that's because this is a budget card that won't break the bank. It's a good bit cheaper than many other options, especially thanks to this discount.
The P9 is our best budget microSD Express card pick in the 256GB category, offering reliable performance and strong durability. It also comes with a pretty generous three-year warranty, where most rivals only offer one year. Samsung offers protection against water immersion, temperature changes, and even X-ray exposure (we're looking at you, airport scanners).
The card also features a Host Memory Buffer to boost data transfer speeds, as well as Dynamic Thermal Guard to prevent overheating and throttling.
This is the best price we've seen on this drive in a while, and it isn't likely to improve as Prime Day continues, so grab yourself a bargain and boost your Switch 2 storage before it disappears.
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INTRODUCTION
A new GPU generation always arrives with a mix of expectation and skepticism, especially in an era where ray tracing, AI‑assisted rendering, and increasingly complex game engines push hardware harder than ever. NVIDIA’s GeForce 50‑series marked a clear architectural pivot toward neural‑assisted graphics, blending traditional raster performance with machine‑learning‑driven techniques that reshape how frames are built. And after a long wait - nearly 18 months since its original launch window - NVIDIA finally sent over the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, a card positioned to show what Blackwell’s mid‑range silicon can really do.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in AI and accelerated computing. The pioneer of GPU-accelerated computing, NVIDIA specializes in products and platforms for the large, growing markets of gaming, professional visualization, data center, and automotive.
The GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the GB205 silicon with 48 SMs (streaming multiprocessors), delivering 6144 CUDA cores, 192 Tensor cores, 48 RT cores, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, backed by 48MB L2 cache. It features 12GB GDDR7 on a 192‑bit bus running at 28Gbps, yielding 672GB/s bandwidth. GPU boost clocks reach 2512MHz, and the card implements PCIe 5.0x16. The GB205 die includes 5 GPCs, plus one each of the latest NVENC and NVDEC engines, all fabricated on NVIDIA’s 4N process. It also introduces Neural Rendering powered by Blackwell’s AI‑driven graphics pipeline, combining neural objects with traditional rasterization through the new AI Management Processor. It adds concurrent FP32+INT32 execution on every CUDA core, 4th‑gen RT cores prepared for Mega Geometry, and 5th‑gen Tensor cores with FP4 support. The Founders Edition uses a compact Dual Flow‑Through cooler within SFF‑Ready dimensions and targets higher sustained clocks with a 250W TGP. PCIe 5.0, next‑gen NVENC/NVDEC, and architectural IPC gains round out the generational uplift.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
NVIDIA uses a simple cardboard box (probably from recycled paper) to ship the GeForce RTX 5070 FE.
The card itself is actually placed inside a secondary box (probably also made by recycled materials).
Along with the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition card NVIDIA has placed just a two 8-pin PCIe to 12V-2x6 power adapter and a quick start guide.
THE GEFORCE RTX 5070 FE
Just like with past Founders Edition models the GeForce RTX 5070 FE carries the same industrial design language NVIDIA has refined over the last few generations, a dense, sculpted block of aluminum with a minimalist, almost architectural presence.
The matte metal frame wraps around the card in a seamless loop, interrupted only by the signature X‑shaped brace that gives the cooler its rigid, engineered look.
On the front, the dual‑axial fans dominate the design, large, quiet, and framed with precision, giving the card a sense of purpose rather than decoration.
The top has two long openings and the 12V-2x6 power connector.
The rear exhaust cutout and the clean row of display outputs (3xDP v2.1b / 1xHDMI v2.1b) reinforce that functional aesthetic.
Yes, for some people the lack of RGB/ARGB lighting may push them towards models by NVIDIA partners but I think it looks great.
TEST BED
TESTING METHODOLOGY
Since I changed my graphics card test rig i decided to tweak things a bit and so the entire testing methodology has changed. So, for the foreseeable future for tests, I’ll be using the EV3285 monitor by EIZO (later on I may also add tri-monitor results since I do have 2 cockpits here in the lab) for 2160p UHD (3840x2160p), 1440p (2560x1440p) and 1080p Full HD (1920x1080p) tests. Needless to say, since most of you voted for it, I’ll also be using the Intel Core I9-13900K (5.8GHz P/4.7GHz E/4.9GHz RING), EVGA Z790 DARK test rig which I’ve completed with the Kingston FURY RENEGADE LIMITED EDITION 48GB DDR5 8000MHz CL36 dual-channel kit.
