AMD has gone huge with the brand new Radeon RX 9070 XT, and I do not simply imply as a result of it is a fully monstrously massive GPU. That is the primary time in a really, very very long time the place AMD is releasing a model new graphics card that is not simply toeing the identical line Nvidia has already drawn within the sand.
The brand new RDNA 4 card is doing the factor we have been wanting AMD to do for the longest time: Take Nvidia to activity on value and ship a graphics card that may genuinely outperform its nearest rival. For too lengthy, AMD has been completely happy to comply with the inexperienced crew’s lead, completely happy to cost its personal playing cards to match up with the tiering construction of the GeForce playing cards and the feed off the identical ludicrous pricing for its personal GPUs.
However one thing occurred at CES this yr. AMD was all set to announce its RDNA 4-powered RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics playing cards, after which all we obtained from its keynote was a promise we might hear about its new playing cards later within the yr. When, later that day, Nvidia introduced its personal new technology of playing cards with the promise of RTX 4090 efficiency for $549 within the RTX 5070, it turned clear simply why AMD was going again to the drafting board for a minute.
Straight after the AMD convention I went backstage to speak to David McAfee and Frank Azor, and the temper was actually downbeat. There was clearly some consternation on the playing cards not having a reveal throughout the occasion, and a need to clarify AMD’s plans for the GPUs, too. However they talked a superb sport, about effectivity of design and a must hit a value level that made sense to players. The phrase “gamer-first” was even used just a few occasions.
It has the potential to be one of the vital consequential Radeon GPU releases in historical past.
“So the cliche factor is,” Frank Azor tells me, “oh, we hearken to our clients. I imply, that is what I do not wish to sort of come throughout and say, however we actually did attempt to go to the drafting board on this and say, ‘okay, how will we construct a gamer-first, a customer-first kind of card?’ As a result of, you realize, the other typically has been true. We have been doing what we expect we have to go do, and possibly we did not hear as a lot to the market as we must always have. And, you realize, the third time’s appeal. That is sort of the fourth time.”
Effectively, AMD is at the moment actually displaying it is listening to the market; a market that is crying foul of the intense pricing that is been levied on graphics playing cards in latest occasions. By launching the RX 9070 XT with a $599 MSRP, it is just a bit costlier than the RTX 5070 and primarily performs on the identical stage because the RTX 5070 Ti. And, if AMD can preserve a deal with on the costs its companions tack onto the Radeon playing cards they promote, then it has the potential to be one of the vital consequential Radeon GPU releases in historical past.
Yeah, as long as the AIBs and retailers do not get grasping once more… aaaah, nuts.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT verdict
Purchase if…
✅ Yow will discover it at MSRP: That is the siren tune of graphic card buying in 2025—do not pay over the chances. That is very true right here, when the MSRP is so compelling and AIBs are going to be charging offensive quantities for some OC playing cards.
✅ You need one of the best 1440p gaming GPU round: The value to efficiency ratio of the RX 9070 XT is unmatched in any equal card from the competitors.
✅ You are pleased with a bit of OC time: With a bit of undervolting you’ll be able to squeeze a wholesome additional drop of gaming efficiency, alongside a drop in temperatures, too. Win, win.
Do not buy if…
❌ You are constructing an SFF machine: This isn’t one for the small type issue builders. Our XFX card is nearly the identical dimension because the RTX 4090 Founders Version and even this Asus Prime is a protracted boi.
❌ You are craving effectivity: The Nvidia playing cards nonetheless home the extra environment friendly gaming GPUs, even when they’re costlier. The large chips contained in the RX 9070 playing cards require extra energy to get the place they are going.
AMD’s carried out quite a bit with this primary set of RDNA 4 graphics playing cards, not a bit of of it’s the introduction of machine studying (ML) for its newest iteration of the FidelityFX Tremendous Decision (FSR) upscaler. That is a significant piece of the longer term efficiency vs picture high quality conundrum for AMD, even whether it is restricted to the RX 9000-series playing cards for now.
