Quick picks
RX 9070 XT, best value: Ryzen 5 7600 or Core i5-12400F for 1440p, where both are balanced or GPU-limited with the card.
RX 9070, best value: keep your Ryzen 5 5600. It's balanced with the 9070 at 1440p.
AM4 upgrade: Ryzen 7 5700X3D. Balanced with a 9070 XT at 1440p, with no new board or RAM.
1080p high refresh: Ryzen 7 7800X3D or 9800X3D. The only CPUs in our table that keep a 9070 XT fully busy at 1080p.
Intel: Core i5-14600K or Core Ultra 7 265K, each 14% CPU-limited with a 9070 XT at 1080p and GPU-limited at 1440p.
How fast are the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070?
In our GPU index (RTX 4090 = 100) the RX 9070 XT scores 76 and the RX 9070 66, so the XT is about 15% faster. Both have 16 GB of VRAM, which covers 4K Ultra in current games (about 13 GB in our model) with room to spare. The RX 9070 XT vs RX 9070 page has the full comparison.
In raster games the 9070 XT sits level with an RTX 5070 Ti (77 in our index), and the 9070 lands between an RTX 5070 and a 5070 Ti. The cards launched at $599 (9070 XT) and $549 (9070) as US MSRPs, against $749 for the 5070 Ti. Street prices have moved around since, so compare current prices before you buy.
What this means for the CPU: the faster the card, the more frames per second the processor has to prepare. At 1080p High the 9070 XT can render about 175 FPS in AAA games, which is more than most mid-range CPUs can deliver.
CPUs with the RX 9070 XT: FPS and bottleneck
Average FPS in AAA games at High settings without upscaling, with the bottleneck below each figure. Click a number to open that build in the calculator, or a CPU name for its build page.
| CPU | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 5600 | 106 CPU 39% | 102 CPU 13% | 73 GPU 30% |
| Core i5-12400F | 119 CPU 31% | 111 Balanced | 74 GPU 38% |
| Core i5-13400F | 125 CPU 28% | 114 Balanced | 74 GPU 41% |
| Ryzen 7 5700X3D | 130 CPU 24% | 116 Balanced | 74 GPU 44% |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | 134 CPU 22% | 117 GPU 10% | 74 GPU 46% |
| Ryzen 5 9600X | 144 CPU 15% | 119 GPU 17% | 74 GPU 50% |
| Core i5-14600K | 145 CPU 14% | 119 GPU 19% | 74 GPU 51% |
| Core Ultra 7 265K | 145 CPU 14% | 119 GPU 19% | 74 GPU 51% |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | 161 Balanced | 121 GPU 31% | 74 GPU 58% |
| Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 169 GPU 13% | 122 GPU 39% | 74 GPU 63% |
At 1440p nearly any modern six-core is enough. The Core i5-12400F is balanced, the Ryzen 5 7600 is 10% GPU-limited, and only the Ryzen 5 5600 falls slightly behind at 13% CPU-limited. At 4K every CPU lands between 73 and 74 FPS.
At 1080p the card outruns every non-X3D chip in the table. The Ryzen 5 7600 is 22% CPU-limited, the Core i5-14600K 14%, and only the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 7 9800X3D use the whole card. The X3D chips also lead on 1% lows: at 1440p the Ryzen 7 5700X3D holds 92 FPS lows against 73 on the 5600 and 89 on the 7600, even where the averages are close.
CPUs with the RX 9070: FPS and bottleneck
Same settings, with the non-XT card:
| CPU | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 5600 | 105 CPU 30% | 97 Balanced | 64 GPU 39% |
| Core i5-12400F | 118 CPU 21% | 102 GPU 12% | 64 GPU 46% |
| Core i5-13400F | 123 CPU 17% | 103 GPU 16% | 64 GPU 49% |
| Ryzen 7 5700X3D | 127 CPU 13% | 104 GPU 20% | 64 GPU 51% |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | 130 CPU 10% | 104 GPU 22% | 64 GPU 53% |
| Ryzen 5 9600X | 137 Balanced | 105 GPU 28% | 64 GPU 57% |
| Core i5-14600K | 138 Balanced | 105 GPU 29% | 64 GPU 57% |
| Core Ultra 7 265K | 138 Balanced | 105 GPU 29% | 64 GPU 57% |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | 147 GPU 14% | 106 GPU 40% | 64 GPU 64% |
| Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 150 GPU 24% | 106 GPU 47% | 64 GPU 68% |
The 9070 is about 15% slower, so it's easier to feed. At 1440p every CPU in the table is balanced or GPU-limited, including the Ryzen 5 5600 at about 97 FPS. At 1080p the Ryzen 5 9600X, Core i5-14600K, Core Ultra 7 265K and both X3D chips keep it fully busy, while the Ryzen 5 7600 and Ryzen 7 5700X3D are only 10% and 13% CPU-limited. The 5600 and 12400F are 30% and 21% behind at 1080p, so for a 1080p high-refresh build, pair the 9070 with something newer.
Does the 9070 XT need the same CPU as an RTX 5070 Ti?
In raster games, yes. The two cards are so close in speed that every CPU in our table lands within a few points of the same bottleneck with either one, at every resolution. Our best CPU for RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti guide covers the NVIDIA side, and RTX 5070 Ti vs RX 9070 XT compares the cards directly. For the cheaper pair, see RX 9070 vs RTX 5070.