Most games have also been changed so instead of manually testing every single one (and always allowing a small percentage of error) i chose all the latest ones to feature a built-in benchmark. In certain cases, built-in benchmarks may perform better than in-game, but my purpose is comparison and not what one can expect in terms of in-game performance. So, this list includes Chernobylite, Cyberpunk 2077, F1 2022, Far Cry 6, Forza Horizon 5, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Horizon Zero Dawn CE, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Returnal. Also, since some of you have asked for Synthetic benchmarks in the past, I’ll also be using Speed Way and Port Royal from 3D Mark.
As with the past options like power saving, sharpness, overlays and even zero fan mode are all disabled in the cards we’re testing (to achieve the purest and maximum performance) and all tests are repeated a total of 3 times in a fresh Windows 11 Pro installation with all updates installed until the day of our review (same as all the games used). Room temperature is as usual controlled and steady at 23 degrees Celsius for all tests and to record the temperatures of the cards we used AIDA64, and GPU-Z. Recording noise levels is done with an ExTech HD600 dBA meter from a distance of just 15cm away while power consumption is measured again using GPU-Z.
TEST RESULTS – SPEED WAY
3DMark Speed Way’s engine is assembled to demonstrate what the latest DirectX API (12 Ultimate) brings to ray traced gaming, using DirectX Raytracing tier 1.1 for real-time global illumination and real-time raytraced reflections, coupled with new performance optimizations like Mesh Shaders.
TEST RESULTS – PORT ROYAL
3DMark Port Royal is the world’s first real-time ray tracing benchmark for gamers. It shows you how well your PC handles ray tracing effects in real-time.
TEST RESULTS – CHERNOBYLITE
Chernobylite is a 1st person RPG set in the hyper-realistic, 3D-scanned wasteland of Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone. It's based on Unreal Engine 4 and will be used at Ultra graphics (RT Ultra/Off).
TEST RESULTS – CYBERPUNK 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest game by CD Project and is based on their REDEngine 4. Graphics are set at Ultra/Psycho (RT Psycho/Off).
TEST RESULTS – F1 2022
F1 2022 is built on Codemasters' in-house engine, EGO, which has been upgraded to include DX12 and Raytracing. Graphics are set to Ultra High (RT is enabled in all tests).
TEST RESULTS – FAR CRY 6
Far Cry 6 is based on the Dunia engine. Graphics are set to Ultra with DXR enabled.
TEST RESULTS – FORZA HORIZON 5
Forza Horizon 5 uses ForzaTech, a proprietary engine built by Turn 10. Graphics are set to Extreme (RT is always enabled at high).
TEST RESULTS - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Guardians Of The Galaxy is based on the Dawn Engine by EIDOS. Graphics are set to maximum (RT Ultra/Off).
TEST RESULTS - HORIZON ZERO DAWN CE
Horizon Zero Dawn CE (Complete Edition) is based on Guerrilla Games' Decima engine. Graphics are set to Ultimate Quality.
TEST RESULTS - METRO EXODUS ENHANCED EDITION
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is based on the 4A Engine and contains huge graphical upgrades compared to the normal version, including Ray Traced Emissive Lighting. Graphics are set at Extreme quality.
TEST RESULTS – RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
For Red Dead Redemption 2 Rockstar has used their RAGE engine (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine). Graphics preset level slider is set to favor quality.
TEST RESULTS – RETURNAL
Returnal is also based on Unreal Engine 4. Graphics are set to EPIC (RT EPIC/Off).
TEST RESULTS – MULTI FRAME GENERATION / BLACK MYTH WUKONG / F1 2025 / CYBERPUNK 2077 PHANTOM LIBERTY
TEST RESULTS - OVERCLOCKING
Using 406MHz extra on the core and 350MHz on the VRAM (strangely enough GPUZ didn’t show the jump in RAM speed) resulted in a very good boost in performance (going higher would result in games crashing to desktop). I also recommend tweaking voltage curves since undervolting this card is quite easy (recommend MSI Afterburner for anything OC).
