RX 9070 XT vs RTX 4090 spec and performance comparison – how do they compare?
Table of Contents
Since AMD has taken a step back from producing high-end GPUs, the RX 7900 XTX is the last “high-end” GPU. However, after we reviewed the RX 9070 XT, we saw that it can compete with the 7900 XTX despite being a “mid-range” graphics card. So, the question is: will the RX 9070 XT be able to trade blows with the RTX 4090 like how the 7900 XTX, or will the RTX 40-series flagship reign supreme?
In our RTX 4090 review, it blew past anything we put in front of it and showcased what a flagship GPU is capable of. Even better, the RTX 40-series GPUs will get DLSS 4, further increasing their performance and value. While the RX 9070 XT has FSR 4 to counter that, its specifications clearly show that it is at a severe disadvantage. While the RX 9070 XT has significantly better value for money, it is still a mid-range GPU that can push good frames at 4K and improve the synthetic output compared to the previous generation; so, let’s see how these graphics cards stack against each other.
RX 9070 XT vs. RTX 4090 specs comparison
Here’s a quick look at how these two cards stack up side-by-side.
| Specifications | RX 9070 XT | RTX 4090 |
| Compute units/CUDA cores | 64 (4096) | 128 (16384) |
| RT Accelerators | 64 | 128 |
| AI Accelerators | 128 | 512 |
| Peak AI TOPS | 1557 | 1321.2 / 2642.42 |
| Boost clock speed | 2.97 GHz | 2.5 GHZ |
| Memory | 16GB | 24GB GDDR6X |
| TDP | 304W | 450W |
| Connectivity | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Display | DisplayPort 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b | DisplayPort 1.4a, HDMI 2.1 |
Performance comparison
The RTX 4090 has the RX 9070 XT outclassed every domain, but we'll compare the major components in depth to explore the difference.
RX 9070 XT vs. RTX 4090 4K performance
The RTX 4090 was the world’s most powerful GPU before the RTX 5090, so going up against it is no easy task. However, the RX 9070 XT has also proved itself by delivering excellent 4K gaming performance, so let’s see how far apart these GPUs really are. We’ll take the gaming results of Cyberpunk 2077, Counter-Strike, and Doom.
ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT OC Cyberpunk 2077, Image by PC Guide
RTX 4090 Cyberpunk 2077 4K performance
In Cyberpunk 2077, the RX 9070 XT delivered 61 FPS while the RTX 4090 managed 74 FPS, which is 19% better performance than the former. On the other hand, in Counter-Strike, the distance between them grew as the 9070 XT churned out 110 FPS, which paled in comparison to the 377 FPS that the 4090 delivered (109% performance difference).
However, in Doom, the RX 9070 XT managed 228 FPS, while the RTX 4090 ran the title with a maximum of 285 FPS. This is a 22% performance difference, and while the RTX 4090 has much better output at 4K, we can’t deny that AMD has come a long way, as the performance delivered by the RX 9070 XT is truly outstanding for a mid-range GPU.
RX 9070 XT vs. RTX 4090 1440p performance
Since the RX 9070 XT is a mid-range GPU, 1440p is more suited for it, and in Cyberpunk 2077, we saw it decreasing the performance gap from 19% to 4.5% as it delivered 129 FPS compared to the RTX 4090, which managed 135 FPS. We had a similar situation with Doom as the RX 9070 XT and RTX 4090 delivered 387 and 421 FPS, respectively, which puts the difference between them around 8.4%.
In Counter-Strike, however, the difference grew close, but it was still one-sided in favor of the 4090 as it managed 596 FPS while the champion from Team Red peaked at 213 frames per second. That being said, the overall performance of the RX 9070 XT is simply incredible, seeing how much it was able to bridge the gap between it and a flagship graphics card.
RX 9070 XT vs. RTX 4090 synthetic performance
Judging by the gaming performance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that the RTX 4090 is also much better than the RX 9070 XT in synthetic testing, but let’s see what these graphics cards churned out. We’ll use the results of Time Spy Extreme and Port Royal as they are the mutual tests between them. The first test gauges a GPU’s ability to render 4K frames, while Port Royal tests the ray tracing output.
ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT OC 3DMark, Image by PC Guide
RTX 4090 3DMark benchmark
In Time Spy Extreme, we got 14,275 and 18,940 points from the 9070 XT and 4090, respectively, which means the latter is 28% better at rendering 4K frames, which isn’t surprising given that it is a flagship GPU. On the other hand, in Port Royal, the RX 9070 XT delivered 18,086, which is more than what the RX 7900 XTX could manage, but the 4090 easily outperformed it by churning out 25,132. This is a 32% difference in RT output, but once again, AMD has come a long way in its ray tracing technology, and going up against the best the RTX 40-series lineup has to offer isn’t an easy task.
Design differences
Memory
The RTX 4090 has 24GB GDDR6X VRAM, while the RX 9070 XT has 16GB VRAM. So, the RTX 40-series flagship has 8GB more to work with, meaning it can process more data than the RX 9070 XT, which should give it significantly better performance in gaming and professional workflows.
While that doesn't mean the RX 9070 XT is a dud, it has decent performance according to its hardware and price point, but going against the RTX 4090 isn't something it was built for.
Cores
The RX 9070 XT has 64 CU, which gives it a Stream Processor count of 4096, which is lesser than what the 7900 XT has, but the RDNA 4 architecture could mean more efficiency and performance for these cores, enabling them to compete with the last-gen high-end GPUs.
Comparatively, the RTX 4090 has 16,384 CUDA cores, and the RX 7900 XTX has 6,144 Stream Processors. The more cores there are, the more data can be processed efficiently and at speed, meaning the RTX 4090 also takes the victory in this domain.
Besides that, the RX 9070 XT has 128 AI accelerators, giving it a 1557 peak AI TOPS (INT4). On the other hand, the RTX 4090 has 512 Tensor Cores, which are responsible for its AI performance, and it has a 2642.42 peak AI TOPs, which is significantly better than the RX 9070 XT. So, whether it is training AI models or tackling other AI tasks, the RTX 4090 is the better GPU for that.
Pricing
There is a massive difference in the pricing of these GPUs. The RTX 4090 was launched with a $1,999 MSRP, while the RX 9070 XT has a $599 price tag. That being said, to get an RTX 4090, you’ll have to spend upwards of $2,000, and some options will set you back by $3,000. We found this MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio on Amazon for $3,498.00, which is just absurd, and you can get a high-end prebuilt gaming PC for this amount.
So, we don’t recommend going for that, and it’d be better to get the RTX 5080 as it managed to go toe-to-toe with the RTX 4090 in our RTX 5080 review. That being said, you’ll still have to spend more than $1,000 on a high-end GPU, and comparatively, the RX 9070 XT is a much lighter option in your pocket and delivers excellent results at 1440p and 4K.
Verdict
It doesn't come as a surprise that the RTX 4090 is a better card than the RX 9070 XT because these GPUs are built for different purposes and target audiences and vary a lot in price.
The RTX 4090 can cost upwards of $2,000, while the RX 9070 XT costs less than $1,000, which is also reflected by their performance. However, if you're looking for a good alternative to the RTX 4090, we recommend you check out the RTX 5080, as we've tested and reviewed it, and it went neck and neck with the RTX 4090 and also costs less.
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