Is upgrading from a 5060 Ti 16GB to a 9070 XT worth an extra $100?

The 9070 XT should be a substantial upgrade for regular rasterized gaming, especially at 1440p, so an extra $100 could be worthwhile if you can sell the 5060 Ti easily. The main thing to consider is whether you rely on Nvidia-specific features such as DLSS, CUDA, or stronger ray-tracing performance. If those features are important to you, the upgrade is less straightforward.

AMD’s ray tracing performance is generally improved compared with older generations, but Nvidia still tends to have the advantage in ray tracing and upscaling quality. The 9070 XT supports AMD’s FSR and frame-generation features, though the experience may vary by game. For mostly standard 1440p gaming, the 9070 XT is likely the better-performing card; for heavy ray tracing, compare the specific games you play.

If your current setup already delivers the frame rates and image quality you want, there may be no urgent reason to change. A worthwhile upgrade depends on what feels limiting now—low FPS, insufficient ray-tracing performance, or wanting higher settings. If the 5060 Ti meets your needs, keeping it and waiting for a future generation is also a reasonable option.