Forged 51Risc RTX 3070 TiM brings RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU to the desktop, US$67 cheaper than original RTX 3060 Ti FE MSRP

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU launched earlier this year and we have tested this GPU extensively in a multitude of laptops such as the Asus ROG Strix Scar 15, Acer Nitro 5, and the Aorus 17 XE4 to name a few. Now, the same RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU is being offered in a desktop version by a small Chinese GPU maker named 51Risc on Aliexpress.

This is not to be confused with the actual RTX 3070 Ti desktop GPU, though. The original RTX 3070 Ti desktop card offers 6,144 CUDA cores, 8 GB 19 Gbps GDDR6X VRAM, 1,770 MHz boost clock, and operates at a 290 W TDP.

The one by 51Risc, dubbed the RTX 3070 TiM, is a dual-slot PCIe card with 5,888 CUDA cores, 8 GB 17.5 Gbps GDDR6 VRAM, a 1,410 MHz boost, and a more conservative 220 W TDP. There's a single 8-pin connector onboard.

These specs are largely similar to the original RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, which however has a 1,485 MHz boost, 8 GB 14 Gbps GDDR6 VRAM, and a 125 W TDP.

As is evident by now, 51Risc's GeForce RTX 3070 TiM has a misleading nomenclature. Most buyers will not notice the "M" in the name, risk falsely assuming this is to be a full RTX 3070 Ti desktop card, and will finally end up with RTX 3060 Ti levels of performance.

That being said, this can be a way to get RTX 3060 Ti performance for cheap. The RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition has a US$400 MSRP while the 51Risc RTX 3070 TiM retails for about US$337 with free shipping from China to the US. Given such low prices, it is not uncommon for small GPU makers to cater to developing markets and offer their own unofficial variants that are not found elsewhere. 

If do you happen to import one of these cards, remember that these are not authorized by Nvidia. You will need to rely on laptop drivers. which the company does not explicitly mention. There are also no guarantees that Nvidia will not come down on such transgressions and remove driver compatibility with these cards in a future release.

For those who wish to go Team Red, 51Risc also offers the Radeon RX 6600M in a desktop GPU form factor.

Buy the original Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition on Best Buy