A tuned PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil reached approximately 66 fps at 4K Ultra in Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing and path tracing disabled, narrowly beating a stock GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition at about 65 fps. The result is genuine, but it is a single, highly specific rasterized benchmark—not proof that every RX 9070 XT is faster than every RTX 5080.
The result: 66 fps versus 65 fps
The comparison, reported from Der8auer’s testing and covered by Tom’s Hardware, used Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with the Ultra preset. Ray tracing and path tracing were disabled.
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| Configuration | Average performance | Reported low |
|---|---|---|
| RX 9070 XT stock | Approximately 60 fps | Approximately 49 fps |
| RX 9070 XT tuned | Approximately 66 fps | Approximately 53 fps |
| RTX 5080 Founders Edition stock | Approximately 65 fps | Not specified in the cited report |
The tuned Radeon therefore gained roughly 10% over its own stock result and led the stock RTX 5080 by approximately 1 fps, or about 1.5%. “Edges past” is a more accurate description than “destroys” or “crushes.”
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThis was not a simple low-power undervolt
The winning profile combined a voltage reduction with a higher power ceiling:
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- Powered by Radeon RX 9070 XT
- WINDFORCE Cooling System
- Hawk Fan
- Server-grade Thermal Conductive Gel
- RGB Lighting
- Power target: approximately 110%
- Voltage offset: approximately −170 mV
- Observed GPU clock: approximately 3.36 GHz
- Maximum board power: approximately 358 W
The card reportedly ran at around 2.90 GHz in the stock test. By lowering the voltage-frequency curve while increasing the permitted power draw, the tuned card could sustain a substantially higher clock. This is best described as an aggressive undervolt-plus-power-limit overclock, not a pure efficiency undervolt.
Although undervolting can reduce the voltage required for a target frequency, raising the power target can increase total consumption, heat output and noise. The approximately 358 W maximum reported for the tuned card is well above AMD’s official 304 W total board power specification for the RX 9070 XT.
Why the PowerColor Red Devil matters
The tested Radeon was a PowerColor RX 9070 XT Red Devil, a premium factory-overclocked model with a substantial cooler and high-end board design. Those characteristics are important to the result. A strong cooler can keep temperatures and hotspot readings under control, while a capable power design and permissive BIOS can give the GPU more room to sustain high clocks.
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That does not mean every RX 9070 XT can reach 3.3–3.4 GHz or reproduce 66 fps. Results vary with:
- GPU silicon quality
- Cooler capacity and case airflow
- BIOS power limits
- Voltage-frequency behavior
- Driver and game versions
- Temperature, noise and power limits
A cheaper or reference-clocked model may stabilize at a lower clock, require a less aggressive voltage setting or become too loud when pushed toward the same power level.
The biggest limitation: ray tracing and path tracing were off
The benchmark does not represent every form of Cyberpunk 2077 performance. The result was achieved with both ray tracing and path tracing disabled, so it primarily measures conventional rasterized rendering.
That distinction matters because Cyberpunk 2077 is also a showcase for ray tracing, path tracing, upscaling and frame-generation technologies. Nvidia’s RTX 5080 positioning emphasizes fourth-generation ray-tracing hardware, DLSS 4, Multi Frame Generation and path-tracing features. Those are separate comparisons from native 4K rasterization; enabling them can change the balance considerably.
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- Axial-tech fans now feature a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure
- Phase-change GPU thermal pad helps ensure optimal heat transfer, lowering GPU temperatures for enhanced performance and reliability
- 2.5-slot design allows for greater build compatibility while maintaining cooling performance
- Dual-ball fan bearings last up to twice as long as standard conventional sleeve bearings designs
- 0dB technology lets you enjoy light gaming in relative silence
The reported result therefore cannot establish that the RX 9070 XT is faster in:
- RT Ultra or Overdrive mode
- Native-resolution ray-traced workloads
- DLSS versus FSR comparisons
- DLSS Frame Generation or Multi Frame Generation
- Ray Reconstruction workloads
- A broad modern game suite
Independent testing has described the RX 9070 series as a major improvement for AMD in Cyberpunk 2077 while still showing a mixed picture in ray-traced workloads. The rendering mode must be stated before the two GPUs can be meaningfully compared.
Stock versus tuned is not the same as tuned versus tuned
The RTX 5080 used in the reported comparison was a stock Founders Edition. The RX 9070 XT was manually tuned. That makes the result a valid demonstration of what an enthusiast can achieve with a strong Radeon sample, but it is not a maximum-performance comparison between both GPU families.
A more controlled enthusiast comparison would include:
- Stock RX 9070 XT versus stock RTX 5080
- Tuned RX 9070 XT versus tuned RTX 5080
- Equalized power limits
- Several RX 9070 XT partner cards
- Raster, ray-tracing and path-tracing settings
- Average fps, 1% lows and frame-time consistency
A tuned RTX 5080 could also recover the lead; that is a reasonable methodological inference, not a measured result from the cited test. The comparison involves one sample of each card, even though both GPUs were tested on the same Der8auer platform.
