AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Comparison

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Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data splits decisively, with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT taking the overall win count 6 to 4, but the nature of those wins varies dramatically. The most striking result is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 scores 79,966 versus the RX 5700 XT’s 9,524, a staggering 739.6% advantage. This single outlier dominates the average score discussion, but it is not representative of typical gaming workloads. In Vulkan, the RTX 2070 also leads, scoring 82,521 against 68,310, a 20.8% margin.

In the DirectX legacy tests, the RTX 2070 wins both. In DirectX 10, it scores 111 versus 97, a 14.4% lead. In DirectX 11, the margin is 11.2%, with scores of 129 against 116. These results show NVIDIA’s architecture handling older API workloads with more efficiency.

The RX 5700 XT counters in the modern and compute-oriented tests. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2,134 versus 1,569, a 26.5% advantage. This is a significant lead in a current-generation DirectX 12 workload. In Passmark GPU Compute, the AMD card scores 7,650 against 6,411, a 16.2% win. The RX 5700 XT also wins in DirectX 12 (64 versus 60, a 6.2% margin) and DirectX 9 (226 versus 211, a 6.6% margin).

The closest result is in Passmark G3D, where the RX 5700 XT scores 16,277 and the RTX 2070 scores 16,094, a narrow 1.1% lead. In Passmark G2D, the RX 5700 XT wins 922 to 819, an 11.2% difference. The data shows the RTX 2070’s average benchmark score of 18,789 is inflated by the OpenCL anomaly, while the RX 5700 XT’s average of 16,361 is more consistent across tests. The RX 5700 XT’s percentile rank of 59 versus the RTX 2070’s 63 reflects this mixed picture, with the NVIDIA card ranking higher overall despite losing the head-to-head count.

Where Each One Wins

For users prioritizing modern DirectX 12 gaming performance, the RX 5700 XT is the clear choice. Its 26.5% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 6.2% win in Passmark DirectX 12 indicate superior performance in current-generation APIs. The RX 5700 XT also dominates compute-heavy tasks, as shown by its 16.2% advantage in Passmark GPU Compute. This makes it the better option for workloads involving GPGPU calculations or compute shaders.

The RTX 2070 wins in legacy DirectX APIs, with 14.4% and 11.2% leads in DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 respectively. This suggests better compatibility and performance for older games that rely on these APIs. The RTX 2070’s Vulkan advantage of 20.8% is also notable, making it the stronger choice for Vulkan-based titles or applications.

The astronomical OpenCL result for the RTX 2070 (739.6% higher) cannot be ignored, but it appears to be an outlier. The RX 5700 XT’s OpenCL score of 9,524 is suspiciously low compared to its other results, suggesting a driver or test anomaly rather than a true reflection of capability. For general 2D desktop work, the RX 5700 XT wins with an 11.2% margin in Passmark G2D, though this is rarely a deciding factor for gamers.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different architectures. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 uses the TU106 chip on TSMC’s 12 nm process, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT uses the Navi 10 chip on TSMC’s 7 nm node. This process advantage is clear in the transistor density: the RX 5700 XT packs 41.0 million transistors per mm² versus the RTX 2070’s 24.3 million. The RX 5700 XT’s die is 251 mm² with 10,300 million transistors, while the RTX 2070’s die is 445 mm² with 10,800 million transistors.

The RX 5700 XT has more shading units (2,560 versus 2,304), more texture mapping units (160 versus 144), and the same 64 ROPs. It also has higher clock speeds, with a base of 1,605 MHz and boost of 1,905 MHz, compared to the RTX 2070’s 1,410 MHz base and 1,620 MHz boost. The RX 5700 XT also has a game clock of 1,755 MHz, which is not listed for the RTX 2070. These higher clocks contribute to the RX 5700 XT’s higher pixel rate (121.9 GPixel/s versus 103.7) and texture rate (304.8 GTexel/s versus 233.3).

The RTX 2070 counters with dedicated ray tracing cores (36) and tensor cores (288), which the RX 5700 XT lacks entirely. This gives the RTX 2070 hardware acceleration for ray tracing and AI workloads, features not available on the AMD card. The RTX 2070 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 5700 XT is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with identical 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 14 Gbps effective memory speed.

