AMD RX 9070 XT Review ft. ASRock

1. Introduction2. Meet the ASRock RX 9070 XT Taichi3. Testing Methodology4. Alan Wake II5. Black Myth: Wukong6. Cyberpunk 20777. Final Fantasy XVI8. Forza Horizon 59. Ghost of Tsushima10. Horizon Forbidden West11. The Last of Us Part 112. A Plague Tale: Requiem13. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 214. Starfield15. Total War: Warhammer III16. Performance Summary (12-Game Average)17. Cost Per Frame Analysis18. Ray Tracing: Alan Wake II19. Ray Tracing: Black Myth: Wukong20. Ray Tracing: Cyberpunk 207721. Ray Tracing: F1 2422. Ray Tracing: Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart23. Ray Tracing: Returnal24. Ray Tracing: Shadow of the Tomb Raider25. Ray Tracing: Star Wars Outlaws26. Ray Tracing Performance Summary27. AI & Productivity Benchmarks28. Clock Speed29. GPU Temperatures30. Memory Temperatures31. Acoustics32. Power Draw: 1080p33. Power Draw: 1440p34. Power Draw: 2160p (4K)35. Performance per Watt: 1080p36. Performance per Watt: 1440p37. Performance per Watt: 2160p (4K)38. Total System Power Draw39. Closing Thoughts40. View All Pages

Officially announced – at long last! – in a livestreamed event last week, AMD's RDNA 4 architecture is here with the RX 9070 XT leading the charge. Landing with a $599 MSRP, this GPU is firmly targeting Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti, with AMD promising compelling rasterisation performance alongside huge improvements to ray tracing. FSR 4 also touts significant image quality improvements thanks to its new ML-powered algorithm, so on paper AMD looks to have ticked all the boxes. But how does that translate into the real world experience? We find out today…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:41 Recap and spec overview
01:48 Test setup
03:02 Alan Wake 2
03:41 Black Myth: Wukong
04:11 Cyberpunk 2077
04:14 Final Fantasy XVI
05:14 Forza Horizon 5
05:47 Ghost of Tsushima
06:21 Horizon Forbidden West
06:54 The Last of Us Part 1
07:20 Plague Tale: Requiem
07:42 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
08:09 Starfield
08:36 Total War: Warhammer III
08:55 12-game average results
10:57 Cost per frame analysis
11:55 RT Alan Wake II
12:28 RT Black Myth: Wukong
12:57 RT Cyberpunk 2077
13:19 RT F1 24
13:40 RT Ratchet & Clank
14:00 RT Returnal
14:12 RT Shadow of the Tomb Raider
14:23 RT Star Wars Outlaws
14:43 RT 8-game average
15:18 FSR 4 analysis
18:56 Meet the Sapphire Pulse & ASRock Taichi
20:19 Thermals and acoustics
21:24 Power draw and efficiency
23:18 Closing thoughts

In lieu of an official AMD reference (or MBA) card, today we are using the ASRock RX 9070 XT Taichi for our testing. This card does come factory overclocked when using the default Gaming BIOS, but I did all my testing with the Quiet BIOS that runs at reference specifications.

It's also worth noting that while this is a standalone review for the RX 9070 XT, we do have a day one review for the RX 9070 (non-XT), and you can find that HERE.

	RX 9070 XT	RX 9070	RX 7900 GRE	RX 7800 XT	RX 7700 XT
Architecture	RDNA 4	RDNA 4	RDNA 3	RDNA 3	RDNA 3
Manufacturing Process	TSMC N4	TSMC N4	TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD	TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD	TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD
Transistor Count	53.9 billion	53.9 billion	57.7 billion	28.1 billion	28.1 billion
Die Size	357 mm²	357 mm²	300 mm² GCD 220 mm² MCD	200 mm² GCD 150 mm² MCD	200 mm² GCD 150 mm² MCD
Compute Units	64	56	80	60	54
Ray Accelerators	64	56	80	60	54
Stream Processors	4096	3584	5120	3840	3456
Game GPU Clock	2400 MHz	2070 MHz	1880 MHz	2124 MHz	2171 MHz
Boost GPU Clock	Up to 2970 MHz	Up to 2520 MHz	Up to 2245 MHz	Up to 2430 MHz	Up to 2544 MHz
ROPs	128	128	192	96	96
AMD Infinity Cache	64MB	64MB	64MB	64MB	48MB
Memory	16GB GDDR6	16GB GDDR6	16GB GDDR6	16GB GDDR6	12GB GDDR6
Memory Data Rate	20 Gbps	20 Gbps	18 Gbps	19.5 Gbps	18 Gbps
Memory Bandwidth	645 GB/s	645 GB/s	576 GB/s	624 GB/s	432 GB/s
Memory Interface	256-bit	256-bit	256-bit	256-bit	192-bit
Board Power	304W	220W	260 W	263W	245W

First, let's take a quick look at the specs. The RX 9070 XT is built on the new Navi 48 die, measuring 357mm², and it's worth pointing out this is a monolithic chip, so AMD is not using a chiplet-based design as per RDNA 3. In total, Navi 48 silicon packs in 53.9 billion transistors.

