What’s the best way to stress-test a used RX 9070 XT before buying it?

For a quick synthetic test, 3DMark Steel Nomad or Speed Way’s stress test should give you a useful result in about 20 minutes. Compare the score with results from similar RX 9070 XT systems, but don’t treat one score as proof that the card is perfect. FurMark at 1440p for around an hour is another good way to expose instability, as long as temperatures stay under control.

Use a mix of checks rather than relying on one test. Verify the card in GPU-Z, monitor temperatures and clocks with HWiNFO, then run a 3DMark Steel Nomad test and FurMark or Unigine Superposition. Watch for crashes, graphical artifacts, abnormal temperatures, or clocks dropping heavily. A clean driver installation with DDU before testing can also help rule out software problems.

Definitely spend part of the session playing the games you actually use. Real-world gaming can reveal issues that a benchmark misses, so try a demanding title at your normal resolution and settings for at least an hour or two. Look for flickering, corrupted textures, driver resets, crashes, unusual fan behavior, or performance well below what comparable 9070 XT results show.

The AMD Adrenalin software has a built-in GPU stress test. It isn’t as comprehensive as dedicated benchmark programs, but it’s convenient for a quick stability check. Before starting, make sure monitoring is running so you can record GPU temperature, hotspot temperature, fan speed, power draw, and clock behavior.