An early instance of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 GPU has simply proven up on-line, with the cardboard sporting Nvidia’s unique GTX branding on the cooler, reasonably than the now ubiquitous RTX identify. Not solely that, however this outdated engineering pattern had a unique spec from the ultimate RTX 2070 launch, and its proprietor has run it by way of some benchmarks to see the way it holds up.
The GeForce RTX 2070 was one of many finest graphics playing cards in its day, being the primary GPU to convey ray tracing in video games to the sub-$500 worth level. In its remaining type, this Nvidia GPU had 2,304 CUDA cores, a 1,410MHz core clock, and a 1,620MHz enhance clock (and 1,710MHz on the Founders Version), but it surely appears as if it began life with a unique spec.
A GeForce GTX 2070 engineering pattern has simply been picked up by X person Jiacheng Liu, who revealed that the GTX -branded pattern of the cardboard had simply 2,176 CUDA cores enabled, though it was primarily based on the identical TU106-400A-A1 GPU core used within the remaining model.
In the meantime, the cardboard’s enhance clock of 1,710MHz is similar as that of the ultimate Founders Version, though GPU-Z solely acknowledged it as a generic “Nvidia Graphics Gadget” reasonably than a correct product identify.
To see the way it holds up, Jiacheng Liu fired up the cardboard in a check rig with an Intel Core i9 13900K, and ran 3DMark Time Spy, which returned a rating of 9,695. The proprietor then tried flashing the cardboard with a brand new BIOS, and GPU-Z did then acknowledge it as a GeForce RTX 2070, but it surely nonetheless solely had 2,176 CUDA cores, reasonably than the two,304 within the remaining model.
Jiacheng Liu even managed to efficiently overclock the GPU, elevating the enhance clock to an enormous 2,515MHz, and growing the reminiscence clock from 1,750MHz to 1,921MHz. With the brand new BIOS and overclock utilized, the cardboard then hit a rating of 11,183 in Time Spy, which Jiacheng Liu notes is simply 5% off the rating of a real RTX 2070 with 2,304 CUDA cores in the identical system.
I at all times discover these early engineering samples fascinating, as they supply an perception behind the scenes. In a parallel universe, Nvidia may not have killed the GTX model, and the RTX 2070 might have had fewer CUDA cores at its disposal. There may also have been a GeForce RTX 4090 Ti, with an unlimited cooler connected to it.
Should you’re seeking to improve your graphics card to a GPU that may correctly address the calls for of immediately’s video games, try our new RTX 4070 Tremendous assessment, the place we run Nvidia’s newest mid-range contender by way of our benchmark suite.
