Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti vs. AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT

While the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 dominates the graphics card market, its steep price tag of $1,999+ is out of reach for many gamers. Fortunately, you don't need to break the bank to enjoy 4K gaming. Both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT offer a more budget-friendly yet powerful alternative for a stellar 4K gaming experience.

Currently, GPU prices are elevated due to high demand and limited supply shortly after launch, but the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT are standout choices for those seeking a high-end gaming experience without the premium cost.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos

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RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Specs

Comparing graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD can be tricky due to their different architectures. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, while similar in function, aren't directly comparable due to their distinct designs.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT features 64 RDNA 4 compute units, each with 64 shader units, totaling 4,096. Each unit also includes two AI Accelerators and one RT Accelerator, resulting in 128 and 64, respectively. It comes with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, suitable for modern games but possibly stretched at 4K in the future.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti also boasts 16GB of memory, but it uses the faster GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus, offering higher bandwidth. It's equipped with 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, containing a total of 8,960 CUDA Cores. Despite having twice as many Shader Units per Compute Unit, 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 RTX 5070 Ti's superior specs on paper, real-world performance shows both cards excel as entry-level options for 4K gaming and are top choices for 1440p gaming.

When testing the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, I expected it to trail behind the RTX 5070 Ti, especially in ray tracing-intensive games. However, it performed remarkably well, staying just a few frames behind the RTX 5070 Ti even in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077.

In some games, like Total War: Warhammer 3, the RTX 5070 Ti edges ahead with 87fps at 4K, while the RX 9070 XT achieves 76fps. Yet, overall, the RX 9070 XT was found to be 2% faster on average, which is significant considering 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; software features significantly enhance their capabilities.

The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti shines 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 at the cost of slight latency, mitigated by Nvidia Reflex. This feature is ideal for gamers achieving at least 45fps, preferably over 60fps.

AMD's RX 9070 XT supports Frame Generation but only produces one interpolated frame per rendered frame. The new FSR 4 introduces AI upscaling, a significant step up from the previous temporal upscaling method, offering clearer images using machine learning, though slightly slower than FSR 3. As this is AMD's first AI upscaler, it's worth noting that Nvidia's DLSS has been refined over 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 selling out fast and prices often exceeding suggested retail prices due to retailer and third-party pricing freedom. It's hoped that prices will stabilize closer to MSRP once supply improves.

At launch, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, priced at $599, is a fantastic value for a 4K graphics card, capable of running any game at max settings with FSR 4 AI upscaling. This pricing harks back to when flagship cards launched at more reasonable prices.

In contrast, the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti, with a base price of $749, is $150 more expensive despite similar performance. While it offers features like Multi-Frame Generation, the price difference might not justify the upgrade for many gamers.

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 high-end 1440p and 4K gaming. However, the RX 9070 XT's ability to compete with the RTX 5070 Ti at a significantly lower price makes it the clear winner.

For gamers looking to build a powerful gaming PC without splurging on the latest Nvidia flagship, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is an outstanding choice, especially considering that most gamers won't benefit from multi-frame generation due to the lack of high-refresh 4K monitors.