Nevertheless it’s additionally primarily simply following Nvidia’s lead within the upscaler race. It is matching the identical AI-based ethos for advancing PC graphics, and making certain that its GPUs going ahead now include the identical kind of matrix processing {hardware} essential to make that occur. It is confirmed to be efficient with the titles I’ve seen in motion on the RX 9070 XT, and AMD has seemingly carried out a fantastic job thus far of bringing ML-based upscaling into its personal ecosystem.
In a method it is the identical story on the improved ray tracing entrance, too. Its new RT accelerators have been expanded to the purpose the place you might be virtually getting the identical efficiency as the brand new RTX 50-series playing cards. Largely as a result of it is following the same path to getting most ray tracing efficiency out of its GPUs.
It is the place AMD is pushing its personal agenda the place the RX 9070 XT actually shines, although, and I hate to be that man who’s obsessive about the value of a factor, but it surely’s all concerning the market positioning of this card. It is a courageous firm who undercuts the competitors with a card it may have legitimately bought for not less than $100 extra and no-one would have batted an eyelid.
Which I’m assuming is what AMD’s board companions really feel, too, as a result of most of them are fortunately mountaineering effectively above that MSRP in retail. That is going to be the largest challenge for each AMD and the RX 9070-family playing cards: what the AIBs do with pricing going ahead.
AMD has spoken about making a card for PC players, and acknowledging that the $1,000 mark is just not the place most individuals will purchase a GPU. Even speaking about its engineering groups working exhausting to ship a “extremely performant and environment friendly design that allows an SEP below $700.” Effectively, the instructed value is likely to be effectively below $700, however we have an XFX Merc RX 9070 XT—which was bizarrely meant to be our preliminary overview card—that has a retail value of $729.
We will be fairly assured that, with the demand these playing cards are going to generate, retailers will sniff one more alternative to cost gouge.
This Asus Prime RX 9070 XT OC Version is extra affordable, although, fortunately: The Prime model is the MSRP entry stage card at $599. However what’s going to occur after launch? Effectively, I feel we will be fairly assured that, with the demand these playing cards are going to generate, retailers will sniff one more alternative to cost gouge.
I do know some producers are simply seeing the MSRP of their reference-priced playing cards as a launch day factor and might be mountaineering costs after the Thursday launch date.
Which is a large disgrace, as a result of for the primary time in latest historical past, AMD is admittedly strolling the stroll when it comes to making a gamer-first GPU with a genuinely difficult set value level. It is also a disgrace it did not create an MBA reference card to drive dwelling the purpose about its MSRP. And much more of a disgrace that it did not see match to furnish us with reference value playing cards to overview at launch. Perhaps AMD was funnelled down this path as a result of for this technology it would not have a selected high-end technique to level to, however ultimately the reasoning behind the choice to assault Nvidia on value issues lower than what is definitely taking place in our gaming PCs.
That is the kind of generational enchancment we have been craving; precise rendering efficiency dropping down a full GPU tier, and never simply being propped up by (admittedly very efficient) body technology trickery. In contrast with the equally priced RTX 5070, you are taking a look at a card that’s over 20% sooner on common. Certain, the Nvidia card can name upon Multi Body Era—and it’s an efficient efficiency panacea when it’s supported by a sport, and works effectively—however when the costs are so shut I’ll facet with the GPU that can at all times give me extra straight efficiency for my cash.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT specs
The brand new RDNA 4 structure could possibly be seen as one thing of a backwards step for AMD, on condition that the earlier, RDNA 3 technology launched us to chiplet GPUs for the very first time in gaming. We’re again to a monolithic GPU structure for the RX 9000-series, nonetheless, with very a lot a spotlight extra on nailing efficiency per greenback on the quantity finish of the market than fancy new GPU tech on the excessive finish.
Nonetheless, I hope AMD would not utterly abandon the drive for chiplets in GPUs, and fingers crossed they make a reappearance down the road, however I am completely right here for making a graphics card that caters to the now, and does so at a good value.
“I might say primary precedence is specializing in enhancing efficiency within the areas that players care about most,” David McAfee instructed me after we spoke at CES. “And I feel on this technology you will see it as huge ray racing enhancements, huge ML Ops enhancements, for issues like FSR 4 and ML Tremendous Decision.”
