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RX 9070 vs RX 7800 XT: Gaming Performance & Bottleneck (2026)

The RX 9070 is clearly the faster card: 20% ahead of the RX 7800 XT at 4K and 20% at 1440p, where it averages 106 FPS to 88 in AAA games at High settings with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D. For a card 2 years newer, that is a solid generational step. The order holds at 1080p (19% apart), so the RX 9070 is the quicker card at every resolution. Ray tracing widens the gap to 46% (52 vs 36 FPS at 1440p), as the RX 7800 XT's RT hardware is less efficient. In esports games like CS2 or Valorant at 1080p they reach 459 and 398 FPS, so either can feed a 360 Hz monitor. At 4K the RX 7800 XT manages 54 FPS native, and FSR Quality lifts that to about 75. Both carry 16 GB of VRAM, enough for 4K High. To stay under a 10% CPU bottleneck at 1440p, the RX 9070 needs a Ryzen 5 5600 and the RX 7800 XT a Ryzen 5 3600-class chip.

Relative performance

Faster card = 100%. Average FPS at High settings with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

1440p, AAA games

RX 9070100%
RX 7800 XT83%

106 vs 88 FPS · RX 9070 +20%

4K, AAA games

RX 9070100%
RX 7800 XT83%

64 vs 54 FPS · RX 9070 +20%

1440p, ray tracing

RX 9070100%
RX 7800 XT69%

52 vs 36 FPS · RX 9070 +46%

FPS with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Average FPS in AAA games, no upscaling. A fast CPU, so the graphics card sets the pace.

SettingRX 9070RX 7800 XTLead
1080p High1501269070 +19%
1440p High106889070 +20%
4K High64549070 +20%
1440p ray tracing52369070 +46%

Specifications

Raster index: RTX 4090 = 100.

SpecRX 9070RX 7800 XT
VRAM16 GB16 GB
Ray tracingYes, 85% efficiencyYes, 70% efficiency
Released20252023
Raster index6655

Which CPU do you need?

Slowest common CPU that keeps each card under a 10% bottleneck at 1440p High.

Graphics cardSlowest CPUFPS
RX 9070Ryzen 5 560097
RX 7800 XTRyzen 5 3600 or faster76

Which should you buy?

Buy the RX 9070 if you want the faster card: it's 20% ahead at 4K. The RX 7800 XT is the better buy only if it costs at least 20% less, the gap at 1440p, because then it delivers more frames per dollar. Already own the RX 7800 XT? Going to the RX 9070 gains 20% at 1440p, which is a modest upgrade, worth it mainly if you can sell the RX 7800 XT.

Buy the RX 9070 if…

  • you want the most FPS: it's 20% faster at 4K and 20% at 1440p.
  • you play with ray tracing: 52 vs 36 FPS at 1440p.
  • you want the newer card (2025) with the longer driver and feature support ahead of it.

Buy the RX 7800 XT if…

  • your CPU is older: a Ryzen 5 3600-class chip is enough to keep it fed at 1440p.
  • it costs at least 20% less than the RX 9070, which makes it the better value per frame.

Check your build

These numbers use a Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate the graphics card. Your own CPU, resolution and settings change the result, so run your exact parts through the calculator.

Check Ryzen 5 5600 + RX 9070 Check Ryzen 5 3600 + RX 7800 XT

Popular builds with these cards

Ryzen 7 9800X3D + RX 90701440p · GPU-limited 47% · ≈106 FPSRyzen 7 7800X3D + RX 90701440p · GPU-limited 40% · ≈106 FPSRyzen 5 7600 + RX 90701440p · GPU-limited 22% · ≈104 FPSRyzen 7 9800X3D + RX 7800 XT1440p · GPU-limited 56% · ≈88 FPSRyzen 7 7800X3D + RX 7800 XT1440p · GPU-limited 50% · ≈88 FPSRyzen 5 7600 + RX 7800 XT1440p · GPU-limited 35% · ≈88 FPS

RX 9070 vs RX 7800 XT: quick answers

Is the RX 9070 faster than the RX 7800 XT?

Yes. The RX 9070 is about 20% faster at 4K and 20% faster at 1440p in AAA games at High settings. With ray tracing on at 1440p the RX 9070 gets about 52 FPS and the RX 7800 XT 36 FPS.

How many FPS do the RX 9070 and RX 7800 XT get?

With a Ryzen 7 9800X3D at High settings in AAA games, the RX 9070 averages about 150 FPS at 1080p, 106 at 1440p and 64 at 4K. The RX 7800 XT averages 126, 88 and 54 FPS. DLSS, FSR or XeSS upscaling adds roughly 40% where the graphics card is the limit.

What CPU do I need for the RX 9070 or RX 7800 XT?

To keep the CPU bottleneck under 10% at 1440p, the RX 9070 needs at least a Ryzen 5 5600 and the RX 7800 XT needs a Ryzen 5 3600 or faster. At 1080p you need a faster CPU for the same result, and at 4K a slower one is fine. A slower CPU narrows the gap between the RX 9070 and the RX 7800 XT.