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

While the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 reigns supreme in the graphics card market with its staggering $1,999+ price tag, it's not within everyone's budget. 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 alternative without compromising on the quality of your 4K gaming experience.

Currently, due to high demand and limited supply following their launch, these GPUs are priced higher than usual. However, for those seeking a high-end gaming setup, the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT are the standout choices to consider.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos

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RTX 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. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, while serving similar purposes, aren't directly comparable in terms of quantity.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT features 64 RDNA 4 compute units, each with 64 shader units, totaling 4,096. Each compute unit also 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, which is ample for current games but might be pushed to its limits in future 4K titles.

On the other hand, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti also boasts 16GB of VRAM, but it uses the newer GDDR7 memory, which offers higher speeds and bandwidth on the same 256-bit bus. It's built with 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, containing a total of 8,960 CUDA Cores. Although Nvidia has 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 tells a different story. Both cards are excellent choices for 4K gaming and are among the best for 1440p gaming.

During my review of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, I anticipated it would be close to the RTX 5070 Ti, especially in games with heavy ray tracing. Surprisingly, even in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, the AMD card stayed within a few frames of the more expensive RTX 5070 Ti.

While the RTX 5070 Ti does outperform in certain games, such as Total War: Warhammer 3, where it achieves 87fps at 4K compared to the RX 9070 XT's 76fps, the AMD card generally performs 2% better on average. This slight edge is significant, especially considering the RX 9070 XT's lower price.

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. Both Nvidia and AMD provide a range of software features that enhance the capabilities of their GPUs.

The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti's standout feature is its 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 with a minor latency cost mitigated by Nvidia Reflex. This feature is best used when you're already achieving at least 45fps, ideally over 60fps.

AMD also offers Frame Generation, but it's limited to one interpolated frame per rendered frame. The major advancement with the RX 9070 XT is FSR 4, which introduces AI upscaling to AMD GPUs for the first time. Unlike previous versions of FSR, which used temporal upscaling, FSR 4 leverages the Radeon RX 9070 XT's AI accelerators for more accurate upscaling, though it's not as fast as FSR 3. It's worth noting that this 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 pricing of GPUs is a contentious issue, especially with the new generation being sold out and prices inflated. Both Nvidia and AMD set suggested retail prices, but retailers and third-party manufacturers often set their own prices. Hopefully, as supply meets demand, prices will approach the MSRP.

At its launch price of $599, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a stellar choice for 4K gaming, capable of running any game at max settings with the new FSR 4 AI upscaler. This pricing reflects a return to more reasonable launch prices for flagship GPUs, unlike the gradual price increases Nvidia initiated with the RTX 2080 Ti.

In contrast, the Nvidia 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 your gaming needs and the titles you play.

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 AMD card becomes even more compelling.

For those building a high-end gaming PC, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is an outstanding choice for both 1440p and 4K gaming. While it lacks multi-frame generation, this feature is less critical for most users without high-refresh 4K monitors.