And that is completely the bedrock of this technology. Andy has gone into some depth concerning the new RDNA 4 structure in his breakdown of the tech, however other than the work that has been put into enhancing the raster efficiency of the brand new playing cards—therefore that the 64 CUs of the RX 9070 XT are so efficient in gaming phrases in contrast with older, increased CU-count RDNA 3 GPUs—it is the ray tracing and machine studying enhance which are going to be probably the most telling options of RDNA 4.
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
RX 9070 XT |
RX 9070 |
RTX 5070 Ti |
RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Structure |
RDNA 4 |
RDNA 4 |
GB203 |
GB205 |
|
Transistor rely |
53.9 billion |
53.9 billion |
45.6 billion |
31.1 billion |
|
Die dimension |
357 mm² |
357 mm² |
378 mm² |
263 mm² |
|
Compute items/SMs |
64 |
56 |
70 |
48 |
|
Ray accelerators |
64 |
56 |
78 |
48 |
|
AI accelerators |
128 |
112 |
280 |
192 |
|
Shader cores |
4096 |
3584 |
8960 |
6144 |
|
Increase clock |
2,970 MHz |
2,520 MHz |
2451 |
2512 |
|
ROPS |
128 |
128 |
96 |
80 |
|
VRAM |
16 GB GDDR6 |
16 GB GDDR6 |
16 GB GDDR7 |
12 GB GDDR7 |
|
Reminiscence pace |
20 Gbps |
20 Gbps |
28 Gbps |
28 Gbps |
|
Reminiscence bus |
256-bit |
256-bit |
256-bit |
192-bit |
|
PCIe interface |
PCIe 5.0 x16 |
PCIe 5.0 x16 |
PCIe 5.0 x16 |
PCIe 5.0 x16 |
|
TGP |
304 W |
220 W |
300 W |
250 W |
The improved matrix processing capabilities baked into the CU, with correct devoted AI accelerator matrix items, means the brand new GPUs are capable of make the leap to a machine studying upscaler in FSR4. That is the place the large break goes to be between this technology and the final: entry to that matrix {hardware}.
However, truthfully, it is the ray tracing enhancements that come throughout most clearly after I’ve been taking a look at how the brand new playing cards carry out. The third-gen RT accelerators now embrace a second intersection engine, and that permits for double the ray/field and double ray/triangle testing efficiency. There’s additionally an added ray rework unit in there, too, to assist enhance the efficiency of the Ray Accelerators when parsing via the bounding quantity hierarchy (BVH) which makes up a big a part of a ray tracing workload.
AMD can also be taking a barely completely different strategy to BVH, referred to as Oriented Bounding Containers. It is a methodology of working via the BVH knowledge in a extra environment friendly method, which reduces the complexity of the information, placing much less pressure on the obtainable video reminiscence and reminiscence bandwidth of the GPU.
Principally, AMD is getting fairly good at ray tracing now. You may see from this benchmark in Cyberpunk 2077—one of the vital RT heavy video games round—working at 4K within the RT Extremely settings, and with a easy overclock enabled, the RX 9070 XT has severely improved.
Although, in case you take a look at the early path tracing demo it confirmed off, the Toy Store demo, you will see it nonetheless has a bit of technique to go to get onto precisely the identical stage as Nvidia has. Sure, AMD continues to be enjoying catchup to a sure extent.
“I might say the second precedence,” McAffee continued, “is each a part of the structure is designed for effectivity. And effectivity is a very broad phrase. I am not essentially speaking about efficiency per watt. I am positive efficiency per watt is a part of that, but it surely’s additionally about ensuring that the manufacturing course of, the design choices, like all of that, is extremely value optimized to ship one of the best worth to the tip consumer.”
That is the place the monolithic die stuff is available in. Whereas, sooner or later, having a single GPU compute chiplet that may be added onto a package deal in multiples would be the most cost-effective methodology of getting a high-end graphics card collectively, we’re not there but. Till then, utilizing a mature TSMC N4P node and a extra easy monolithic design goes to be the extra easy play.
