AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE vs AMD Radeon VII Comparison

The AMD Radeon VII and AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE represent two distinct eras of AMD graphics technology, separated by over six years of architectural evolution. The Radeon VII, built on the aging GCN 5.1 architecture and a 7 nm process, was a pioneering enthusiast part in 2019, while the RX 9070 GRE, using the modern RDNA 4.0 architecture on a 4 nm node, is an active current-generation offering. The benchmark data shows a clear generational shift, but the Radeon VII retains specific strengths that make the comparison more nuanced than a simple scoreboard.

Where Each One Wins

The data presents a stark contrast in workload specialization. The Radeon RX 9070 GRE wins both recorded head-to-head benchmarks, demonstrating dominance in DirectX 12 gaming workloads and general-purpose compute via OpenCL. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5424 versus the Radeon VII’s 2304 represents a massive 57.5% lead, indicating that in modern gaming scenarios—particularly those leveraging DirectX 12's advanced features—the RX 9070 GRE is in a completely different performance class. This is reinforced by its architecture supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Radeon VII is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

The Radeon VII’s single area of relative strength lies in its memory subsystem, though this does not translate into benchmark victories. It features a 4096-bit memory bus with 1.02 TB/s of bandwidth, versus the RX 9070 GRE’s narrower 192-bit bus at 432.0 GB/s. This suggests the Radeon VII could excel in bandwidth-sensitive compute tasks or high-resolution texture streaming, but no benchmark in the provided data isolates this advantage. In contrast, the RX 9070 GRE wins in raw throughput metrics, offering 34.28 TFLOPS FP32 performance versus the Radeon VII’s 13.44 TFLOPS, and higher pixel and texture rates (267.8 GPixel/s and 535.7 GTexel/s compared to 112.0 GPixel/s and 420.0 GTexel/s respectively).

Architecture Differences

The fundamental divide lies in the architectural philosophies. The Radeon VII employs GCN 5.1 (Vega 20), a design optimized for compute-heavy workloads with a wide 4096-bit memory interface to feed its 3840 shading units. Its 7 nm process from TSMC integrates 13,230 million transistors on a 331 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 40.0M per mm². The architecture supports FP16 at a 2:1 ratio (26.88 TFLOPS), indicating a preference for mixed-precision compute.

The RX 9070 GRE uses the radically different RDNA 4.0 architecture (Navi 48), built on TSMC's 4 nm node. This chip packs 53,900 million transistors into a slightly larger 357 mm² die, achieving a remarkable 151.0M transistors per mm²—a 3.775x density improvement. RDNA 4.0 prioritizes gaming efficiency with a redesigned shader array (3072 shading units, 192 TMUs, 96 ROPs) and introduces dedicated hardware for ray tracing with 48 RT cores. Notably, its FP16 throughput matches FP32 at 34.28 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), a shift from the Vega approach. The RX 9070 GRE also features significantly higher clock speeds, boosting to 2790 MHz versus the Radeon VII’s 1750 MHz, while consuming less power (220 W TDP versus 295 W).

Connectivity and output capabilities also differ. The RX 9070 GRE uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and outputs via HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 2.1a, while the Radeon VII is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16 and older HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a standards. The RX 9070 GRE also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, features absent from the older card’s API list.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two recorded head-to-head tests paint a clear picture of generational superiority. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 9070 GRE scores 5424 against the Radeon VII’s 2304, a deltaPct of -57.5% from the perspective of the older card. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a 2.35x performance advantage in a modern DirectX 12 gaming benchmark. This test reflects real-world gaming performance under current API standards, and the gap is decisive.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 9070 GRE again wins, scoring 109309 versus the Radeon VII’s 91947, a 15.9% deltaPct. While this is a smaller margin than the gaming test, it still shows the newer architecture’s superior compute efficiency. The Radeon VII’s only other benchmark scores are in Geekbench Metal (77975) and Geekbench Vulkan (91788), for which the RX 9070 GRE has no comparable results, leaving those as unverified advantages for the older card on specific APIs. The overall average benchmark scores reflect this: the Radeon VII sits at 66004, placing in the 90th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 9070 GRE averages 57367, in the 87th percentile. This discrepancy arises because the Radeon VII’s average includes its strong Geekbench scores, whereas the RX 9070 GRE’s average is dragged down by its single non-gaming score.

