In in the present day’s market, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is the best-value high-end GPU you should buy, which is brutal contemplating that pricing begins at round $900 (in opposition to a $600 MSRP). Nonetheless, that is about how a lot you will pay for an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB in some markets, and the Radeon GPU is on common 70% sooner at 4K gaming.
With that type of efficiency hole, it is laborious to make a case for GeForce proper now, not less than for those who’re purchasing for one thing with greater than 8GB of VRAM.
So, is it an open-and-shut case for the 9070 XT? Effectively, not so quick. Many readers have been asking us to revisit the Radeon RX 7900 XTX. Some have cited it as a probably viable buy of their area, whereas others merely wish to see how AMD’s RDNA 3 flagship has aged, and never simply throughout 10 video games, however extra like 50+ titles. And that is precisely what we will do.
There’s loads of knowledge to go over, in spite of everything we did take a look at 51 video games in complete. Nevertheless, a lot of it tells an analogous story as a result of the 9070 XT and 7900 XTX usually ship very comparable gaming efficiency. So we’ll give attention to the video games the place we discovered notable outcomes earlier than diving into the general efficiency summaries.
Check System
As common, we’re utilizing our Ryzen 7 9800X3D GPU take a look at system, geared up with 32GB of DDR5-6000 reminiscence. The most recent obtainable show drivers on the time of testing have been additionally used.
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
| Motherboard | MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi [BIOS 7E49v1AA7] |
| Reminiscence | G.Ability Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000 32GB CL30 [CL30-38-38-96] |
| Graphics Card | Radeon RX 9070 XT, Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
| ATX Case | MSI Prospect 700R |
| Energy Provide | Kolink Regulator Gold ATX 3.0 1200W |
| Storage | TeamGroup T-Drive Cardea A440 M.2 PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD 4TB |
| Working System | Home windows 11 26H2 |
| Show Driver | AMD Radeon Adrenalin 26.9.2 (9070 XT) AMD Radeon Adrenalin 26.10.1 (7900 XTX) |
Gaming Benchmarks
Murderer’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Imagine it or not, the margins we’re seeing right here in Murderer’s Creed Black Flag Resynced are on the bigger aspect of what we noticed throughout the 51 video games. On this instance, the older 7900 XTX was 6-7% sooner utilizing the Very Prime quality preset, however once we enabled Prolonged Ray Tracing, that margin dropped to only 3-5%, relying on the decision.
Black Delusion: Wukong
Efficiency in Black Delusion: Wukong can also be a lot the identical, although we’re seeing as much as a 6% efficiency benefit for the 7900 XTX utilizing the Excessive preset at 4K. That margin is lowered to only 3% when utilizing the Cinematic preset.
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders is extra consultant of the standard efficiency margins we noticed. Right here, the 9070 XT was 2-3% sooner at 1440p, whereas the 7900 XTX nudged forward at 4K by simply 1%.
Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 is a combined bag. For instance, the 7900 XTX was as much as 7% sooner at 1440p utilizing the Excessive preset, and 5% sooner at 4K. Nevertheless, switching over to the Badass preset allowed the 9070 XT to tug out a 4% win at 1440p, although the outcomes have been tied at 4K.
Crimson Desert
The older 7900 XTX loved Crimson Desert, delivering 11% larger efficiency at 1440p when utilizing Medium settings. Past that, although, we’re taking a look at margins of round 6% or much less.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 outcomes are very typical. For essentially the most half, we’re seeing practically similar efficiency between these two GPUs. The one exception was at 1440p utilizing Medium settings, the place the 7900 XTX pulled out a 5% win. That is shut sufficient to name a tie, however on this knowledge set, it stands out as a comparatively giant margin.
Doom: The Darkish Ages
The 9070 XT does fairly properly in Doom: The Darkish Ages. At 1440p, we see no actual distinction between these two GPUs, however at 4K utilizing the Extremely Nightmare settings, the newer Radeon GPU was 10% sooner. Nevertheless, regardless of the RDNA 4 structure providing higher ray tracing help, that benefit does not matter a lot with path tracing enabled, as each GPUs get smashed.
F1 25
F1 25 noticed the 7900 XTX delivering as much as 5% larger efficiency when utilizing the Excessive preset, as seen at 4K. Nevertheless, enabling ray tracing favors the 9070 XT, although solely barely, with the newer Radeon GPU pulling forward by 4-6%.