As a full implementation of Navi 48, the RX 9070 XT packs in 64 Compute Units, and each CU houses 64 Stream Processors, for a total of 4096 shaders. There's also 64 Ray Accelerators – one per CU – and 128 ROPs.

As for clock speed, the RX 9070 XT runs notably faster than its sibling, the RX 9070, given it sports a rated game clock of 2400MHz and a boost clock of up to 2970MHz.

The memory configuration is the same between both GPUs though, with 16GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 20Gbps, operating over a 256-bit memory interface, for total memory bandwidth of 645 GB/s. 64MB of Infinity Cache is also present.

Power draw for the RX 9070 XT is rated at 304W Total Board Power (TBP), but we are using our updated GPU power testing methodology in this review, so read on for our most detailed power and efficiency testing yet.

The ASRock RX 9070 XT Taichi ships in a dark box, with only the Taichi and AMD logos on the front. On the back, ASRock highlights various key features of the graphics card itself.

Inside, we find a quick start guide, triple 8-pin power adapter, alongside a small GPU support accessory.

The card itself is rather eye[catching with its design – it may not be for everyone, but the combination of the black and grey shroud, along with the gold accents, makes for something a bit different to what we usually see! ASRock has deployed a triple-fan cooler too, with each fan measuring 100mm in diameter. You will also notice that the central fan spins in reverse, relative to the outer two, which, according to ASRock, helps to ‘lower turbulence and enhance air dispersion through the heatsink.'

By modern standards, the Taichi isn't ridiculously large, but it's still on the bigger side, measuring 330 x 140 x 61mm.

The front side of the card is home to the Taichi and Radeon logos – the former lights up as an RGB zone once powered on.

As for the backplate, I really like what ASRock has done here – it's a full-length metal design, but the gold cog accents compliment the overall aesthetic very well. We can also see a large flow-through area to allow air to pass directly through the heatsink.

ASRock also provided a BIOS switch near the I/O bracket, giving users a choice of the Performance or Quiet modes.

Here we get a look at the RGB lighting, too. ASRock has even included a hardware toggle to turn the LEDs on or off, so no need for software, which some will appreciate. An on-board ARGB header also allows users to control the RGB lighting via the motherboard.

Interestingly, ASRock has opted for a 12V-2X6 connection for power, instead of the usual 8-pin connectors we see on AMD GPUs.

Video outputs consist of 2x HDMI 2.1 and 2x DisplayPort 2.1, though the latter are UHBR13.5 bandwidth, not the full UHBR20 spec.

Driver Notes

• AMD GPUs (except RX 9070 series) were benchmarked with the Adrenalin 24.12.1 driver.
• AMD RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT were benchmarked with the Adrenalin 24.30.31.03 driver supplied to press.
• Nvidia GPUs (except for RTX 50 series) were benchmarked with the 566.14 driver.
• RTX 5090 was benchmarked with the 571.86 driver supplied to press.
• RTX 5080 was benchmarked with the 572.02 driver supplied to press.
• RTX 5070 Ti was benchmarked with the 572.43 driver supplied to press.
• RTX 5070 was benchmarked with the 572.50 driver supplied to press.

Results are only directly comparable where this exact configuration has been used.

Test System:

We test using a custom built system powered by MSI, based on AMD's Zen 5 platform. You can view the Powered by MSI store on AWD-IT's website HERE.

CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Motherboard	MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi
Memory	64GB (2x32GB) Kingston Fury Beast DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
Graphics Card	Varies
SSD	4TB Kingston NV3 Gen 4 PCIe NVMe
Chassis	MSI MPG Gungnir 300R Airflow
CPU Cooler	MSI MAG CoreLiquid i360
Power Supply	MSI MEG Ai1300P
Operating System	Windows 11 23H2
Monitor	MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED
Resizable BAR	Enabled for all supported GPUs

Comparison Graphics Cards List

• AMD RX 7900 XTX 24GB
• AMD RX 7900 XT 20GB
• Sapphire RX 7900 GRE Nitro+ 16GB
• AMD RX 7800 XT 16GB
• Sapphire RX 7700 XT Pulse 12GB
• Nvidia RTX 5090 FE 32GB
• Nvidia RTX 5080 FE 16GB
• MSI RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X 16GB
• Nvidia RTX 5070 FE 12GB
• Nvidia RTX 4090 FE 24GB
• Nvidia RTX 4080 Super FE 16GB
• MSI RTX 4070 Ti Super Ventus 3X 16GB
• Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti Gaming 12GB
• Nvidia RTX 4070 Super FE 12GB
• Nvidia RTX 4070 FE 12GB
• Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti FE 12GB
• Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti FE 8GB
• Nvidia RTX 3070 FE 8GB

All cards were tested at reference specifications. For factory overclocked cards, this means we manually ‘undo' the overclock via MSI Afterburner or AMD/Intel's built-in tuning tools. Or, for cards like the Sapphire RX 7900 GRE Nitro+, we enable the reference-clocked BIOS instead of the default OC BIOS.

