Quick answer
The RX 9070 XT is the faster card: about 13% ahead of the RX 9070 in our gaming index (score 78 vs 69), or about 13% more FPS at 1440p high. The RX 9070 draws less power (220W vs 304W).
A side-by-side look at the Radeon RX 9070 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 9070 | RX 9070 XT | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 4 | RDNA 4 |
| VRAM | 16GB GDDR6 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Memory bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Boost clock | 2520 MHz | 2970 MHz |
| Shaders | 56 Compute Units | 64 Compute Units |
| Board power | 220W | 304W |
| Maker’s recommended PSU | 650W | 750W |
| Upscaling / frame generation | FSR 4 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver | FSR 4 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
| Gaming score (tier) | 69 (B) | 78 (A) |
Specs: RX 9070 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 9070 | RX 9070 XT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p, high | 173 | 195 | RX 9070 XT +13% |
| 1440p, high | 117 | 133 | RX 9070 XT +13% |
| 4K, high | 72 | 82 | RX 9070 XT +13% |
| 1080p, ultra | 138 | 156 | RX 9070 XT +13% |
| 1440p, ultra | 94 | 106 | RX 9070 XT +13% |
| 4K, ultra | 58 | 66 | RX 9070 XT +13% |
VRAM
RX 9070: 16GB 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 9070 | RX 9070 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Core i3-12100F | CPU ~41% / CPU ~13% | CPU ~48% / CPU ~23% |
| Ryzen 5 5600 | CPU ~36% / CPU ~6% | CPU ~43% / CPU ~17% |
| Core i5-12400F | CPU ~32% / Balanced | CPU ~40% / CPU ~12% |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | CPU ~17% / GPU-limited | CPU ~27% / GPU-limited |
| Core i5-14600K | CPU ~11% / GPU-limited | CPU ~22% / GPU-limited |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | GPU-limited / GPU-limited | Balanced / GPU-limited |
Power and PSU
With a Ryzen 5 7600, the PSU Calculator recommends 650W for a PC with the RX 9070 and 750W with the RX 9070 XT. The makers’ own recommendations are 650W and 750W.
Which Should You Buy?
- Buy the RX 9070 XT for more performance: about 13% higher in our index. It is worth it if the price difference is smaller than that.
- The RX 9070 makes sense when it costs clearly less, or when its other strengths below matter more to you.
- Not sure your CPU keeps up? Check your exact pair in the PC Bottleneck Calculator.
More comparisons: RTX 5070 vs RX 9070, RTX 5070 vs RX 9070 XT, RTX 5070 Ti vs RX 9070 XT and RX 7900 XT vs RX 9070 XT. Every card ranked: GPU tier list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the RX 9070 better than the RX 9070 XT?
For raw gaming performance the RX 9070 XT is about 13% faster (score 78 vs 69).
Which is better for 1440p, the RX 9070 or the RX 9070 XT?
At 1440p high the RX 9070 averages about 117 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 (220W board power vs 304W).