The third GPU from Nvidia’s RTX 50 series lineup (in order of release), the RTX 5070 Ti, is out now. However, so far, reviews have been mostly in the ‘it’s okay’ range. The general verdict from many reviewers is that if you already own an RTX 4070 Ti Super or RTX 4080, AI upscaling alone isn’t a compelling enough reason to upgrade, and you aren’t missing out on much. But if you’re upgrading from a 30-series card, it could be worth a buy, but only if it can be bought at MSRP.

For some, the RTX 5070 Ti is an “absurdity.” Gamers Nexus, for example, has outright told its 2.4 million subscribers, “Do not buy” the RTX 5070 Ti. And with more reviews coming in, it's becoming increasingly clear that the RTX 50 series isn’t delivering the generational leap many had hoped for. Instead, it feels more like a refresh of the last generation with some shinier AI stickers added on top.

RTX 5070 Ti outperformed by RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX

According to gaming benchmarks across 25 games shared by TechPowerUp, the RTX 5070 Ti averages 184 FPS at 1080p, while the RTX 4080 leads slightly with 187 FPS. Increasing the resolution to 1440p drops the FPS to 141 for the 5070 Ti, while the 4080 manages slightly more at 143 FPS. The most interesting result comes at 4K, where the RTX 5070 Ti surprisingly takes the lead, delivering an average of 85 FPS, with the 4080 just behind at 84 FPS. Regardless, it’s clear who the winner is here.

However, the 5070 Ti isn’t just being outperformed by last-gen Nvidia GPUs. It also falls behind AMD's popular RX 7900 XTX, with another benchmark chart showing the 7900 XTX leading by 2% in FPS over Nvidia's new 50-series card. That being said, the 5070 Ti is clearly more powerful than the RTX 4070 Ti, as Nvidia marketed it, but the fact that hardware-based rendering remains very similar to the previous generation puts the 50 series in a strange position.

Generations of old would see massive gains in between series, but we’re not seeing that anymore from Nvidia. Instead, this feels more like a refresh akin to the Super cards we got last year. Sure, with help from AI boosts such as the 50-series-locked Multi Frame Generation, the 5070 Ti can run away with it, but many people want to see better rasterization gains before they commit to upgrading to next-gen hardware.

Better to stick with your 40 series GPU

The RTX 4080 has an MSRP of $999, while the RTX 5070 Ti is said to start at $749. You wouldn’t be wrong about the first part, but the second one is another story. As we saw with the RTX 5090 and 5080, stock shortages led to prices soaring to three times the MSRP. With the RTX 5070 Ti also said to have “very limited availability,” finding one at that price will be a miracle. In fact, at the time of writing, the GPU has already gone “out of stock” moments after going live.

This means that if you plan on getting an RTX 5070 Ti, you’re likely looking at prices around $900, with some listings even pushing it to $1,000. For that price, last-gen options offer better performance. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but many are suggesting that those eager to upgrade should wait for the Red Team’s next-gen RDNA 4 GPUs. If AMD avoids supply issues and pricing fiascos with its RX 9070 series, this could be the perfect time to go Red.

About the Author

Hassam Nasir

Hassam boasts over seven years of professional experience as a dedicated PC hardware reviewer and writer.