The Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 9070 is part of the new Radeon 9000 GPU lineup. With support for the new RNDA 4 architecture, 3rd generation ray tracing acceleration and 2nd generation AI accelerators, the new RX 9070 leverages its new RNDA 4 hardware to push the performance of the latest 9000 GPUs to the max. Requiring less power draw than the previous generation RX 7900 GRE, better FPS generation and improved overall performance, the RX 9070 aims to provide a solid 1440p gaming experience at a competitive price point.
Aesthetics and Build Quality
The Gigabyte variant of the RX 9070 offers a 3-fan design similar to previous models. With a fun textured casing, the RX 9070’s black and grey casing is contrasted by a small RGB light bar located to the right side of the GPU that illuminates the Gigabyte logo. The overall look is minimalistic and sharp-looking when installed in a case.
The dual-slot RX 9070 will take up a considerable amount of room in your case if you are considering it for your current or next build. Despite its larger footprint, though, AMD has managed to reduce the overall length and thickness over the RX 7900 GRE and measures in at 10.5 inches/267mm (L) x 4.4 inches/111mm (w) x 2 inches/50mm (t). While these are minor measurement improvements overall, it is nice to see AMD attempting to reduce the overall size of this generation of GPUs. It also houses 2 HDMI 2.1b and 2 DisplayPort 2.1a ports, making it ideal for advanced monitor setups.
The Gigabyte variant also includes three thread points on the side of the card, which could be used to support a mounting bracket to reduce the stress on the card when mounted in a traditional case configuration. I also appreciate the casing design’s overall aesthetic, which provides a clean profile to the GPU.
As for build quality, the outer casing gives the card a solid feel when handled. At no point during installation, for example, did I feel the need to be delicate while handling the card. The only part of the GPU to consider when installing is a clear sliding panel featuring the company’s logo. The idea is that it can be slid into place over the RGB light strip, which in turn illuminates the logo. Honestly, it seems unnecessary and acts as another potential point of failure that could be damaged during installation. I would have preferred a simple translucent logo over the RGB strip, as it would achieve the same result without the need for sliding parts.
“The dual-slot RX 9070 will take up a considerable amount of room in your case if you are considering it for your current or next build.”
Other than this minor critique, however, the Gigabyte RX 9070 is a solid-looking card. The clean black and grey design offers a sleek look, while the small RGB light strip accents the whole construction nicely. On the note of the RGB strip, as of the time of writing, Gigabyte Control Center (GCC) doesn’t recognize the card and, therefore, cannot control the RGB configuration. Overall, the Gigabyte RX 9070 is a sharp-looking and well-constructed card.
Technical Specifications
Diving into the hardware, AMD has been hard at work implementing some impressive new technology to keep it competitive with Nvidia. Looking at the spec sheet, the RX 9070 offers some solid hardware. It features 16GB RAM/20gbps, with a 256-bit memory bus. This translates to a memory bandwidth of 640 GB/s, which is a step up from the RX 7900 GRE, which performed at an effective bandwidth of 576 GB/S.
The RX 9070 also leverages PCI-e 5.0 x 16 along with the rest of the 9000 series, a first for AMD GPUs. This jump from previous generations is a welcome addition and aids in allowing the RX 9070 to take full advantage of the RDNA 4 architecture, the latest iteration of AMD’s RDNA (Radeon DNA). This latest iteration of RDNA boasts some impressive new features. Chief among them is a more efficient Compute Unit design.
The improved compute units (CU), which are the heart of GPU processing, have been redesigned to offer boosted memory subsystems and more efficient dynamic register allocation. This is a key element of the new CU design, as dynamic register allocation is a fundamental element of GPU efficiency. In layman’s terms, the dynamic register allocation handles real-time processing and determines during computation which GPU registers to use. The more efficient this system becomes, the more efficient the GPU becomes overall.
