For several generations, AMD has strived to compete with Nvidia at the high-end. However, with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, AMD has strategically shifted its focus. Instead of vying for the ultra-high-end market dominated by the RTX 5090, they've aimed to create the best graphics card for the majority of gamers—a goal they've demonstrably achieved.

Priced at $599, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT rivals the $749 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti in performance. This alone positions it as a top contender, but AMD further enhances its appeal with the introduction of FSR 4, marking the first time AI upscaling is integrated into an AMD graphics card. This makes it an exceptional choice for 4K gaming, particularly for those who aren't prepared to spend $1,999 on the RTX 5090.

Purchasing Guide

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT launched March 6th, with a starting price of $599. Remember that prices may vary among third-party vendors; aim for a price under $699.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos

Specs and Features

Built on the RDNA 4 architecture, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT boasts improved shader cores, but the standout features are its new RT and AI Accelerators. The AI Accelerators power FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4), AMD's first foray into AI upscaling. While FSR 4 doesn't always outperform FSR 3.1 in terms of raw frame rates, it significantly enhances image accuracy and quality. Conveniently, Adrenalin software allows users to disable FSR 4 if frame rate prioritization is preferred.

Beyond AI upscaling, AMD has substantially improved its shader cores, leading to better per-core performance. Despite having 64 Compute Units (compared to 84 in the RX 7900 XT), the RX 9070 XT delivers a significant generational leap at a lower price point. Each Compute Unit features 64 Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) totaling 4,096, along with 64 ray accelerators and 128 AI accelerators.

However, the RX 9070 XT has less memory than its predecessor (16GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, versus 20GB GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus). This reduces capacity and bandwidth, but remains sufficient for most 4K gaming. The continued use of GDDR6 is a minor drawback.

While the new architecture is more efficient, the RX 9070 XT has a slightly higher power budget (304W) than the RX 7900 XT (300W). This is a standard power requirement for modern graphics cards, making cooling manageable. Unlike previous generations, AMD isn't releasing a reference design; third-party manufacturers provide the cards. My review unit, the Powercolor Radeon RX 9070 XT Reaper, maintained a temperature of 72°C during testing despite its compact triple-fan design.

The RX 9070 XT uses two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, simplifying upgrades for most users with a 700W power supply (as recommended by AMD). Connectivity includes three DisplayPort 2.1a and one HDMI 2.1b ports; the absence of a USB-C port is a missed opportunity.

FSR 4

AMD has long needed an AI upscaling solution to rival DLSS. While previous FSR versions offered performance gains, they suffered from ghosting and fuzziness. The RX 9070 XT addresses this with FSR 4. Similar to DLSS, FSR 4 leverages AI accelerators to analyze frames and game engine data for accurate upscaling. Image quality surpasses FSR 3, but comes with a performance penalty.

In *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6* (4K Extreme, FSR 3.1 Performance), the RX 9070 XT achieved 134 fps, dropping to 121 fps with FSR 4 (a 10% reduction). *Monster Hunter Rise* showed a 20% drop (94 fps to 78 fps at 4K max settings with ray tracing and FSR 4). This performance hit is expected due to the increased computational demands of AI upscaling. The improved image quality may outweigh the performance loss for single-player games where visuals are prioritized. FSR 4 is optional and can be disabled in Adrenalin software.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT & 9070 – Benchmarks

Performance

The Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers exceptional performance for its price. At $599, it's 21% cheaper than the RTX 5070 Ti while offering comparable speed (2% faster on average). While the RTX 5070 Ti wins in some titles, the overall performance parity is a significant victory for AMD. Across various benchmarks, the RX 9070 XT is approximately 17% faster than the RX 7900 XT and 2% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti. Its 4K performance, especially with ray tracing, is outstanding.

Testing utilized the latest drivers (Nvidia Game Ready Driver 572.60, except for the RTX 5070 which was on review drivers; AMD Adrenalin 24.12.1 except for the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 which used pre-release drivers).

3DMark benchmarks show the RX 9070 XT outperforming the RX 7900 XT by 18% in Speed Way, and surpassing the RTX 5070 Ti by 7% in Steel Nomad. In *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6*, the RX 9070 XT leads the RTX 5070 Ti by 15%. *Cyberpunk 2077* favors Nvidia, but the RX 9070 XT remains competitive, achieving 71 fps (4K, Ray Tracing Ultra, FSR 3 Performance) compared to the RTX 5070 Ti's 75 fps (DLSS Performance).

In *Metro Exodus* (4K, no upscaling), the RX 9070 XT delivers 47 fps, nearly matching the RTX 5070 Ti's 48 fps. *Red Dead Redemption 2* showcases excellent Vulkan performance, with the RX 9070 XT achieving 125 fps (max settings) compared to the RTX 5070 Ti's 110 fps. However, the RX 9070 XT trails the RTX 5070 Ti by 13% in *Total War: Warhammer 3*. *Assassin's Creed Mirage* sees the RX 9070 XT outperform both the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 7900 XT.

Surprisingly, the RX 9070 XT surpasses the RTX 5070 Ti in *Black Myth: Wukong* (4K, Cinematic Preset, FSR 40%), demonstrating significant improvements in ray tracing capabilities. *Forza Horizon 5* also shows a minor advantage for the RX 9070 XT.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT, unveiled at CES 2025, offers a compelling alternative to Nvidia's high-end offerings. While not as powerful as the RTX 5080 or 5090, its performance and price make it a strong contender for most gamers. It represents a return to value-driven flagship graphics cards, reminiscent of the GTX 1080 Ti.