Which GPU upgrade makes the most sense: 9070 GRE, 9070, or 9070 XT?
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MellowOrbit42
I'm replacing my RX 6700 XT, and I already have someone interested in buying it for $350 CAD. I'm comparing the RX 9070 GRE at $739.99, the RX 9070 at $899.99, and the RX 9070 XT at $999.99. Which one would you choose for 1440p gaming, and should I buy now or wait? I might eventually use high-resolution 2K/4K texture packs in games like Skyrim, but I'm mainly targeting 1440p rather than 4K.
Answers
The 9070 GRE looks like the best performance-per-dollar option, although it’s also the slowest of the three. It should be a solid choice for 1080p or 1440p, but its 12GB of VRAM could become a limitation sooner at 4K or with especially demanding texture packs. The 9070 XT is roughly 20% faster, so it’s the better long-term option if your budget allows it.
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The 9070 is probably the balanced choice here. It has 16GB of VRAM, uses less power than the other options, and should handle 1440p very well. It’s only modestly slower than the XT, and at $899.99 CAD the price gap is large enough to make it more appealing than usual. The XT makes more sense if you want the highest frame rates or expect to play at 4K.
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For 1440p, all three are capable, so I’d choose based on how much you want to spend rather than feeling pressured to buy the XT. The 9070 XT is the fastest and often gives a better performance increase than its extra cost suggests, but the regular 9070 should only be a few frames behind in many games. Since you’re using high-resolution Skyrim textures, the 9070’s 16GB VRAM could be a useful middle ground.
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MellowOrbit42: I’m planning to stay at 1440p since 4K would probably mean sacrificing too many frames. The main reason I’m considering the 9070 is the extra VRAM for texture-heavy games, but I’m unsure whether the XT’s performance difference would actually be noticeable.