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

While the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 may be the pinnacle of graphics card performance, its hefty price tag of $1,999+ is beyond the reach of many gamers. However, 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 an excellent alternative, delivering a robust 4K gaming experience at a more accessible price point.

Despite the current market's elevated prices, largely due to high demand and limited supply following their launches, the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT stand out as the ideal choices for those seeking a high-end gaming setup without the extreme cost.

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 tricky due to their different architectures. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, though similar in function, are not directly comparable due to their distinct designs.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT features 64 RDNA 4 compute units, each equipped with 64 shader units, totaling 4,096. It also includes two AI Accelerators and one RT Accelerator per compute unit, resulting in 128 and 64 accelerators, respectively. The card comes with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, which is sufficient for current games but might be pushed to its limits with future 4K titles.

On the other hand, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti also boasts 16GB of VRAM, but it utilizes the faster GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, offering higher bandwidth. It contains 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, with a total of 8,960 CUDA Cores. This is double the number of Shader Units per Compute Unit compared to previous generations, a trend Nvidia started with the RTX 3080. However, this doesn't necessarily 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, real-world performance shows that both the RTX 5070 Ti and the RX 9070 XT are exceptional choices for 4K gaming, and they excel at 1440p as well. During my review of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, I anticipated it would lag behind the RTX 5070 Ti, especially in ray-traced games. Surprisingly, in titles like Cyberpunk 2077, the RX 9070 XT stayed remarkably close to the RTX 5070 Ti, within just a few frames.

There are instances where the RTX 5070 Ti outperforms, such as in Total War: Warhammer 3, where it achieves 87fps at 4K compared to the RX 9070 XT's 76fps. However, on average, the RX 9070 XT was found to be 2% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti, a significant achievement considering its 21% 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 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 it's limited to 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 machine learning algorithms for more accurate image upscaling, though it's not as fast as its predecessor.

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

The current GPU market is fraught with pricing challenges, as new generation cards are often sold out and subject to inflated prices. Both Nvidia and AMD set suggested retail prices, but actual market prices can vary widely due to retailer and third-party manufacturer pricing.

At its launch price of $599, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a standout value, offering robust 4K performance with the new FSR 4 AI upscaler. This pricing harks back to when flagship GPUs launched at more reasonable prices, before Nvidia's gradual price increases starting with the RTX 2080 Ti. Hopefully, this signals a return to more sensible pricing as supply stabilizes.

In contrast, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, with a base price of $749, is $150 more expensive despite similar performance to the RX 9070 XT. The additional cost might be justified by features like Multi-Frame Generation, but its value 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 top-tier 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 normalize, the value proposition of the RX 9070 XT becomes even more compelling.

For those building a high-end gaming PC, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is an outstanding choice, especially if you're targeting 1440p or venturing into 4K gaming. While it lacks multi-frame generation, this feature is less critical for most gamers without high-refresh 4K monitors.