TEST RESULTS - POWER CONSUMPTION / TEMPERATURES / NOISE LEVELS
CONCLUSION
NVIDIA taking so long to send over a GeForce RTX 5070 FE sample ended up being both a blessing and a drawback. On the positive side, over a year's worth of driver updates have noticeably improved the card’s performance compared to launch. On the negative side, eighteen months is a long wait in this industry. NVIDIA also put extra emphasis on DLSS 4.5 and Multi‑Frame Generation with the GeForce RTX 5xxx series, so I evaluated those gains by adding DLSS tests across several titles and using Black Myth Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, and F1 2025 to measure MFG performance (DLSS Quality mode, 2x/4x MFG). So, from my time with the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, it’s clear that DLSS 4.5 and Multi‑Frame Generation aren’t optional extras, they’re the backbone of the experience. Raw performance alone puts the card in familiar 70‑series territory (Raster performance alone is a small improvement over the RTX 4070, and even ray‑traced workloads don’t dramatically shift the hierarchy), but once you flip on DLSS 4.5, the GPU suddenly feels a tier higher. The updated transformer model cleans up motion stability, and Dynamic MFG although not quite perfect yet does a very good job of pushing frame rates right up to your panel’s refresh ceiling without the jitter or input‑lag spikes older FG versions struggled with. Even 4x and 6x MFG modes feel surprisingly natural, delivering a level of fluidity that belies the card’s mid‑range positioning. Yes, you can still spot the occasional artifact in chaotic scenes (in my case I encountered instant white screens a few times), but the trade‑off is overwhelmingly worth it, DLSS 4.5 is what transforms the RTX 5070 from “solid” to “genuinely exciting” in modern AAA workloads. Power consumption is another quiet win since in most cases during real gaming the GeForce RTX 5070 hardly ever surpasses 200W (although during all my benchmarks it did break the 250W barrier), making it both cooler and more efficient than you’d expect for this class. Unfortunately, even though the cooling system is sufficient in order for NVIDIA to keep noise levels at low levels they had to compromise.
NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition has quietly slipped out of the retail ecosystem, no store lists it, no distributor expects it, and NVIDIA hasn’t pushed any new batches. With the FE effectively gone, the only remaining path is to pick from the various AIC partner designs, which currently start at around USD549–579 in the USA and roughly 620–670Euros in the EU for brand‑new cards. In terms of price‑to‑performance, the GeForce RTX 5070 lands in a strong position, it outpaces the previous‑gen RTX 4070 while launching at a lower street price, and on the AMD side, the only real modern counter is the RX 9070 GRE, a card that trades blows in pure raster but still falls behind once ray‑tracing and mixed workloads enter the picture, leaving the GeForce RTX 5070 as the more balanced option at roughly the same money. Overall, the GeForce RTX 5070 FE delivers where it matters and even though it’s not quite perfect the Golden Award is in order.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Design
- Excellent 1440p Performance
- Supported Technologies (DLSS 4.5 / MFG / Reflex / GSync)
- Size (242x112x39mm, 2 Slot Card)
- Good Overclocking Headroom
- Power Consumption, Noise Levels
CONS
- 12GB (For Some)
- Temperatures
- Availability
INTRODUCTION
A new GPU generation always arrives with a mix of expectation and skepticism, especially in an era where ray tracing, AI‑assisted rendering, and increasingly complex game engines push hardware harder than ever. NVIDIA’s GeForce 50‑series marked a clear architectural pivot toward neural‑assisted graphics, blending traditional raster performance with machine‑learning‑driven techniques that reshape how frames are built. And after a long wait - nearly 18 months since its original launch window - NVIDIA finally sent over the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, a card positioned to show what Blackwell’s mid‑range silicon can really do.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in AI and accelerated computing. The pioneer of GPU-accelerated computing, NVIDIA specializes in products and platforms for the large, growing markets of gaming, professional visualization, data center, and automotive.
The GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the GB205 silicon with 48 SMs (streaming multiprocessors), delivering 6144 CUDA cores, 192 Tensor cores, 48 RT cores, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, backed by 48MB L2 cache. It features 12GB GDDR7 on a 192‑bit bus running at 28Gbps, yielding 672GB/s bandwidth. GPU boost clocks reach 2512MHz, and the card implements PCIe 5.0x16. The GB205 die includes 5 GPCs, plus one each of the latest NVENC and NVDEC engines, all fabricated on NVIDIA’s 4N process. It also introduces Neural Rendering powered by Blackwell’s AI‑driven graphics pipeline, combining neural objects with traditional rasterization through the new AI Management Processor. It adds concurrent FP32+INT32 execution on every CUDA core, 4th‑gen RT cores prepared for Mega Geometry, and 5th‑gen Tensor cores with FP4 support. The Founders Edition uses a compact Dual Flow‑Through cooler within SFF‑Ready dimensions and targets higher sustained clocks with a 250W TGP. PCIe 5.0, next‑gen NVENC/NVDEC, and architectural IPC gains round out the generational uplift.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
NVIDIA uses a simple cardboard box (probably from recycled paper) to ship the GeForce RTX 5070 FE.
