RTX 5070 4K Gaming Test in 2026 Path Tracing Performance Revealed

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is in a unique position for PC gaming. It's officially billed as a 1440p card. Still, with the improvements to DLSS and frame generation, 4K gaming is now possible with many demanding games. And with the right tweaks, even path tracing is possible in some games, though concessions are still needed in others.

We began with Resident Evil Requiem, a very demanding game. At 4K with ray tracing at High, graphics at High, and DLSS Performance turned on, the RTX 5070 played at 60-70fps. The image was still very sharp on a 32-inch 4K monitor, even if DLSS Performance is only rendering at 1080p.

The High settings for this game are essentially maximum, with a couple of settings, like shadows, toned down a bit. This makes the results even more impressive. VRAM consumption was moderate, and the 12GB frame buffer on the card did not dip into system memory. You may not like upscaling, but it's a way to play visually demanding games at 4K on a 1440p card.

Frame Generation Hits VRAM Limits

Turning on 4x Frame Generation initially appeared to work, but issues soon arose. Normal frame rates fell into the high 40s, leading to input lag. The mouse cursor became "jittery," and stutters were evident with extended use.

The problem was VRAM. The extra memory required by Frame Generation pushed the RTX 5070 out of the room. We do not recommend enabling Frame Generation with this setup. 12GB is sufficient for many games, but some will still show their limitations.

Path Tracing Performance

Path tracing made a big difference. The lighting, reflections, and subsurface scattering effects were more accurate. It looked very different from the original ray tracing.

It was much slower, though. The game's frame rate dropped to 30 fps in shadowed areas (most scenes were closer to 50 fps). However, surprisingly, VRAM consumption was still relatively low at around 10.5GB. If you're more concerned with image quality, path tracing is certainly playable on the RTX 5070. If performance is more important, just stick to ray tracing.

DLSS Ultra Performance Trade-Offs

DLSS Ultra Performance brought framerates soaring, often exceeding 80fps. But it came at the cost of visual quality. Details were lost, there was noticeable ghosting, and it looked like it was raining when it wasn't. This was less problematic indoors, but in general, the softer image quality diminished the advantages of 4K. We prefer DLSS Performance.

Death Stranding 2 at 4K

Death Stranding 2 performs very well. Running the game at 4K resolution, on maximum settings, with ray tracing turned on and DLSS Performance, the RTX 5070 easily maintained over 60 fps. DLSS 4.5 also helped with a smoother image. Thick forests slowed the game to the mid-40s, but overall, it played very smoothly. Memory consumption was around 11GB, with little room to spare.

Frame Generation Still Falls Short

Enabling 4x Frame Generation boosted reported framerates to about 170 fps, but the actual rendering framerate remained in the mid-40s. Input lag, HUD flicker, and visual artifacts increased. You may tolerate it, but we don't recommend enabling Frame Generation. The framerate is too low.

Crimson Desert and Ray Reconstruction

Crimson Desert is a different story. With 4K Ultra resolution, ray tracing on, and DLSS Performance enabled, performance started above 70 fps. But regular ray tracing produced soft reflections and poor lighting. Ray Reconstruction solved these problems, greatly enhancing the image.

The cost was extreme. Performance was just shy of being halved, down to 40 fps. Ray Reconstruction is probably not worth it, unless you have an RTX 5080 or higher.

Choosing the Right Frame Generation Mode

Another lesson from Crimson Desert was about Frame Generation. 4x mode killed base framerates, leading to slow controls. 2x Frame Generation was a better option. Effective framerates were above 50 fps, and gameplay was snappier and smoother. For a mid-range graphics card such as the RTX 5070, 2x Frame Generation is the best option.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was also good. RTX 5070 maintained 90 fps at 4K Ultra with DLSS Performance. Even in the more challenging forest areas, it was usually over 70fps. The game's visuals were amazing, and DLSS 4.5 quality looked great while in action.

DLSS Quality and Balanced Options

But DLSS Quality dropped performance down to the 70fps range, with some frames just below 60fps in the heaviest scenes. For those looking for improved image quality with minimal performance loss, DLSS Balanced with the new DLSS 4.5 setting worked well. It usually maintained 60fps or more, even in the most demanding areas. This makes it the ideal setup for this game.

The RTX 5070 is a surprisingly good choice for gaming with a 4K monitor.

New upscaling features enable it to play the latest games at good settings, often at more than 60 fps. Some sacrifices are necessary. Depending on the game, frame generation may not be possible, VRAM may be insufficient, and path tracing may need to be fine-tuned. That said, it is a great experience.

If you have to choose between a 27-inch 1440p screen and a 32-inch 4K monitor, the 4 K monitor is definitely better for gaming. And as we've demonstrated, the RTX 5070 can support it.