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

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 may dominate the graphics card market with its top-tier performance, but its hefty $1,999+ price tag is out of reach for most 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 compelling alternatives that are more budget-friendly while still delivering an impressive 4K gaming experience.

Current market conditions have driven up prices due to high demand and limited supply, but the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT stand out as the best options for those seeking high-end gaming without the premium 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 is tricky due to their different architectures. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, while similar in function, aren't directly comparable in numbers alone.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT boasts 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, amounting to 128 and 64, respectively. It comes with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, which is more than adequate for today's games, though it may face challenges with future 4K titles.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti also features 16GB of VRAM, but it uses the faster GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, resulting in higher bandwidth. It includes 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, each with 8,960 CUDA Cores. This is twice the number of Shader Units per Compute Unit compared to AMD, a trend Nvidia has followed since 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 both cards are excellent for 4K gaming and among the best for 1440p gaming. My review of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT revealed it closely matched the RTX 5070 Ti, even in ray-tracing heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077.

While the RTX 5070 Ti leads in some games, such as Total War: Warhammer 3, with 87fps at 4K compared to the RX 9070 XT's 76fps, the AMD card surprisingly averaged 2% faster overall. 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

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 provide robust software suites that enhance the gaming experience.

The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti shines with its DLSS technology, which includes AI upscaling and Frame Generation. With DLSS 4, Nvidia introduces multi-frame generation, allowing the card to generate three frames for each rendered frame, boosting frame rates while slightly increasing latency, mitigated by Nvidia Reflex. This feature is ideal for those already achieving at least 45fps, with 60fps being optimal.

AMD's RX 9070 XT supports Frame Generation but only creates one interpolated frame per rendered frame. However, the introduction of FSR 4 brings AI upscaling to AMD cards for the first time, using machine learning for clearer images than previous temporal upscaling methods. While FSR 4 may not be as fast as its predecessor, it marks a significant step forward for AMD, though it's still in its first generation compared to Nvidia's well-developed DLSS.

Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Price

The GPU market is currently facing high prices due to supply and demand issues. Both Nvidia and AMD set suggested retail prices, but actual prices can vary significantly. While it's hard to predict future pricing, we hope that as supply improves, prices will approach the MSRP.

At its launch price of $599, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a stellar choice for 4K gaming, especially when paired with the new FSR 4 AI upscaler. This pricing reflects a return to more reasonable launch prices for flagship cards, unlike the upward trend started by Nvidia 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 features like Multi-Frame Generation may appeal to some, but the price difference is substantial.

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 choices for high-end 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 will only become more compelling.

For those building a gaming PC aimed at high-end 1440p or venturing into 4K, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT stands out as the best choice currently available. While it lacks multi-frame generation, this feature is less critical for most gamers without high-refresh 4K monitors.