The card itself is actually placed inside a secondary box (probably also made by recycled materials).
Along with the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition card NVIDIA has placed just a two 8-pin PCIe to 12V-2x6 power adapter and a quick start guide.
THE GEFORCE RTX 5070 FE
Just like with past Founders Edition models the GeForce RTX 5070 FE carries the same industrial design language NVIDIA has refined over the last few generations, a dense, sculpted block of aluminum with a minimalist, almost architectural presence.
The matte metal frame wraps around the card in a seamless loop, interrupted only by the signature X‑shaped brace that gives the cooler its rigid, engineered look.
On the front, the dual‑axial fans dominate the design, large, quiet, and framed with precision, giving the card a sense of purpose rather than decoration.
The top has two long openings and the 12V-2x6 power connector.
The rear exhaust cutout and the clean row of display outputs (3xDP v2.1b / 1xHDMI v2.1b) reinforce that functional aesthetic.
Yes, for some people the lack of RGB/ARGB lighting may push them towards models by NVIDIA partners but I think it looks great.
TEST BED
TESTING METHODOLOGY
Since I changed my graphics card test rig i decided to tweak things a bit and so the entire testing methodology has changed. So, for the foreseeable future for tests, I’ll be using the EV3285 monitor by EIZO (later on I may also add tri-monitor results since I do have 2 cockpits here in the lab) for 2160p UHD (3840x2160p), 1440p (2560x1440p) and 1080p Full HD (1920x1080p) tests. Needless to say, since most of you voted for it, I’ll also be using the Intel Core I9-13900K (5.8GHz P/4.7GHz E/4.9GHz RING), EVGA Z790 DARK test rig which I’ve completed with the Kingston FURY RENEGADE LIMITED EDITION 48GB DDR5 8000MHz CL36 dual-channel kit.
Most games have also been changed so instead of manually testing every single one (and always allowing a small percentage of error) i chose all the latest ones to feature a built-in benchmark. In certain cases, built-in benchmarks may perform better than in-game, but my purpose is comparison and not what one can expect in terms of in-game performance. So, this list includes Chernobylite, Cyberpunk 2077, F1 2022, Far Cry 6, Forza Horizon 5, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Horizon Zero Dawn CE, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Returnal. Also, since some of you have asked for Synthetic benchmarks in the past, I’ll also be using Speed Way and Port Royal from 3D Mark.
As with the past options like power saving, sharpness, overlays and even zero fan mode are all disabled in the cards we’re testing (to achieve the purest and maximum performance) and all tests are repeated a total of 3 times in a fresh Windows 11 Pro installation with all updates installed until the day of our review (same as all the games used). Room temperature is as usual controlled and steady at 23 degrees Celsius for all tests and to record the temperatures of the cards we used AIDA64, and GPU-Z. Recording noise levels is done with an ExTech HD600 dBA meter from a distance of just 15cm away while power consumption is measured again using GPU-Z.
TEST RESULTS – SPEED WAY
3DMark Speed Way’s engine is assembled to demonstrate what the latest DirectX API (12 Ultimate) brings to ray traced gaming, using DirectX Raytracing tier 1.1 for real-time global illumination and real-time raytraced reflections, coupled with new performance optimizations like Mesh Shaders.
TEST RESULTS – PORT ROYAL
3DMark Port Royal is the world’s first real-time ray tracing benchmark for gamers. It shows you how well your PC handles ray tracing effects in real-time.
TEST RESULTS – CHERNOBYLITE
Chernobylite is a 1st person RPG set in the hyper-realistic, 3D-scanned wasteland of Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone. It's based on Unreal Engine 4 and will be used at Ultra graphics (RT Ultra/Off).
TEST RESULTS – CYBERPUNK 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest game by CD Project and is based on their REDEngine 4. Graphics are set at Ultra/Psycho (RT Psycho/Off).
