Zotac GTX 1070Ti Mini

We have always had a soft spot for the ‘red-headed step-child’ of the NVIDIA 10-series. For numerous reasons, that we already went over in the EVGA GeForce GTX 1070Ti SC BE review, we honestly feel the GeForce GTX 1070Ti got a bit of a bump rap not for any good reason but simply due to bad marketing. For our needs, like those of many experienced buyers who don’t put much faith in the so called ‘wisdom of the masses’ and instead make our own judgment based on the harshest crucible of them all: value. Here is where the GTX 1070Ti’s shine the brightest for those willing to look… they simply do not get the recognition they deserve. To a lesser extent Zotac also does not get the recognition of their innovative and consistently impressive models deserve. While most of the masses here in North American reach for an ASUS or MSI or one of the more firmly established brands they really should be thinking long and hard about Zotac before pulling the trigger on ‘the other guys’ options.

It is obvious from the performance results that Zotac’s engineers were not afraid to think outside the box when they dreamed up this innovative ‘mini’ card. We have a sneaking suspicion that one of the designers is a HTPC Gaming enthusiast and was dissatisfied with the rather mediocre list of options available to those who want to game on a big screen but do not want to have a massive PC chassis in their living room / ‘man cave’. It would not surprise us in the least if another of the design team likes building smaller systems in general as this card gives up very little potential performance in order to fit inside all but the smallest of cases. This card really is one of the best examples of what can be done when you challenge your design team to ‘think differently’ and allow them to go down radically different paths.

It is our firm opinion that the Zotac GeForce GTX 1070Ti Mini proves that good things can indeed come in small packages. This card conclusively proved a bigger footprint does not necessarily equate to better performance. That requiring three massive fans is not needed in order to get excellent – for a 1070Ti – overclocking potential.

Congratulations Zotac for exceeding our wildest expectations. The Zotac GeForce GTX 1070Ti Mini’s combination of performance, value, and yes even size easily justify three awards. The Excellence award for its sterling performance, its innovative award for the shear audacity – and ability – to think so far outside the box, and the RealDeal award for it is indeed a great value at retail prices and will only get better once the NIVIDA RTX generation lands. So while it obviously will not be right for everyone, especially those who are looking for a large video card for their oversized case, for most people the Zotac GeForce GTX 1070Ti Mini will prove to be an great first choice – small size or not…. especially when it’s about to be EOL’ed and replaced with more ray-shader orientated NVIDIA cores that will also cost significantly more. If you come across one of these ‘little cards’ we highly recommend you snap it up quickly because more experienced buyers will be on the hunt for them and will not hesitate when they find one for sale.