Pay the $100. The RTX 4070 Super earns its premium over the plain 4070 clearly enough that this isn't a close decision.
The trade, in real numbers
Used, the 4070 Super runs $100 more than the plain 4070 on ChipFlip's tracked listings, a 25% premium. XDA Developers' comparison points out the Super jumps from 5,888 to 7,168 CUDA cores, a 22% increase, translating into real 15 to 20% performance gains rather than a paper spec bump. In ray-traced titles specifically, the gap widens further. Path-traced games that struggle on the plain 4070 become genuinely playable on the Super.
Where the plain 4070 still wins
Budget-constrained 1080p or 1440p builds where every dollar matters more than headroom. The standard 4070 remains a solid, capable card at that resolution range, and $100 saved is $100 that can go toward RAM, storage, or a better CPU instead.
Where the Super clearly wins
Anyone targeting 4K, or leaning on ray tracing and path tracing features regularly. The extra CUDA cores aren't just a bigger number, they show up as a real difference in exactly the scenarios that push a GPU hardest.
The takeaway
If the build is going toward 4K or ray-traced gaming, the 4070 Super's $100 premium is worth paying without much debate. For a straightforward 1080p or budget 1440p build, the plain 4070 still gets the job done and the saved money is better spent elsewhere in the system.