There’s a lot logic contained in the GPU I’m stunned AMD has been capable of be so “value optimized”
This Navi 48 GPU is a surprisingly chonky beast, although—matching the dimensions of the graphics playing cards themselves. At 357mm2 the chip is just not far off the dimensions and scale of the GB203 inside each the RTX 5070 Ti and the RTX 5080, although it does include much more transistors. In truth, there’s a lot logic contained in the GPU I’m stunned AMD has been capable of be so “value optimized” with this chip to permit it out on the $599 MSRP.
Although, as we’ll see, that speak of MSRP is barely fraught.
Alongside the GPU is 16 GB GDDR6, working at 20 Gbps throughout an aggregated 256-bit bus, which affords up 645 GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth. That is primarily the identical reminiscence system as was used to nice impact within the RX 7800 XT, and we’re additionally trying on the identical 64 MB of Infinity Cache, too.
Lastly, it is price noting this card has a comparatively excessive whole board energy, at 304 W. That additional 4 watts is a little bit of an oddity, and does by the way make it a extra power-hungry card than the RTX 5070 Ti at 300 W. And that does chew into that efficiency effectivity chat.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT efficiency and benchmarks
If you happen to got here right here to search out out if AMD’s $599 RX 9070 XT may actually stand toe-to-toe with Nvidia’s nominally $749 RTX 5070 Ti you then’ve come to the suitable place. That may be a ‘sure’ from me.
At worst, the Radeon GPU averages out at 5% slower than the costlier Nvidia card at 4K. Although, in actuality it is extra up and down than that on a game-by-game foundation. Cyberpunk 2077, with its heavy ray tracing utilization, is way harder on the RDNA 4 card regardless of its improved RT accelerators. Sure, the hole is closing, but it surely’s clear in Cyberpunk, and in 3DMark’s Port Royal check, that AMD’s nonetheless a bit of behind the inexperienced crew on straight RT efficiency.
Nevertheless it’s not at all times the case—F1 24 has ray tracing baked into the Extremely setting and but the distinction between the playing cards is rarely quite a lot of frames per second.
Elsewhere the 2 playing cards commerce blows, however the place it is about pure raster efficiency, usually that’s the place the RX 9070 XT shines. It is a huge hitter in Complete Warfare: Warhammer 3 and after I tried out Kingdom Come Deliverance II to see the way it fared with FSR4 I used to be massively impressed with the way it carried out at 4K natively.
Much less impressed with FSR4, I will admit, as a result of KCDII has itself some actual points with one thing to do with AMD’s present drivers, as a result of it was a heinous crash-fest when attempting to fiddle with upscaling.
However FSR4 appears to be like fairly first rate from the restricted time I’ve had with the brand new upscaler, and from the restricted video games it is enabled in. Not one of the video games on our customary GPU check suite have been enabled with the function as but, so we have needed to go outdoors of that to provide it a glance. KCDII was clearly not successful, however I am acquainted with Horizon Zero Daybreak from utilizing it in our earlier suite.
And I’ll admit that I’m struggling to see the true distinction between the sport working at native 4K or in FSR4 Efficiency mode. It is detailed and crisp, with not one of the muddiness or impermanence that I’ve in any other case related to AMD’s upscaling. I usually felt like I may inform when FSR was enabled beforehand, however the stability of the picture is superb within the implementations I’ve seen thus far.
FSR4 Body Era, nonetheless, would possibly nonetheless be a piece in progress. Certain, it delivered increased body charges in HZD Remastered, however the stuttering that it launched was weird and totally sport breaking. And never one thing I’ve seen in any of the FSR3 body gen exams I’ve carried out with the cardboard.
Nevertheless it’s this—for need of higher phrasing—real-world efficiency of the cardboard that actually highlights how effectively it performs towards the competitors. With all of the body rate-enhancing options enabled on each the RX 9070 XT and the RTX 5070 Ti there’s nothing between the 2 playing cards, or a comparatively convincing lead for the AMD card.
