My PC has evolved into a bit of a parts-bin build. It originally had an Intel 13700K, Z790 motherboard, and RTX 4070, but recent Micro Center deals led me to upgrade the CPU and motherboard to a 270K Plus and Z890-Plus. Now I'm considering upgrading the graphics card as well. I had previously bought RTX 5070 Ti cards for my kids for around $699–$750, but current prices have risen dramatically, with the cheapest one I've seen locally being about $1,189. A salesperson suggested the Radeon RX 9070 XT instead, saying it competes closely with the 5070 Ti while costing around $719. I mainly play The Last of Us and Ghost of Tsushima, and I'd like to try Microsoft Flight Simulator. Would moving from the RTX 4070 to the RX 9070 XT provide a worthwhile gaming upgrade, or should I keep the 4070 and wait?
4 Answers
I’d probably keep the RTX 4070 for now. It’s still a capable card, and a roughly 37% performance increase isn’t enough for me to justify spending that much. The games you listed should run well already, so waiting for a more substantial generational jump may offer better value.
The new CPU and motherboard weren’t necessary for gaming with an RTX 4070, so I’d avoid continuing to upgrade just for the sake of completing the build. Unless you’re playing at 4K, using a high-refresh ultrawide monitor, or running into VRAM limits, the 4070 should last a while. Save the money for a future card that delivers a much larger jump.
The RX 9070 XT is roughly 35–40% faster in standard rasterized gaming, and it also gives you 16GB of VRAM instead of 12GB. That extra memory could help at higher resolutions or with newer games. At $719, it’s a reasonable option if you really want an upgrade, though the improvement may not feel dramatic in every game.
If you’re determined to upgrade today, the 9070 XT is probably the best performance-per-dollar choice below an RTX 5080. Just make sure you’re comfortable giving up Nvidia-specific features and check how the games you care about perform with AMD’s upscaling and ray tracing.
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