AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result in the database is the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RX 9070 XT scores 7260 against the RX 7800 XT's 4157. That is a 74.6% advantage, making it the single largest gap between these two cards in any recorded benchmark. For modern DX12 workloads, this is a generational leap in raw throughput.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 9070 XT posts 65879 versus 54228, a 21.5% lead. This confirms that the newer architecture scales well in compute-heavy API workloads. The PassMark DirectX 10 result follows a similar pattern: 154 versus 121, a 27.3% difference. DirectX 11 shows 292 versus 249, a 17.3% margin. Even legacy DirectX 9 favors the RX 9070 XT, with 353 versus 304, a 16.1% advantage.

The RX 9070 XT also wins the PassMark GPU Compute test, scoring 15864 against 13473, a 17.7% edge. In PassMark G3D, the margin narrows to 10.8% (26795 versus 24176), and in G2D it is 12.8% (1328 versus 1177). Across eight of ten head-to-head benchmarks, the RX 9070 XT takes the win.

The RX 7800 XT has two notable victories. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 18290 versus 17428, a 4.7% lead. This is a curious result, as it suggests the older card handles OpenCL workloads slightly better despite having fewer shading units. The other win is in PassMark DirectX 12, where the RX 7800 XT scores 93 against 78, a 16.1% margin. This is the second-largest percentage swing in either direction, and it indicates that in certain DX12 paths, the RX 7800 XT retains an advantage.

Overall, the data shows the RX 9070 XT dominates in raw rasterization and compute, while the RX 7800 XT holds ground in specific API implementations. The average benchmark score reflects this: the RX 9070 XT sits at 13543, while the RX 7800 XT averages 11627.

Architecture Differences

The RX 9070 XT is built on RDNA 4.0, using the Navi 48 chip, while the RX 7800 XT uses RDNA 3.0 with the Navi 32 die. The process node differs as well: the RX 9070 XT is fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC, whereas the RX 7800 XT uses a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. This node shrink contributes to the RX 9070 XT's higher transistor density of 151.0 million per square millimeter, compared to 81.2 million for the RX 7800 XT.

Transistor counts are starkly different. The RX 9070 XT packs 53,900 million transistors into a 357 mm² die, while the RX 7800 XT has 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. The RX 9070 XT die is only slightly larger, yet it carries nearly double the transistors, a direct result of the denser 4 nm process.

Core configurations diverge significantly. The RX 9070 XT has 4096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, 128 ROPs, and 64 ray tracing cores. The RX 7800 XT counters with 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 60 RT cores. The RX 9070 XT leads in every count, with 256 more shading units, 16 more TMUs, 32 more ROPs, and 4 more RT cores.

Clock speeds also favor the newer card. The RX 9070 XT has a base clock of 1660 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2970 MHz. The RX 7800 XT runs at 1295 MHz base, 2124 MHz game, and 2430 MHz boost. The boost clock difference alone is 540 MHz, which explains a significant portion of the performance gap.

Memory configurations are similar in capacity and bus width, but not in speed. Both cards have 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256 bit bus. The RX 9070 XT runs memory at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective), yielding 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7800 XT runs at 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective), producing 624.1 GB/s. The RX 9070 XT has a modest 20.5 GB/s bandwidth advantage.

The interface changes as well. The RX 9070 XT uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RX 7800 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16. This matters for systems with PCIe 5.0 support, though actual gaming impact depends on the workload. Display outputs differ slightly: the RX 9070 XT has one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1a, while the RX 7800 XT has one HDMI 2.1a and three DisplayPort 2.1.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The RX 9070 XT averages 13543 across all recorded benchmarks, while the RX 7800 XT averages 11627. That is a difference of 1916 points in favor of the RX 9070 XT.

Q: How do the two cards compare in ray tracing hardware?

A: The RX 9070 XT has 64 ray tracing cores, while the RX 7800 XT has 60. The newer card also has a significantly higher boost clock, which should benefit RT workloads, though the database does not include a dedicated ray tracing benchmark.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the RX 7800 XT wins by a large margin?