TEST RESULTS – F1 2022
F1 2022 is built on Codemasters' in-house engine, EGO, which has been upgraded to include DX12 and Raytracing. Graphics are set to Ultra High (RT is enabled in all tests).
TEST RESULTS – FAR CRY 6
Far Cry 6 is based on the Dunia engine. Graphics are set to Ultra with DXR enabled.
TEST RESULTS – FORZA HORIZON 5
Forza Horizon 5 uses ForzaTech, a proprietary engine built by Turn 10. Graphics are set to Extreme (RT is always enabled at high).
TEST RESULTS - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Guardians Of The Galaxy is based on the Dawn Engine by EIDOS. Graphics are set to maximum (RT Ultra/Off).
TEST RESULTS - HORIZON ZERO DAWN CE
Horizon Zero Dawn CE (Complete Edition) is based on Guerrilla Games' Decima engine. Graphics are set to Ultimate Quality.
TEST RESULTS - METRO EXODUS ENHANCED EDITION
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is based on the 4A Engine and contains huge graphical upgrades compared to the normal version, including Ray Traced Emissive Lighting. Graphics are set at Extreme quality.
TEST RESULTS – RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
For Red Dead Redemption 2 Rockstar has used their RAGE engine (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine). Graphics preset level slider is set to favor quality.
TEST RESULTS – RETURNAL
Returnal is also based on Unreal Engine 4. Graphics are set to EPIC (RT EPIC/Off).
TEST RESULTS – MULTI FRAME GENERATION / BLACK MYTH WUKONG / F1 2025 / CYBERPUNK 2077 PHANTOM LIBERTY
TEST RESULTS - OVERCLOCKING
Using 406MHz extra on the core and 350MHz on the VRAM (strangely enough GPUZ didn’t show the jump in RAM speed) resulted in a very good boost in performance (going higher would result in games crashing to desktop). I also recommend tweaking voltage curves since undervolting this card is quite easy (recommend MSI Afterburner for anything OC).
TEST RESULTS - POWER CONSUMPTION / TEMPERATURES / NOISE LEVELS
CONCLUSION
NVIDIA taking so long to send over a GeForce RTX 5070 FE sample ended up being both a blessing and a drawback. On the positive side, over a year's worth of driver updates have noticeably improved the card’s performance compared to launch. On the negative side, eighteen months is a long wait in this industry. NVIDIA also put extra emphasis on DLSS 4.5 and Multi‑Frame Generation with the GeForce RTX 5xxx series, so I evaluated those gains by adding DLSS tests across several titles and using Black Myth Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, and F1 2025 to measure MFG performance (DLSS Quality mode, 2x/4x MFG). So, from my time with the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, it’s clear that DLSS 4.5 and Multi‑Frame Generation aren’t optional extras, they’re the backbone of the experience. Raw performance alone puts the card in familiar 70‑series territory (Raster performance alone is a small improvement over the RTX 4070, and even ray‑traced workloads don’t dramatically shift the hierarchy), but once you flip on DLSS 4.5, the GPU suddenly feels a tier higher. The updated transformer model cleans up motion stability, and Dynamic MFG although not quite perfect yet does a very good job of pushing frame rates right up to your panel’s refresh ceiling without the jitter or input‑lag spikes older FG versions struggled with. Even 4x and 6x MFG modes feel surprisingly natural, delivering a level of fluidity that belies the card’s mid‑range positioning. Yes, you can still spot the occasional artifact in chaotic scenes (in my case I encountered instant white screens a few times), but the trade‑off is overwhelmingly worth it, DLSS 4.5 is what transforms the RTX 5070 from “solid” to “genuinely exciting” in modern AAA workloads. Power consumption is another quiet win since in most cases during real gaming the GeForce RTX 5070 hardly ever surpasses 200W (although during all my benchmarks it did break the 250W barrier), making it both cooler and more efficient than you’d expect for this class. Unfortunately, even though the cooling system is sufficient in order for NVIDIA to keep noise levels at low levels they had to compromise.
NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition has quietly slipped out of the retail ecosystem, no store lists it, no distributor expects it, and NVIDIA hasn’t pushed any new batches. With the FE effectively gone, the only remaining path is to pick from the various AIC partner designs, which currently start at around USD549–579 in the USA and roughly 620–670Euros in the EU for brand‑new cards. In terms of price‑to‑performance, the GeForce RTX 5070 lands in a strong position, it outpaces the previous‑gen RTX 4070 while launching at a lower street price, and on the AMD side, the only real modern counter is the RX 9070 GRE, a card that trades blows in pure raster but still falls behind once ray‑tracing and mixed workloads enter the picture, leaving the GeForce RTX 5070 as the more balanced option at roughly the same money. Overall, the GeForce RTX 5070 FE delivers where it matters and even though it’s not quite perfect the Golden Award is in order.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Design
- Excellent 1440p Performance
- Supported Technologies (DLSS 4.5 / MFG / Reflex / GSync)
- Size (242x112x39mm, 2 Slot Card)
- Good Overclocking Headroom
- Power Consumption, Noise Levels
CONS
- 12GB (For Some)
- Temperatures
- Availability
INTRODUCTION
A new GPU generation always arrives with a mix of expectation and skepticism, especially in an era where ray tracing, AI‑assisted rendering, and increasingly complex game engines push hardware harder than ever. NVIDIA’s GeForce 50‑series marked a clear architectural pivot toward neural‑assisted graphics, blending traditional raster performance with machine‑learning‑driven techniques that reshape how frames are built. And after a long wait - nearly 18 months since its original launch window - NVIDIA finally sent over the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, a card positioned to show what Blackwell’s mid‑range silicon can really do.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in AI and accelerated computing. The pioneer of GPU-accelerated computing, NVIDIA specializes in products and platforms for the large, growing markets of gaming, professional visualization, data center, and automotive.
The GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the GB205 silicon with 48 SMs (streaming multiprocessors), delivering 6144 CUDA cores, 192 Tensor cores, 48 RT cores, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, backed by 48MB L2 cache. It features 12GB GDDR7 on a 192‑bit bus running at 28Gbps, yielding 672GB/s bandwidth. GPU boost clocks reach 2512MHz, and the card implements PCIe 5.0x16. The GB205 die includes 5 GPCs, plus one each of the latest NVENC and NVDEC engines, all fabricated on NVIDIA’s 4N process. It also introduces Neural Rendering powered by Blackwell’s AI‑driven graphics pipeline, combining neural objects with traditional rasterization through the new AI Management Processor. It adds concurrent FP32+INT32 execution on every CUDA core, 4th‑gen RT cores prepared for Mega Geometry, and 5th‑gen Tensor cores with FP4 support. The Founders Edition uses a compact Dual Flow‑Through cooler within SFF‑Ready dimensions and targets higher sustained clocks with a 250W TGP. PCIe 5.0, next‑gen NVENC/NVDEC, and architectural IPC gains round out the generational uplift.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
NVIDIA uses a simple cardboard box (probably from recycled paper) to ship the GeForce RTX 5070 FE.
The card itself is actually placed inside a secondary box (probably also made by recycled materials).
Along with the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition card NVIDIA has placed just a two 8-pin PCIe to 12V-2x6 power adapter and a quick start guide.
THE GEFORCE RTX 5070 FE
Just like with past Founders Edition models the GeForce RTX 5070 FE carries the same industrial design language NVIDIA has refined over the last few generations, a dense, sculpted block of aluminum with a minimalist, almost architectural presence.
The matte metal frame wraps around the card in a seamless loop, interrupted only by the signature X‑shaped brace that gives the cooler its rigid, engineered look.
On the front, the dual‑axial fans dominate the design, large, quiet, and framed with precision, giving the card a sense of purpose rather than decoration.
The top has two long openings and the 12V-2x6 power connector.
The rear exhaust cutout and the clean row of display outputs (3xDP v2.1b / 1xHDMI v2.1b) reinforce that functional aesthetic.
Yes, for some people the lack of RGB/ARGB lighting may push them towards models by NVIDIA partners but I think it looks great.
TEST BED
TESTING METHODOLOGY
Since I changed my graphics card test rig i decided to tweak things a bit and so the entire testing methodology has changed. So, for the foreseeable future for tests, I’ll be using the EV3285 monitor by EIZO (later on I may also add tri-monitor results since I do have 2 cockpits here in the lab) for 2160p UHD (3840x2160p), 1440p (2560x1440p) and 1080p Full HD (1920x1080p) tests. Needless to say, since most of you voted for it, I’ll also be using the Intel Core I9-13900K (5.8GHz P/4.7GHz E/4.9GHz RING), EVGA Z790 DARK test rig which I’ve completed with the Kingston FURY RENEGADE LIMITED EDITION 48GB DDR5 8000MHz CL36 dual-channel kit.
