I'm considering an upgrade to my GPU and I'm torn between the RX 9070 and the RX 9070 XT. I currently have an i5 13400f, 32GB of RAM, and an RTX 3060 Ti. I just upgraded my PSU to an 850-watt Super Flower Platinum. My goal is to be future-proof for at least 4-5 years, but I only play at 1080p. I'm hesitant to upgrade my resolution since many recent games are unoptimized and I hear higher resolutions can lead to lower FPS. The RX 9070 XT is priced at $634, so I'm wondering if I should go with the RX 9070 XT or stick with the RX 9070. Will either option bottleneck with my setup, or will I be fine?
2 Answers
The 9070 XT is about 10% faster, but with your CPU, you might experience some bottlenecking at 1080p. I had an i5 12600k, and it struggled even at 1440p for games like Cyberpunk 2077 until I upgraded.
The RX 9070 runs cooler right off the bat, while the 9070 XT has a bit more power and is clocked higher. If you're on Linux, you can tweak the 9070 XT to keep it cool too. Ultimately, it boils down to price; if they're close, the 9070 XT becomes the better pick.
I watched a YouTube video that showed my CPU handles games fine at 1080p, so it might not be as big an issue as you think. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/uXKiabAFmfg?si=6yN1DI3j2UFFpMJN.