While the Radeon RX 9070 XT is undoubtedly the star of AMD’s mid-range lineup, its sibling, the RX 9070, should not be overlooked. Priced 60 euros cheaper, it directly competes with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070.
The competition in the mid-range market is fierce as models continue to become more powerful, now offering 4K gaming and ray tracing capabilities. In this environment, does the RX 9070 manage to carve out a niche for itself? Find out in our review.
Technical Specifications
| Model | AMD Radeon RX 9070 |
|---|---|
| Maximum Supported Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels |
| Chip Name | Navi 48 XL |
| Architecture | RDNA 4 |
| Base Frequency | 2.07 GHz |
| Stream Processors | 3584 |
| Ray-tracing | Yes |
| Video Memory Quantity | 16 GB |
| Memory Interface | 256 bits |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 |
| Manufacturing Process | 4 nm |
| Outputs | HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1a |
| Power Connectors | 2 x 8-pin PCIe |
| Technology | AMD FreeSync |
| Drivers | Driver Link |
| Color | Grey |
| Power Consumption | 220 Watts |
| Recommended Power Supply | 650 Watts |
| Product Sheet |
The Radeon RX 9070 positions itself as a slightly cheaper alternative to the RX 9070 XT, with a price difference of about 60 euros and a performance gap that seems significant on paper.
The RX 9070 XT boasts over 14% more compute units and stream processors compared to the RX 9070, with frequencies that are nearly 18% higher.
However, the power consumption between the two cards is markedly different, with a Total Board Power (TBP) of 220W for the RX 9070, versus 304W for the RX 9070 XT.
It remains to be assessed whether the price difference mirrors the performance gap between the two GPUs. Having been impressed by the RX 9070 XT in several aspects, it’s worth considering whether the existence of the RX 9070 is justified.
This model was provided by Sapphire for the purpose of this review.
Test Configuration
- Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X870-PLUS WIFI (bios 0830)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (5.2 GHz, 8 cores, 16 threads)
- Cooling: Corsair iCUE LINK TITAN 360 RX RGB AIO
- Memory: 32 GB of DDR5 RAM at 6000 MHz (Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB)
- SSD: Samsung 990 PRO PCIe 4.0 NVMe
- Power Supply: Corsair HX1500i 1500W
- Case: NZXT H7 Flow
- Software: Windows 11 24H2 (with AMD Software Adrenalin Edition 24.30.31.03 drivers)
Design
The Sapphire Pulse line adheres to the factory specifications of various GPUs and thus features a more basic design compared to the overclocked models. This model is no exception, with a chassis that is more understated than the Nitro+ models.
This version includes two fans that expel air both upwards and towards the back of the case, thanks to an air outlet above the connectors.
Sapphire maintains the “box” design of its Radeon GPUs with a visible heat sink at various points, except where it is concealed by the backplate on the top part of the graphics card.
It’s a design that opts for simplicity, lacking any RGB lighting but still retaining a “gamer” look characteristic of the brand.
Gaming Performance
Like the Radeon RX 9070 XT, the RX 9070 is a versatile graphics card. Nowadays, a graphics card in the 600 euro price range is dedicated to 1440p gaming. However, thanks to advancements in upscaling technologies like Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR, these models also promise comfortable gaming in 4K.
We will test the card in both resolutions, in both rasterization and ray tracing.
Synthetic Benchmarks
Initial synthetic tests provide a first glimpse at how this Radeon RX 9070 stacks up against the competition.
In rasterization on 3D Mark’s Steel Nomad test, the RX 9070 surpasses both the RTX 4070 Ti Super and the RTX 4070, positioning itself just behind an RTX 5070 Ti.
In the 3D Mark Speed Way test for ray tracing, it is neck and neck with Nvidia’s RTX 5070 and just above an RTX 4070 Super.
Let’s now see how these differences translate into actual gaming performance.
Rasterization
AMD has always excelled at rasterization, and this is confirmed with the RX 9070 XT. In 1440p and 4K, the card delivers performance that is 10% better than Nvidia’s RTX 5070 across a range of 8 games. It also slightly outperforms the RTX 4070 Ti Super and nearly matches the RX 7900 XT.
In 4K, the card achieves 50 FPS without upscaling in most games (e.g., Cyberpunk 2077, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, A Plague Tale: Tale Requiem), but still struggles with more demanding titles like Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth Wukong.
These are promising figures, but they remain more than 15% lower than the RX 9070 XT across both resolutions in our various tests. For a price that is 8% cheaper, the value proposition might not always be clear. However, AMD does manage to surpass its direct competitor at Nvidia.
Ray Tracing
Unsurprisingly, ray tracing performance is less impressive. The RX 9070 can be up to 22% less performant in games utilizing this technology compared to its direct competitor, the RTX 4070. Here, games that employ path tracing (Alan Wake 2, Black Myth Wukong) continue to challenge AMD.
However, we observed greater robustness in 4K, particularly on Cyberpunk 2077, which is nearly 5% smoother on the RX 9070 compared to the Nvidia model.
The gap widens even further with the RTX 4070 Ti Super, with the Radeon being 33% less performant on average, with the largest discrepancies observed in 4K.
Compared to the RX 9070 XT, the differences are even more significant: the RX 9070 is nearly 22% less performant in ray tracing across the two resolutions tested. Ouch.
Creative Performance
In creative applications, AMD still lags behind Nvidia but remains a solid option. We first tested the card using the UL Procyon benchmark tool, which assesses performance on Adobe Premiere Pro.
The RX 9070 is not far behind its bigger sibling, the 9070 XT, delivering slightly superior processing and rendering performance compared to a GeForce RTX 4080.
In the 3D creation software Blender, AMD still trails significantly behind Nvidia, with the RX 9070 performing on par with a 4060 Ti.
Power Consumption and Temperatures
The Radeon RX 9070 consumes significantly less than its bigger sibling, the RX 9070 XT, with a measured TGP of 220W (compared to 304W for the XT version).
The combination of power consumption and temperature remains roughly the same regardless of the resolution and whether FSR is activated in 4K.
| Mode | Max Consumption | Max Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| 4K raster | 220 W | 69°C |
| 4K ray tracing | 220 W | 69°C |
| 4K FSR4 (Performance) | 220 W | 69°C |
| 4K FSR4 (Performance) + Frame Gen | 221 W | 70°C |
Price and Availability
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is priced at a recommended 629 euros, 60 euros cheaper than the RX 9070 XT at 690 euros.
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Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.
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