Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti vs. AMD RX 9070 XT: Performance Showdown

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 may dominate the graphics card market, but its hefty price tag of $1,999 and above is beyond the budget of most gamers. Fortunately, you don't need to shell out for the top-tier model to enjoy 4K gaming. Both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT offer compelling alternatives that are more wallet-friendly yet still deliver an outstanding 4K gaming experience.

Currently, prices are higher than usual due to the surge in demand and limited supply following their launch. However, the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT stand out as the go-to choices for those seeking a high-end gaming setup without breaking the bank.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos

4 ImagesRTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Specs

Comparing the specs of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT can be challenging due to their different architectures. While Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units aim to achieve similar results, their direct comparison isn't straightforward.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT boasts 64 RDNA 4 compute units, each featuring 64 shader units, totaling 4,096. Each compute unit also includes two AI Accelerators and one RT Accelerator, resulting in 128 and 64, respectively. AMD complements these with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, which is ample for today's games, although it may be pushed to its limits at 4K in the future.

On the other hand, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti comes with 16GB of the newer GDDR7 memory, also on a 256-bit bus, offering higher bandwidth due to faster memory speeds. It's equipped with 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, which Nvidia calls Compute Units, and a total of 8,960 CUDA Cores. This represents twice the Shader Units per Compute Unit, a trend Nvidia has followed since the RTX 3080 in 2020, though it doesn't directly translate to double the performance.

Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT & 9070 – Benchmarks

11 ImagesRTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Performance

Despite the RTX 5070 Ti's superior specs on paper, actual performance shows a closer race. Both the RTX 5070 Ti and the RX 9070 XT are excellent options for those looking to dive into 4K gaming and are among the best for 1440p gaming.

When I tested the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, I anticipated it would lag behind the RTX 5070 Ti, especially in ray tracing-heavy games. However, it surprised me by staying close to the RTX 5070 Ti's performance in games like Cyberpunk 2077. While the RTX 5070 Ti does lead in certain titles, such as Total War: Warhammer 3, where it achieves 87fps at 4K compared to the RX 9070 XT's 76fps, the AMD card averages a 2% higher performance overall. This slight edge is significant, especially considering the RX 9070 XT's lower cost.

Winner: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti – Photos

6 ImagesRTX 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 excels with its DLSS suite, encompassing AI upscaling and Frame Generation. With the RTX 5000 series, Nvidia introduces multi-frame generation, capable of creating three AI-generated frames for every rendered frame, significantly boosting frame rates with minimal latency, thanks to 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 it can only generate one interpolated frame per rendered frame. The significant update this generation is FSR 4, which introduces AI upscaling to AMD graphics cards for the first time. Unlike the previous temporal upscaling method, FSR 4 uses the Radeon RX 9070 XT's AI accelerators and a machine learning algorithm for more accurate upscaling, though it's not as fast as FSR 3. It's worth noting that FSR 4 is AMD's first foray into AI upscaling, while Nvidia has been refining DLSS for seven years.

Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Price

GPU pricing remains a contentious issue, with new generation cards frequently sold out and prices soaring above suggested retail. Both Nvidia and AMD set an MSRP, but retailers and third-party manufacturers can adjust prices as they see fit. While it's uncertain how prices will evolve, we hope they will align more closely with MSRP as supply improves.

At its launch price of $599, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a standout, offering excellent 4K performance with the new FSR 4 AI upscaler. This pricing harks back to when flagship GPUs launched at more reasonable prices. Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti, priced at $749, offers similar performance but at a $150 premium. The additional features, like Multi-Frame Generation, may justify the cost for some, but for many, the RX 9070 XT's lower price makes it the more attractive option.

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 for 1440p gaming and capable at 4K. However, the RX 9070 XT's ability to deliver comparable performance at a significantly lower price makes it the clear winner. As prices hopefully stabilize, the value proposition of the RX 9070 XT becomes even more compelling.

For those looking to build a high-end gaming PC for 1440p or even 4K, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is hard to beat. While it lacks multi-frame generation, this feature is less critical for gamers without high-refresh 4K monitors.