Ray tracing is where they part ways. RDNA 4 improved Radeon ray tracing a lot, but in our model the 5070 Ti is still about 19% faster in ray-traced games (72 against 60 FPS at 1440p with a 7800X3D). A slower GPU is easier for the CPU to keep up with, so with ray tracing on, even a Ryzen 5 5600 is balanced with a 9070 XT at 1080p, while it's 12% CPU-limited with a 5070 Ti. If you mostly play ray-traced games, a 9070 XT is one of the more forgiving cards to pair with an older CPU.
The other differences are features. DLSS 4 is NVIDIA-only, and its Multi Frame Generation needs an RTX 50 card, while the 9070 cards get FSR 4. Both upscalers shift work to the CPU the same way, which the next section shows.
FSR 4, Smart Access Memory and what they mean for the CPU
FSR 4 needs an RDNA 4 card. AMD's machine-learning upscaler runs on the RX 9000 series. Older Radeon cards stay on FSR 3.1. In games that support FSR 3.1, the AMD driver can often switch the game to FSR 4. Our DLSS vs FSR vs XeSS guide compares the upscalers.
Upscaling raises the CPU's share of the work. FSR renders each frame at a lower internal resolution, so the GPU finishes sooner and the CPU has to prepare more frames. With a 9070 XT at 1440p, the Ryzen 5 7600 goes from 10% GPU-limited at native resolution to 20% CPU-limited with FSR Quality. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is balanced there and runs about 19% faster. If you plan to use FSR at 1440p every day, a faster CPU is worth more than the native tables suggest.
Turn on Smart Access Memory. SAM is AMD's name for Resizable BAR, which lets the CPU address the card's whole memory at once. It usually adds a few percent, more in some games, and it's worth leaving on with these cards. Enable it in the BIOS (often called Above 4G Decoding and Re-Size BAR Support). Windows must boot in UEFI mode with CSM off. It works on Intel boards too, under the name Resizable BAR. Most AM4 boards with a Ryzen 3000 or newer CPU support it after a BIOS update.
The best CPU for each budget and platform
AM4: Ryzen 7 5700X3D
The classic budget pairing for these cards. The 5700X3D + 9070 XT is balanced at 1440p and about 23% faster than a Ryzen 5 5600 at 1080p. With the 9070 it's 20% GPU-limited at 1440p. It drops into your existing board with your DDR4, after a BIOS update. Our best AM4 CPU guide covers the checks.
New AM5 build: Ryzen 5 7600, or a 7800X3D for 1080p
The 7600 is the value choice for 1440p with either card. For 1080p high refresh or CPU-heavy games, the 7800X3D or 9800X3D is the better buy. Our best AM5 CPU guide compares the whole range.
Intel: Core i5-12400F to i5-14600K
A 12400F or 13400F is enough for 1440p. The 14600K or Core Ultra 7 265K handles 1080p with a minor bottleneck. On 13th or 14th gen, install the latest BIOS with Intel's stability microcode first.
Power supply
A quality 750 W unit covers a 9070 XT with any CPU in this guide, and 650 W is plenty for the 9070. Check which power connectors your model uses, since partner cards differ. Both cards are PCIe 5.0 x16 and run fine in a PCIe 4.0 slot, with only a small loss on PCIe 3.0.
Esports, simulators and strategy games
In CS2-style esports games at 1080p low settings, a 9070 XT runs at about 275 FPS on a Ryzen 5 5600, 352 on a Ryzen 5 7600, 387 on a Core i5-14600K and 492 on a Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Every one clears 240 Hz. For 360 Hz you need the 14600K or an X3D chip.
Simulators, strategy games and MMOs are CPU-limited even at 1440p with a 9070 XT, on every CPU we checked: about 58 FPS on the 5600, 75 on the 7600, 96 on the 7800X3D and 109 on the 9800X3D. If those are your games, spend more on the CPU. The FPS calculator has game-by-game numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CPU for an RX 9070 XT?
For 1440p, a Ryzen 5 7600 or Core i5-12400F is enough. For 1080p high refresh, a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or 9800X3D, the only CPUs in our table that keep the card fully busy at 1080p. On AM4, a Ryzen 7 5700X3D is balanced at 1440p.
Will a Ryzen 5 5600 bottleneck an RX 9070 XT?
A little at 1440p (13% CPU-limited, a minor bottleneck) and clearly at 1080p (39%). At 4K it's GPU-limited. With the non-XT RX 9070, the 5600 is balanced at 1440p.
Is the Ryzen 7 5700X3D good with an RX 9070 XT?
Yes. It's balanced at 1440p, about 116 FPS in AAA games at High, and about 23% faster than a Ryzen 5 5600 at 1080p. It's the best upgrade for an AM4 owner buying this card.
Does the RX 9070 XT need a faster CPU than the RTX 5070 Ti?
No. In raster games the two cards need the same CPU at every resolution. With ray tracing on, the 9070 XT is slower, so it's actually easier for an older CPU to keep up with.
Does FSR 4 work on older Radeon cards?
FSR 4 runs on RDNA 4, the RX 9000 series. Older Radeon cards use FSR 3.1. With an RX 9070 or 9070 XT, the AMD driver can often upgrade FSR 3.1 games to FSR 4.
Should I enable Smart Access Memory with an RX 9070 XT?
Yes. Smart Access Memory (Resizable BAR) usually adds a few percent and more in some games. Enable Above 4G Decoding and Re-Size BAR in the BIOS, with Windows booting in UEFI mode.