RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Battle of GPUs

While the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 dominates the graphics card market, its $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 AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT offer a more budget-friendly alternative, delivering exceptional 4K gaming performance.

Despite current elevated prices due to high demand and limited supply post-launch, the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT remain the top picks for gamers seeking a high-end experience.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos

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RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Specs

Comparing graphics cards with different architectures can be challenging. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, while similar in function, differ significantly, making direct comparisons based on numbers alone unproductive.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT features 64 RDNA 4 compute units, each containing 64 shader units, totaling 4,096. Additionally, each compute unit includes two AI Accelerators and one RT Accelerator, resulting in 128 and 64, respectively. It's equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, sufficient for current games but potentially stretched in future 4K titles.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti also boasts 16GB of VRAM, but utilizes the faster GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, offering higher bandwidth. It contains 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, totaling 8,960 CUDA Cores. Although this represents twice the Shader Units per Compute Unit compared to AMD, it 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 RTX 5070 Ti's superior specs on paper, real-world performance tells a different story. Both cards excel as entry-level options for 4K gaming and are among the best for 1440p gaming.

My review of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT showed it closely competing with the RTX 5070 Ti, even in ray-tracing intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077. In some games, such as Total War: Warhammer 3, the RTX 5070 Ti achieves 87fps at 4K, while the RX 9070 XT reaches 76fps. However, on average, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is 2% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti, a significant advantage 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 involves more than just hardware specs. Both Nvidia and AMD provide extensive software features that enhance the capabilities of their GPUs.

Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti stands out with its DLSS suite, including AI upscaling and Frame Generation. The latest DLSS 4 introduces multi-frame generation, creating three AI-generated frames for each rendered frame, boosting frame rates while slightly increasing latency, mitigated by Nvidia Reflex. This feature is best used when your frame rate is already decent, ideally above 60fps.

AMD's RX 9070 XT supports Frame Generation but only generates one interpolated frame per rendered frame. The significant advancement is FSR 4, which brings AI upscaling to AMD cards for the first time, using the Radeon AI accelerators for more accurate image upscaling than previous temporal methods. Although not as fast as FSR 3, FSR 4 marks a promising start for AMD's AI upscaling technology.

Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Price

GPU pricing is currently a contentious issue, with new generation cards often sold out and prices inflated. Both Nvidia and AMD set suggested retail prices, but third-party manufacturers can set their own prices. It's hoped that prices will return to MSRP as supply stabilizes.

At its launch price of $599, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a standout value, capable of running any game at 4K with max settings using the new FSR 4 AI upscaler. This price point harks back to the days before Nvidia's price escalations starting with the RTX 2080 Ti.

Conversely, the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti, with a base price of $749, offers similar performance to the RX 9070 XT but at a $150 premium. While it includes advanced features like Multi-Frame Generation, the decision depends on your specific gaming needs and budget.

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 excellent choices for 1440p and 4K gaming. However, the RX 9070 XT's ability to match the RTX 5070 Ti's performance at a significantly lower price makes it the clear winner, especially if prices return to normal levels.

For building a high-end gaming PC targeting 1440p or venturing into 4K, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is an unbeatable choice. While it lacks multi-frame generation, this feature is less crucial for gamers without high-refresh 4K monitors.