The GTX 1070 offering previous-gen flagship performance is a perfect choice for those who are looking for the best graphics card at a reasonable price at 1440p resolution. Thanks to its CPF (Cost per Frame) ratio.
Reference cards released by Nvidia are commonly known as the founder edition. Generally, the aftermarket cards are pricier than the founder edition as they offer some extra advantages. But for Nvidia cards, it’s not the case. You have to spend more if you want the founder edition of Nividia than the aftermarket version.
Let me explain the difference between the founder edition card and the aftermarket card first for the newbies. Then I will make a discussion about the 1070 founder edition Vs. aftermarket.
What is the Difference Between GeForce GTX 1070 Founder Edition and Aftermarket Edition
When Nvidia designs a new GPU they define the fundamental hardware specifications that must be maintained by the AIB (Add-In Board) partners during the manufacturing of the card. I have mentioned only Nvidia as the term “Founder Edition” is especially used for Nvidia cards.
Excellent Stability, original design, and compatibility with aftermarket coolers are some of the main advantages offered by the founder edition.
When the founder edition is customized by the AIB partners such as EVGA, MSI, Sapphire, Asus, and Gigabyte, it is called the aftermarket version. They can customize the cards by improving the reference design such as integrating higher-quality capacitors or more robust power phases, and improved cooling systems.
The main difference between the GTX 1070 founder edition and the aftermarket card is the cooling system.
1. Cooling System
The founder edition comes with a blower-style cooler and the aftermarket card comes with an open-air cooler.
The blower-style coolers consist of a single fan that sucks air from the case and blows it along the length of the graphics card through a heatsink that is fully enclosed. Once air enters inside it is trapped and can escape only in a single direction.
Open-air coolers have exposed heatsinks that span the entire width of the graphics card PCB (Printed Circuit Board), though some of the most updated designs have extended it beyond the PCB to allow for pass-through cooling. The air is taken in with the help of axial fans and pushed through the heatsink in all directions before being expelled out into the interior of your case.
The heatsink’s volume in a blower-style card is smaller as it comes with only one fan. Since the open-air cooler uses more than one fan it takes up more space. But they can deal with the temperature much better than the founder edition.
Some aftermarket cards come with a water-cooled system and some cards like Asus Poseidon come with a large heatsink for air cooling plus water. So, you can understand that they are designed to run smoother and cooler.
2. VRM and Overclocking
The VRM on the 1070 aftermarket is better than the founder edition. The overclock benchmarks of the aftermarket edition are also better than the founder edition.
3. Noise
The 1070 aftermarket edition produces less noise compared to the founder edition.
4. Availability
The 1070 founder edition is hardly found in the local market and most online retailers. If you want to have it then you have to register on Nvidia’s website and buy directly from them. You have to be very patient to receive the product.
On the other hand, the aftermarket edition is readily available in the local market and most online retailers.
5. Price
We expect to buy the founder edition at a cheaper rate but unfortunately, the Nvidia founder edition does not come at a cheap rate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is the GTX 1070 Founders Edition good for gaming?
Yes, it is. The GTX 1070 offers very good graphical performance while gaming. It is quite faster and lets you have a smooth gaming experience at a reasonable price.
Is Nvidia Founders Edition worth it?
Yes, it is worth it. The Founder Edition has the best qualities of being a fine graphics card. Cards with Founders Edition support better gaming along with other graphics-intensive tasks. Even though it is pricier than the aftermarket edition, it is totally worth it for its performance.
Why is GTX 1070 still expensive?
The fact is the GTX 1070 is an older version graphic card and it is not being produced anymore. That is why this GPU is in shortage right now. Basically, this is the main reason behind GTX 1070 is still expensive.
Final Words
If you are a person who appreciates the stability and solidity of the Founders’ edition then go for the 1070 Founder edition. Most gamers like the aftermarket edition because of its better performance, availability, and longevity.
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