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For 1440p gaming, the Radeon RX 9070 has a small average lead in the cited benchmark suites, while the GeForce RTX 5070 can win in individual games and is the better fit if you prioritize NVIDIA’s DLSS 4.5 and Multi Frame Generation features. The RX 9070’s 16 GB of VRAM also gives it more capacity headroom than the RTX 5070’s 12 GB, especially for demanding textures and native 4K. Neither card is the automatic choice: compare your games, preferred graphics features, and the actual price of the specific models available where you live.
How much faster is the RX 9070 at 1440p?
In Tom’s Hardware’s 15-game raster geomean, the RX 9070 averaged 8.2% ahead of the RTX 5070 at 1440p. TechSpot’s 18-game, mostly raster suite found a smaller 4% RX 9070 lead at the same resolution. These are results from those publications’ test suites and setups, not a promise of the same gap in every game; benchmark results vary with game, settings, drivers, and test conditions. Tom’s Hardware’s comparison and TechSpot’s RX 9070 review provide the suite-specific context.
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GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5070 WINDFORCE OC SFF 12G Graphics Card, 12GB 192-bit GDDR7, PCIe 5.0,... | $1,000.53 | Buy on Amazon |
At 4K, Tom’s Hardware reported an 11% RX 9070 lead across its three geomeans. That average does not mean the RX 9070 wins every title: one game’s result can diverge sharply from a suite-wide average.
Individual games can reverse the result
In Tom’s Hardware’s comparison, the RTX 5070 led by 28.2% in Space Marine 2 at 1080p. At 4K, the RX 9070 led by 31.5% in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, 31.6% in The Last of Us Part I, and 41.4% in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. These are specific game-and-resolution results from that review, not universal performance claims. If you mostly play one or two games, check benchmarks for those titles rather than choosing by an overall average.
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#1 Best Overall
- Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
- Powered by GeForce RTX 5070
- Integrated with 12GB GDDR7 192bit memory interface
- PCIe 5.0
- NVIDIA SFF ready
How do they compare in ray tracing and upscaling?
Tom’s Hardware’s 1440p ray-tracing geomean showed the RX 9070 just 0.23% ahead, effectively a near tie in that suite’s average. The small average difference should not be read as identical performance in every ray-traced game or preset. Tom’s Hardware’s 2026 GPU buying guide favors the RTX 5070 for its higher measured baseline ray-tracing performance and NVIDIA’s DLSS 4.5 and Multi Frame Generation options; the recommendation reflects its assessment of those features as well as native performance. Tom’s Hardware’s 2026 guide discusses that preference.
AMD’s FSR 4 ecosystem and NVIDIA’s DLSS features are not interchangeable guarantees of the same image quality, game support, or latency. Before buying, check whether the games you play support the specific upscaling and frame-generation features you want, and whether you prefer to use them. Compare like with like: native rendering results should not be mixed with results using upscaling or frame generation enabled.
Does the RX 9070’s extra VRAM matter?
The RX 9070 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory; the RTX 5070 has 12 GB of GDDR7. More capacity can provide headroom when a game, resolution, or texture setting uses more memory, making the RX 9070 the more comfortable option for users pushing high-resolution textures or native 4K. Capacity alone does not guarantee higher frame rates: performance still depends on the game and the rest of the GPU.
Memory bandwidth is a separate specification from capacity. AMD lists the RX 9070 with a 256-bit interface and memory speed up to 20 Gbps. Tom’s Hardware lists bandwidth of 640 GB/s for the RX 9070 and 672 GB/s for the RTX 5070. Those bandwidth figures do not cancel out the difference in capacity, nor do they by themselves determine which card is faster in a particular game. See AMD’s RX 9070 specifications and Tom’s Hardware’s RX 9070 review and specifications.
What do they cost, and which is better value?
Both cards launched at a $549 MSRP in 2025, but launch pricing is not a reliable guide to what you will pay now. A UK snapshot on PC Gamer’s price-watch page dated October 1, 2026 listed RX 9070 models at £589.98 and RTX 5070 listings at £609.99 and £649.99. Those are retailer-specific listings from that date, not a UK market average or a current guarantee. PC Gamer’s price watch is the source for that dated snapshot; Tom’s Hardware’s RTX 5070 review and its RX 9070 review report the launch context.
For a useful value comparison, check the checkout price of the exact board, including shipping and tax, and consider its cooler, noise, warranty, seller, stock, and return terms. A modest price difference may be worthwhile if one card better matches your game library or memory needs; a large premium is harder to justify from suite averages alone. Prices and availability vary by region and individual model, so there is no universal winner on value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Power use and PSU considerations
AMD rates the RX 9070 at 220 W typical board power and recommends a minimum 650 W power supply. Tom’s Hardware lists the RTX 5070 at 250 W board power. These are specifications, not measurements of total system consumption. In TechSpot’s testing, the RX 9070 used anywhere from a few extra watts to as much as 20% more power than the RTX 5070 depending on the game. That variation is why a single board-power figure should not be treated as a prediction of whole-PC draw. Check the specific card maker’s PSU guidance and account for the rest of your system. The official figures are on AMD’s specification page; TechSpot’s comparison is in its RX 9070 review.
Quick Recap
Which card should you choose?
- Choose the RX 9070 for raster-first 1440p value if it is competitively priced where you live: it led modestly in both cited 1440p raster suites, though the size of the lead depends on the games tested.
- Lean toward the RX 9070 for VRAM headroom if you care about high-resolution textures or intend to play at native 4K; its 16 GB capacity exceeds the RTX 5070’s 12 GB.
- Choose the RTX 5070 if NVIDIA’s feature set is the priority and your games support the DLSS 4.5 or Multi Frame Generation features you want to use. Tom’s Hardware’s 2026 guide also favors it for baseline ray tracing.
- For a specific game, use that game’s benchmarks at your target resolution and settings. The large title-to-title swings in Tom’s Hardware’s comparison show why the average alone can mislead.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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