Software and Games List

• Alan Wake II (DX12)
• Black Myth: Wukong (DX12)
• Cyberpunk 2077 (DX12)
• F1 24 (DX12)
• Final Fantasy XVI (DX12)
• Forza Horizon 5 (DX12)
• Ghost of Tsushima (DX12)
• Horizon Forbidden West (DX12)
• The Last of Us Part 1 (DX12)
• A Plague Tale: Requiem (DX12)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (DX12)
• Returnal (DX12)
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (DX12)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DX12)
• Starfield (DX12)
• Star Wars Outlaws (DX12)
• Total War: Warhammer III (DX11)

We run each benchmark/game three times, and present mean averages in our graphs. We use FrameView to measure average frame rates as well as 1% low values (99th percentile) across our three runs.

Alan Wake 2 is a 2023 survival horror game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Epic Games Publishing. A sequel to Alan Wake, the story follows best-selling novelist Alan Wake, who has been trapped in an alternate dimension for 13 years, as he attempts to escape by writing a horror story involving an FBI special agent named Saga Anderson. The game was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 27 October 2023. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Northlight. We test using the High preset, FSR set to native resolution, DX12 API.

Kicking off with Alan Wake 2, it's a strong start for the RX 9070 XT given it averages 77fps, putting it level with the RTX 4080 Super, and about 6% ahead of the RTX 5070 Ti at 1440p.

Up at 4K, we see some more dubious-looking 1% lows from the new RDNA 4 GPUs – the average frame rate is still in line with the 4080 Super, but the frame times take a hit. Something for the Radeon division to iron out with a future driver update for sure.

Black Myth: Wukong is a 2024 action role-playing game developed and published by Game Science. The game is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West and follows an anthropomorphic monkey based on Sun Wukong from the novel. Black Myth: Wukong was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on August 20, 2024, with an Xbox Series X/S version to be released at a later date. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Unreal Engine 5. We test using the Cinematic preset, TSR set to 100% render scale, DX12 API.

As for Black Myth: Wukong, at 1440p the 9070 XT is within touching distance of the RTX 5070 Ti, while it's also on par with the last-gen flagship, the 7900 XTX.

At 4K it can only manage 30fps on average, but with 1% lows below 25fps, though performance is still level with the 7900 XTX, and that bodes well for the rest of our testing.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed and published by CD Projekt. The story takes place in Night City, an open world set in the Cyberpunk universe. Players assume the first-person perspective of a customisable mercenary known as V, who can acquire skills in hacking and machinery with options for melee and ranged combat. Cyberpunk 2077 was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One on 10 December 2020. (Wikipedia).

Engine: REDengine 4. We test using the Ultra preset, FSR disabled, DX12 API.

Moving onto Cyberpunk 2077, it feels quite ironic to me that the 9070 XT is actually 6% faster than the 5070 Ti at 1440p – after all, this game is Nvidia's RTX poster child, but AMD takes the lead.

It extends it at 4K resolution, too, where the 9070 XT is now 10% faster than the 5070 Ti. It's also dead level with the 7900 XTX with the average frame rate just below 60fps.

Final Fantasy XVI is a 2023 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The sixteenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series, it was released for the PlayStation 5 in June 2023, with a Windows version released in September 2024.

Engine: Square Enix in-house engine. We test using the Ultra preset, DLSS/FSR disabled, DX12 API.

Final Fantasy XVI sees the 9070 XT putting in another good shift at 1440p, where it's 9% faster than the 5070 Ti and once more in a dead heat with the 7900 XTX.

At 4K, the Nvidia GPUs do catchup somewhat, but performance is still right in line with the 5070 Ti and 4080 Super.

Forza Horizon 5 is a 2021 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. The twelfth main instalment of the Forza series, the game is set in a fictionalised representation of Mexico. It was released on 9 November 2021 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. (Wikipedia).

Engine: ForzaTech. We test using the Extreme preset, DX12 API.

Interestingly, Forza Horizon 5 seems to massively over-perform on these new RDNA 4 GPUs. At 1440p I have the 9070 XT coming in 18% ahead of the 5070 Ti – the biggest margin we will see today – and it's even faster than the RTX 5080 which is quite staggering.

Even at 4K, it's still on-par with the 5080, while it's just a hair faster than the RX 7900 XTX.

Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The player controls Jin Sakai, a samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan.Ghost of Tsushima was released for the PlayStation 4 in July 2020, and an expanded version for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, subtitled Director's Cut and featuring the Iki Island expansion, was released in August 2021. A Windows version of Director's Cut, developed by Nixxes Software, was released in May 2024. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Sucker Punch in-house engine. We test using the Very High preset, DX12 API.

Ghost of Tsushima is the other title I test where we saw performance for RDNA 4 far outstrip expectations, given the 9070 XT is still 15% faster than the 5070 Ti.

Likewise, at 4K it is now 14% faster, though it is 5% behind the 7900 XTX – but that's still a great results for the new AMD architecture.

Horizon Forbidden West is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn (2017), the game is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Western United States, recovering from the aftermath of an extinction event caused by a rogue robot swarm. The game and the Burning Shores expansion were collected together, re-released as Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition for PlayStation 5 in October 2023, and ported to Windows by Nixxes Software in March 2024. A sequel is in development. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Decima. We test using the Very High preset, DX12 API.

