AMD finally unveiled its new RDNA 4 GPUs in an official presentation on February 28, which arrived full of performance and pricing metrics.
I won't lie. I was worried that AMD would bungle the RDNA 4 announcement, whether with unrealistic pricing, poor performance, or lackluster FSR 4 improvements.
The standout news from AMD, at least for me, is that the RX 9070 XT performs at roughly the same level as the RTX 5070 Ti, dropping 2% at 4K ultra settings.
That is, of course, raw performance without FSR 4 or DLSS 4 upscaling techniques involved.
So, did AMD hang itself once again with uncompetitive pricing? Quite the opposite.
The RX 9070 XT is confirmed to have a $599 MSRP. That's $150 less than the RTX 5070 Ti's MSRP, which in itself is more of a dream than a reality.
With NVIDIA's RTX 5070 Ti approaching $1,000 on the open market — that's without considering scalpers' prices — AMD's opportunity to seize a larger portion of the GPU market share has never been better.
AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs — including the RX 9070 XT and its more affordable $549 RX 9070 sibling — are set to launch on March 6 with "wide availability."
If that claim holds, I'll be one of the first to pick up what AMD calls "the world's best graphics card under $600." Here's why.
AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs reinvigorate the mid-range market
Many people, including myself, want a reasonably priced mid-range GPU that can handle modern gaming demands.
However, NVIDIA's RTX 5000 "Blackwell" generation effectively decimated the mid-range GPU market despite launching with a mid-range MSRP.
A combination of severe stock shortages, high third-party prices, and scalpers has caused the RTX 5070 Ti to approach $1,000 despite the $749 MSRP, putting it out of reach of many PC gamers.
There is still, of course, the $599 RTX 5070 that's expected to launch on March 6 following a delay. Will it be more readily available? No one knows.
The same can be said for the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 that are set to launch on March 5; will there be plenty of stock to sell?
Considering there have been rumors of retailers receiving RDNA 4 GPUs to sell as far back as December 2024 — as well as AMD's claims of "wide availability" in its RDNA 4 presentation — it's looking good.
Having two more next-gen GPUs sitting in the mid-range tier is nothing but a positive for PC enthusiasts, and NVIDIA has received the competition it so desperately needs.
The 9070 XT's raw performance roughly matches that of NVIDIA's RTX 5070 Ti, and that's despite a $150 price difference. As AMD points out, that's a 23% better performance-per-dollar ratio.
If you've been waiting for a mid-range GPU to slot into your gaming PC, the RX 9070 XT appears to be the new superstar.
NVIDIA is still the best for ray tracing, but AMD is no longer as far behind
I'm not someone who needs to have ray tracing enabled in everything I play, and I know I'm not the only one.
As it stands now, I'm happy with a GPU that can meet ray tracing requirements in games where it's not an option to turn off. The RX 9070 XT appears to meet those demands.
AMD's ray tracing performance continues to lag behind NVIDIA's capabilities, but it's clear that AMD wasn't sitting back and ignoring the tech in between RDNA 3 and RDNA 4 architectures.
AMD shared some 4K RT performance metrics in its presentation, putting the 9070 XT lower than all but two games — Spider-Man 2 and Far Cry 6 — compared to the 5070 Ti.
Compared to the last-gen RX 7900 GRE, on the other hand, the RX 9070 XT offers up to 66% better ray tracing performance at 4K ultra settings.
At 1440p, the resolution I use to game, the numbers look even better, with the 9070 XT offering up to 68% improved ray tracing performance compared to the 7900 GRE.
I'm eager to see real-world RT results once RDNA 4 reviews go live, but I don't foresee there being enough of a discrepancy between AMD's claims and reviewer results to scrap my buying plans.
FSR 4 is the generational change I was hoping for
FidelityFX Super Resoltution (FSR) is AMD's answer to NVIDIA DLSS, and it's about to receive the most significant upgrade in its history.
AMD made the switch to machine learning for FSR 4 — older FSR versions use spatial algorithms — bringing it more in line with NVIDIA's DLSS that has, from the start, used AI to upscale.
In tandem with RDNA 4's improved hardware, FSR 4 appears to be the generational improvement I was hoping for.
With FSR 4 enabled on the RX 9070 XT, AMD claims up to 4.4x better performance at a 4K resolution.
In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, for example, frame rates jump from 43 FPS to 191 FPS with FSR 4 enabled. Spider-Man 2 is almost as good, jumping 4x from 48 FPS to 192 FPS at 4K.
Even the newly-released Monster Hunter Wilds picks up a 3.5x improvement with FSR 4, going from 42 FPS to 147 FPS at 4K.
As discovered by Hardware Unboxed shortly after AMD's pulled CES 2025 presentation, FSR 4 isn't just about boosting frame rates.
FSR 3.1 notably struggles with small but high-quality details, especially as you raise the resolution. That issue appears to have been smoothed out with FSR 4.
Quality frames and lots of 'em? I'm sold, even if DLSS 4 remains the premier upscaling technology.
NVIDIA finally gets some real competition
AMD's RX 9070 XT reveal couldn't come at a better time despite nearly a two-month delay.
In that time, I've gone from being enthused about the RTX 5070 to firmly siding with AMD regarding my next PC upgrade. The jump from an RX 6800 to an RX 9070 XT will be a massive change, and it'll pair well with my Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.
NVIDIA has been busy harming itself since the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launched on January 30, and there are plenty of good reasons why you shouldn't buy an RTX 5000 GPU.
From melting RTX 5090 power cables to missing ROPs in all RTX 5000 cards to outrageous prices and unavailable hardware, NVIDIA has undoubtedly tarnished its reputation in the eyes of many PC gamers.
While Team Green continues to offer the most powerful GPUs on the market, AMD's re-entry with RDNA 4 is shaping up to be a massive win for anyone who wants to spend around $600.
Are you on board for the RX 9070 XT? Let me know in the comments section!
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