Can the 16GB RTX 4070 Ti Super run 24B models?

No: Mistral Small 24B Q4 needs ~17.5GB, over the hard 16GB ceiling — you'd drop to Q3 or multi-GPU. This is a capacity cliff, not a performance gap; the 24GB 3090 runs it comfortably.

Is the 4070 Ti Super more power-efficient than the 3090?

Yes: 285W vs 350W TDP on a 2024 architecture with better per-token efficiency. But pick an LLM GPU by VRAM tier first, watts second — efficiency can't run a model that doesn't fit.

Any alternatives at this price?

At $720-800 it's one of the few mining-free 16GB N-cards; stretch to ~$1,100 for a used 3090 (24GB); if capped near $700 and targeting 8-14B, it's a sane pick.

GPU Comparisons / RTX 4070 Ti Super vs RTX 3090

RTX 4070 Ti Super vs RTX 3090 for Local LLMs: Which Should You Pick

Verdict

LLM-first: take the 3090 — 24GB vs 16GB is the qualitative line between 'runs 24-32B' and 'cannot'. Choose the 4070 Ti Super only if gaming comes first or you have zero mining-risk tolerance.

Spec Comparison

	RTX 4070 Ti Super	RTX 3090
Nominal VRAM	16 GB	24 GB
Usable VRAM (for models)	16.0 GB	24.0 GB
Memory bandwidth	672 GB/s	936 GB/s
Type	Discrete GPU	Discrete GPU
Release year	2024	2020
MSRP	$799	$1,499
Used reference price	$760	$1,100
TDP	285 W	350 W

Model Verdict Matrix (Q4_K_M @8K)

Model	VRAM needed	RTX 4070 Ti Super	Theoretical speed	RTX 3090	Theoretical speed
Llama 3.2 3B	4.4 GB	Comfortable	≈256	Comfortable	≈357
Llama 3.1 8B	7.5 GB	Comfortable	≈102	Comfortable	≈143
Qwen3 8B	7.7 GB	Comfortable	≈100	Comfortable	≈140
Phi-4 14B	12.2 GB	Comfortable	≈56	Comfortable	≈78
Mistral Small 3.2 24B	17.5 GB	Needs multi-GPU	—	Comfortable	≈48
Gemma 3 27B	22.4 GB	Not feasible	—	Tight fit	≈42
Qwen3.8 27B	20.7 GB	Not feasible	—	Tight fit	≈41
Muse Glimmer 30B	20.1 GB	Not feasible	—	Tight fit	≈39
Qwen3 30B-A3B	21.0 GB	Not feasible	—	Tight fit	≈347
Qwen3 32B	23.7 GB	Not feasible	—	Tight fit	≈35
gpt-oss-20b	14.7 GB	Tight fit	≈229	Comfortable	≈318
Llama 3.3 70B	47.4 GB	Not feasible	—	Not feasible	—
gpt-oss-120b	73.6 GB	Not feasible	—	Not feasible	—
DeepSeek-R1 671B	413.1 GB	Not feasible	—	Not feasible	—

Highlighted rows = watershed models where the two cards' verdicts differ. Theoretical speed = bandwidth × 0.75 ÷ per-token weight bytes (active params for MoE); real-world results vary with framework/driver/CPU, ±30%. Speed is hidden for multi-GPU/infeasible verdicts.

Value Comparison

	RTX 4070 Ti Super	RTX 3090
Bandwidth per dollar	0.88 GB/s/$	0.85 GB/s/$
Usable VRAM per dollar	0.021 GB/$	0.022 GB/$

Pricing basis: RTX 4070 Ti Super = used reference price; RTX 3090 = used reference price; used prices are market estimates, see analysis for volatility.

Analysis

This looks like a $760 vs $1,100 price fight, but it's really a 16GB vs 24GB capacity cliff. In the verdict matrix, Mistral Small 24B (Q4 ~17.5GB) already exceeds the 4070 Ti Super's hard 16GB ceiling — you'd drop to Q3 or go multi-GPU; Gemma 3 27B, Qwen3.8 27B, Muse Glimmer 30B, Qwen3 30B-A3B and Qwen3 32B are all infeasible, while the 3090 runs them comfortably or tightly. The 16GB card's ceiling stops at gpt-oss-20b (tight, ~14.7GB).

The 4070 Ti Super's legitimacy lies elsewhere: a January 2024 card that is essentially mining-free, 285W TDP (65W below the 3090), headroom to run the 8B tier at Q8_0 (~11.4GB), and bandwidth per dollar of 0.88 vs 0.85 — a slight win. If your model targets are locked to the 8-14B tier, it is newer, more efficient, and worry-free.

But in the LLM world, money goes to VRAM first: a $1,100 used 3090 brings 24GB and 936 GB/s — a full model tier more coverage, plus a dual-card path to 70B later. The cost is inspecting a 2020 card (GDDR6X memory temps, mining history). One line: LLM as your main use, buy the 3090; LLM as a side dish, buy the 4070 Ti Super; if you're stuck under $800 but dreaming of 24B, keep saving — 16GB holds no miracles.

FAQ

Can the 16GB RTX 4070 Ti Super run 24B models?: No: Mistral Small 24B Q4 needs ~17.5GB, over the hard 16GB ceiling — you'd drop to Q3 or multi-GPU. This is a capacity cliff, not a performance gap; the 24GB 3090 runs it comfortably.
Is the 4070 Ti Super more power-efficient than the 3090?: Yes: 285W vs 350W TDP on a 2024 architecture with better per-token efficiency. But pick an LLM GPU by VRAM tier first, watts second — efficiency can't run a model that doesn't fit.
Any alternatives at this price?: At $720-800 it's one of the few mining-free 16GB N-cards; stretch to ~$1,100 for a used 3090 (24GB); if capped near $700 and targeting 8-14B, it's a sane pick.

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Data verified 2026-09-01