Horizon Forbidden West is much more favourable to Nvidia GPUs, but even then, at 1440p there's nothing to split between the 7900 XTX, 9070 XT and 5070 Ti – all three hover around the 105fps mark.

The same goes for 4K performance where 60fps gaming is comfortably achieved, and performance of the 9070 XT is only 7% behind the 4080 Super.

The Last of Us Part I is a 2022 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. A remake of the 2013 game The Last of Us, it features revised gameplay, including enhanced combat and exploration, and expanded accessibility options. It was released for Microsoft Windows in March 2023. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Naughty Dog in-house engine. We test using the Ultra preset, DX12 API.

 

The Last of Us Part 1 is another good showing for RDNA 4, with the 9070 XT coming in 6% faster than the 5070 Ti, though compared to RDNA 3 it's just 3% ahead of the 7900 XT.

At 4K however, the new AMD GPU stretches its legs and comes in 14% ahead of the 5070 Ti, so it's within touching distance of the 5080 – really impressive stuff.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is an action-adventure stealth game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Focus Entertainment. It is the sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019), and follows siblings Amicia and Hugo de Rune who must look for a cure to Hugo's blood disease in Southern France while fleeing from soldiers of the Inquisition and hordes of rats that are spreading the black plague. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 October 2022. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Asobo Studio in-house engine. We test using the Ultra preset, DX12 API.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is another game that typically runs best on Nvidia GPUs, but even then, at 1440p there's nothing to split the 5070 Ti and 9070 XT, while the new AMD GPU is 4% faster than the 7900 XTX.

At 4K, it's still within 2% of the 5070 Ti, while performance comes in 14% faster than the 7900 XT.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a 2024 action-adventure game developed by Ninja Theory and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game serves as the sequel to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (2017) and is set in 9th century Iceland, drawing inspiration from Norse mythology and culture. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II was released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on 21 May 2024.

Engine: Unreal Engine 5. We test using the High preset, TSR set to 100% render scale, DX12 API.

The 7900 XTX and 9070 XT are once again level in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, giving the RDNA 4 GPU a slender lead of just 4% over the 5070 Ti when testing at 1440p.

At 4K, the 5070 Ti catches up and draws level with the 9070 XT, both hitting 37fps on average, but that still works out 12% gain over the 7900 XT for AMD's RDNA 4 flagship.

Starfield is a 2023 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Announced in 2018, Starfield was delayed several times. The game was released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on September 6, 2023. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Creation Engine 2. We test using the Ultra preset, with 100% resolution scale, dynamic resolution disabled, DX12 API.

Oddly, despite being an AMD-sponsored title, RDNA 4 seems to underperform in Starfield. We see just a 3% gain for the 9070 XT over the 7900 XT, making it 5% slower than the 5070 Ti. It's still solid, but not as impressive as the other games we've tested.

At 4K, the 9070 XT is now 7% behind the 5070 Ti and still just 3% faster than the 7900 XT.

Total War: Warhammer III is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It is part of the Total War series, and the third to be set in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe (following 2016's Total War: Warhammer and 2017's Total War: Warhammer II). The game was announced on February 3, 2021 and was released on February 17, 2022. (Wikipedia).

Engine: TW Engine 3 (Warscape). We test using the Ultra preset, with unlimited video memory enabled, DX11 API.

 

Our last rasterised game of the day is Total War: Warhammer III, where at 1440p the 9070 XT looks like great value, equalling the 4080 Super at just under 160fps on average.

Stepping up to 4K doesn't really change that result, though the 9070 XT is now 11% slower than the 7900 XTX.

Here we present frame rate figures for each graphics card, averaged across all 12 games on test today. These figures can disguise significant variations in performance from game to game, but provide a useful overview of the sort of performance you can expect at each resolution tested.

Overall then, there's no doubt the RX 9070 XT delivers impressive rasterisation performance. At 1440p it averages 101fps, putting it bang in line with the 4080 Super, while also making it 6% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti. I do want to stress at this point that we highly recommend reading/watching other reviews where possible – some of the performance swings versus Nvidia are quite pronounced, so there will be varying results depending on what games are tested. Even compared against prior RNDA 3 GPUs, though, the 9070 XT is delivering pretty much 7900 XTX performance, while it's 12% faster than the 7900 XT.

Up at 4K, we're still looking at a 6% gain over the RTX 5070 Ti on average, while performance is dead level with the 4080 Super. Compared to the 7900 GRE, we saw a 38% uplift – not quite the 42% as promised by AMD, but it's pretty darn close so far we're only talking about rasterisation. It's also just 4% slower than the 7900 XTX.

Just to take a closer look at performance versus the 5070 Ti, here we can see the 9070 XT's relative performance compared to its GeForce competitor. We only saw the RDNA 4 GPU come in slower in three titles at 1440p, and never by more than 5%. Six of the twelve games tested show single-digit gains for the 9070 XT, while Forza Horizon 5 and Ghost of Tsushima are clear outliers. However, if we remove them from the average, the 9070 XT only goes from being 6% faster to being 3% faster, so it doesn't really affect the outcome in any meaningful way.

At 4K, the 5070 Ti does come on stronger in some games, although others – such as Cyberpunk and TLOUP1 saw increased margins for the 9070 XT.

