In recent years, AMD has been actively trying to compete with Nvidia in the high-performance graphics card segment. With the release of the Radeon RX 9070 / 9700 XT, the company made a strategic move by stepping away from chasing the ultra-premium segment dominated by the RTX 5090.

Instead, AMD introduced a graphics card that delivers exceptional performance at a price accessible to most gamers. The RX 9070 at $549 and RX 9070 XT at $599 challenge Nvidia's latest offerings, which are priced at $749, although they do not always outperform them. So, let's take a look at what exactly AMD offers for its price and how these new graphics cards handle games.

Technical Specifications AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT

Both models are built on the Navi 48 GPU, manufactured using TSMC's 4nm process. This ensures a compact die size (357 mm²) and high transistor density (151 million/mm²), positively affecting energy efficiency.

The RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT utilize RDNA 4, significantly improving efficiency and ray tracing. Despite having 30% fewer compute units compared to the RX 7900 GRE, the RX 9070 outperforms it by 22%.

The RX 9070 is equipped with 56 Compute Units, 3,584 shaders, 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 256-bit bus, and consumes 220 W. The RX 9070 XT raises the bar with 64 Compute Units, 4,096 shaders, and a consumption of 304 W, making it a better choice for demanding games.

This time, AMD did not release a reference design, so cooling is handled by third-party manufacturers. The tested Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 Gaming OC 16G and PowerColor RX 9070 XT Reaper ran quietly and cool, not exceeding 75°C under load.

Performance of AMD Radeon RX 9070 / RX 9070 XT

  For gamers, performance is paramount, and here the RX 9070 XT is a real star. It competes with the RTX 5070 Ti, often matching or even surpassing it, but is significantly cheaper. The standard RX 9070, in turn, directly competes with the RTX 5070. It shows good results in many games, but performance can vary greatly depending on the title.  

The RX 9070 is designed for high-frequency gaming at 1440p, which has become the standard for modern gaming, replacing FullHD. Various tests of AMD's new graphics cards and comparisons with the "green" competitors (referring to Nvidia, specifically the RTX 5070 / 5070 Ti lineup) have already appeared online.

FPS scores in the same games but on different cards vary, sometimes favoring one side and sometimes the other. Often, this depends not only on the graphics card itself but also on the settings used during testing and other PC parameters besides the graphics card, as well as the optimization of a particular game for specific hardware. One of the decisive differences between the "reds" and the "greens" is that AMD has 16 GB of video memory, while the comparable side from Nvidia has only 12 GB in the RTX 5070 (not Ti).

AMD conducted a comparative test of its Radeon RX 9070 XT and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards. The results showed that despite some lag behind the competitor, in terms of price-performance ratio, the RX 9070 XT outperforms Nvidia. 

In 4K Ultra resolution tests, the RX 9070 XT shows a performance increase to double-digit numbers, particularly in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Ghost of Tsushima. Meanwhile, in some projects, the RTX 5070 Ti still maintains the lead, especially in Cyberpunk 2077.

With 4K and ray tracing enabled without upscaling, the RX 9070 XT outperforms the RTX 5070 Ti by 8% in Far Cry 6 and by 2% in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Overall, the RX 9070 XT's lag is only 2-3% on average, yet this graphics card is significantly more affordable.

Overclocked versions of the RX 9070 XT  provide an additional 2% performance boost, almost completely leveling the difference with the RTX 5070 Ti. Meanwhile, the RTX 5070 Ti is actually sold far above the recommended price, ranging from $900 to $1000, making the RX 9070 XT a much more cost-effective option.

The main advantage of the Radeon RX 9070 XT is its 23% better performance-to-price ratio compared to the RTX 5070 Ti. Of course, NVIDIA still leads with DLSS 4 MFG technology and more advanced ray tracing, but the cost difference makes the RX 9070 XT an excellent choice for gamers seeking a powerful graphics card at a reasonable price.

For competitive games like CS2 and Rainbow Six Siege, the results are not too impressive. AMD still lags behind NVIDIA, providing lower FPS in games where every frame counts.

This issue is not new – the RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 series also had challenges in esports. If AMD wants to conquer this segment, drivers need to be better optimized.