Hell is Us
Efficiency in Hell is Us is fairly typical of what we noticed throughout many of the 51 video games examined, with just some frames separating these GPUs. On this instance, the 9070 XT was usually forward, however once more, we’re speaking about low single-digit margins right here.
Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle
Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle is one other instance the place efficiency was largely the identical. The 7900 XTX was as much as 5% sooner at 1440p utilizing the Supreme preset, however that margin rapidly shrank to only 2% at 4K. Then, when enabling full ray tracing, the 9070 XT takes the lead, although solely simply, providing round 5% higher efficiency.
Lego Batman
Lego Batman offered us with extra of the identical. For essentially the most half, there’s little to nothing separating these two GPUs. At most, we noticed a 4% margin at 4K utilizing Medium settings, which favored the 9070 XT.
Monster Hunter Wilds
The identical is true of Monster Hunter Wilds. Right here, we’re taking a look at similar or near-identical efficiency for essentially the most half. The one considerably noteworthy outcomes could be seen at 4K utilizing the Excessive ray tracing settings, the place the 7900 XTX was truly sooner. So the 9070 XT is not at all times superior when utilizing RT results.
Pragmata
One other typical instance could be seen in Pragmata. Right here, the 7900 XTX and 9070 XT ship nearly similar efficiency, with or with out ray tracing enabled.
Marvel Rivals
The identical can also be true of Marvel Rivals. The 2 GPUs commerce blows utilizing Medium settings, with efficiency swings no bigger than 4%. However as soon as we max out the standard settings, efficiency is nearly similar.
007 First Gentle
007 First Gentle provides us a combined bag of outcomes. Utilizing Medium settings at 1440p, the 7900 XTX was 4% sooner, not an enormous margin, however at 4K the outcomes are flipped, and now it is the 9070 XT that is sooner, main by a slim 6% margin. Again at 1440p, however this time with Extremely settings, the 7900 XTX will get out to a 9% lead, just for that margin to shrink to 2% at 4K.
Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines gives us with some uncommon outcomes. On this instance, the older 7900 XTX is kind of a bit sooner, delivering 12-13% larger efficiency utilizing the Medium preset after which 12% at 1440p utilizing Excessive settings, although simply 6% at 4K. Nonetheless, total, the 7900 XTX was the sooner GPU on this title.
Counter-Strike 2
The 7900 XTX was additionally dominant in Counter-Strike 2, delivering 18% larger efficiency at 1440p with Medium settings and 25% at 4K. These good points have been maintained utilizing Very Excessive settings, with the older Radeon delivering 22% larger efficiency at 1440p after which a large 32% enhance at 4K.
Delta Drive
On this instance, we see that Delta Drive favors the newer 9070 XT. Right here, the RDNA 4 GPU delivered 14% extra efficiency at 1440p utilizing Extremely settings, although simply 5% extra at 4K. We additionally noticed comparable scaling utilizing the Final preset.
Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 offered the type of knowledge I anticipated to see extra of, that’s, aggressive rasterized efficiency with the newer 9070 XT taking the cake as soon as ray tracing is enabled. Utilizing the Excessive preset, the 9070 XT was 3% sooner, however once we converted to ray tracing, that margin grew considerably to 23%.
Fortnite
Testing with Fortnite, we discover the boundaries of our Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor at 1440p utilizing Efficiency mode, reaching simply over 700 fps, which looks like sufficient to me, for now. Anyway, at 4K, the 7900 XTX delivered 18% stronger efficiency, and even with ray tracing enabled, the older RDNA 3 GPU nonetheless got here out on prime, providing 14% higher efficiency.
Grand Theft Auto V
Testing with Grand Theft Auto V reveals very comparable rasterized efficiency between these two GPUs, however as soon as we enabled ray tracing utilizing the Most RT preset, the 9070 XT takes over, crushing the 7900 XTX by 35% at 1440p and 33% at 4K.
Spider-Man 2
The 9070 XT additionally dominated our Spider-Man 2 testing, properly, not less than at 1440p, the place it was 9% sooner utilizing the Very Excessive preset after which 22% sooner with the utmost ray tracing settings enabled. At 4K, the margins have been a lot smaller, within the 5-6% vary.
Efficiency Abstract
Throughout the 51 video games examined, how do the 9070 XT and 7900 XTX evaluate?
