The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 may be the pinnacle of graphics card performance, but its hefty $1,999+ price tag is out of reach for most gamers. Fortunately, you don't need to break the bank to enjoy 4K gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT offer more budget-friendly options while still delivering an outstanding 4K gaming experience. Although prices are currently inflated due to high demand and limited supply following their launch, these cards are the best choices for those seeking a high-end gaming setup.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos
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RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Specs
Comparing the specs of graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD can be challenging due to their different architectures. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, although similar in function, differ enough that a direct numerical comparison isn't straightforward.
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT features 64 RDNA 4 compute units, each containing 64 shader units, totaling 4,096 shader units. Additionally, each compute unit includes two AI Accelerators and one RT Accelerator, resulting in 128 and 64, respectively. Coupled with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the RX 9070 XT is well-equipped for modern games, though it might be pushed to its limits at 4K in the future.
Conversely, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti also comes with 16GB of VRAM, but utilizes the faster GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, offering higher bandwidth. It is equipped with 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, or Compute Units, containing a total of 8,960 CUDA Cores. Despite having twice as many Shader Units per Compute Unit than AMD, this doesn't necessarily translate to double the performance.
Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT & 9070 – Benchmarks
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RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Performance
Despite the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti's superior specs on paper, real-world performance shows that both the RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT excel at 4K gaming and are top contenders for 1440p gaming.
During my review of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, I anticipated it would be close to the RTX 5070 Ti, with a slight gap in ray tracing-intensive games. Surprisingly, the RX 9070 XT held its own, staying just a few frames behind the RTX 5070 Ti even in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077.
In certain scenarios, such as Total War: Warhammer 3, the RTX 5070 Ti did outperform with 87fps at 4K compared to the RX 9070 XT's 76fps. However, on average, the RX 9070 XT was 2% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti, which is a significant achievement given its 21% lower cost.
Winner: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti – Photos
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RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Software and Features
Choosing a graphics card today involves more than just hardware specs; software features play a crucial role. Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti benefits from the DLSS suite, which includes AI upscaling and Frame Generation. With DLSS 4, Nvidia introduces multi-frame generation, capable of generating three frames for each rendered frame, significantly boosting frame rates, albeit with a slight latency increase mitigated by Nvidia Reflex. This feature is best utilized when you're already achieving at least 45fps, ideally over 60fps.
AMD's RX 9070 XT supports Frame Generation as well, but only generates one interpolated frame per rendered frame. The major advancement for AMD this generation is FSR 4, introducing AI upscaling to their GPUs for the first time. Unlike the previous temporal upscaling method, FSR 4 uses the Radeon RX 9070 XT's AI accelerators for machine learning-based upscaling, offering sharper images, though not as fast as FSR 3. It's worth noting that this is AMD's first foray into AI upscaling, while Nvidia has refined DLSS over seven years.
Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Price
The current GPU market is fraught with inflated prices due to high demand and limited supply. Both Nvidia and AMD set suggested retail prices, but actual prices can vary widely due to retailer and third-party manufacturer markups. It's hoped that prices will eventually stabilize closer to MSRP as supply improves.
At launch, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT was priced at a competitive $599, making it an excellent choice for 4K gaming, especially when paired with the new FSR 4 AI upscaler. This pricing reflects a return to more reasonable launch prices for flagship cards, unlike the trend started by Nvidia with the RTX 2080 Ti.
In contrast, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, despite its similar performance to the RX 9070 XT, carries a higher base price of $749. This $150 difference is significant, and while the RTX 5070 Ti offers features like Multi-Frame Generation, the value proposition depends on individual gaming needs and preferences.
Winner: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
The Winner Is… the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Both the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti are exceptional choices for 1440p and 4K gaming. However, the RX 9070 XT's ability to deliver comparable performance at a significantly lower price makes it the clear winner. As prices hopefully return to normal, the value offered by the RX 9070 XT becomes even more compelling.
For those building a high-end gaming PC, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT stands out as the best option, especially if you're not in need of Nvidia's multi-frame generation feature, which is less beneficial without a high-refresh 4K monitor.
