Buy the RX 9070 XT if the two cost about the same, which they often do right now: it's about 15% faster on average and has 16GB of video memory to the RTX 5070's 12GB. Buy the RTX 5070 if you rely on DLSS frame generation, play a lot of ray-traced games, stream with Nvidia's encoder, or need a card that draws less power.
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AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (16GB)
8.8Best for: 1440p gamers who want the most speed and memory for the money
Check price on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 5070 (12GB)
8.3Best for: Players who want DLSS, strong ray tracing, or Nvidia's streaming encoder
Check price on AmazonSide by side
| AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (16GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 (12GB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price seen (Oct 26, Tom's Hardware tracker) | $869 | $869 |
| Amazon price (Oct 31) | $919.99 (XFX Swift) | $909.99 (ASUS Prime) |
| Launch price | $599 | $549 |
| Average speed (PCWorld testing) | About 15% faster | Baseline |
| Video memory | 16GB GDDR6 | 12GB GDDR7 |
| Power draw | About 304W | About 250W |
| Upscaling and frame generation | FSR | DLSS 4 (wider game support) |
| Ray tracing | Good | Better |
Which one is faster?
In traditional (non-ray-traced) games, the RX 9070 XT wins. PCWorld's testing put it about 15% ahead of the RTX 5070 on average, and only 3 to 6% behind the much pricier RTX 5070 Ti.
Turn on heavy ray tracing and the gap closes or flips toward Nvidia, and DLSS frame generation can push the 5070's frame rates higher in games that support it.
Does the extra video memory matter?
More every year. New games use larger textures, and 12GB is already the minimum we'd recommend for 1440p at high settings. The 9070 XT's 16GB gives it more room before you have to lower settings, which matters if you keep a card for four or five years.
Should you buy either one right now?
Both cards cost far more than at launch because of the memory shortage, and prices are still rising. If you need a card soon, buy now rather than waiting for Black Friday. If you can wait, the cheaper RX 9070 is the better value today. Our full buy-now-or-wait guide covers the reasons and every price tier.
Verdict: At the same price, buy the RX 9070 XT for its speed and memory. Pick the RTX 5070 only if DLSS, ray tracing, streaming, or lower power draw matter more to you. Either way, don't pay much more than about $900. Our pick: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (16GB).