The result is a GPU that can perform more efficiently while also requiring a smaller CU count. While this has several beneficial factors, one of the more noteworthy ones is that the GPU requires less power overall while producing better frame rates. In the case of the RX 9070, for instance, the power draw is 220 W TDP vs the RX 7900 GRE, which requires 260 W TDP.
Another welcome update to AMD’s GPU lineup is the introduction of 3rd generation Raytracing Accelerators as part of the new RDNA 4 architecture. The biggest highlight over the previous generation is the inclusion of a second intersection engine that has essentially doubled the GPU’s performance for Ray/Box and Ray/Triangle testing. When coupled with the new dedicated ray transform block, which helps boost the performance of the hardware’s ray tracing efficiency, the result is a more efficient ray tracing performance. Essentially, you get a better ray tracing system overall without needing more aggressive hardware components.
We also see the introduction of 2nd generation AI Accelerators as part of the new RDNA 4 architecture. This newest iteration of AI acceleration once again creates a more efficient processing pipeline while showing a significant boost in overall performance uplift from the previous generation of AI accelerators. This translates into some impressive performance boosts in AI generation while creating a more efficient system overall.
Another noteworthy upgrade that comes with the RX 9070 is the new enhanced Media Engine. This latest version sees some impressive throughput increases in encoding, which aims to provide better streaming quality for content creators. With the introduction of RDNA 4, streams should see an overall image quality improvement over RDNA 3. This quality-of-life improvement is a welcome update to the existing system.
Performance Benchmarks
Benchmarking on any new card, pre-release, is always an interesting affair. While the numbers presented will be accurate for release, with time and driver updates, we are bound to see adjustments to these numbers. Another note is that from its marketing and considering price and specifications, the RX 9070 looks to be a direct competitor with Nvidia’s new RTX 5070. I’ve not had any hands-on time with the RTX 5070 at the time of writing (Thank you, Canadian Customs), and so many of these benchmarks will be in isolation to a point.
However, I do have benchmarks from the new RTX 5070 TI and RX 9070 XT, which will help give context to the numbers seen in these benchmarks. All benchmarks were performed on our bench rig. The system specs include an Intel Core Ultra 9 285k processor, 32GB DDR5 RAM, Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Elite WIFI7 ICE motherboard, Gigabyte Ultra Gold 850 PSU and a 2TB Samsung SSD 980 Pro. All tests were performed at Ultra (or equivalent settings), with secondary tests for frame generation and ray tracing also performed when applicable (noted in the charts).
The RX 9070 is a solid 1440p card with 4K potential with the right settings. Looking first at the 1080p benchmarks, the RX 9070 easily handles everything thrown at it. For the most part, this latest AMD GPU has no issues maintaining well above 60 FPS at Ultra settings. The performance boosts with Frame generation specifically were impressive, seeing some incredible jumps in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and F1 24. It’s worth noting as well that at the time of testing, FSR 4 isn’t fully implemented, so we can expect to see some improvements as the support is rolled out.
| 1080P Benchmark | RTX 5070 TI | RTX 4080 | RTX 4070 TI | RX 9070 XT | RX 9070 | RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 234.00 | 218.00 | 188.00 | 204.00 | 160.00 | 200.00 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider + Frame Generation | 304.00 | 266.00 | 243.00 | – | – | – |
| Returnal | 176.00 | 181.00 | 156.00 | 175.00 | 128.00 | 199.00 |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 207.00 | 224.00 | 197.00 | 224.00 | 155.00 | 209.00 |
| Watch Dogs Legion | 166.00 | 147.00 | 157.00 | 192.00 | 132.00 | 112.00 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra) | 180.24 | 200.88 | 153.18 | 189.00 | 166.20 | 194.58 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT | 91.62 | 99.06 | 70.03 | 82.19 | 54.39 | 65.53 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT + Frame Generation | 467.73 | 172.50 | 246.30 | 131.00 | 124.07 | 100.78 |
| F1 24 (Ultra Preset) | 222.00 | 220.00 | 186.00 | 184.00 | 133.00 | 172.00 |
| F1 24 + Frame Generation | 298.00 | 308.00 | 263.00 | 325.00 | 222.00 | 318.00 |
| Metro Exodus (Extreme) | 114.26 | 90.77 | 99.33 | 105.03 | 96.02 | 136.04 |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 78.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 40.00 | 38.00 | 25.00 |
| Black Myth: Wukong + Frame Generation | 119.00 | 117.00 | 95.00 | 79.00 | 70.00 | 49.00 |
Shifting to 1440p benchmarks, it’s clear that this is the sweet spot for the RX 9070. On all titles, the RX 9070 can easily produce above 60fps. While the Black Myth numbers might seem low, this test was intentionally done with cinematic settings engaged to see how far the card could be pushed. With the recommended settings applied, the numbers were consistently above 60 FPS.
