My RX 6800 XT has started lagging and occasionally crashing during some Adobe Premiere projects. It also struggles with certain 4K editing workloads. I'm considering either an RTX 5070 Ti or an RX 9070 XT, partly because I'm curious about trying DLSS 5 through compatible game mods, although that feature is not essential.
My current system is:
- Ryzen 7 3700X
- Gigabyte B450 Aorus M
- Asus ROG Strix LC RX 6800 XT
- 16GB DDR4-3200 CL16 in a single stick
- 240GB SATA SSD for Windows
- 1TB SATA SSD for games and editing
- Xigmatek Thor T750 V3 750W PSU
My budget is around $1,200. Which upgrade would provide the best overall performance, and should I also replace the CPU, RAM, or power supply?
4 Answers
The RX 9070 XT is generally the better value choice because it performs close to the RTX 5070 Ti while usually costing less. Your 750W PSU should be sufficient for either card, though undervolting can reduce power spikes and temperatures if you’re concerned. Before replacing the GPU, try a clean driver installation since that can resolve some crashes.
The biggest weakness in your current system is the single 16GB RAM stick. Moving to 2x16GB dual-channel memory should improve minimum frame rates and make editing and multitasking smoother. I’d pair that with a Ryzen 7 5700X or another strong AM4 CPU if your budget allows, especially if you choose a 9070 XT or 5070 Ti.
I upgraded from an RX 6800 to an RX 9070 XT and saw a substantial improvement at 5120x1440 and high refresh rates. The 9070 XT looks like the stronger price-to-performance option here. Nvidia’s features can be useful, but I wouldn’t pay a large premium solely for DLSS 5 if it isn’t a major priority.
A 5070 Ti may be worth considering if you specifically need Nvidia’s software features or better support in particular creative applications. Otherwise, the RX 9070 XT gives you more raw performance per dollar. The Ryzen 7 3700X may hold either card back in some games, particularly for 1% lows, so a CPU and RAM upgrade would make the whole system more balanced.
Yes, that would be a sensible AM4 upgrade. Just make sure the motherboard BIOS supports the 5700X, and replace the single memory stick with a matched 2x16GB kit if possible.
Would a Ryzen 7 5700X combined with an Asus TUF RX 9070 XT be a good pairing?