Nvidia RTX 5070 and AMD RX 9070 Battle It Out: Which Mid-Range GPU Reigns Supreme?

The Nvidia RTX 5070 and AMD RX 9070 are the latest mid-range graphics cards released by their respective manufacturers, aimed at providing more affordable gaming solutions. Both GPUs are priced at an MSRP of $550, but availability and pricing can significantly impact which card is the better buy. Pricing and Availability In the current market, the RTX 5070 offers better availability and more competitive pricing in the U.S. As of this writing, AIB partner cards of the RTX 5070 can be found for around $60-$70 over MSRP, while the RX 9070 is marked up by approximately $150 above MSRP. Moreover, the RTX 5070 has a wider variety of models available near its MSRP, giving consumers more choices. The RX 9070, on the other hand, has fewer options, with the PowerColor Hellhound OC being the only model close to its MSRP. Performance Gaming Performance At 1080p, the two GPUs perform nearly identically, with the RX 9070 achieving a marginal 0.33% lead in the 15-game rasterization geomean. The RTX 5070 shows a notable 28.2% performance lead in "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2," likely due to unoptimized drivers from AMD. However, the RX 9070 shines in specific titles like "Final Fantasy XVI" and "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024," performing 16% and 31% faster, respectively. At 1440p, the RX 9070 starts to gain a slight edge, leading by 8.2% in the 15-game rasterization geomean. In ray-tracing benchmarks, the performance is roughly equal. The performance discrepancy in "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2" narrows to a 15% advantage for the RTX 5070. The 4K Ultra resolution is where the RX 9070 truly excels, outperforming the RTX 5070 by an average of 11% across all three geomeans. Notable wins include "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024" (31.5% faster), "The Last of Us, Part 1" (31.6% faster), and "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" (41.4% faster). Only in "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2" and "Cyberpunk 2077" does the RTX 5070 manage a slight edge. Professional Benchmarks In professional benchmarks, the RTX 5070 generally outperforms the RX 9070. For instance, the RTX 5070 is 68% faster in Blender and 2.2 times faster in Procyon AI Vision. However, in SPEC and MLPerf, the RX 9070 is either as fast or faster. This suggests that while the RTX 5070 has an advantage in certain compute tasks, the RX 9070 holds its own well in others. Features, Technology, and Software The RTX 5070 and RX 9070 have distinct designs and feature sets. The RTX 5070 is an evolution of the RTX 4070, maintaining the same 192-bit memory bus and 12GB VRAM, but upgrading to GDDR7 memory running at 28 Gbps. It leverages Nvidia’s latest Blackwell architecture, offering moderate generational performance improvements through features like x3 and x4 frame generation. The RX 9070, meanwhile, is a significant step forward from the RX 7800 XT, utilizing the more advanced RDNA4 architecture and a 256-bit memory interface with 16GB GDDR6 memory at 20 Gbps. Despite having slower memory, the RX 9070’s massive 128MB Infinity Cache helps maintain performance, especially at higher resolutions. This is evident in the 4K Ultra benchmarks, where the RX 9070 consistently outperforms the RTX 5070. AMD’s RDNA4 architecture boasts impressive ray-tracing capabilities, closing the gap on Nvidia. While Nvidia still has an edge in path tracing and full ray tracing, AMD has doubled its ray/triangle and ray/box intersection rates, making it a formidable competitor in this domain. Additionally, AMD’s new FSR 4, which uses AI-based upscaling, is on par with, if not better than, Nvidia’s DLSS 3.x in some reviews. However, Nvidia remains superior in the software department. Nvidia offers a richer array of tools, including RTX Chat and RTX Broadcast, and its software is generally of higher quality. AMD’s software, particularly in the enterprise sector, still lags behind. Verdict Both the RTX 5070 and RX 9070 offer strong performance, with the choice largely dependent on real-world pricing and availability. For 1080p gaming, the two cards are almost indistinguishable. At 1440p, the RX 9070 starts to show a slight lead, and this becomes more pronounced at 4K Ultra, making it the better choice for high-resolution gaming. In professional tasks, the RTX 5070 tends to outperform the RX 9070. If software and toolsets are a priority, Nvidia’s offerings are more robust. However, AMD has made significant strides in hardware, particularly in ray tracing and upscaling quality. Industry Insights and Company Profiles Industry insiders have noted that while both cards offer compelling features, the current pricing and availability issues tip the scales in Nvidia’s favor. However, for those willing to wait or pay a premium, the RX 9070’s strong performance at 4K makes it a viable alternative, especially considering its memory design and advanced ray-tracing capabilities. Nvidia, known for its leadership in GPU development, continues to innovate with its Blackwell architecture, offering a balance of improved performance and enhanced software support. AMDC has made significant progress with RDNA4, demonstrating a commitment to closing the performance gap and offering competitive features like FSR 4. As both companies continue to push the envelope, consumers stand to benefit from a more dynamic and competitive market.