I currently have an RTX 4060 Ti and am considering upgrading to an RTX 5070 because 12GB of VRAM feels limiting in some games, especially at 1440p with high settings. Some people have told me the 5070 would only be a minor upgrade, so I'm trying to figure out whether the performance difference is significant enough to justify the cost. I'm also open to alternatives if another card offers better value or more VRAM.
5 Answers
For gaming value, I’d seriously compare the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT. They offer 16GB of VRAM, and both can outperform the 5070 in traditional rasterized gaming. The 9070 XT is often faster while costing a similar amount, and the regular 9070 can be a particularly good 1440p option if it’s considerably cheaper.
If VRAM is the main reason you want to upgrade, the RTX 5070 may not completely solve the problem since it also has 12GB. Some demanding 1440p games can use more than that with maximum textures, ray tracing, frame generation, or path tracing enabled. Check benchmarks for the specific games you play before buying.
A 9070 XT is a strong choice if your priority is monitor gaming and maximum performance per dollar. One caveat is VR: NVIDIA can still have an advantage in video encoding and headset image quality, especially with wireless VR and HEVC. If you regularly use a VR headset, compare reviews for that use case rather than relying only on standard gaming benchmarks.
For regular 1440p gaming, the 9070 XT has been excellent and generally runs cool and reliably. The VR encoding difference is the main reason I’d still consider NVIDIA.
There isn’t one universally correct answer. Compare the 5070, RX 9070, and RX 9070 XT at the prices available where you live, then consider whether you need NVIDIA features such as DLSS, CUDA, or better VR support. If the 5070 is close in price to a 16GB AMD card, the AMD options usually offer better long-term value for standard 1440p gaming.
The 5070 is a meaningful upgrade, not just a small step. Depending on the game and settings, you could see roughly 50% higher performance, with some titles showing larger gains. Whether that feels worthwhile depends on the price and how much you’re currently struggling with your 4060 Ti.
The 5070 is still a solid performance upgrade, but it doesn’t provide the extra VRAM headroom you’re specifically looking for.