Most games have also been changed so instead of manually testing every single one (and always allowing a small percentage of error) i chose all the latest ones to feature a built-in benchmark. In certain cases, built-in benchmarks may perform better than in-game, but my purpose is comparison and not what one can expect in terms of in-game performance. So, this list includes Chernobylite, Cyberpunk 2077, F1 2022, Far Cry 6, Forza Horizon 5, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Horizon Zero Dawn CE, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Returnal. Also, since some of you have asked for Synthetic benchmarks in the past, I’ll also be using Speed Way and Port Royal from 3D Mark.
As with the past options like power saving, sharpness, overlays and even zero fan mode are all disabled in the cards we’re testing (to achieve the purest and maximum performance) and all tests are repeated a total of 3 times in a fresh Windows 11 Pro installation with all updates installed until the day of our review (same as all the games used). Room temperature is as usual controlled and steady at 23 degrees Celsius for all tests and to record the temperatures of the cards we used AIDA64, and GPU-Z. Recording noise levels is done with an ExTech HD600 dBA meter from a distance of just 15cm away while power consumption is measured again using GPU-Z.
TEST RESULTS – SPEED WAY
3DMark Speed Way’s engine is assembled to demonstrate what the latest DirectX API (12 Ultimate) brings to ray traced gaming, using DirectX Raytracing tier 1.1 for real-time global illumination and real-time raytraced reflections, coupled with new performance optimizations like Mesh Shaders.
TEST RESULTS – PORT ROYAL
3DMark Port Royal is the world’s first real-time ray tracing benchmark for gamers. It shows you how well your PC handles ray tracing effects in real-time.
TEST RESULTS – CHERNOBYLITE
Chernobylite is a 1st person RPG set in the hyper-realistic, 3D-scanned wasteland of Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone. It's based on Unreal Engine 4 and will be used at Ultra graphics (RT Ultra/Off).
TEST RESULTS – CYBERPUNK 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest game by CD Project and is based on their REDEngine 4. Graphics are set at Ultra/Psycho (RT Psycho/Off).
TEST RESULTS – F1 2022
F1 2022 is built on Codemasters' in-house engine, EGO, which has been upgraded to include DX12 and Raytracing. Graphics are set to Ultra High (RT is enabled in all tests).
TEST RESULTS – FAR CRY 6
Far Cry 6 is based on the Dunia engine. Graphics are set to Ultra with DXR enabled.
TEST RESULTS – FORZA HORIZON 5
Forza Horizon 5 uses ForzaTech, a proprietary engine built by Turn 10. Graphics are set to Extreme (RT is always enabled at high).
TEST RESULTS - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Guardians Of The Galaxy is based on the Dawn Engine by EIDOS. Graphics are set to maximum (RT Ultra/Off).
TEST RESULTS - HORIZON ZERO DAWN CE
Horizon Zero Dawn CE (Complete Edition) is based on Guerrilla Games' Decima engine. Graphics are set to Ultimate Quality.
TEST RESULTS - METRO EXODUS ENHANCED EDITION
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is based on the 4A Engine and contains huge graphical upgrades compared to the normal version, including Ray Traced Emissive Lighting. Graphics are set at Extreme quality.
TEST RESULTS – RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
For Red Dead Redemption 2 Rockstar has used their RAGE engine (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine). Graphics preset level slider is set to favor quality.
TEST RESULTS – RETURNAL
Returnal is also based on Unreal Engine 4. Graphics are set to EPIC (RT EPIC/Off).
TEST RESULTS – MULTI FRAME GENERATION / BLACK MYTH WUKONG / F1 2025 / CYBERPUNK 2077 PHANTOM LIBERTY
TEST RESULTS - OVERCLOCKING
Using 406MHz extra on the core and 350MHz on the VRAM (strangely enough GPUZ didn’t show the jump in RAM speed) resulted in a very good boost in performance (going higher would result in games crashing to desktop). I also recommend tweaking voltage curves since undervolting this card is quite easy (recommend MSI Afterburner for anything OC).
