The GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 are Pascal-architecture GPUs that launched in 2016 and, nearly a decade later, remain in active use across millions of gaming PCs. Steam hardware surveys consistently place the GTX 1070 among the top 20 most-used GPUs worldwide—a remarkable lifespan for silicon that predates the RTX line by two generations. The situation in 2026 is manageable rather than dire: the GTX 1070 handles 1080p medium settings in most titles, and the GTX 1080 reaches medium-high in the bulk of the gaming library. The key is knowing which settings matter and which ones drain frames with no visible return.
This guide covers the full optimization stack for both cards: Pascal-specific NVIDIA driver settings, DirectX API choices, FSR 1.0 upscaling, and per-game recommended settings for 10 popular titles. For the broader framework behind every setting in this guide, see the PC game settings optimization guide.
GTX 1070 vs GTX 1080: Where the Gap Lies
The GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 share the same Pascal GP104 die, but the 1080 uses the full chip. The performance difference is consistent and meaningful.
| Specification | GTX 1070 | GTX 1080 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Pascal GP104 (cut) | Pascal GP104 (full) |
| CUDA Cores | 1,920 | 2,560 |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR5 | 8 GB GDDR5X |
| Memory Bandwidth | 256 GB/s | 320 GB/s |
| TDP | 150 W | 180 W |
| Typical 1080p FPS (AAA medium) | 40–55 FPS | 55–70 FPS |
The GTX 1080’s 33% more CUDA cores and faster GDDR5X memory translate to a reliable 25–35% performance advantage in rasterization workloads. In competitive titles with lower GPU demands, that gap narrows toward 15–20%. Neither card is capable of hardware ray tracing, DLSS, or mesh shader acceleration—these require RTX-generation hardware. What both cards do have is 8 GB VRAM, which provides meaningful buffer headroom that smaller budget GPUs lack.
For a full breakdown of the best settings, see gtx 1660 super settings.
8 GB VRAM in 2026: How Much Runway Is Left?
When the GTX 1070 launched in 2016, 8 GB VRAM was a premium buffer. In 2026, it is the boundary between comfortable and constrained. The practical picture:
- At 1080p Medium textures: VRAM usage typically sits at 4–6 GB in modern titles—within comfortable range on both cards. This is the target zone.
- At 1080p High textures: VRAM usage climbs to 6–8 GB in demanding titles (Hogwarts Legacy, Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077). You will sit at or near the 8 GB ceiling, which causes stuttering when data overflows to system RAM.
- At 1080p Ultra textures: Several 2024–2026 releases will exceed 8 GB. Black Myth: Wukong hits 8.5–10 GB at Ultra; Hogwarts Legacy pushes past 8 GB at Ultra textures with ray tracing on. Keep textures at Medium or High, not Ultra.
The practical rule: Use High textures as your starting point. If HWiNFO64 or GPU-Z shows VRAM usage consistently above 90–95%, drop to Medium. Texture quality is the single largest contributor to VRAM load; shadows and volumetric effects are secondary.
DirectX 11 vs DirectX 12 on Pascal
Both GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 support DX12 on paper. In practice, DX11 is faster in many titles on Pascal hardware—often by a significant margin. Pascal lacks the dedicated hardware (mesh shaders, hardware async compute, hardware-accelerated ray tracing) that makes DX12 efficient on Ampere and RDNA 2+ GPUs. On Pascal, DX12 adds driver overhead without the hardware to offset it.
Games where switching to DX11 produces clear gains on Pascal:
- Elden Ring: Use
-dx11as a Steam launch option. Expect 10–18% more FPS on Pascal hardware - Final Fantasy XIV: DX11 path runs measurably smoother than DX12 on GTX cards
- Civilization VI / VII: DX11 consistently outperforms DX12 on Pascal
- Black Myth: Wukong: DX11 mode reduces shader compilation stutter and improves frametimes at Low–Medium settings
For Cyberpunk 2077, the DX11 option was removed in a recent patch. Use FSR and lower in-game settings instead of seeking a legacy API fallback.