The MSRPs

Using the average frame rate data presented earlier in the review, here we look at the cost per frame using the US MSRP launch prices for each GPU. Please note this only compares rasterised performance and value.

At the time of writing we only have confirmed US pricing – any calculations using GBP will have to wait, unfortunately. Still, the overall trend is clear – comparing MSRPs, the RDNA 4 GPUs are the new market leaders for rasterisation value. At 1440p, for instance, cost per frame is 17% lower than the RTX 5070, and 25% better than the 5070 Ti.

You'll also note that the $599 9070 XT is better value than the $549 9070, given it works out at 14% faster for just 9% more money – a questionable decision from AMD to put it mildly.

Alan Wake 2 is a 2023 survival horror game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Epic Games Publishing. A sequel to Alan Wake, the story follows best-selling novelist Alan Wake, who has been trapped in an alternate dimension for 13 years, as he attempts to escape by writing a horror story involving an FBI special agent named Saga Anderson. The game was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 27 October 2023. (Wikipedia)

Engine: Northlight. We test using the High preset, High Ray Tracing preset, FSR set to Quality upscaling, DXR API.

We've seen raster performance – but what about ray tracing? We start with Alan Wake 2, and at 1440p Nvidia is still the clear winner here – the 9070 XT is only on par with the RTX 4070, making it 42% slower than the RTX 5070 Ti. AMD has still made huge strides, given the 9070 XT is 50% faster than the 7900 XTX, but it's not enough to get close to the GeForce competition.

Black Myth: Wukong is a 2024 action role-playing game developed and published by Game Science. The game is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West and follows an anthropomorphic monkey based on Sun Wukong from the novel. Black Myth: Wukong was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on August 20, 2024, with an Xbox Series X/S version to be released at a later date. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Unreal Engine 5. We test using the Cinematic preset, Ray Tracing set to Very High, TSR set to 67% render scale, DXR API.

 

The same goes for Black Myth: Wukong, though do bear in mind we are using path tracing settings in this title and Alan Wake 2 – non-path traced ray tracing performance is still to come. Even so, performance is even worse for RDNA 4 here, with the 9070 XT well behind the RTX 4070 and only on par with the 3080 Ti. Again, the gains over RDNA 3 are huge, this time with a 51% uplift over the 7900 XTX, but it's not enough for Radeon to be competitive.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed and published by CD Projekt. The story takes place in Night City, an open world set in the Cyberpunk universe. Players assume the first-person perspective of a customisable mercenary known as V, who can acquire skills in hacking and machinery with options for melee and ranged combat. Cyberpunk 2077 was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One on 10 December 2020. (Wikipedia).

Engine: REDengine 4. We test using the Ray Tracing: Ultra preset, DXR API. DLSS/FSR are disabled.

That changes in Cyberpunk 2077, where are using RT Ultra settings, and not the path traced RT Overdrive mode. Here, the 9070 XT delivers 50fps on average, sandwiching it between the 4070 Ti and 4070 Ti Super. It's still 11% behind the RTX 5070 Ti, but that's a much more competitive result than what we've seen so far.

F1 24 is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It is the sixteenth entry in the F1 series by Codemasters. It holds the official licence for the 2023 Formula One and Formula 2 championships. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Linux (through Valve's Proton compatibility layer) on 16 June 2023. (Wikipedia).

Engine: EGO. We test using the Ultra High preset, High ray tracing quality, DXR API. DLSS/FSR are disabled.

F1 24 even sees the 9070 XT overtake its Nvidia rival! Only by 5%, and this game tends to run better on Radeon GPUs anyway, but it's still a big achievement for AMD. The RDNA 4 GPUs also seem to have cleaned up the 1% lows, which are very poor on RDNA 3, so perhaps re-testing those older cards on the latest driver will sort that out.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a 2021 third-person shooter platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5. It is the ninth main installment in the Ratchet & Clank series and a sequel to Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus. Rift Apart was announced in June 2020 and was released on June 11, 2021. A Windows port by Nixxes Software was released on July 26, 2023. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Insomniac Games in-house engine. We test using the Very High preset, Very High ray tracing, DXR API. DLSS/FSR are disabled.

Ratchet and Clank is more of a struggle for the 9070 XT as it comes in 26% behind the 5070 Ti, though it's not far off the 5070. We're also looking at a 19% gain over the 7900 XTX, another indicator of the clear strides RDNA 4 has made for ray tracing performance compared to its predecessors.

Returnal is a 2021 roguelike video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 5 on April 30, 2021 and Windows on February 15, 2023. The game follows Selene Vassos, an astronaut who lands on the planet Atropos in search of the mysterious “White Shadow” signal and finds herself trapped in a time loop. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Unreal Engine 4. We test using the Epic preset, Epic ray traced shadows and reflections, DXR API. DLSS/FSR are disabled.

Returnal is much lighter on ray tracing features, and as such the 9070 XT and 7900 XTX are only on par with each other, though that means the RDNA 4 flagship is only 8% slower than the 5070 Ti.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a 2018 action-adventure video game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. It continues the narrative from the 2015 game Rise of the Tomb Raider and is the twelfth mainline entry in the Tomb Raider series, as well as the third and final entry of the Survivor trilogy. The game was originally released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. (Wikipedia).