Gaming Tests of RX 9070 / RX 9070 XT

We offer you a look at the performance and FPS tests in games based on the RX 9070 / RX 9070 XT graphics cards and comparisons with other AMD lineup graphics cards and competitors like the Nvidia RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Cyberpunk 2077

Black Myth: Wukong

F1 2024

Returnal

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

FSR 4: A New Era?

AI upscaling has long been Nvidia's advantage, but AMD is catching up. FSR 4 introduces AI upscaling for AMD for the first time, improving detail and reducing phantom effects. However, this comes with a slight performance reduction.

In Monster Hunter Wilds at 4K on maximum settings with ray tracing, switching from FSR 3 to FSR 4 reduces the frame rate from 94 FPS to 78 FPS – a 20% drop. In Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 1440p, the reduction is not as significant – from 165 FPS to 159 FPS.

AMD allows choosing between FSR 3 and FSR 4 in Adrenalin, giving gamers the freedom to decide what is more important – image quality or performance.

RX 9070 vs RTX 5070 / RX 9070 XT vs RTX 5070 Ti: Who is the Mid-Range Winner?

In terms of "pure" gaming performance, the RX 9070 XT is a strong contender. At 4K resolution, the card delivers around 70 FPS, confirming its viability for high-quality gaming.

It occupies an intermediate position between previous generations, such as the RX 7800 XT and RTX 3090 Ti, gradually approaching the level of the RTX 5070 Ti. In competitive games at 1080p, the RX 9070 XT delivers a striking 145 FPS, surpassing the GTX 5070 but slightly trailing the 5070 Ti. At 1440p, performance remains stable, making the 9070 XT an excellent choice for gamers who want high frame rates without excessive costs.

On its side, the GTX 5070 Ti is the de facto successor to the RTX 4080, offering excellent performance in modern games. It shows minimal fluctuations between rasterization and ray tracing loads, which distinguishes it favorably from competitors.

NVIDIA still has an edge in real-time ray tracing, although AMD has significantly improved this aspect with the RDNA 4 architecture. In games like Cyberpunk 2077, F1 2023, and Resident Evil 4, both cards are almost on par, with a performance difference of only 3-6% in typical rendering scenarios.

Ray Tracing: Has AMD Caught Up with NVIDIA?

Ray tracing remains a strong suit for NVIDIA, and this generation is no exception. Although AMD has doubled the ray intersection speed and integrated new accelerated RT blocks, the RX 9070 XT still lags behind the pure efficiency of NVIDIA's RT cores. In games like Black Myth: Wukong, the gap becomes apparent, as the 5070 Ti supports significantly higher frame rates in ray-traced scenes.

However, it is important to note that AMD has made significant strides in this area, and the 9070 XT is no longer as far behind competitors as previous Radeon generations. In mixed RT loads, AMD has made noticeable progress, making ray tracing on Radeon cards more viable than ever before.

Conclusion: New Kings of 1440p and 4K?

The RX 9070 XT is the undisputed winner in this comparison. At $600, it delivers RTX 5070 Ti-level performance (and sometimes even better) for $150 less, making it an excellent choice in terms of price-performance ratio. If you play at 1440p or 4K, it is a better option than similarly priced NVIDIA offerings, especially due to the larger VRAM and improved ray tracing performance.

The RX 9070 is less striking. At $550, it matches the level of the RTX 5070 but does not surpass it, making the choice less compelling. If AMD had set the price at $500, it would have been an undeniable hit, but at the current price, the RTX 5070 remains a competitive option.

Final Rating

⭐ RX 9070 XT: 4.5/5 – Best offer in the $600 price range, excellent performance at 1440p and 4K, improved ray tracing.

⭐ RX 9070: 3.5/5 – Decent performance, but not distinct enough compared to the RTX 5070 at the same price.

Is it worth buying?

If you're looking for a powerful graphics card for 1440p/4K that competes with the RTX 5070 Ti at a lower price, the RX 9070 XT is the best choice. If choosing between the RX 9070 and RTX 5070, it depends on your favorite games – in some cases, the RTX 5070 still has an advantage. If you're waiting for even more affordable options, it might be worth waiting for budget RDNA 4 cards from AMD.