A: Yes, in PassMark DirectX 12, the RX 7800 XT scores 93 versus 78, a 16.1% advantage. It also wins Geekbench OpenCL by 4.7%, though that margin is much smaller.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RX 9070 XT provides 644.6 GB/s, while the RX 7800 XT provides 624.1 GB/s. The newer card has a 20.5 GB/s higher bandwidth, which is a 3.3% increase.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 9070 XT boosts to 2970 MHz, while the RX 7800 XT boosts to 2430 MHz. That is a 540 MHz difference in favor of the RX 9070 XT.

Q: How do the percentile rankings compare?

A: The RX 9070 XT sits at the 55th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the RX 7800 XT sits at the 51st percentile. Both are above average, but the RX 9070 XT ranks higher overall.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT | AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 4.0 | RDNA 3.0 |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 53,900 million | 28,100 million |

| Die Size | 357 mm² | 346 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 151.0M / mm² | 81.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1660 MHz | 1295 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2970 MHz | 2430 MHz |

| Game Clock | 2400 MHz | 2124 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps) | 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 644.6 GB/s | 624.1 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 4096 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 256 | 240 |

| ROPs | 128 | 96 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 64 | 60 |

| Pixel Rate | 380.2 GPixel/s | 233.3 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 760.3 GTexel/s | 583.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 48.66 TFLOPS | 37.32 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 48.66 TFLOPS (1:1) | 37.32 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 304 W | 263 W |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| HDMI Output | 1x HDMI 2.1b | 1x HDMI 2.1a |

| DisplayPort Outputs | 3x DisplayPort 2.1a | 3x DisplayPort 2.1 |

| Release Date | 2025-03-05 | 2023-09-05 |

| Launch MSRP | 599 USD | 499 USD |

Where Each One Wins

The RX 9070 XT wins in every category that stresses raw throughput. Its FP32 performance of 48.66 TFLOPS versus 37.32 TFLOPS gives it a 30.4% compute advantage, which shows up in the PassMark GPU Compute score (17.7% higher) and the Geekbench Vulkan result (21.5% higher). The pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s versus 233.3 GPixel/s is a 63% difference, directly benefiting high-resolution rasterization. The texture rate of 760.3 GTexel/s versus 583.2 GTexel/s (a 30.4% edge) helps in texture-heavy scenes.

The RX 7800 XT wins specifically in OpenCL compute and one DX12 path. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 18290 versus 17428 suggests that for OpenCL-based applications, the older card is actually faster. The PassMark DirectX 12 result, 93 versus 78, indicates that some DX12 workloads do not scale with the newer architecture's higher clock speeds or core counts. These are narrow wins, but they are real.

For gaming, the RX 9070 XT is the clear choice based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad result, which is a DX12 benchmark designed for modern GPUs. The 74.6% lead there is massive. For compute tasks like rendering or machine learning workloads that use Vulkan, the RX 9070 XT also leads. For OpenCL-specific applications, the RX 7800 XT holds a slight edge.

Power consumption differs as well. The RX 9070 XT has a TDP of 304 W and requires a 700 W PSU, while the RX 7800 XT has a TDP of 263 W and a 600 W PSU recommendation. The newer card draws more power, which is expected given its higher performance, but the RX 7800 XT is more power-efficient per frame in some scenarios.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the RX 9070 XT is the faster card in the vast majority of benchmarks. It wins 8 of 10 head-to-head tests, including the most demanding DX12 workload by a 74.6% margin. Its higher core counts, faster clocks, and denser process node translate directly into measurable performance gains.

Choose the RX 9070 XT if you prioritize raw rasterization, Vulkan compute, or modern DX12 gaming. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 7260 versus 4157 is the strongest indicator of future-proofing for upcoming titles. The 55th percentile ranking versus the 51st for the RX 7800 XT confirms its superior standing in the database.

Choose the RX 7800 XT if your workload is specifically OpenCL-based, where it scores 18290 versus 17428, or if you are constrained by power delivery. Its 263 W TDP and 600 W PSU requirement are lower than the RX 9070 XT's 304 W and 700 W, respectively. The PassMark DirectX 12 result also suggests that some older DX12 titles may run better on the RX 7800 XT.

The RX 7800 XT also has a smaller physical footprint, measuring 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 50 mm in width, while the RX 9070 XT has no recorded dimensions. For compact builds, the RX 7800 XT is the safer fit. The RX 9070 XT is the performance pick, but the RX 7800 XT remains relevant for specific use cases and tighter power budgets.