My PC has gradually turned into a bit of a parts-bin build. It originally had a Core i7-13700K, a compatible motherboard, and an RTX 4070, but recent sales led me to upgrade the CPU and motherboard to a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and a Z890-Plus board.
Now I'm considering upgrading the graphics card as well. I bought RTX 5070 Ti cards for my kids between November and January for around $699–$750, but current prices are much higher—the least expensive one I found locally was about $1,189. A store employee suggested the Radeon RX 9070 XT instead, saying it performs similarly to the 5070 Ti while costing about $719.
I mainly play The Last of Us and Ghost of Tsushima, and I'd also like to try Microsoft Flight Simulator. Would moving from my RTX 4070 to an RX 9070 XT be a worthwhile upgrade, or should I keep the 4070 and wait for a more substantial performance jump?
3 Answers
The RX 9070 XT is roughly 35–40% faster than the RTX 4070 in regular rasterized gaming, and its extra VRAM could help at higher resolutions or in newer games. That said, the difference may not feel dramatic enough to justify spending $719 unless you’re currently unhappy with your frame rates or settings. At that price, it’s probably the best high-end option available short of spending much more on an RTX 5080.
If you’re determined to upgrade now, the 9070 XT makes more sense than paying nearly $1,200 for a 5070 Ti. Otherwise, sell the 4070 and consider stepping up to an RTX 5080 if you specifically want stronger ray tracing, Nvidia features, or a larger performance jump. I wouldn’t replace the 4070 with anything that only offers a modest improvement.
I’d keep the RTX 4070 for now. It’s still a capable card, and a 35% improvement usually won’t transform the experience unless you’re struggling at your current resolution or trying to use much higher settings. Since the 13700K and 4070 were already a balanced setup, waiting for the next generation could give you a more meaningful upgrade for your money.
That’s my concern—the extra VRAM is appealing, but I’m not sure a roughly 37% improvement will feel like a big enough jump in the games I play.