AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Review

For several generations, AMD has strived to match Nvidia's high-end performance. With the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, however, Team Red strategically shifts focus. Instead of directly challenging the RTX 5090 in the ultra-high-end market, they've aimed to create the best graphics card for the majority of gamers—a goal they've undeniably achieved.

Priced at $599, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT rivals the $749 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, immediately establishing itself as a top contender. AMD further enhances its appeal with the inclusion of FSR 4, marking the first time AI upscaling is integrated into an AMD graphics card. This makes it the ideal choice for 4K gaming, especially for those unwilling to spend the $1,999 price tag of the RTX 5090.

Purchasing Guide

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT launched on March 6th, starting at $599. Note that prices may vary due to third-party custom models. Aim for a price under $699 if possible.

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 real highlights are its new RT and AI Accelerators. These AI Accelerators power FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4), bringing AI upscaling to AMD for the first time. While FSR 4 doesn't always offer higher frame rates than FSR 3.1, it significantly enhances image accuracy and quality. Conveniently, a toggle in Adrenalin software allows users to disable FSR 4 if framerate is prioritized.

Beyond AI upscaling, AMD has significantly improved its shader cores, boosting per-core performance. Despite having 64 Compute Units (compared to 84 in the RX 7900 XT), the RX 9070 XT delivers a substantial 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, compared to the RX 7900 XT's 20GB GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus. This reduces capacity and bandwidth, but remains sufficient for most 4K gaming. The continued use of GDDR6, however, is a minor drawback.

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

The Radeon RX 9070 XT uses two standard 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, simplifying upgrades for most users with a recommended 700W power supply. Connectivity includes three DisplayPort 2.1a and one HDMI 2.1b ports; a USB-C port would have been a welcome addition.

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 blurriness. The Radeon RX 9070 XT addresses this with FSR 4.

Similar to DLSS, FSR 4 uses AI accelerators to analyze previous frames and game engine data to upscale lower-resolution images. The result is superior to FSR 3's temporal upscaling, but comes with a performance penalty. In *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6* at 4K with FSR 3.1, I achieved 134 fps, dropping to 121 fps with FSR 4 (a 10% decrease) but with noticeably better image quality. *Monster Hunter World* showed a 20% drop in frame rate when switching to 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. Fortunately, 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 impressive performance. At $599, it's 21% cheaper than the RTX 5070 Ti while being, on average, 2% faster. While the RTX 5070 Ti wins in some titles, the overall competitiveness is a significant win for AMD. Across my tests, the RX 9070 XT was 17% faster than the RX 7900 XT and 2% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti. Its 4K performance, especially with ray tracing, is exceptional.

Testing was conducted using the latest drivers: Game Ready Driver 572.60 for Nvidia (except for the RTX 5070, which used review drivers), and Adrenalin 24.12.1 for AMD (except for the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, which used pre-release drivers). 3DMark results, while not directly representative of in-game performance, provide a useful comparison. The 9070 XT outperformed the 7900 XT by 18% in Speed Way and by 26% in Steel Nomad, even surpassing the RTX 5070 Ti by 7% in the latter.

In *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6*, the RX 9070 XT led the RTX 5070 Ti by 15%. *Cyberpunk 2077*, traditionally an Nvidia stronghold, showed a smaller margin of victory for the 5070 Ti (5%). *Metro Exodus* (4K, ray tracing, no upscaling) saw the RX 9070 XT achieve 47 fps, nearly matching the RTX 5070 Ti's 48 fps. *Red Dead Redemption 2* showcased strong Vulkan performance, with the RX 9070 XT achieving 125 fps at maximum settings. *Total War: Warhammer 3* was a less favorable matchup, with the RX 9070 XT trailing the RTX 5070 Ti by 13%. *Assassin's Creed Mirage* saw the RX 9070 XT outperform both the RTX 5070 Ti and the 7900 XT. *Black Myth: Wukong* was a surprising win for AMD, with the RX 9070 XT outperforming the RTX 5070 Ti by 8% in 4K with ray tracing. Finally, *Forza Horizon 5* showed a 5% lead for the RX 9070 XT.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT's performance at $599 represents a welcome shift in the graphics card market. While not as powerful as the RTX 5080 or 5090, its price and performance make it a compelling choice for most gamers. It feels like a return to a flagship value proposition last seen with the GTX 1080 Ti.

Test System:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
• RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo @ 6,000MHz
• SSD: 4TB Samsung 990 Pro
• CPU Cooler: Asus ROG Ryujin III 360