Quick answer
The RX 9070 XT is the faster card: about 11% ahead of the RX 7900 XT in our gaming index (score 78 vs 70), or about 11% more FPS at 1440p high. The RX 7900 XT has more VRAM (20GB vs 16GB).
A side-by-side look at the Radeon RX 7900 XT and the Radeon RX 9070 XT using the specs from each maker and ComputingSkill’s gaming scores, the same numbers our calculators and tier list use. Prices change too often to compare here, so check current prices against the performance gap below.
Specs Side by Side
| RX 7900 XT | RX 9070 XT | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 3 | RDNA 4 |
| VRAM | 20GB GDDR6 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Memory bus | 320-bit | 256-bit |
| Boost clock | 2400 MHz | 2970 MHz |
| Shaders | 84 Compute Units | 64 Compute Units |
| Board power | 315W | 304W |
| Maker’s recommended PSU | 750W | 750W |
| Upscaling / frame generation | FSR 3 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver | FSR 4 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver |
| Released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Gaming score (tier) | 70 (A) | 78 (A) |
Specs: RX 7900 XT official page and RX 9070 XT official page. Scores are ComputingSkill’s gaming index, positioned from publicly reported review averages, not our own benchmarks (methodology).
Gaming Performance
Estimated average FPS in a typical AAA game, from the FPS Calculator’s formula, with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D so the cards are the limit. * marks a figure held back by the CPU. Ray tracing, upscaling and frame generation are not included.
| Resolution, settings | RX 7900 XT | RX 9070 XT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p, high | 175 | 195 | RX 9070 XT +11% |
| 1440p, high | 119 | 133 | RX 9070 XT +11% |
| 4K, high | 74 | 82 | RX 9070 XT +11% |
| 1080p, ultra | 140 | 156 | RX 9070 XT +11% |
| 1440p, ultra | 95 | 106 | RX 9070 XT +11% |
| 4K, ultra | 59 | 66 | RX 9070 XT +11% |
VRAM
RX 7900 XT: 20GB of VRAM is enough for ultra textures at 1080p, 1440p and 4K.
RX 9070 XT: 16GB of VRAM is enough for ultra textures at 1080p, 1440p and 4K.
With Your CPU
A faster card only pays off when your CPU can feed it. Here is each card with common processors in our bottleneck engine (typical AAA game, high settings). “GPU-limited” is normal; a CPU % is how much of the card goes unused.
| CPU | RX 7900 XT | RX 9070 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Core i3-12100F | CPU ~42% / CPU ~14% | CPU ~48% / CPU ~23% |
| Ryzen 5 5600 | CPU ~37% / CPU ~7% | CPU ~43% / CPU ~17% |
| Core i5-12400F | CPU ~33% / Balanced | CPU ~40% / CPU ~12% |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | CPU ~19% / GPU-limited | CPU ~27% / GPU-limited |
| Core i5-14600K | CPU ~13% / GPU-limited | CPU ~22% / GPU-limited |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | Balanced / GPU-limited | Balanced / GPU-limited |
Power and PSU
With a Ryzen 5 7600, the PSU Calculator recommends 750W for a PC with the RX 7900 XT and 750W with the RX 9070 XT. The makers’ own recommendations are 750W and 750W.
Which Should You Buy?
- Buy the RX 9070 XT for more performance: about 11% higher in our index. It is worth it if the price difference is smaller than that.
- The RX 7900 XT makes sense when it costs clearly less, or when its other strengths below matter more to you.
- For 1440p, 4K or keeping the card for years, the RX 7900 XT’s extra VRAM is the safer choice.
- Features differ: the RX 7900 XT offers FSR 3 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver; the RX 9070 XT offers FSR 4 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver.
- Not sure your CPU keeps up? Check your exact pair in the PC Bottleneck Calculator.
More comparisons: RTX 5070 vs RX 9070 XT, RTX 5070 Ti vs RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 vs RX 9070 XT. Every card ranked: GPU tier list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the RX 7900 XT better than the RX 9070 XT?
For raw gaming performance the RX 9070 XT is about 11% faster (score 78 vs 70).
Which is better for 1440p, the RX 7900 XT or the RX 9070 XT?
At 1440p high the RX 7900 XT averages about 119 FPS and the RX 9070 XT about 133 FPS in a typical AAA game with a fast CPU.
Which uses less power?
The RX 9070 XT (304W board power vs 315W).