Overall and Final Verdict
Well, I’m excited to get a chance to check out one of EVGAs RTX cards and it is just in time for the RTX 2060 launch! I think the most immediate thing to me was just how good this card looks and that seems to carry across most of the EVGA lineup. The smoked transparent fan shroud looks amazing and is still somehow not too flashy, at least to me. I know it was a big trend back in the ’90s for electronics to look trendy with transparent or semi-transparent casings and it is one I wouldn’t be against seeing come back. Being able to see the heatsink behind everything was nice. With that, I liked the EVGA didn’t go crazy with overly styling stuff or too much RGB lighting. But ironically I wouldn’t have been upset to see them include at least one light down at the bottom of the fan shroud, the top lighting lit up the top and the fan side a little. But down at the bottom that lighting made it look like the bottom lights were just not on. Plus a little light would have made it easier to see the heatsink. Please don’t add a ton of lights, but one or two to even things out wouldn’t be bad.
Performance wise the EVGA RTX 2070 XC Gaming hung right with the Nvidia Founders Edition RTX 2070. That wasn’t really a surprise given they have the exact same clock speed, but with this being a cheaper card than the Founders Edition it was nice to see. It also had great cooling performance and like all of the RTX 2070’s, it was perfect for high refresh rate 1080p gaming and 1440p. It was faster than the GTX 1080 in most situations with our overclocked GTX 1080 with 11 Gbps memory being the only exception and only in some games. The Vega 64 and the RX590 didn’t compete with it in most tests and the GTX 1070 Ti being the next closest card, but it also was outperformed across the board.
I mention how the RTX 2070 XC compares with those cards because at the end of the day, getting an RTX card at all really depends on pricing. Especially with RTX and DLSS features only starting to trickle into the market and mostly with Battlefield V. At the original launch Nvidia’s previous cards, namely the GTX 1080 were available at much better prices. But not that availability has dried up for new cards those prices are significantly higher. The cheapest new GTX 1080 on Newegg is $750. There is a refurbished model for $519 and a few around $600, but even ignoring the refurbished part I think the RTX 2070 is a better pickup at that price range.
As for the EVGA RTX 2070 XC specifically, well there are a few RTX 2070’s available at that $499 price point with the stock clocks. This is the cheapest overclocked model available on Newegg right now. But there are two other cards at that same $549 price point and both of those have a little higher clock speed. When comparing this card with the Founders Edition it seems like a steal, same clock speeds, better cooling, slightly less power usage, and I think some people will like the looks of the EVGA more. But the two Gigabyte cards at $549 will make the decision harder. Personally, I like the EVGA styling better and being a two fan design it is also a little shorter. The Gigabyte wouldn’t even fit in the ITX build I currently have the EVGA XC in.
Also to help with your decision, they currently are giving away a game with the purchase. You can pick from Battlefield V or Anthem, an upcoming game. Battlefield V already has RTX support and is expected to get DLSS very soon and Anthem is going to have both as well. So not only do you get to pick from two new and big-name titles, but they give you a chance to check out those mostly unused features that set the RTX cards apart from the GTX cards. Should you get one? Well if I was on the market for an RTX 2070 I think this is the card I would go with all things considered. As for if you should get an RTX 2070 over something more expensive or cheaper? Well, that depends on what you are looking to play and what resolution. 4k isn’t going to work with big titles at high settings, but the RTX 2070 is perfect for 1440p gaming or high refresh rate 1080p.
Live Pricing: HERE