NVIDIA Driver Settings for GTX 1070 and GTX 1080
Open NVIDIA Control Panel and apply a global performance profile under Manage 3D Settings. For a full explanation of what each setting controls, see PC Game Settings Explained.
| Setting | Recommended Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Power Management Mode | Prefer Maximum Performance | Prevents Pascal GPU clock from dropping during lighter scenes |
| Texture Filtering – Quality | Performance | Reduces filtering cost at 1080p with minimal visible difference |
| Texture Filtering – Anisotropic Sample Opt. | On | Free efficiency gain via hardware path |
| Texture Filtering – Trilinear Optimization | On | Additional filtering efficiency on Pascal |
| Vertical Sync | Off (manage in-game) | Eliminates VSync input lag overhead; use FreeSync or G-Sync if available |
| Low Latency Mode | Ultra | Reduces input lag; particularly valuable in CS2 and Valorant |
| Shader Cache Size | Unlimited | Reduces first-play stuttering in shader pre-compilation titles |
| Multi-Frame Sampled AA (MFAA) | On (optional) | Pascal-native AA method; improves edge quality at lower cost than MSAA on older Turing |
MFAA note: MFAA is a Pascal-generation feature that provides smoother edges than FXAA at a lower cost than MSAA 2x. It is available only on Pascal (GTX 10-series) and early Turing (GTX 16-series). Enable it globally and disable in-game MSAA.
FSR 1.0 Support: Upscaling Without DLSS
GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 do not support DLSS (requires tensor cores, RTX 20-series and newer). FSR 2 and FSR 3 use temporal reconstruction paths that benefit from hardware not present on Pascal. FSR 1.0, however, works on any GPU including Pascal hardware.
FSR 1.0 is a spatial upscaler: it renders at a reduced resolution and applies AMD’s Lanczos-based sharpening pass. There is no temporal component, so it is fully compatible with GTX hardware.
- FSR Quality mode (67% render scale): Use in demanding titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Black Myth: Wukong. Recovers 15–25% FPS with minimal visual degradation at 1080p
- FSR Balanced mode (59% render scale): Use when targeting 60 FPS in very demanding scenes; quality reduction is more noticeable
- Elden Ring / Souls games: These lack FSR 1.0; use the in-game Render Scale slider at 85% as an alternative
Per-Game Best Settings: GTX 1070 and GTX 1080
All settings target 1080p with a mid-range CPU (Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-8700K equivalent). For a universal settings template you can apply as a starting point in any title, see the universal PC settings template.
| Game | GTX 1070 Settings | GTX 1070 Target FPS | GTX 1080 Settings | GTX 1080 Target FPS | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | Quality mode, Medium preset, Shadows Low, Effects Low | 75–110 FPS | Quality mode, High preset, Shadows Medium | 100–140 FPS | Performance mode bypasses Unreal rendering overhead; use Quality mode for visual balance |
| Valorant | High preset, Shadows Medium, AO Medium | 150–200 FPS | High preset, all settings High | 200–250 FPS | Both cards exceed competitive frame rate targets; prioritize Low Latency Mode in NVIDIA CP |
| CS2 | Medium preset, Shadow Detail Medium, Multicore On | 130–170 FPS | High preset, Multicore On, FXAA or MSAA 2x | 160–210 FPS | CS2 is CPU-bound above ~200 FPS; Multicore Rendering must be enabled |
| Minecraft | Sodium + Iris, medium shaders (BSL or Complementary at Low–Medium) | 70–100 FPS | Sodium + Iris, Complementary Reimagined at Medium–High | 80–110 FPS | Render distance is the dominant FPS lever; keep at 12–16 chunks on GTX 1070 |
| Elden Ring | DX11 launch, Shadows Medium, Textures Medium–High, AA Medium | 50–60 FPS | DX11 launch, Shadows High, Textures High, AA High | 55–60 FPS | DX11 flag (-dx11 Steam) is mandatory; engine cap at 60 FPS means GTX 1080 hits ceiling |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Low–Medium preset, RT Off, FSR Quality, Textures Medium | 35–50 FPS | Medium preset, RT Off, FSR Quality, Textures High | 50–60 FPS | No DX11 fallback—lower preset instead; RT adds 40–60% GPU cost with no hardware RT benefit |
| Hogwarts Legacy | Low–Medium preset, FSR Quality, RT Off, Textures Medium | 40–50 FPS | Medium preset, FSR Quality, RT Off, Textures High | 55–65 FPS | Hogsmeade outdoor area drops 15–20 FPS vs interiors; RT is zero-gain on Pascal |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | Low preset, Shadows Low, Volumetric Fog Off | 45–55 FPS | Medium preset, Shadows Medium | 55–65 FPS | Act 3 Lower City drops 20–30% across all hardware; both cards handle earlier acts comfortably |
| Apex Legends | High preset, AO Low, Shadow Coverage Medium | 80–110 FPS | High–Very High preset, AO Medium | 110–140 FPS | Texture Streaming Budget: Auto; Model Detail has minimal FPS cost at High on these cards |
| Black Myth: Wukong | Low preset, Lumen Off, RT Off, FSR 1.0 Quality, DX11 | 30–40 FPS | Low–Medium preset, Lumen Off, RT Off, FSR Quality, DX11 | 40–55 FPS | Most demanding title on this list; DX11 path reduces shader stutter; Lumen adds 30–40% GPU cost for zero return on Pascal |
Pascal-Specific Optimization: Overclocking and Memory Tuning
Pascal responds well to power limit increases in MSI Afterburner. The default power limits—150 W on the GTX 1070, 180 W on the GTX 1080—can be raised by 10–20% if your PSU has headroom and your card has factory OC thermal headroom. A typical result is 5–8% additional clock speed sustained under load.
