AMD has finally unveiled its highly anticipated RX 9000 series graphics cards, featuring the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. Launching on March 6th with prices set at $599 and $549 respectively, these GPUs aim to deliver high-end performance at a more accessible price point, potentially disrupting the mainstream GPU market. AMD emphasized the importance of this segment, citing internal research indicating that 85% of gamers purchase GPUs under $700, even as demand for higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K increases. This strategy positions the RX 9000 series to cater to gamers seeking a balance of performance, features like ray tracing, and affordability.
Competitive Pricing and Performance Targets
Priced similarly to the RTX 5070, the RX 9070 XT is projected to rival the RTX 5070 Ti in performance, a card currently priced significantly higher at $750 and often difficult to find at MSRP. This competitive positioning could make the RX 9070 XT a compelling alternative for gamers.
AMD RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 Specifications
RDNA 4 Architecture and Specifications
Months of speculation and leaks surrounding the RDNA 4 architecture proved largely accurate. The RX 9070 XT boasts 64 compute units (CUs), 64 hardware ray tracing (HW RT) accelerators, 128 AI accelerators, and a boost clock of 2.97GHz, leaving room for further overclocking. Both the RX 9070 XT and the RX 9070 feature 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 256-bit bus. While AMD opted for GDDR6 over the newer GDDR7 found in Nvidia’s RTX 50-series, the ample VRAM aims to offset any potential bandwidth limitations. The RX 9070 XT has a total board power (TBP) of 304 watts. The RX 9070, meanwhile, features 56 CUs, a 2.52GHz boost clock, and a lower TBP of 220 watts.
Performance Benchmarks and Comparisons
AMD RX 9070 Benchmark – Performance Comparison
While AMD showcased benchmarks comparing the RX 9000 series against the older RTX 3090, direct comparisons with the current-gen RTX 50-series were absent. However, AMD projects the RX 9070 XT to perform comparably to the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 4080, claiming up to 21% better performance-per-dollar than the RTX 5070 Ti. Furthermore, the RX 9070 is expected to deliver up to a 21% performance increase over the RX 7900 GRE at 4K resolution, while the RX 9070 XT promises up to a 42% improvement at 4K, alongside significant ray tracing enhancements.
RDNA 4 Enhancements: Ray Tracing, AI, and Efficiency
AMD RX 9070 XT Benchmark – Performance Gains at 4K
RDNA 4’s redesigned compute unit (CU) contributes to improved efficiency, higher clock speeds, and enhanced register allocation. Third-generation ray tracing accelerators offer double the throughput per CU, addressing AMD’s historical lag behind Nvidia in ray tracing performance. Second-generation AI accelerators promise up to 8x faster AI performance compared to RDNA 3. Built on a 4nm process, the RX 9000 series GPUs feature a die size of around 350mm2 and approximately 44 billion transistors. They also support PCIe 5.0, DisplayPort 2.1a, and HDMI 2.1b.
AMD RDNA 4 Architecture and Compute Unit
Availability and FSR 4
While AMD won’t be producing its own reference designs (MBA – Made By AMD), it pledges close collaboration with partners to ensure availability, particularly at MSRP. The RX 9000 series launch also coincides with the introduction of FSR 4, an RDNA 4-exclusive upscaling technology. While AMD has expressed interest in expanding FSR 4 compatibility to other architectures, the timeline remains uncertain.