Once again, frame generation adds a lot of value to the overall experience, almost doubling the FPS in titles like Cyberpunk and F1 24. These tests show the new RDNA 4 architecture at work, pushing some solid performance metrics.
| 1440P Benchmark | RTX 5070 TI | RTX 4080 | RTX 4070 TI | RX 9070 XT | RX 9070 | RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 160.00 | 159.00 | 129.00 | 145.00 | 157.00 | 144.00 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider + Frame Generation | 262.00 | 238.00 | 209.00 | – | – | – |
| Returnal | 138.00 | 141.00 | 119.00 | 136.00 | 114.00 | 155.00 |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 169.00 | 178.00 | 157.00 | 174.00 | 117.00 | 170.00 |
| Watch Dogs Legion | 132.00 | 128.00 | 120.00 | 153.00 | 117.00 | 79.00 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra) | 123.98 | 123.88 | 95.24 | 129.35 | 101.49 | 133.44 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT | 59.53 | 61.23 | 48.77 | 52.18 | 47.06 | 55.00 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT + Frame Generation | 310.92 | 135.72 | 177.39 | 105.95 | 92.34 | 83.45 |
| F1 24 (Ultra Preset) | 182.00 | 183.00 | 149.00 | 135.00 | 98.00 | 124.00 |
| F1 24 + Frame Generation | 241.00 | 241.00 | 202.00 | 257.00 | 162.00 | 219.00 |
| Metro Exodus (Extreme) | 80.95 | 141.84 | 69.32 | 81.71 | 66.02 | 104.41 |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 80.00 | 57.00 | 46.00 | 28.00 | 25.00 | 25.00 |
| Black Myth: Wukong + Frame Generation | 90.00 | 89.00 | 70.00 | 54.00 | 48.00 | 50.00 |
While the RX 9070 isn’t marketed as a 4K card, it can nonetheless produce some decent performance metrics. This, again, is a testament to the new FSR 4 technology, which manages to push even above 60 FPS on Cyberpunk with Ray Tracing flipped on. What’s more impressive is that, as mentioned, we have yet to see full support for FSR 4 across the gaming landscape, so it’s safe to say we will see improved performance with time out of the RX 9070.