Power requirements differ, with the RTX 2070 rated at 175 W TDP and a suggested 450 W PSU, while the RX 5700 XT is rated at 225 W TDP with a suggested 550 W PSU. The RTX 2070 uses a single 8-pin power connector, while the RX 5700 XT requires a 6-pin plus an 8-pin. The bus interface also differs: the RX 5700 XT supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RTX 2070 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 has an average benchmark score of 18,789, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average of 16,361. However, this is heavily influenced by the RTX 2070’s outlier OpenCL score.

Q: How do the cards compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The RX 5700 XT wins in both DirectX 12 tests. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2,134 versus 1,569, a 26.5% lead. In Passmark DirectX 12, it scores 64 versus 60, a 6.2% advantage.

Q: Does the RTX 2070 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 2070 has 36 ray tracing cores and 288 tensor cores. The RX 5700 XT has no dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores.

Q: What are the memory specifications for both cards?

A: Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 14 Gbps effective speed. They are identical in this regard.

Q: Which card ranks higher among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2070 ranks in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 5700 XT ranks in the 59th percentile. This indicates the RTX 2070 is a slightly better performer overall in the database.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The RTX 2070 uses a 12 nm process, while the RX 5700 XT uses a 7 nm process. The RX 5700 XT has a much higher transistor density at 41.0M per mm² versus 24.3M.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split based on workload. For modern DirectX 12 gaming, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the superior choice. Its 26.5% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 6.2% win in Passmark DirectX 12 demonstrate better performance in current-generation APIs. The RX 5700 XT also wins in compute workloads, with a 16.2% advantage in Passmark GPU Compute, making it the better option for GPGPU tasks.

For users running older DirectX 10 or 11 games, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 is the better pick. It holds 14.4% and 11.2% leads respectively in those APIs. The RTX 2070 also dominates Vulkan with a 20.8% margin, making it preferable for Vulkan-based titles. Its 739.6% OpenCL lead is extraordinary, though the RX 5700 XT’s score of 9,524 appears anomalous compared to its other results.

The RTX 2070’s dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores provide hardware features the RX 5700 XT cannot match. Users who want ray tracing or AI acceleration should choose the RTX 2070. The RX 5700 XT’s higher clock speeds and larger shading unit count give it the raw compute edge in most modern tests. The RX 5700 XT wins 6 of 10 head-to-head benchmarks, but the RTX 2070’s wins are often by larger margins.

The RTX 2070 has a higher percentile rank (63 versus 59) and higher average score (18,789 versus 16,361), but this is skewed by the OpenCL outlier. The RX 5700 XT is the more consistent performer across the test suite. For most modern gaming scenarios, the RX 5700 XT is the stronger choice. For legacy API support and specialized features like ray tracing, the RTX 2070 is the better option.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 | AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | TU106 | Navi 10 |

| Architecture | Turing | RDNA 1.0 |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | 10,800 million | 10,300 million |

| Die Size | 445 mm² | 251 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.3M / mm² | 41.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1410 MHz | 1605 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1620 MHz | 1905 MHz |

| Game Clock | Not listed | 1755 MHz |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 144 | 160 |

| RT Cores | 36 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 288 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 103.7 GPixel/s | 121.9 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 233.3 GTexel/s | 304.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 7.465 TFLOPS | 9.754 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 14.93 TFLOPS (2:1) | 19.51 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 175 W | 225 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Length | 229 mm (9 inches) | 272 mm (10.7 inches) |

| Width | 35 mm (1.4 inches) | 36 mm (1.4 inches) |

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | 399 USD |

The RX 5700 XT is physically longer at 272 mm versus 229 mm, and slightly wider. Both cards are dual-slot. The RTX 2070 has a higher launch MSRP of 499 USD versus 399 USD for the RX 5700 XT. The RTX 2070 offers an additional USB Type-C display output and DVI port, while the RX 5700 XT provides three DisplayPort connections.