Engine: Foundation Engine. We test using the Highest preset, RT Ultra Shadows, DXR API. DLSS/FSR are disabled.

As for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, here the gains over the 7900 XTX are also minor at best, with just a 5% gain on show given this title only utilises ray traced shadows. It's also 13% behind the RTX 5070 Ti at 1440p.

Star Wars Outlaws is a 2024 action-adventure game developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. Set in the Star Wars universe between the events of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), the story follows Kay Vess, a young scoundrel who assembles a team for a massive heist in order to pay off a crime syndicate. Star Wars Outlaws was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on August 30, 2024.

Engine: Snowdrop. We test using the Ultra preset but with Nvidia RTXDI disabled, DXR API. DLSS/FSR are disabled.

Star Wars Outlaws is a more surprising positive note for RDNA 4, though. Performance is basically a draw between the 9070 XT and the 5070 Ti at 1440p, and that's not bad at all considering this game uses ray tracing as a fundamental part of its engine.

Ray tracing 8-game average FPS

Here we present frame rate figures for each graphics card, averaged across all 8 ray traced games on test today. These figures can disguise significant variations in performance from game to game, but provide a useful overview of the sort of performance you can expect at each resolution tested.

Overall then, there's no doubt that RDNA 4 has improved ray tracing performance significantly. It seems that the more ray tracing is done, the bigger the gains – as we saw in Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth: Wukong, where the 9070 XT was some 50% faster than the 7900 XTX.

Unfortunately, those are also the games where Nvidia shows its dominance in this segment, and as such the 9070 XT is still the slower card for ray tracing – losing out to the 5070 Ti by 15% on average at 1440p. Versus the 7900 GRE, we see a 54% generational gain, bigger than AMD's claimed 42% figure.

Cost per frame, launch MSRP data

Please note this only compares ray traced performance and value.

Despite being slower overall, the 9070 XT has shown enough that it's actually now a real contender when it comes to ray tracing cost per frame – edging out the RTX 5070 at the top of the chart. The differences are minimal at best, but this is a huge turn around compared to RDNA 3, which was really nowhere for ray tracing value.

Here we present a range of AI and productivity benchmarks, designed to offer insight into the sort of workloads that might be undertaken by someone purchasing this calibre of GPU.

We start with the Stable Diffusion 1.5 benchmark, and this shows competitive performance between the 9070 XT and the 5070 Ti, with a mere 50 points separating the two.

However, there's a wider gap in the Stable Diffusion XL test, though the 9070 XT is only 7% behind the 5070 Ti.

Text generation is more of a struggle for RDNA 4, this time lagging well behind the RTX 5070 Ti. The exact margin depends on which model you choose, but for Llama 3.1 performance the 9070 XT is almost 50% slower.

Lastly, Geekbench AI Pro shows some mixed results. For single precision, RDNA 4 is high competitive – but so was the 7900 XTX. Half precision sees the 9070 XT fall 11% behind the 5070 Ti, while the quantized metric gives it a healthy 22% lead.

Here we present the average clock speed for each graphics card while running A Plague Tale: Requiem for 30 minutes. We use GPU-Z to record the GPU core frequency during gameplay. We calculate the average core frequency during the 30 minute run to present here.

As for clock speed behaviour, I tested both trhe Performance and Quiet BIOS of the ASRock Taichi. The Quiet BIOS uses a reference clock speed, whereas the Performance BIOS comes factory overclocked, and as we can see there is a difference of about 100MHz in the real world.

In fact, the Quiet BIOS averaged 2726MHz, compared to 2830MHz for the Performance BIOS. We can also see this is significantly faster than the RX 9070 (non-XT), which clocks in at more like 2350MHz.

For our temperature testing, we measure steady-state GPU temperatures under load. A reading under load comes from running A Plague Tale: Requiem for 30 minutes.

Thermally, the ASRock Taichi is absolutely fine, with the GPU sitting below 60C at all times. The hot spot is higher, especially when using the Performance BIOS, given it hit 85C which is a fairly large delta between it and the GPU temperature.

For our temperature testing, we measure the peak memory temperature under load. A reading under load comes from running A Plague Tale: Requiem for 30 minutes.

Memory temperatures are also fairly warm in the high 80s or low 90s, though still well within safe limits. We'll have to see how other partner cards compare in this regard over the coming weeks.

We take our noise measurements with the sound meter positioned 1 foot from the graphics card. I measured the noise floor to be 32 dBA, thus anything above this level can be attributed to the graphics cards. The power supply is passive for the entire power output range we tested all graphics cards in, while all CPU and system fans were disabled. A reading under load comes from running A Plague Tale: Requiem for 30 minutes.

The great news for ASRock is the Taichi proved whisper quiet. Funnily enough, both BIOS modes actually saw the fans hit 20%, or just 940rpm fan speed – usually the Performance mode runs a little louder, but not so here. That's still quiet enough for the Taichi to be right down the bottom of our chart, it's practically inaudible.

Here we present power draw figures for the graphics card-only, on a per-game basis for all twelve games we tested at 1080p. This is measured using Nvidia's Power Capture Analysis Tool, also known as PCAT. You can read more about our updated power draw testing methodology HERE.

