The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 may reign supreme in the graphics card market, but with its hefty price tag of $1,999 and above, it's out of reach for many gamers. Fortunately, you don't need to break the bank to enjoy 4K gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT offer more budget-friendly options while still delivering an outstanding 4K gaming experience.
Currently, the market faces elevated prices due to high demand and limited supply right after launch. Despite this, the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT remain the top choices for those seeking a high-end gaming setup.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos
4 Images
RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Specs
Comparing graphics cards from different architectures can be tricky. Nvidia's CUDA cores and AMD's Shading Units, while similar in purpose, aren't directly comparable. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT boasts 64 RDNA 4 compute units, each with 64 shader units, totaling 4,096. It also features 128 AI Accelerators and 64 RT Accelerators, paired with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, making it well-suited for current games and even future 4K demands.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, on the other hand, comes with 16GB of the faster GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, offering higher bandwidth. It includes 70 Streaming Multiprocessors, with 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
11 Images
RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Performance
Despite the RTX 5070 Ti's impressive specs, its performance isn't as far ahead of the RX 9070 XT as one might expect. Both cards excel at 4K and are among the best for 1440p gaming. My review of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT revealed it closely matches the RTX 5070 Ti, even in ray tracing-heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077. Although the RTX 5070 Ti outperforms in certain titles like Total War: Warhammer 3 (87fps vs. 76fps at 4K), the RX 9070 XT averaged 2% faster overall, a significant achievement considering its lower cost.
Winner: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti – Photos
6 Images
RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Software and Features
Choosing a graphics card isn't just about hardware; software features play a crucial role. Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti shines with its DLSS suite, including AI upscaling and multi-frame generation, which can create three frames for each rendered frame, boosting frame rates with a minor latency trade-off 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 can only create one interpolated frame per rendered frame. However, it introduces FSR 4, bringing AI upscaling to AMD cards for the first time, improving image quality significantly, though it's not as fast as previous FSR versions. Keep in mind, this is AMD's first AI upscaler generation, while Nvidia has refined DLSS over seven years.
Winner: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
RTX 5070 Ti vs. RX 9070 XT: Price
The current GPU market sees inflated prices due to high demand and limited supply. Both Nvidia and AMD set suggested retail prices, but retailers often charge more. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, priced at $599 at launch, is a stellar choice for 4K gaming, especially with FSR 4 AI upscaling. This pricing is reminiscent of more reasonable flagship card launches before Nvidia's price hikes starting with the RTX 2080 Ti.
In contrast, the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti, which competes closely with the RX 9070 XT, starts at $749, a $150 difference. The extra cost might be justified by Nvidia's features like Multi-Frame Generation, but its value depends on your gaming needs and the games 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 excellent for high-end 1440p and 4K gaming. However, AMD's card offers comparable performance at a significantly lower price, making it the clear winner if prices return to normal levels. For building a gaming PC aimed at high-end 1440p or 4K gaming, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the top choice, especially since multi-frame generation isn't necessary for most gamers without high-refresh 4K monitors.
