AMD is gearing up for the launch of its new Radeon RX 9070 series graphics cards, with performance leaks hinting at impressive upgrades over the previous RX 7900 GRE. According to leaked data from VideoCardz, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is reportedly 42% faster at 4K resolution across more than 30 gaming titles, showcasing significant performance improvements thanks to AMD's new RDNA 4 architecture.
The RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are set to be unveiled on February 28, with both models targeting the mid-range market. AMD's strategy seems clear: capitalize on recent troubles faced by competitor NVIDIA, which has been embroiled in supply chain issues and product launch delays. With NVIDIA's new RTX 5000 series graphics cards receiving backlash from users, AMD has the perfect opportunity to present its latest offerings.
Historically, AMD has released reference models to establish baseline performance metrics. This time, we see the company skipping the production of such models, likely to reduce costs and avoid upsetting its board partners, who have long complained about AMD's reference cards overshadowing their custom designs. While this may help maintain good relations with manufacturers, it raises concerns about price transparency and the competitive nature of GPU pricing as card partners gain full control over costs without AMD's standard reference models for comparison.
The leaks also reveal impressive performance metrics for specific titles. For example, the RX 9070 XT shows a staggering 66% increase when playing F1 24 with ray tracing enabled—highlighting the RDNA 4 architecture's capabilities under demanding conditions. Notably, the performance gains average 38% at 1440p and reach 42% at 4K, even outperforming its predecessor significantly.
AMD's approach, particularly with ray tracing, positions the RX 9070 series as serious competitors to NVIDIA's offerings. The RX 9070 is expected to deliver 20% to 21% performance boost over the RX 7900 GRE. For the RX 9070 XT, comparisons have been drawn with NVIDIA's RTX 5070 Ti—posting benchmarks suggestive of similar performance, which could sway buyers prioritizing value.
Notably, during the media briefing, AMD positioned the RX 9070 XT as powerful enough to compete with high-performance GPUs available today. This includes not only strong rasterization performance but also vastly improved ray tracing capabilities—a traditional strength of NVIDIA. Although AMD did not present comparisons against its current flagship, the RX 7900 XTX, the forthcoming RX 9070 lineup indicates AMD is focusing its efforts on mid-range performance whilst avoiding direct confrontation with high-end models.
AMD has been cautious about pricing as well, with observers speculating on potential price points. The previously released RX 7900 GRE launched at around $550. With the RX 9070 series set to hit the market around the same price range, if AMD manages to provide comparable performance to high-end counterparts at this level, it could secure significant market share among gamers who are price-conscious.
The RX 9070 series will feature enhancements such as the new FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) technology, which AMD promises will improve gaming performance and visuals. This move positions RDNA 4 as not just about raw performance but also overall gaming experience improvements, hoping to attract gamers from all spectrums.
Final performance assessments and detailed comparisons will arrive shortly after the launch, and expect to see independent testing results reveal the real-world capabilities of these cards. Given the promising data leaked prior to the announcement, the RX 9070 series could potentially redefine users' expectations and experiences within the mid-range GPU market.
AMD is set to face the challenge of establishing its new product line amid strong ties from consumers to known brands. The announcements and performance metrics, if proven accurate, suggest the company is on the cusp of releasing graphics cards significant enough to shake up the AMD versus NVIDIA rivalry.