- GTX 1070 boost clock range: 1,683 MHz stock; OC ceiling typically 1,900–2,050 MHz with +120–150 MHz core offset and +500 MHz memory
- GTX 1080 boost clock range: 1,733 MHz stock; OC ceiling typically 1,950–2,100 MHz with +100–130 MHz core offset; GDDR5X memory is less responsive to OC than GDDR5
Run Unigine Superposition or 3DMark TimeSpy to validate stability after applying an OC. A stable 10% overclock adds roughly 8–10% in-game FPS—a worthwhile free gain on hardware you already own.
When to Upgrade: The RTX 3060 Target
Both cards are entering the “Low settings in demanding new releases” phase. Clear signals that you are at the ceiling:
- Consistent sub-40 FPS in new AAA releases even at Low–Medium settings
- VRAM overflow stuttering when keeping textures at High in recent titles
- Missing DLSS 3/4 frame generation in titles where it dramatically changes the experience (Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2)
- Sub-60 FPS in games you play competitively
The RTX 3060 is the recommended minimum upgrade target. Key advantages over the GTX 1080:
- 12 GB GDDR6 VRAM—eliminates overflow constraints at 1080p and 1440p
- DLSS 2 support across hundreds of titles
- Approximately 60–70% more raw rasterization performance at 1080p
- DX12 Ultimate compliance with hardware ray tracing and mesh shaders
The RTX 3060 Ti or RTX 4060 are stronger value targets if budget allows. At used market prices in 2026, the RTX 3060 represents the clearest step change from the GTX 1080 without spending on the latest generation.
FAQ: GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 in 2026
Is the GTX 1070 still good for gaming in 2026?
Yes, for the right game selection. The GTX 1070 handles competitive games (CS2, Valorant, Apex Legends) very well at 100–200 FPS and runs the bulk of the existing gaming library at 40–60 FPS on medium settings. New AAA releases in 2025–2026 typically require Low–Medium settings to hit 60 FPS. It is reaching its limits in the most demanding recent titles but is far from dead.
Can the GTX 1080 still run 1080p gaming in 2026?
Yes, at medium to medium-high settings in most titles. The GTX 1080 targets 55–65 FPS at 1080p medium-high in the typical gaming library. It struggles with the most demanding 2025–2026 releases but handles the vast majority of games with headroom to spare. Its 8 GB VRAM gives it more longevity than smaller-buffer cards.
Do GTX 10-series cards support DLSS or FSR 2?
No. DLSS requires tensor cores found only on RTX 20-series and newer. FSR 2 and FSR 3 use temporal reconstruction that benefits from hardware not present on Pascal. FSR 1.0—a spatial upscaler—works on all GPUs including Pascal and is available in many titles.
Is the GTX 1080 Ti worth keeping in 2026?
The GTX 1080 Ti (not covered in this guide) sits meaningfully above the GTX 1080 with 11 GB VRAM and roughly 30% more performance. In 2026 it remains a capable 1080p high–settings card and a viable 1440p medium card, giving it somewhat more life than the GTX 1080. The 11 GB VRAM buffer delays overflow issues that the 8 GB models face in newer titles.