You would possibly say the upscaling and body technology capabilities of the Radeon GPU within the video games we have examined are usually not as visually efficient because the Nvidia equal. And I might kinda agree; I personally favor the picture high quality of DLSS and its Body Era, but it surely’s not so far-off the relative pricing would have me siding with the far costlier RTX 5070 Ti as a substitute if I am on a finances.
You will have to ensure you have the house for the brand new AMD card, nonetheless, as a result of these are huge ol’ graphics playing cards. That makes them cool, for positive, however the chip chilling required to maintain these massive GPUs completely happy is actually hefty. They will additionally get fairly chatty when the GPU hotspot and VRAM temps take a flip over 80 °C. The usual GPU temps are fairly chill, however there are completely toasty components of those GPUs.
Although you actually should benefit from the overclocking potential of this card, because it’s persevering with a 2025 theme of recent GPUs really being price tweaking, and that does not imply both maxing out on temps or energy draw, both. This Asus Prime card is basically its entry stage mannequin shroud, and even this enables me to choose a -120 mV undervolt to bump these common clock speeds above the three GHz mark. Which means it will probably ship the identical stage of efficiency as that $729 XFX unit.
It is a completely different scenario to overclocking the RTX Blackwell playing cards, the place you must knock again the voltage so as to unleash the potential increased clockspeeds the Navi 48 GPU has at its disposal. Give it some additional energy, too, and a slight bump on the reminiscence speeds and you will get a good additional efficiency enhance. Truthfully, although, you will note extra out of the straight RX 9070 than this XT model due to its decrease preliminary clock speeds.
Which is attention-grabbing, as a result of overclocking the RX 9070 meant I obtained inside 5% of the efficiency of the XT mannequin. So, do not feel like you are going to be lacking out an excessive amount of if you cannot discover your technique to getting this card over its barely cheaper sibling.
PC Gamer check rig
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Motherboard: Gigabyte X870E Aorus Grasp | RAM: G.Ability 32 GB DDR5-6000 CAS 30 | Cooler: Corsair H170i Elite Capellix | SSD: 2 TB Essential T700 | PSU: Seasonic Prime TX 1600W | Case: DimasTech Mini V2
AMD Radeon RX 9070 TX Evaluation
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I might guess that nearly each a kind of reference-priced playing cards will get a subsequent value bump on their subsequent restock.
The vital factor for this technology is simply what occurs to the retail value of the playing cards as soon as they’re really launched. Will this $599 MSRP stick on the subject of players really eager to get their fingers on these new Radeon GPUs? And can AMD be capable to manufacture sufficient of the chonky chips that make up the center of those playing cards? For its half, AMD appears assured on the manufacturing facet not less than. Frank Azor instructed me at CES “we all know methods to construct graphics playing cards and chips and really excessive volumes” to deal with the anticipated demand. However he additionally famous he would not suppose there’s going to be a sudden correction in market share.
“I do not suppose that it will be a light-weight change from one minute to the subsequent that rapidly, you realize, we go from x quantity of market share to 3x that market share. I do not suppose that is going to realistically occur. There’s nonetheless lots of people that aren’t conscious of the AMD Radeon model.”
The reply on value, nonetheless, we already know. Round launch time there might be MSRP playing cards obtainable—not less than whereas shares final—however I might guess that nearly each a kind of reference-priced playing cards will get a subsequent value bump on their subsequent restock. I do know that is going to occur on not less than one of many RX 9070 reference value playing cards, because the producer has mentioned that $549 determine might be a launch value and can instantly rise by close to $100 straight after.
Then we additionally know there are ludicrously priced playing cards occurring sale at launch, too. We had been handed one for this overview and needed to change on the final minute as soon as AMD really admitted the XFX card we had was in truth a $729 GPU and never the $599 choice we might have most well-liked. Fortunately, not less than for now, this Asus Prime RX 9070 XT OC is launching at $599 and completely delivers.
Nonetheless, even because the AIBs do get grasping and slap unfeasible value premiums on the RX 9070 XT, it would nonetheless all be relative to the egregious value hikes already caught onto the Nvidia playing cards. If $729 is as unhealthy because it will get, that is nonetheless higher than the close to $1,000 RTX 5070 Ti playing cards we have seen.
