AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Comparison

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX than the RX 5700 XT in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RX 7900 XTX scores 6841, while the RX 5700 XT scores 2134. That is a delta of 220.6% in favor of the newer card.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between these two GPUs?

A: The RX 7900 XTX has an average benchmark score of 19410, while the RX 5700 XT sits at 16361. The RX 7900 XTX also ranks in the 64th percentile among all GPUs, compared to the 59th percentile for the RX 5700 XT.

Q: Which card wins in the OpenCL compute benchmark, and by how much?

A: The RX 7900 XTX dominates with a score of 50465 versus 9524 for the RX 5700 XT, a delta of 429.9%. This is the largest single-benchmark gap in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the RX 5700 XT is competitive?

A: The data shows no wins for the RX 5700 XT in any of the 10 head-to-head tests. Its closest relative performance comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it scores 68310 against 85612 for the RX 7900 XT, a delta of 25.3%.

Q: What are the launch MSRPs of the two cards?

A: The RX 7900 XTX had a launch MSRP of 999 USD, while the RX 5700 XT had a launch MSRP of 399 USD.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RX 7900 XTX features 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 5700 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent entirely different generations of AMD's RDNA architecture. The RX 7900 XTX is built on RDNA 3.0 and uses the Navi 31 chip, while the RX 5700 XT uses the original RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip. This architectural leap is the primary driver of the performance disparity.

Manufacturing processes differ substantially. The RX 7900 XTX is fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, whereas the RX 5700 XT uses a 7 nm process, also at TSMC. The transistor counts reflect this generational shift: the RX 7900 XTX packs 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, while the RX 5700 XT has 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die. The resulting transistor density is 109.1M / mm² for the newer card versus 41.0M / mm² for the older one.

The compute configuration scales dramatically. The RX 7900 XTX has 6144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, and 192 render output units. The RX 5700 XT is equipped with 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 7900 XTX also introduces 96 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the RX 5700 XT, which has none listed.

Clock speeds have advanced as well. The RX 7900 XTX runs at a base clock of 1929 MHz, a game clock of 2365 MHz, and a boost clock of 2498 MHz. The RX 5700 XT operates at 1605 MHz base, 1755 MHz game, and 1905 MHz boost. Memory clocks have also risen: the RX 7900 XTX runs at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective), while the RX 5700 XT runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

API support differs. The RX 7900 XTX supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), whereas the RX 5700 XT is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. Display outputs also reflect newer standards: the RX 7900 XTX offers 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C, while the RX 5700 XT provides 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The power delivery changes too, with the RX 7900 XTX requiring 2x 8-pin connectors and a 750 W suggested PSU, versus 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin and a 550 W suggested PSU for the RX 5700 XT.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RX 7900 XTX wins all 10 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, but the margins vary widely and reveal where the architectural leap matters most.

The most extreme difference appears in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The RX 7900 XTX scores 50465, which is 429.9% higher than the RX 5700 XT's 9524. This massive gap likely reflects the combination of more than double the shading units, higher clocks, and the much larger memory subsystem. Compute-heavy workloads will see the largest relative uplift.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows a 220.6% advantage, with scores of 6841 versus 2134. This is a modern DirectX 12 workload, and the RX 7900 XTX's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and ray tracing hardware likely contribute to the magnitude of this win. The PassMark DirectX 11 benchmark tells a similar story: 356 points versus 116, a delta of 206.9%.

The PassMark GPU Compute test shows a 131.2% lead, with scores of 17689 and 7650. The PassMark DirectX 12 test delivers a 104.7% advantage (131 versus 64). The PassMark G3D test, which is a broader gaming-oriented metric, shows a 91.9% lead (31238 versus 16277).

The Vulkan benchmark is the closest contest. The RX 7900 XTX scores 85612 versus 68310 for the RX 5700 XT, a delta of only 25.3%. This suggests that Vulkan workloads scale more gracefully across the older architecture, though the newer card still holds a clear edge. The PassMark DirectX 9 test also shows a relatively modest 46% gap (330 versus 226), indicating that legacy DirectX 9 workloads do not fully utilize the newer card's resources.

The 2D performance gap is the smallest overall. The PassMark G2D test shows 1267 points for the RX 7900 XTX versus 922 for the RX 5700 XT, a delta of 37.4%. The PassMark DirectX 10 test shows a 71.1% lead (166 versus 97). These smaller deltas in 2D and older API tests suggest that the RX 5700 XT remains reasonably capable in less demanding scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge across nearly every major specification category.

