I'm considering replacing my Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti with an AMD RX 9070. The 3060 Ti's 8 GB of VRAM seems to become a serious limitation in some demanding games, and under heavy workloads on Linux I've seen applications fail or get killed even though the same workloads run normally on Windows. I'm also interested in AMD because its Linux support is often considered smoother, and the cards may offer more VRAM for the price.
My GPU-heavy use is mainly gaming and Blender with the EEVEE engine, not CUDA-based rendering or local AI work. For this kind of usage, are there meaningful advantages or disadvantages to switching from Nvidia to AMD on Linux? Is Nvidia still worth considering if I find a good deal, or would the RX 9070 be the better choice?
4 Answers
The choice isn’t completely one-sided. Nvidia can still be the better buy if a comparable card is significantly cheaper or if you expect to use local AI, CUDA, OptiX, or software with stronger Nvidia support. Gaming drivers can also have occasional issues on either vendor, so it’s worth checking support for the specific games and Blender features you use. But at similar prices, the RX 9070’s performance and extra VRAM make AMD the more attractive upgrade.
Compared with a 3060 Ti, the RX 9070 is in a much higher performance class, so this isn’t merely a side-grade based on driver preference. For Linux gaming and general Blender EEVEE work, AMD’s open-driver approach and larger VRAM capacity are strong reasons to switch. Just keep Nvidia in mind if ray tracing, CUDA-dependent tools, or AI workloads become important later.
Nvidia on Linux is much better than it used to be and works perfectly well for many gaming setups, so switching isn’t mandatory. That said, AMD generally offers a more integrated Linux experience through its open drivers, and the RX 9070 would provide a substantial performance and VRAM upgrade over a 3060 Ti. For gaming and EEVEE, AMD is a sensible choice unless you specifically need CUDA, OptiX, or certain AI and professional applications.
AMD is probably the better fit for your stated use. Its Linux graphics stack tends to require less driver wrangling, and having 12–16 GB or more VRAM gives you much more headroom than the 3060 Ti’s 8 GB. Since you aren’t using CUDA-heavy workloads, Nvidia’s biggest software advantage doesn’t matter as much here.

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