Effectively, they’re practically similar when it comes to efficiency. This knowledge does not inform us an excessive amount of, aside from the truth that total, these GPUs ship very comparable efficiency. So let’s take a better have a look at the per-game outcomes.
Common Efficiency by Sport
Please word that this knowledge is predicated on common body charges, calculated utilizing the geo imply, and combines the 2 high quality configurations examined, in addition to each resolutions.
As you’ll be able to see, the overwhelming majority of video games noticed lower than a ten% distinction in efficiency between these two GPUs. In reality, simply 5 video games exceeded 10%. The worst examples for the 9070 XT have been Counter-Strike 2 and Pink Lifeless Redemption 2, whereas its greatest outcomes got here in GTA V, Forza Horizon 6, and Naraka: Bladepoint.
What We Realized
The Radeon RX 9070 XT has continued to age properly, and we have seen loads of proof of this lately. We have seen it matching and even beating the RTX 5070 Ti in newer titles akin to Gears of Battle: E-Day, The Witcher 3 Remastered, and Murderer’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, to call just a few, although that may rely on the settings used.
Not solely did most early critiques of the 9070 XT discover it trailing the 5070 Ti by an inexpensive margin, but in addition the 7900 XTX. Now the 9070 XT and 7900 XTX seem like just about neck and neck.
Wanting throughout all 51 video games examined, the efficiency margins usually fall into three classes: 1) near-parity in customary rasterization, 2) ray tracing and path tracing provides the benefit to the newer RDNA 4 structure, and three) particular titles the place the older 7900 XTX flagship flexes its reminiscence bandwidth and compute muscle.
The place the GPUs Differ
At native 4K, the Radeon 7900 XTX’s further bandwidth might help, notably in memory-intensive video games. Nevertheless, that does not translate right into a 50% enhance in FPS just because it has 50% extra reminiscence bandwidth.
The 7900 XTX additionally has 50% extra VRAM: 24GB versus 16GB for the 9070 XT. However proper now that solely issues when taking part in closely modded video games with UHD texture packs, operating video games at excessive settings, working with giant 3D scenes, or utilizing native AI fashions that exceed 16GB.
With ray tracing enabled, notably in newer video games, the 9070 XT usually comes out on prime, generally by a considerable margin. Each GPUs now help FSR 4.1 upscaling, as AMD prolonged help to the RX 7000 collection again in June. This implies the 7900 XTX is not restricted to the lower-quality FSR 3.1 upscaler.
The important thing distinction to notice right here is that the 9070 XT makes use of FP8 acceleration to run FSR 4.1 extra effectively. It additionally helps the newer ML body technology and ray regeneration options in FSR Redstone. The 7900 XTX, then again, runs FSR 4.1 via INT8 processing, which comes with larger overhead. It nonetheless helps older FSR body technology, however not all of the RDNA 4-exclusive Redstone options.
For instance, AMD experiences roughly 1.3 ms of FSR 4.1 upscaling processing time at 4K on the 9070 XT, in contrast with 3.1 ms on the 7900 XTX. Briefly, this implies the 9070 XT can ship higher efficiency when each GPUs use the identical upscaling settings, even in video games the place the 7900 XTX is quicker natively.
Each GPUs help AV1 encoding for streaming, although the 9070 XT additionally will get PCIe 5.0 help, which could be considered as a modest future-facing profit. That stated, the 7900 XTX’s PCIe 4.0 x16 interface actually is not a limitation, particularly given that you just’re far much less prone to exceed its VRAM capability.
Pricing can differ from month to month, generally considerably, however as of writing the 9070 XT prices $900 within the US, or $1,250 in Australia, whereas secondhand 7900 XTX fashions are promoting on eBay for between $800 and $1,100, or round $1,500 in Australia. At these costs, the 9070 XT makes way more sense for many consumers. Clearly, for those who already personal the 7900 XTX, upgrading to the 9070 XT can be a sidegrade at greatest, so do not do this.
Backside line, the 7900 XTX has continued to age properly and stays extremely aggressive with present technology high-end GPUs. Just like the 9070 XT, it has solely gotten higher since launch via up to date options akin to FSR 4.1, even when AMD did take its candy time rolling out help.
Purchasing Shortcuts:
- AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT on Amazon
- AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB on Amazon
- Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16GB on Amazon
- AMD Radeon RX 9070 on Amazon
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 on Amazon
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti on Amazon