Introduction
The AMD RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT arrive at a crucial juncture in the GPU market, promising to redefine expectations for mid-range performance. Armed with the latest RDNA 4 architecture, these GPUs aim to deliver a compelling mix of high-end performance and affordability. From intense gaming sessions to professional applications, these cards are designed to excel, but not without their quirks. Our review is based on extensive testing across 28 games—due to compatibility issues with Indiana Jones at higher path tracing settings—and includes a deep dive into features like FSR 4 and enhanced ray tracing capabilities. Notably, the RX 9070 XT proves its mettle by outperforming the RTX 3080 and competing admirably against the RTX 3090 in ray-traced titles, showcasing AMD’s significant improvements in this area.
Game Performance
The RX 9070 and 9070 XT demonstrate strong performance across various titles, delivering smooth gameplay at 1440p and 4K resolutions. When tested in “Red Dead Redemption 2,” the RX 9070 XT nearly matches the performance of the RTX 3090 at 4K with all settings maxed, delivering a respectable 70.6 FPS compared to the 3090’s 74.3 FPS. At 1440p, this gap closes even further, showcasing the 9070 XT’s efficiency in handling graphically intensive scenarios.
Benching Methodology
Performance Bench Hardware and Tests
Test Configuration – Hardware
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 8-Core Processor
- ASRock TaiChi – BIOS v. 3.20 Beta
- 2x32GB G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo DDR5 6000 CL30-36-36-96
- RTX 5090 FE, stock slocks, supplied by Nvidia
- RTX 5080 FE, stock slocks, supplied by Nvidia
- RTX 5070 Ti, ASUS PRIME, supplied by Nvidia
- RTX 4080 FE, stock slocks, supplied by Nvidia
- RTX 4090 FE, stock slocks, supplied by Nvidia
- RTX 3080 FE, stock slocks, supplied by Nvidia
- RTX 3090 FE, stock slocks, supplied by Nvidia
- PowerColor Radeon RX 7900XTX Hellhound, factory clocks, supplied by PowerColor
- Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 Pulse, factory clocks, supplied by AMD/Sapphire
- Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT Pure, factory clocks, supplied by AMD/Sapphire
- ASUS TUF GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 Ti OC Edition 12GB, stock clocks; supplied by Nvidia
- DeepCool Castle 360EX AIO, Corsair 5000D
- TeamGroup MP44 4TB Gen4x4 M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 (7400/6900MB/s)
- Super Flower Leadex Platinum SE 1200W 80+ Platinum
- LG C1 48″ 4K/120Hz
Test Configuration – Software
- Nvidia GeForce 572.50 game-ready press drivers; ‘Prefer maximum performance’ (on a per-game profile basis); Shader Cache Size ‘Unlimited’ (globally); fixed refresh rate (globally).
- Game Bar features ON for Radeons
- Press drivers used for Radeons, AMD SW Edition 24.30.31.03
- We enable Resizable BAR
- ‘V-Sync application controlled’ in the control panel; V-Sync off in-game.
- We note and specify the main in-game display, graphics, AA, and scaling settings in the performance summary charts.
- Windows 11 64-bit Pro edition, latest updates, Balanced power plan, HAGS & Game Mode are enabled, Game DVR & Game Bar features off, Control Flow Guard (CFG) off on a per-game basis, Hypervisor and Virtualization-based security are disabled.
- We do not install MSI tools.
- Latest DirectX
- All games are patched to their latest versions at the time of publication; DLSS 4 titles have a press-only version/beta
- 3DMark suite, the latest press version for the DLSS 4 test
- FrameView, the latest version
- Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU), the latest version; always uninstall drivers using DDU in safe mode, clean, and restart.
- ISLC (Purge Standby List) before each benchmark.
GeForce Driver Suite-related
- We use DCH Game Ready drivers.
- The display driver is installed.
- We install the latest version of PhysX.
Hybrid & Non-Synthetic Tests-related
- Single run per test.
Game Benchmarks-related
- We use the corresponding built-in or custom benchmark sequence.
- We find a demanding custom scene representative of a majority of the game or a highly demanding sequence
Frametimes Capture
- We use FrameView to capture frame times and analyze the relevant performance numbers obtained from each recorded built-in or custom benchmark sequence.
We tested game benchmarks at 4K and 1440p. Lets take a look
4K Gaming (3840×2160) and 1440p Gaming (2560×1440)
FSR4 Benchmarking
UL 3DMark Pro Benchmarks
Driver Stability and Game Compatibility
Despite their robust performance for the new cards, we must note several crashes and instability we experienced throughout our testing. For instance, “Chernoblyte” experienced significant frame drops at 4K on certain maps, and “Indiana Jones” could not run with path tracing settings above low. Such issues underscore the typical growing pains of new hardware releases, suggesting areas where AMD could improve with future driver updates. This should be fixed rather quickly, but we wanted to note it.
3DMark and SPEC 4.0 Benchmarks
In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 9070 series performs admirably. The 9070 XT scores well in 3DMark’s demanding “Speedway” and “Steel Nomad” tests, trailing slightly behind the RTX 5090 but outperforming the RTX 3080 in graphic-intensive tasks. These results are mirrored in SPEC 4.0 benchmarks, where the RX 9070 series shows strong potential for professional applications, particularly in fields like AI & Machine Learning and Life Sciences.
FSR 4 and Ray Tracing
FSR 4 is AMD’s latest iteration in upscaling technology, and it shines in the RX 9070 series, offering significant performance uplifts without a substantial sacrifice in image quality. Although it doesn’t match Nvidia’s DLSS 4 in fidelity, the practical impact during intense gameplay is minimal. Ray tracing performance, traditionally a weaker area for AMD, has seen improvements. The 9070 XT competes closely with Nvidia’s last-gen equivalents, making it a viable option for users looking to experiment with ray-traced graphics without splurging on the top-tier GPUs.
Build Quality and Aesthetics
Particularly impressive is the Sapphire Pure 9070 XT variant, which boasts a solid build and an attractive design, especially in white. Its performance remains whisper-quiet even under load, enhancing the overall user experience without the acoustic distraction often associated with high-performance graphics cards.
Conclusion
After thoroughly testing the AMD RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, it’s clear that these GPUs stand out as frontrunners in the quest for accessible high-performance gaming. The RX 9070 XT, in particular, excels as a 4K-capable card, thriving with FSR and Frame Generation to deliver excellent gaming experiences at a fraction of the cost of higher-end models. Meanwhile, the RX 9070 offers solid 1440p gaming and can stretch to 4K with some settings adjustments, presenting itself as a versatile option for gamers looking to upgrade without going over budget. While AMD’s ray tracing still lags behind Nvidia’s latest offerings, the improvements are tangible and make RDNA 4 cards a viable option for those interested in future-proofing their setups. Despite some driver inconsistencies and initial game compatibility issues, AMD’s strategy of balancing performance with price is poised to shake up the GPU market. As long as AMD can maintain supply and stick to their competitive pricing strategy, the RX 9070 series could indeed be crowned the new budget kings, offering a tantalizing mix of performance and value that will be hard for gamers to overlook.
In summary, AMD’s latest offerings are not without their quirks, but they present a compelling value proposition that will undoubtedly attract budget-conscious gamers and professionals alike. As AMD continues to refine its drivers, we can expect even greater things from the 9070 series. Happy Gaming!