TEST RESULTS - POWER CONSUMPTION / TEMPERATURES / NOISE LEVELS
CONCLUSION
NVIDIA taking so long to send over a GeForce RTX 5070 FE sample ended up being both a blessing and a drawback. On the positive side, over a year's worth of driver updates have noticeably improved the card’s performance compared to launch. On the negative side, eighteen months is a long wait in this industry. NVIDIA also put extra emphasis on DLSS 4.5 and Multi‑Frame Generation with the GeForce RTX 5xxx series, so I evaluated those gains by adding DLSS tests across several titles and using Black Myth Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, and F1 2025 to measure MFG performance (DLSS Quality mode, 2x/4x MFG). So, from my time with the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, it’s clear that DLSS 4.5 and Multi‑Frame Generation aren’t optional extras, they’re the backbone of the experience. Raw performance alone puts the card in familiar 70‑series territory (Raster performance alone is a small improvement over the RTX 4070, and even ray‑traced workloads don’t dramatically shift the hierarchy), but once you flip on DLSS 4.5, the GPU suddenly feels a tier higher. The updated transformer model cleans up motion stability, and Dynamic MFG although not quite perfect yet does a very good job of pushing frame rates right up to your panel’s refresh ceiling without the jitter or input‑lag spikes older FG versions struggled with. Even 4x and 6x MFG modes feel surprisingly natural, delivering a level of fluidity that belies the card’s mid‑range positioning. Yes, you can still spot the occasional artifact in chaotic scenes (in my case I encountered instant white screens a few times), but the trade‑off is overwhelmingly worth it, DLSS 4.5 is what transforms the RTX 5070 from “solid” to “genuinely exciting” in modern AAA workloads. Power consumption is another quiet win since in most cases during real gaming the GeForce RTX 5070 hardly ever surpasses 200W (although during all my benchmarks it did break the 250W barrier), making it both cooler and more efficient than you’d expect for this class. Unfortunately, even though the cooling system is sufficient in order for NVIDIA to keep noise levels at low levels they had to compromise.
NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition has quietly slipped out of the retail ecosystem, no store lists it, no distributor expects it, and NVIDIA hasn’t pushed any new batches. With the FE effectively gone, the only remaining path is to pick from the various AIC partner designs, which currently start at around USD549–579 in the USA and roughly 620–670Euros in the EU for brand‑new cards. In terms of price‑to‑performance, the GeForce RTX 5070 lands in a strong position, it outpaces the previous‑gen RTX 4070 while launching at a lower street price, and on the AMD side, the only real modern counter is the RX 9070 GRE, a card that trades blows in pure raster but still falls behind once ray‑tracing and mixed workloads enter the picture, leaving the GeForce RTX 5070 as the more balanced option at roughly the same money. Overall, the GeForce RTX 5070 FE delivers where it matters and even though it’s not quite perfect the Golden Award is in order.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Design
- Excellent 1440p Performance
- Supported Technologies (DLSS 4.5 / MFG / Reflex / GSync)
- Size (242x112x39mm, 2 Slot Card)
- Good Overclocking Headroom
- Power Consumption, Noise Levels
CONS
- 12GB (For Some)
- Temperatures
- Availability
In recent years we have seen various platform holders moving away from physical retailers, be it through a reduced overall presence, fewer unit allotments or even the discontinuing of certain physical subscription cards. Joining in on the latter, Valve has now announced that physical Steam Gift Cards will soon be going away, citing scammers as the primary reason.
Taking to their Steam support page to make the announcement, Valve have officially confirmed that they will no longer be producing any physical Steam gift cards, stating:
“We introduced Steam Gift Cards to retail stores back in 2012, and added the digital program in 2017. Unfortunately, scammers use gift cards from major brands like Steam to take advantage of all people all over the world.”
They continued, “As we have continued to put more and more restrictions in place, scammers have adapted. They continue to have an impact on Steam customers and other unsuspecting individuals. So we've made the difficult decision to end the Steam Gift Card program at retail stores.”
According to Valve, they have already stopped supplying new physical cards to retailers, and so whatever is left in stock is what’s left. The platform holder expects “all retailers to be out of stock by the end of 2026.”
Of course, Steam has always been a digital-first company, and so their presence at retail is more subdued when compared to other console manufacturers. Still, this announcement comes as an unfortunate surprise.
In a bit of a silver lining, Valve plans to make purchasing digital gift cards “an even better experience” – though we will have to wait for further details on what this entails.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the announcement? Do you still buy gift cards at physical retailers? Will other platforms follow suit? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The post Steam will stop selling physical gift cards later this year due to scammers first appeared on KitGuru.
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