| 4K Benchmark | RTX 5070 TI | RTX 4080 | RTX 5070 TI | RX 9070 XT | RX 9070 | RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 85.00 | 85.00 | 67.00 | 78.00 | 94.00 | 80.00 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider + Frame Generation | 172.00 | 168.00 | 136.00 | – | – | – |
| Returnal | 86.00 | 85.00 | 68.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 95.00 |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 112.00 | 108.00 | 91.00 | 107.00 | 73.00 | 108.00 |
| Watch Dogs Legion | 85.00 | 81.00 | 70.00 | 94.00 | 72.00 | 43.00 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra) | 58.93 | 56.00 | 40.96 | 61.24 | 51.05 | 63.56 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT | 29.49 | 29.90 | 20.60 | 25.36 | 21.01 | 20.08 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT + Frame Generation | 214.39 | 79.25 | 103.23 | 72.02 | 68.48 | 59.12 |
| F1 24 (Ultra Preset) | 117.00 | 120.00 | 94.00 | 76.00 | 57.00 | 67.00 |
| F1 24 + Frame Generation | 144.00 | 147.00 | 113.00 | 142.00 | 101.00 | 112.00 |
| Metro Exodus (Extreme) | 47.49 | 52.18 | 39.78 | 48.36 | 39.59 | 61.62 |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 31.00 | 31.00 | 30.00 | 13.00 | 12 | 8.00 |
| Black Myth: Wukong + Frame Generation | 53.00 | 52.00 | 40.00 | 25.00 | 25 | 16.00 |
Synthetic benchmarks are a bit of a different story, honestly. The RX 9070 performs well, leveraging its new AI Accelorators and architecture to push out some solid performance, but when compared to the RX 9070 XT and RTX 5070 TI, we have a mixed bag of results. For instance, in 3D Mark Time Spy results, the RX 9070 pushes ahead of the 5070 TI, whereas in Procyon PHI 3.5 tests, it trails behind the same GPU.
| Synthetic Benchmarks | RTX 5070 TI | RTX 4080 | RTX 4070 TI | RX 9070 XT | RX 9070 | RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D Mark Time Spy | 27897 | 28 418 | 22732 | 29563 | 26950 | 30 434 |
| 3D Mark Port Royal | 19190 | 17885 | 14184 | 18099 | 15936 | 16278 |
| Procyon PHI 3.5 | 4366 | 4285 | 2879 | 2083 | 1798 | 2298 |
| Procyon MISTRAL 7B | 4542 | 3957 | 2859 | 2155 | 1966.00 | 2426 |
| Procyon LLAMA 3.1 | 4330 | 3693 | 2783 | 1938 | 1729 | 2264 |
| Procyon LLAMA 2 | 2079 | 3912 | 1487 | 2274 | 1554 | 2567 |
From my understanding, this can be attributed mostly to how the benchmark interacts with the GPU’s processors and how resource allocation is handled during testing. There were also a couple of tests that didn’t support the RX 9070, making it difficult to get accurate results. All to say that these tests should be taken with a grain of salt, especially during pre-release benchmarking.
“The RX 9070 is a solid 1440p card with 4K potential with the right settings.”
So, looking at all of this, what should we conclude? The RX 9070 is a solid 1440p video card. It offers impressive performance at a competitive price of $549.99. The full rollout of RDNA 4 will only improve the overall value of the RX 9070 with time, and it’s a great mid-range option for gamers. However, when looking at the benchmark data in the context of the RX 9070 XT and RTX 5070 TI, there is a bit more to unpack.
Moving over to a comparison of the RTX 5070 TI and RX 9070 XT for a moment, there seems to be a diminishing return for price to performance. When comparing the RX 9070 XT ($599.99) to the RTX 5070 TI($749.99), performance and price differences make it hard to make a good argument for the RTX 5070 TI. With this in mind, it’s important to consider not only the performance difference between the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT but also the price difference.
With a price point difference of only $50, while the RX 9070 is a solid 1440p card, I would venture to suggest that considering the performance increase, the RX 9070 XT is the better purchase. Its increased performance offers a better long-term solution for gamers looking to get the most out of their rigs. However, if that price point difference is important to you, the RX 9070 is a solid mid-range option to consider, as it handles ray tracing and frame generation considerably well.
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is a solid mid-range GPU for 1440p gaming. It offers some nice improvements over the previous generation’s RX 7900 and is priced quite competitively. It offers some solid performance and could even be used as a 4K gaming card if you are comfortable being reliant on frame generation. While the RX 9070 XT does offer better performance for $50.00 more, the RX 9070 is still a solid 1440p card and worth considering.