The RX 9070 GRE’s nearest rivals in the data are the Intel Arc A580 (deltaPct -0.7), AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM (-1.2), Intel Arc A570M (-1.5), and AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT (-1.8), all of which it slightly trails in average score. The Radeon VII, however, sits near the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (-1.1), NVIDIA Tesla P40 (1.4), AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 (2.8), and NVIDIA CMP 30HX (3.4), showing a different competitive landscape.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is the unequivocal choice for modern gaming and general compute. Its 57.5% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the headline stat, indicating it will handle contemporary DirectX 12 titles with far greater ease than the Radeon VII. The newer card also offers superior features: ray tracing acceleration via 48 RT cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, PCIe 5.0, and newer display outputs, all while consuming 75 W less power (220 W vs 295 W). Its 4 nm process and 151.0M transistors per mm² density demonstrate a fundamental efficiency leap.

The Radeon VII, however, is not without merit for specific use cases. Its 16 GB of HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus provides 1.02 TB/s of bandwidth—over twice the RX 9070 GRE’s 432.0 GB/s—which could be advantageous for large dataset compute workloads or modded gaming at extreme resolutions where bandwidth is the bottleneck. Its FP16 performance of 26.88 TFLOPS, while lower than the RX 9070 GRE’s 34.28 TFLOPS, remains substantial. However, its end-of-life production status, lack of ray tracing hardware, and older API support make it a poor choice for future-proofing. The RX 9070 GRE’s active status and newer feature set ensure it will remain relevant longer. For any user prioritizing gaming performance, modern API compatibility, or energy efficiency, the RX 9070 GRE is the data-backed winner. The Radeon VII is only justifiable for specialized bandwidth-bound compute tasks where its unique memory architecture is paramount.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 5424, which is 57.5% higher than the AMD Radeon VII’s 2304, making it the clear winner in this DirectX 12 gaming benchmark.

Q: Does the Radeon VII have any advantage in memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, the Radeon VII has a 4096-bit memory bus providing 1.02 TB/s bandwidth with 16 GB of HBM2, whereas the RX 9070 GRE uses a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s and 12 GB of GDDR6.

Q: What are the architectural differences between the two?

A: The Radeon VII uses GCN 5.1 on a 7 nm process with 13,230 million transistors, while the RX 9070 GRE uses RDNA 4.0 on a 4 nm process with 53,900 million transistors and 48 dedicated ray tracing cores.

Q: Which card has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The RX 9070 GRE achieves 34.28 TFLOPS FP32, which is over 2.5 times the Radeon VII’s 13.44 TFLOPS.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RX 9070 GRE has a 220 W TDP, which is 75 W lower than the Radeon VII’s 295 W TDP, despite offering significantly higher performance.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Radeon VII has an average benchmark score of 66004, placing it in the 90th percentile, while the RX 9070 GRE averages 57367, in the 87th percentile. This is influenced by the Radeon VII’s additional Geekbench scores.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon VII | AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE |

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

| Architecture | GCN 5.1 | RDNA 4.0 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 4 nm |

| Transistors | 13,230 million | 53,900 million |

| Die Size | 331 mm² | 357 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 40.0M / mm² | 151.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1400 MHz | 1420 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1750 MHz | 2790 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM2 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 4096 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 1.02 TB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3840 | 3072 |

| TMUs | 240 | 192 |

| ROPs | 64 | 96 |

| RT Cores | N/A | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 112.0 GPixel/s | 267.8 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 420.0 GTexel/s | 535.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 13.44 TFLOPS | 34.28 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 26.88 TFLOPS (2:1) | 34.28 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 295 W | 220 W |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1a |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Launch MSRP | 699 USD | 549 USD |