Is the RTX 3070 Still Worth It in 2026? Native 1440p Gaming Test Results

DLSS enhancements extend lifespan despite 8GB VRAM limitations in newer releases.

Hardware by Godrics01 on Feb 25, 2026

Over five years ago, the RTX 3070 launched amid a period of trouble. A lot of people said it was a great value for the money on paper, even though the starting price of $469 or $499 didn't mean much because of stock shortages and high costs.

Anyone lucky enough to receive one could enjoy a performance similar to that of the RTX 2080 Ti, which was the best at the time, but with less power use. In the months that followed, AMD released the RX 6800 and 6700 XT, but these also had the same problems with pricing and availability.

RTX 3070, Still Worth It in 2026, Native 1440p Gaming, Test Results, NoobFeed

Five years later, these cards are easy to get on sites like eBay, where they cost half as much as they did when they first came out. If you get a chill every time someone talks about 8GB of VRAM, the AMD options might be more appealing. However, the RTX 3070 is still one of the best GPUs from that time.

The average price of the previous ten eBay Buy Now listings sold in the US is $226. It depends on what you expect, but performance testing can help you decide if that is worth it for an 8GB card in early 2026.

Setting up the Test and the Temperature

We used this Palit JetStream variant with a Ryzen 5 7500F, which is one of the cheapest AM5 CPUs on the market. This 6-core, 12-thread CPU has enough power for the RTX 3070 to fulfill its full potential, especially at 1440p. This GPU may give you the best frame rates without needing a pricey CPU.

It is a good idea to change the thermal paste on any used card. This Palit card had high temps and loud fans, but those issues went away after it was repasted.

VRAM Limits and Things to Think About When Using DLSS

There will be games where VRAM makes some settings not work. When you choose higher visual presets at higher resolutions, your computer may stutter or slow down. In 2020, the RTX 3070 was a GPU capable of running at extreme settings at 1440p. High or medium presets work best for current, more demanding games, though DLSS can sometimes help.

For example, Alan Wake 2. The card is still close to its VRAM maximum, though. Some DLSS presets seem almost like native 2560x1440, which is a promising sign for modern upscaling algorithms. The card supports DLSS 4.5, but not FP8, hence DLSS 4.5 presets slow down performance more than older ones.

When I played Cyberpunk 2077 with the RT Ultra setting and DLSS set to performance mode, the frame rate reduced by about 7 fps on average with the updated DLSS version, but the image quality stayed the same.

Performance at 1440p Native

Testing was done at native 2560x1440 to see how well it worked in its raw form. This was considered the best resolution for this tier in 2020.

At 1440p with the high preset, high crowds, and high textures in Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX 3070 averaged 76 fps, with lows of 60 fps and 52 fps. The performance stayed the same, while the Ryzen processor used up all of the GPU's power.

Counter-Strike 2 and other esports games work nicely. The average frame rate at 1440p with the high preset and MSAA off was 309 fps, with a low of 155 fps and a high of 92 fps. Frame rates remain high, though performance varies by map and setting.

Using the high preset and DAA at native resolution in Baldur's Gate 3, the average frame rate in demanding sections was 97 fps, with a low of 69 fps and a low of 53 fps.

We tried Battlefield 6 at 1440p with the medium preset and TAA. In most situations, performance stayed above 60 fps, but this depended on the map and mode. If you lower your expectations for visual presets, this resolution will stay stable.

At 1080p, things go much better, but the game stays stable even at 2560x1440 with the right settings.

Ray Tracing and New Games

We tested Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced with the high RT preset, RTGI enabled. TAA was not chosen; DAA was. RTX 3070 averaged 98 fps at 1440p, with lows of 84 and 75.

Helldivers 2 ran on the high preset with high-quality textures. There were some frame-time spikes, as seen by the 0.1% low, but most of the session went well. The amount of VRAM used did not come close to the 8GB maximum.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 at 1440p with the high preset and SMAA averaged 74 fps, with lows of 62 fps and 60 fps. DLSS can provide you with more headroom to keep the frame rate stable at 60fps.

When playing Arc Raiders at 1440p with the high preset and TSR, the average frame rate was 87 fps, with a low of 70 fps and a 0.1% low of 59 fps.

RTX 3070, Still Worth It in 2026, Native 1440p Gaming, Test Results, NoobFeed

Marvel Rivals ran at 1440p with medium settings, with SSR, SSGI, and TAA enabled. The average frame rate was 89 fps, with a low of 64 fps and a high of 46 fps.

We tested Red Dead Redemption 2 with ultra textures and other settings set to high, maximum geometry LOD, grass LOD at 2/10, and TAA on high. The average was 80 fps, with a low of 64 fps for 1% of the time and 59 fps for 0.1% of the time.

In the extreme DAA setting, Forza Horizon 5 ran at 1440p, averaging 96 fps, with a low of 84 fps and a high of 47 fps. There was a short decrease during a sandstorm scene, but overall performance was steady.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the findings show that the RTX 3070 can still deliver reliable 1440p performance, even though some recent games require lower graphics settings, DLSS, or a resolution change. It is still a good option if you can handle the fact that it only has 8GB of VRAM and costs about $226 on the used market.

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