Memory overclocking can make performance worse
The reported testing also found that increasing VRAM speed produced higher displayed clock speeds but worse in-game performance. The explanation offered was that memory error correction was retrying failed operations.
This is a useful warning for GPU tuning: the highest number shown by a monitoring overlay is not automatically the fastest setting. Validate each change with completed game benchmarks, frame-time behavior, visual quality, crashes and error behavior. A synthetic benchmark win is not enough if the real game loses performance or becomes unstable.
Rank #3
- OC mode (GPU Tweak III) up to 3030 MHz (Boost Clock) / up to 2480 MHz (Game Clock)
- Axial-tech fans now feature a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure
- Phase-change GPU thermal pad helps ensure optimal heat transfer, lowering GPU temperatures for enhanced performance and reliability
- 2.5-slot design allows for greater build compatibility while maintaining cooling performance
- Dual-ball fan bearings last up to twice as long as standard conventional sleeve bearings designs
What the result means for buyers
AMD lists the RX 9070 XT with 16 GB of GDDR6, a 256-bit memory interface, up to 640 GB/s of memory bandwidth and a 304 W total board power rating. Its launch SEP was $599. Nvidia launched the RTX 5080 at $999 with 16 GB of GDDR7 and a 256-bit memory interface. Those are launch figures, not a statement of current retail pricing or availability.
| Buyer profile | More suitable direction | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Raster-focused 1440p or 4K gamer | RX 9070 XT | Strong conventional rendering performance, 16 GB of VRAM and tuning potential. |
| Ray-tracing or path-tracing enthusiast | RTX 5080 | Nvidia’s hardware and software feature set is central to this workload. |
| GPU-tuning enthusiast | Premium RX 9070 XT partner card | The tested Red Devil demonstrates substantial headroom, though results are not guaranteed. |
| Quiet, hands-off PC builder | Compare stock results | A high-power manual tune may increase heat, noise and troubleshooting. |
| Creator or CUDA-dependent software user | RTX 5080 | Application support can matter more than one gaming benchmark. |
The RX 9070 XT can be the better value for a raster-focused buyer if its actual street price is meaningfully lower. Do not assume the original $599 versus $999 launch gap still describes the market, particularly because pricing, stock and newer products can change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A safer way to tune an RX 9070 XT
The reported −170 mV setting should not be copied as a universal preset. The same testing reportedly found that approximately −200 mV crashed during 3DMark, while −170 mV was stable for that particular sample and workload.
- Record stock performance in the exact game scene, resolution, preset and rendering mode you plan to use.
- Install an appropriate current AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition driver.
- Save or note the stock tuning profile.
- Change one setting at a time.
- Begin with a modest voltage reduction rather than jumping to −170 mV.
- Test the game and a repeatable benchmark after each change.
- Monitor average fps, 1% lows, clock behavior, power draw, GPU temperature and hotspot temperature.
- Increase the power target only when the goal is performance and the extra heat, power and noise are acceptable.
- Stop when performance falls, instability appears or the system becomes unacceptably loud or hot.
Stability should be checked in the games you actually play. Driver resets, crashes, benchmark failures, visual artifacts and inconsistent frame times are all reasons to back off. A setting that completes one short benchmark is not automatically suitable for daily gaming.
Recovery if the tune becomes unstable
- Use Adrenalin’s tuning reset option.
- Reboot after a persistent driver timeout.
- Restore the power limit before troubleshooting voltage behavior.
- If Windows or Adrenalin will not operate normally, use Windows Safe Mode and AMD’s driver cleanup or reinstallation process.
- Retest at defaults before changing settings again.
AMD release notes have documented Cyberpunk 2077 path-tracing crashes or driver timeouts in some releases. A failure in that particular mode is not automatically proof that the undervolt is defective; check the driver version and known issues as well.
Verdict
The RX 9070 XT really did edge out a stock RTX 5080 in this specific test: a premium PowerColor card, aggressively tuned to roughly 3.36 GHz with a 110% power target, reached about 66 fps versus 65 fps at 4K Ultra rasterized Cyberpunk 2077.
That is an impressive demonstration of RDNA 4 tuning headroom, not a universal Nvidia defeat. The narrow margin, the premium board, the higher power limit and the disabled ray tracing and path tracing settings all matter. Choose the Radeon for value-oriented raster gaming and experimentation; choose the RTX 5080 when ray tracing, path tracing, DLSS features, CUDA support or predictable stock performance are more important.
Official specifications are available from AMD and Nvidia. The benchmark methodology and reported results are detailed in Tom’s Hardware’s coverage.
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