AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE occupy very different segments of the GPU market, and the recorded data reflects a massive performance gulf between them. Based on the database measurements, the RTX 5090 leads in every head-to-head test, but the RX 9070 GRE still holds its own in its own performance percentile. This analysis walks through the architecture, benchmarks, and specifications to clarify where each card stands.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE has an average score of 57,367.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5090 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RTX 5090 scores 18,355 versus 5,424 for the RX 9070 GRE, a delta of 238.4% in favor of the NVIDIA card.

Q: What is the difference in launch MSRP between the two cards?

A: The RTX 5090 has a launch MSRP of 1,999 USD, while the RX 9070 GRE has a launch MSRP of 549 USD.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE has a transistor density of 151.0M / mm², higher than the RTX 5090's 122.9M / mm².

Q: What are the nearest rivals for the RTX 5090 based on average score?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% higher), NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% higher), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% higher), and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% lower).

Q: What are the nearest rivals for the RX 9070 GRE?

A: The nearest rivals are the Intel Arc A580 (0.7% lower), AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM (1.2% lower), Intel Arc A570M (1.5% lower), and AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT (1.8% lower).

Architecture Differences

The RTX 5090 is built on NVIDIA's Blackwell 2.0 architecture using the GB202 chip, while the RX 9070 GRE uses AMD's RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip. Both are fabricated by TSMC, but the process nodes differ: the RTX 5090 uses a 5 nm node, while the RX 9070 GRE uses a 4 nm node. The transistor counts differ substantially, with the RTX 5090 packing 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, versus 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die for the RX 9070 GRE. Despite the larger die, the RTX 5090 has a lower transistor density at 122.9M / mm² compared to 151.0M / mm² for the AMD card.

The RTX 5090 features 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, while the RX 9070 GRE has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Ray tracing hardware also differs: the RTX 5090 has 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, while the RX 9070 GRE has 48 RT cores and no tensor cores listed. The RTX 5090's memory subsystem is significantly larger, with 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The RX 9070 GRE has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s.

Clock behavior also diverges. The RTX 5090 has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, while the RX 9070 GRE has a lower base clock of 1420 MHz but a higher boost clock of 2790 MHz, along with a game clock of 2220 MHz. The RTX 5090's memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective), while the RX 9070 GRE's memory runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). Both cards support PCIe 5.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Display outputs are similar, with both offering 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort, though the RTX 5090 uses DisplayPort 2.1b and the RX 9070 GRE uses DisplayPort 2.1a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database includes two head-to-head benchmark results, and the RTX 5090 wins both. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 5090 scores 18,355 against the RX 9070 GRE's 5,424, representing a 238.4% advantage. This is a decisive margin, more than tripling the AMD card's score. The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a similar pattern: the RTX 5090 scores 334,370 versus 109,309 for the RX 9070 GRE, a delta of 205.9%. Both tests highlight the RTX 5090's dominance in raw compute and modern DX12 workloads.

The RX 9070 GRE's average benchmark score of 57,367 places it near rivals like the Intel Arc A580 (0.7% lower) and AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT (1.8% lower), which suggests it competes in a much lower performance tier. The RTX 5090, with an average score of 79,842, sits close to the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% higher) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% lower), indicating it is positioned among high-end workstation-class parts.

The RTX 5090 also holds a 92nd percentile rank among all GPUs, while the RX 9070 GRE holds an 87th percentile rank. The delta between the two cards in the head-to-head tests is so large that no benchmark in the current data shows a win for the RX 9070 GRE.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE in every recorded benchmark. The RTX 5090 leads by 238.4% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and by 205.9% in Geekbench OpenCL. Its average benchmark score of 79,842 is well above the RX 9070 GRE's 57,367. The RTX 5090 also has a higher percentile rank at 92 versus 87.

However, the RX 9070 GRE is not without merit. Its launch MSRP of 549 USD is far lower than the RTX 5090's 1,999 USD, and it draws significantly less power with a TDP of 220 W versus 575 W. The RX 9070 GRE also has a smaller die and fewer transistors, making it a more modest design overall. The RX 9070 GRE's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT, is only 1.8% higher in average score, which shows that the RX 9070 GRE sits close to a previous-generation high-end card. The RTX 5090's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% higher) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% lower), placing it in a different class entirely.

For users seeking maximum performance in DX12 and compute workloads, the RTX 5090 is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For users who prioritize lower power consumption and a lower launch MSRP, the RX 9070 GRE offers a viable alternative, though it cannot match the RTX 5090's raw performance.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification field. The RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, while the RX 9070 GRE uses the Navi 48 chip with RDNA 4.0. The RTX 5090 has a 5 nm process node, while the RX 9070 GRE uses 4 nm. Transistors are 92,200 million versus 53,900 million, and die size is 750 mm² versus 357 mm².

Memory configurations are vastly different: the RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, while the RX 9070 GRE has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s. Shading units are 21,760 versus 3,072, TMUs are 680 versus 192, and ROPs are 176 versus 96. The RTX 5090 has 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, while the RX 9070 GRE has 48 RT cores and no tensor cores.

Clock speeds differ: base clock is 2017 MHz for the RTX 5090 versus 1420 MHz for the RX 9070 GRE, and boost clock is 2407 MHz versus 2790 MHz. The RX 9070 GRE also has a game clock of 2220 MHz, which the RTX 5090 does not list. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) for the RTX 5090 versus 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for the RX 9070 GRE.

Pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s for the RTX 5090 versus 267.8 GPixel/s for the RX 9070 GRE. Texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s versus 535.7 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 compute are both 104.8 TFLOPS for the RTX 5090 versus 34.28 TFLOPS for the RX 9070 GRE. TDP is 575 W versus 220 W, and the suggested PSU is 950 W versus 550 W. The RTX 5090 uses a single 16-pin power connector, while the RX 9070 GRE uses two 8-pin connectors. Both are dual-slot cards. The RTX 5090 has dimensions of 304 mm length, 137 mm height, and 40 mm width, while the RX 9070 GRE has no recorded dimensions. Display outputs are identical in count, but the RTX 5090 uses DisplayPort 2.1b while the RX 9070 GRE uses DisplayPort 2.1a. Release dates differ: the RTX 5090 launched on 2025-01-29, while the RX 9070 GRE launched on 2025-05-07.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5090 wins in all performance categories recorded in the database. It leads in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 by 238.4% and in Geekbench OpenCL by 205.9%. Its pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are roughly 1.6x and 3.1x the RX 9070 GRE's respective rates. FP32 compute is 104.8 TFLOPS versus 34.28 TFLOPS, a 3.1x advantage. The RTX 5090 also has more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores, along with more memory, a wider bus, and higher bandwidth. The RTX 5090's higher average benchmark score and percentile rank further cement its position as the stronger performer.

The RX 9070 GRE wins in efficiency-oriented metrics. Its TDP of 220 W is significantly lower than the RTX 5090's 575 W, and its suggested PSU of 550 W is lower than 950 W. It has a higher transistor density at 151.0M / mm², and its boost clock of 2790 MHz is higher than the RTX 5090's 2407 MHz. The RX 9070 GRE also has a lower launch MSRP at 549 USD versus 1,999 USD. For users who do not need the RTX 5090's extreme compute capabilities, the RX 9070 GRE offers a more power-conscious option, but the recorded benchmark data shows no test where it outperforms the RTX 5090.