AMD Radeon RX 9070 vs RX 9070 XT: What’s the difference?

Now that the AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are here, we thought we’d take a moment to directly compare the two. We’re going to talk specs, gaming performance, power requirements, and anything else that you might find handy. So, if you’re keen to go with Team Red and can’t decide between the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, then this page is for you. We’ll start, as ever, with the specs.

It's worth noting that there is no reference version of these GPUs, meaning that companies like Gigabyte, Sapphire, ASUS and others will make these cards. This means that the performance might vary a little due to small factory overlocks. Additionally, the cooling performance could very a lot, as these brands have more control over the coolers than they use for the GPU itself. Both cards also have the same number, configuration, and type of video outputs.

Keeping the majority of outputs as DisplayPort makes sense as it can handle higher frame rates / resolutions than HDMI. Basically, these outputs are exactly what we expected, so nothing surprising here. Let’s get to performance.

The differences between the AMD RX 9070 and AMD RX 9070 XT are relatively minor, which isn't too surprising given the XT is basically the same GPU, but amped up a little bit. Those familiar with previous AMD cards like the 9700 XT/ XTX will know this already. XT is code for “slightly more powerful”, with an additional X meaning the same. It’s highly likely that we’ll be seeing a 9070 XTX later on, maybe near the end of 2025.

So, the hardware of the 9070 and 9070 XT looks almost identical, but there are some differences in the clock speeds, Stream Processors, and interestingly, the number of AI Accelerators. Stream Processors are roughly analogous to the CUDA cores found in AMD cards but do differ a lot when you get down the nitty gritty. This is one of the reasons it’s tricky to compare AMD GPUs vs NVIDIA GPUs.

The 9070 XT has 12.5% more Stream Processors than the 9070 (4,096 vs 3,584), and the base clock and boost clocks are about 14% and 14% higher, irrespectively. The same percentage increases of the clock speeds for both cards could hint at the performance differences being refreshingly linear.

Moving back to the buzzword of the decade, we also see a 12.5% increase in the number of AI Accelerators in the 9070 XT compared to the 9070. This will no doubt result in a noticeable difference between the two cards when it comes to how they perform for both machine learning purposes for productivity, and of course FSR 4. This is AMD’s version of DLSS, and its purpose is broadly the same: Improve game performance by using AI to help out in real time.

As noted in the specs matrix above, the RX 9070 has a TDP/TGP of 220W, with the RX 9070 XT sucking down a little more at 304W. Compared to the 50 Series, this is a cakewalk, so you can likely rest easy and keep your current PSU.

Additionally, almost all models of the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are retaining the use of the 8-pin power connector, retaining full compatibility with older power supplies. So, no need to worry about 12V-2x6 / 12VHPWR, adapter cables, melting connectors, and any dramatic failures. It’s worth noting that some of the really fancy versions might feature 3x 8-pin connectors, so make sure you’re PSUs have enough cables. And don’t go trying to mix and match cables either.

AMD recommends 650W and 750W PSUs for the 9070 and 9070 XT respectively, and we agree, though if you get a power supply with a 100W or so extra capacity, you’ll have more headroom for upgrades, and with most CORSAIR PSUs, stay in the Zero-RPM bracket for longer. This means your PC will be quieter overall.

Our RMe PSUs are great options here, available in 650W, 750W, 850W, and 1000W variants, so you can choose how much, if any additional headroom you’d like. For those who like to keep cable management accessible, the RMx SHIFT PSUs are recommended. Available in 750W, 850W, 1000W, and 1200W versions, these feature side-mounted connectors, yet retain compatibility with many mid-tower and full-tower cases.