Per-Game Results at 1080p:

Click to enlarge.

12-Game Average at 1080p:

Power draw for the Taichi averaged 311W at 1080p.

Ray tracing results

As a bonus, we now include the power figures for all eight games we test with ray tracing enabled.

8-Game ray tracing average:

This increased to 321W when ray tracing was enabled.

Here we present power draw figures for the graphics card-only, on a per-game basis for all twelve games we tested at 1440p. This is measured using Nvidia's Power Capture Analysis Tool, also known as PCAT. You can read more about our updated power draw testing methodology HERE.

Per-Game Results at 1440p:

Click to enlarge.

12-Game Average at 1440p:

At 1440p, the Taichi pulled 320W on average over the twelve games tested – the reference TBP is 304W, and while the Taichi has a reference clock speed of 2970MHz when using its Quiet BIOS, it seems like ASRock still increased native power draw, Either that or it was just consistently exceeding TBP.

Ray tracing results

As a bonus, we now include the power figures for all eight games we test with ray tracing enabled.

8-Game ray tracing average:

We observed very similar behaviour with ray tracing enabled, too.

Here we present power draw figures for the graphics card-only, on a per-game basis for all twelve games we tested at 2160p (4K). This is measured using Nvidia's Power Capture Analysis Tool, also known as PCAT. You can read more about our updated power draw testing methodology HERE.

Per-Game Results at 2160p (4K):

Click to enlarge.

12-Game Average at 2160p (4K):

Likewise, at 4K, power hit 320W bang on, putting it above the likes of the RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti.

Ray tracing results

As a bonus, we now include the power figures for all eight games we test with ray tracing enabled.

8-Game ray tracing average:

Once more we see 320W power being drawn at 4K with ray tracing enabled.

Using the graphics card-only power draw figures presented earlier in the review, here we present performance per Watt on a per-game basis for all twelve games we tested at 1080p.

Per-Game Results at 1080p:

Click to enlarge.

12-Game Average at 1080p:

Efficiency for the ASRock 9070 XT Taichi isn't amazing – it's a small step forward compared to the 7900 GRE, but the 9070 non-XT is clearly miles more efficient.

Ray tracing results

As a bonus, we now include the power figures for all eight games we test with ray tracing enabled.

8-Game ray tracing average:

The same can be observed with ray tracing enabled.

Using the graphics card-only power draw figures presented earlier in the review, here we present performance per Watt on a per-game basis for all twelve games we tested at 1440p.

Per-Game Results at 1440p:

Click to enlarge.

12-Game Average at 1440p:

For 1440p gaming, the 9070 XT comes in 7% more efficient than the 7900 GRE. Now we would expect a true reference card – with the 304W TBP – to prove slightly more efficient, as the ASRock card was drawing 5% more power than the rated power limit. However, that would still make it less efficient than the RX 9070 non-XT, which is much more impressive at the top of the chart.

Ray tracing results

As a bonus, we now include the power figures for all eight games we test with ray tracing enabled.

8-Game ray tracing average:

For ray tracing, Nvidia still holds the efficiency crown, but the 9070 non-XT is a lot closer than the 9070 XT.

Using the graphics card-only power draw figures presented earlier in the review, here we present performance per Watt on a per-game basis for all twelve games we tested at 2160p (4K).

Per-Game Results at 2160p (4K):

Click to enlarge.

12-Game Average at 2160p (4K):

At 4K, the 9070 non-XT is actually the most efficient GPU we've tested – indicating RDNA 4 as an architecture has clear potential. The 9070 XT seems to prioritise higher clocks and power over efficiency, resulting a much more middling performance per watt value.

Ray tracing results

As a bonus, we now include the power figures for all eight games we test with ray tracing enabled.

8-Game ray tracing average:

The same goes for ray tracing, this time RDNA 4 falls down the chart.

We measure system-wide power draw from the wall while running A Plague Tale: Requiem for 30 minutes (4K resolution).

Lastly, total system power draw hit just under 450W with the ASRock Taichi, in line with the RTX 5080 and RX 7900 XT.

It feels like we've been hearing about AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs for months. We were first briefed on the cards before CES, but in a strange twist of events, the actual announcement went AWOL and it wasn't until last week that all the details around the RX 9070 series were finally revealed. I've been testing the RX 9070 XT for the last few days and there's no doubt this is an impressive graphics card.

As we've come to expect from AMD, rasterisation performance is very strong, trading blows with the more expensive RTX 5070 Ti and coming out on top by an average 6% margin in my testing at 1440p. That puts it on par with the RTX 4080 Super and RX 7900 XTX, while it delivers a 38% uplift over the RX 7900 GRE. I do encourage our readers to check out as many reviews as possible though, as performance versus the GeForce competition can vary dramatically from game to game, so other outlets may well find different overall margins.

Still, there's no question this is a highly capable GPU. I do think it's best paired with a high refresh-rate 1440p monitor, but it can do 4K gaming without a problem – you may just want to tweak image quality settings a touch, or enable upscaling in the form of FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), but more on that in just a moment.