The memory subsystem shows the most striking difference: 24 GB versus 8 GB of GDDR6. The bus width scales from 256-bit on the RX 5700 XT to 384-bit on the RX 7900 XTX. Memory bandwidth nearly doubles from 448.0 GB/s to 960.0 GB/s. Effective memory speed increases from 14 Gbps to 20 Gbps.

The compute unit counts differ substantially. The RX 7900 XTX has 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, versus 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs on the RX 5700 XT. The RX 7900 XTX adds 96 ray tracing cores, while the RX 5700 XT has none.

Theoretical throughput metrics reflect the scale difference. The RX 7900 XTX delivers 61.39 TFLOPS FP32 and 122.8 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1), while the RX 5700 XT delivers 9.754 TFLOPS FP32 and 19.51 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1). Pixel rate is 479.6 GPixel/s versus 121.9 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 959.2 GTexel/s versus 304.8 GTexel/s.

Power draw increases from 225 W on the RX 5700 XT to 355 W on the RX 7900 XTX. Physical dimensions also change: the RX 7900 XTX is 287 mm long, 110 mm tall, and 51 mm wide, while the RX 5700 XT is 272 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 36 mm wide. Both are dual-slot cards.

Release timing differs by several years, with the RX 5700 XT launching first and the RX 7900 XTX following later. Both are now end-of-life products. The RX 5700 XT succeeded the Vega generation, while the RX 7900 XTX succeeded Navi II and was itself succeeded by Navi IV.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7900 XTX is the clear winner across every benchmark category in the database. Its largest advantages appear in compute-heavy and modern API workloads. The 429.9% lead in Geekbench OpenCL makes it the obvious choice for GPU compute tasks such as rendering, scientific calculations, or any workload that leverages OpenCL acceleration. The 220.6% advantage in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and the 206.9% lead in PassMark DirectX 11 indicate strong performance in contemporary DirectX gaming titles.

The RX 7900 XTX's 24 GB memory capacity and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth make it suited for high-resolution textures, large datasets, and multi-tasking with multiple displays. Its 96 ray tracing cores provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects, a capability the RX 5700 XT lacks entirely. The newer DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1a outputs support modern high-refresh-rate and high-resolution displays, while the USB Type-C port adds connectivity flexibility.

The RX 5700 XT, despite losing every benchmark, remains relevant in specific contexts. Its 7 nm process and lower 225 W TDP make it a more power-efficient option relative to its performance class. The smaller physical footprint (36 mm width versus 51 mm) and shorter length (272 mm versus 287 mm) make it easier to fit into compact cases. Its 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power requirement and 550 W suggested PSU mean it can work with more modest power supplies.

For older or less demanding workloads, the RX 5700 XT's smaller deltas are noteworthy. The 25.3% gap in Vulkan performance and 37.4% gap in 2D performance suggest that legacy applications and lighter tasks do not fully expose the performance difference. Users primarily running older games or basic productivity workloads might find the RX 5700 XT adequate.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents an unambiguous hierarchy: the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT in every recorded test, with an average benchmark score of 19410 versus 16361. The RX 7900 XTX wins 10 out of 10 head-to-head benchmarks, with deltas ranging from 25.3% in Vulkan to 429.9% in OpenCL.

The RX 7900 XTX is the pick for users who need maximum performance in modern DirectX 12 and Vulkan games, ray-traced workloads, or GPU compute tasks. Its 24 GB memory capacity, 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 61.39 TFLOPS FP32 throughput position it as a high-end card for demanding applications. The 96 ray tracing cores provide hardware acceleration that the RX 5700 XT cannot offer at all. Its 64th percentile ranking among all GPUs, compared to the 59th percentile for the RX 5700 XT, confirms its higher standing in the broader GPU landscape.

The RX 5700 XT, with its 8 GB memory, 9.754 TFLOPS FP32, and no ray tracing cores, is a more modest option. Its 59th percentile ranking and average score of 16361 place it in a lower performance tier. The data supports its use for users with lighter workloads, older games, or systems with more constrained power and space budgets. Its 225 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU make it easier to integrate into existing systems.

The choice between these two cards is not close based on the recorded measurements. The RX 7900 XTX is the superior performer in every category measured, and the RX 5700 XT does not win a single benchmark. However, the specific use case matters: users who need the absolute highest frame rates, ray tracing, or compute throughput should choose the RX 7900 XTX, while those with modest requirements and stricter power or space constraints may find the RX 5700 XT sufficient. The data does not support any scenario where the RX 5700 XT outperforms the RX 7900 XTX, but it does show that the performance gap narrows considerably in Vulkan and 2D workloads, suggesting the older card retains some utility outside of advanced gaming and compute scenarios.