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

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 may reign supreme in the world of graphics cards, but its hefty $1,999+ price tag is beyond the reach of most gamers. Fortunately, you don't need the top-tier card to enjoy 4K gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT offer compelling alternatives that deliver exceptional performance at a more affordable price. Despite the current elevated prices due to high demand and limited supply, these two cards stand out as the best options for a high-end gaming setup.

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 AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is tricky due to their different architectures. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, although serving similar purposes, aren't directly comparable. The RX 9070 XT boasts 64 RDNA 4 compute units, totaling 4,096 shader units, with additional AI and RT accelerators. It's equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, which is ample for today's games, though it might be tested at 4K in the future.

The RTX 5070 Ti, on the other hand, also has 16GB of VRAM but uses the faster GDDR7 memory, also on a 256-bit bus, offering higher bandwidth. It contains 70 Streaming Multiprocessors with 8,960 CUDA Cores. While the RTX 5070 Ti has twice the shader units per compute unit, this 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 impressive specs, its performance edge over the RX 9070 XT isn't as pronounced as you might expect. Both cards deliver outstanding 4K gaming experiences and are among the best options for 1440p gaming. In testing, the RX 9070 XT stayed competitive with the RTX 5070 Ti, even in ray tracing-heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077. While the RTX 5070 Ti leads in certain titles, such as Total War: Warhammer 3, the RX 9070 XT averaged 2% faster overall, a significant win considering its 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. Both Nvidia and AMD enhance their GPUs with robust software suites. The RTX 5070 Ti's standout feature is DLSS, which includes AI upscaling and Frame Generation. The RTX 5000 series introduces multi-frame generation, capable of producing three AI-generated frames per rendered frame, boosting frame rates at the cost of some latency, mitigated by Nvidia Reflex. This feature is best used when you're already achieving at least 45fps, ideally over 60fps.

AMD's RX 9070 XT supports Frame Generation but is limited to one interpolated frame per rendered frame. The significant advancement is FSR 4, introducing AI upscaling to AMD cards. While FSR 4's upscaling is more accurate than previous versions, it's not as fast. As AMD's AI upscaler is in its first generation, it's worth noting Nvidia's DLSS has had years of refinement.

Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Price

GPU pricing remains a contentious topic, with new generation cards often sold out and prices inflated. Both Nvidia and AMD set suggested retail prices, but actual market prices can vary widely. The RX 9070 XT's launch price of $599 is a steal for its 4K capabilities, especially with FSR 4 AI upscaling. This pricing harks back to when flagship cards launched at more reasonable prices. Conversely, the RTX 5070 Ti starts at $749, a $150 premium over the RX 9070 XT, despite similar performance. The decision hinges on whether Nvidia's additional features, like Multi-Frame Generation, justify the extra cost.

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 excel at 1440p and 4K gaming, but the RX 9070 XT's lower price makes it the clear winner. Assuming prices stabilize, the value offered by the RX 9070 XT is unbeatable for gamers looking to build a high-end gaming PC without breaking the bank. While it lacks multi-frame generation, most gamers don't have the high-refresh 4K monitors that would benefit from this feature, making the RX 9070 XT the smart choice for the majority.