Ray tracing performance has also come on hugely, with AMD making several architectural tweaks to improve matters in this area. We saw performance improve by 11% on average over the RX 7900 XTX, but certain titles showed gains of up to 50%, which is a huge generational improvement. It seems like the more ray traced effects a game deploys, the bigger the uplift versus RDNA 3.

However, those sorts of scenarios are also the games where Nvidia proves strongest, as the 9070 XT still trails the RTX 5070 Ti by margins of 40-50% in path traced titles, including Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth: Wukong. The gap is just 11% in Cyberpunk 2077 using RT Ultra settings though, and 8% in Returnal, to give just two examples of the clear progress AMD has made in this regard. Even then, I still feel that Nvidia remains the obvious choice if you want to enable high fidelity ray tracing, especially considering the increasing number of path traced games hitting the market.

I also looked at FSR 4 upscaling as part of this review, with AMD's new ML-based algorithm delivering substantial improvements to image quality when compared to FSR 3.1. It even holds its own against Nvidia's DLSS 4 Transformer model in the few examples I looked at, though further analysis is required beyond what I was capable of today. AMD does need to continue to work hard to improve game support though – it's great that titles supporting FSR 3.1 can be ‘upgraded' to FSR 4 via the Adrenalin driver, but that's still a relatively small proportion of games out there, especially when you compare the number of titles that support DLSS Super Resolution.

As for power draw, AMD officially rates the RX 9070 XT for 304W TBP. Given there's no reference card, I tested an ASRock Taichi model today, and while this does run at reference clock speeds, with a 2970MHz boost, it seems ASRock has bumped the power, given I saw an average of 320W over the twelve games tested. That means the 9070 XT's performance per watt is only a small improvement over RDNA 3, but it's the RX 9070 (non-XT) that really shines here, given it's 12% slower yet pulls about 30% less power. That's enough to make it the most efficient card we've tested for 4K gaming, though that doesn't translate to the 9070 XT – it seems AMD prioritised higher clocks and all out performance for this model, while efficiency was more of a focus for the RX 9070.

That comparison between the two 9070-series SKUs is particularly interesting when we factor in the price, and it quickly became clear that the RX 9070 XT is the one to get. That's because we found it to be some 14% faster on average, yet the $50 price difference works out at just a 9% premium, so the more expensive card actually offers better value. This is the exact same thing we saw when comparing the RX 7900 XTX to the 7900 XT at launch, and when looking at the 7800 XT versus 7700 XT. I'd thought that AMD would have learned by now, but the cheaper card should offer better value, otherwise what's the point? Right now, we can only recommend you spend the extra 50 bucks on the XT, else wait for the inevitable price cut on the non-XT card.

Overall, AMD has a very solid card on its hands in the shape of the RX 9070 XT. Raster performance is where this GPU shines, offering highly compelling value versus the RTX 5070 Ti given it trades blows with the GeForce GPU, but for $150 less. That's based on the MSRP anyway, and right now I haven't been able to find a single RTX 5070 Ti actually in stock at that price – so real-world pricing in the short term could work even more in AMD's favour. That said, the cynic in me would not at all be surprised to see a sudden and seemingly miraculous influx of Nvidia cards landing at MSRP in the coming weeks, but let's see how that pans out…

Still, as good as it is, I don't think the RX 9070 XT has quite struck a knock-out blow against the RTX 5070 Ti. Yes, it has improved hugely in terms of both ray tracing and FSR upscaling, but as mentioned, the 5070 Ti is still the stronger overall choice if you value ray tracing, while DLSS Super Resolution has a much wider foothold in the market than FSR. Nvidia also has the benefit of stronger AI performance, especially in our LLM benchmarks, while the 5070 Ti is the more efficient GPU.

However, credit where it is due, the AMD RX 9070 XT is a very strong contender in this market segment and shows real improvement versus RDNA 3. It's more than met its target of delivering highly compelling value against Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti when it comes to rasterisation, with a 25% reduction in cost per frame – a terrific result for AMD and something that will appeal to a lot of PC gamers right now. Let's hope supply remains strong and prices stick close to MSRP, as this is exactly what the GPU market needs.

A final word on the ASRock Taichi card we used for our testing today. It runs cool and quiet while offering a range of extra features, including dual-BIOS and eye-catching ARGB lighting. Memory temperatures could be lower, but we will have to see how other partner cards compare.

You will be able to buy the AMD RX 9070 and 9070 XT from tomorrow, March 6th.

Pros

• Very strong 1440p performance, while also viable at 4K.
• Slightly faster on average than the RTX 5070 Ti for rasterisation while costing $150 less.
• Ray tracing is significantly more viable than with RDNA 3.
• $599 price translates to a strong value proposition.
• FSR 4 looks very promising.
• The obvious choice over the RX 9070 (non-XT).

Cons

• Still struggles in more demanding ray traced/path traced games.
• Significantly less efficient than the RX 9070.
• FSR, while significantly better, lacks the near-universal game support of DLSS.
• Nvidia has the edge when it comes to AI.

KitGuru says: The RX 9070 XT is a very compelling graphics card. We can see why some may still want to shell out the premium for the RTX 5070 Ti, but at $599 this could be the shake up the GPU market needs.

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