NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Graphics Card GA102

The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB GA102 is a graphics card by NVIDIA, launched on October 21st, 2022. Built on the 8 nm process, and based on the GA102 graphics processor, in its GA102-150-A1 variant, the card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. This ensures that all modern games will run on GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB GA102. Additionally, the DirectX 12 Ultimate capability guarantees support for hardware-raytracing, variable-rate shading and more, in upcoming video games. The GA102 graphics processor is a large chip with a die area of 628 mm² and 28,300 million transistors. Unlike the fully unlocked GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which uses the same GPU but has all 10752 shaders enabled, NVIDIA has disabled some shading units on the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB GA102 to reach the product’s target shader count. It features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. Also included are 192 tensor cores which help improve the speed of machine learning applications. The card also has 48 raytracing acceleration cores. NVIDIA has paired 8 GB GDDR6X memory with the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB GA102, which are connected using a 256-bit memory interface. The GPU is operating at a frequency of 1575 MHz, which can be boosted up to 1770 MHz, memory is running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

Being a dual-slot card, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB GA102 draws power from 1x 12-pin power connector, with power draw rated at 290 W maximum. Display outputs include: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB GA102 is connected to the rest of the system using a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 interface. The card measures 267 mm in length, 112 mm in width, and features a dual-slot cooling solution.

Key Features:

1. Ampere Architecture (GA102 Variant)

• High CUDA Core Count
  • If the 3070 Ti uses a cut-down GA102, it might offer more CUDA cores than the standard GA104-based 3070 Ti, closing some of the gap between the 3070 Ti and higher-tier GPUs (3080 or 3080 Ti). The final count could be somewhere between 6,144 and ~8,xxx cores, ensuring robust parallel computing for modern games, 3D rendering, and GPU-accelerated tasks.
• Second-Generation RT Cores
  • Delivers real-time ray tracing at higher throughput than first-gen RTX GPUs, enabling sophisticated lighting, shadows, and reflections in supported games and ray-traced design/visualization pipelines.
• Third-Generation Tensor Cores
  • Facilitates AI-based upscaling with DLSS, as well as other deep learning operations (denoising, super-resolution) in gaming, content creation, or moderate AI development workflows.

2. 8GB GDDR6X Memory

• Fast GDDR6X VRAM
  • The GPU’s 8GB GDDR6X memory ensures decent headroom for 1440p or some 4K gaming with high textures, moderate professional rendering tasks, and GPU-accelerated video editing.
• Potential 320-bit or 256-bit Interface
  • Depending on how GA102 is cut down, memory bus widths could vary. Typically, 3070 Ti uses a 256-bit interface, but a GA102-based sample might have an unusual bus config (e.g., 320-bit partially disabled).

3. Enhanced Performance vs. GA104-based 3070 Ti

• Possibly Increased SMs
  • A GA102-based design may incorporate additional Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) over the standard GA104 variant, delivering extra CUDA cores, ROPs, or memory bandwidth.
• Competitive Ray Tracing & DLSS
  • The added SM or bus resources might yield incremental gains in gaming performance, AI tasks, or rendering times compared to a GA104-based 3070 Ti.

4. Thermals & Power Requirements

• Higher TDP (~300–320W)
  • GA102 typically runs at a higher power envelope. A cut-down variant might still draw somewhat more power than standard GA104 boards.
• Advanced Cooling Solutions
  • Board partners likely equip multi-fan or hybrid coolers to handle the greater heat output, allowing stable clocks under intensive loads.

5. Connectivity & Display Output

• HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a
  • Support for 4K at 120Hz or up to 8K at 60Hz on capable displays, aligning with standard Ampere feature sets.
• NVIDIA G-SYNC
  • Smooths out gameplay by matching GPU frames to monitor refresh rates, reducing tearing and stutter at high FPS.

Applications:

1. High-Resolution Gaming
   • 1440p Ultra Settings: Delivers ample horsepower to run AAA games at or above 60 FPS, often benefiting from DLSS for ray-traced content.
   • Entry-Level 4K: With DLSS, the GPU can maintain solid frame rates at 4K in many modern titles, though it sits below higher-tier SKUs.
2. Content Creation
   • 3D Modeling & Rendering: The added cores and GDDR6X memory help handle moderate-to-large 3D scenes in software like Blender, Maya, or 3ds Max.
   • Video Editing & Motion Graphics: GPU-accelerated effects, multi-4K timelines, and color grading in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve proceed more smoothly.
3. Ray-Traced Design & Visualization
   • Real-Time Ray Tracing: Architectural walkthroughs, product prototyping, or cinematic lighting in engineering/design tools see faster previews and final renders.
   • VR & Simulation: Higher SM or memory resources help maintain stable performance in VR training apps or design simulation at higher detail.
4. AI & Data Processing
   • Tensor-Core-Assisted: Although not a data center card, the GA102 Tensor Cores can facilitate moderate AI tasks—like training smaller neural networks, real-time inference, or AI-based upscaling in content creation.

Why Choose the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB (GA102)?

1. Potentially Greater Performance Headroom
   • If the 3070 Ti uses a partially enabled GA102 die, it may pack more CUDA cores or memory bus capacity than standard GA104 versions, boosting fps or compute throughput.
2. Robust Gaming & Creation Balance
   • 8GB GDDR6X is ideal for 1440p or high settings at 4K, with advanced ray tracing and reliable content-creation acceleration for prosumers.
3. Expanded Architecture Features
   • Harness second-gen RT Cores and third-gen Tensor Cores for real-time cinematic visuals, DLSS-based framerate boosts, and efficient AI-based workflows.
4. Enthusiast-Level Performance without Full Flagship Cost
   • Sits below the 3080/3090 tier in cost, but with GA102-based potential, might approach near-3080 performance, appealing to enthusiasts seeking a sweet spot in performance vs. cost/power.
5. Ampere Ecosystem & Drivers
   • Leverages the stable driver stack (Game Ready, Studio) and integrates with the broader NVIDIA ecosystem (Reflex, G-SYNC, NVENC, etc.) for both gaming and productivity benefits.