AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, built on the 7 nm Navi 10 chip with RDNA 1.0 architecture, holds a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 24,731. Its position is remarkably tight against a cluster of rivals, with deltas ranging from -0.1% to 0.9%, indicating that this card sits in a highly competitive performance band where small architectural differences, rather than raw throughput, often decide the outcome. The data suggests a GPU that was a strong contender at its launch, and its end-of-life production status means it now represents a fixed point in the performance landscape, one that still holds relevance for specific use cases.

Who Should Consider It

Benchmark results indicate that the RX 5700 XT is best suited for gamers targeting high refresh rate 1080p or smooth 1440p experiences, rather than those pushing 4K. The PassMark DirectX 12 score of 64, while lower than older API scores, suggests that the card handles modern workloads adequately, but the overall average score of 24,731 relative to its nearest rivals places it in a mid-to-high tier. For users running DirectX 11 titles, the PassMark score of 116 is notably stronger, implying that legacy API games run particularly well. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,134 further supports the notion that this is not a top-tier 4K card, but rather one that excels in less demanding resolutions. The 68th percentile ranking means that a majority of GPUs on the market are slower, making this a viable option for gamers who prioritize frame rates at 1080p or are willing to dial back settings at 1440p. Conversely, users with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors or 4K displays should look elsewhere, as the data shows the card is outclassed by higher-end options in that segment.

Memory Subsystem

The RX 5700 XT comes equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where texture data and frame buffers typically fit within the 8 GB capacity. At higher resolutions, however, the memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor. The 448.0 GB/s figure is substantial but not exceptional, and combined with the 8 GB capacity, it suggests that 4K textures or heavy modding could exceed the available memory, leading to performance dips. The effective memory clock of 14 Gbps is standard for the era, and the 256-bit bus width provides a balanced throughput that matches the GPU’s compute capabilities. For users who stick to its intended resolution range, the memory subsystem is sufficient, but the data implies that pushing beyond 1440p will expose its limitations, particularly in texture-heavy scenes.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The RX 5700 XT does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as indicated by the null values in the fact pack. This means that any ray tracing workload would be handled by the traditional shading units, which number 2,560, leading to significantly reduced performance compared to GPUs with dedicated hardware. The architecture, RDNA 1.0, predates AMD’s dedicated ray tracing accelerators, so the feature set lacks hardware-accelerated ray tracing entirely. In terms of API support, the card supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers modern gaming APIs well. The Vulkan 1.4 support is notably current, suggesting that the GPU can handle the latest Vulkan titles despite its age. The absence of tensor cores also means that AI-driven features like DLSS are unavailable; users would rely on FSR or similar upscaling techniques that do not require dedicated hardware. For gamers who consider ray tracing a must-have, the data clearly shows this is not the right card, but for those who prioritize traditional rasterization performance, the feature set remains serviceable.

Power and Cooling

The RX 5700 XT has a TDP of 225 W, which requires a suggested PSU of 550 W. Power is delivered via a 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connector configuration, which is typical for a card of this class. The dual-slot design, measuring 272 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 36 mm in width, indicates that it will fit in most mid-tower cases, but users should verify clearance. The power draw of 225 W is moderate, and the cooling solution, while not specified in detail, is presumably sufficient for the dual-slot form factor. The lack of a 12-pin or 16-pin connector means that older power supplies with standard 6-pin and 8-pin outputs are compatible, easing installation for users upgrading from older systems. The 550 W PSU recommendation provides a reasonable headroom for a typical system with a mid-range CPU, but users with high-end processors should consider a larger PSU. The card’s end-of-life status means that power efficiency is a secondary concern, as it is no longer competing with newer, more efficient designs.

How It Compares

Against the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, the RX 5700 XT is virtually tied, with a delta of -0.1%. This means the desktop AMD card performs at nearly the same level as a mobile workstation GPU, which is an interesting data point. The RTX A5000 Mobile is designed for laptops, so the RX 5700 XT offers comparable performance in a desktop form factor, likely with better sustained clocks due to superior cooling.

The Intel Arc A350M is a mobile GPU that sits 0.3% behind the RX 5700 XT. This is a surprisingly close margin, given that the Arc A350M is a low-power mobile part. The data suggests that the RX 5700 XT holds a slight edge, but the performance difference is within noise, meaning that in real-world scenarios, the two could trade blows depending on the driver and game.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is 0.6% ahead of the RX 5700 XT. This is a newer generation mobile GPU that edges out the older AMD card by a hair. The margin is small enough that the RX 5700 XT can still compete, but the RTX 5060 Mobile likely benefits from newer features like hardware ray tracing, which the RX 5700 XT lacks.

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 is 0.9% ahead of the RX 5700 XT. This is a professional workstation card from NVIDIA, and its lead over the AMD gaming card is modest. The Quadro RTX 5000 comes with certified drivers and higher memory capacity, but in raw gaming benchmarks, the RX 5700 XT is nearly its equal, which speaks to the AMD card’s efficiency.

FAQ

Q: What is the average benchmark score of the RX 5700 XT?

A: The average benchmark score is 24,731, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Does the RX 5700 XT support hardware ray tracing?

A: No, it has no dedicated ray tracing cores, so ray tracing is processed by the standard shading units, which is inefficient.

Q: What is the memory configuration of the RX 5700 XT?

A: It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s.

Q: What are the power supply requirements for this card?

A: The TDP is 225 W, and a 550 W PSU is suggested, using a 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connector setup.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT compare to the NVIDIA RTX 5060 Mobile?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile is 0.6% faster in average benchmark scores, a margin that is nearly negligible in practice.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the RX 5700 XT?

A: The launch MSRP was 399 USD.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data paints a picture of a GPU that is remarkably consistent with its nearest competitors. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,134 is a modern test, and while it is lower than some older tests, it indicates the card can handle current DX12 titles at moderate settings. The Geekbench scores are more mixed: Metal at 93,691, OpenCL at 77,773, and Vulkan at 73,091. The Metal score is the highest, which is unusual for a Windows-focused card, but it suggests strong performance in macOS environments if the card is used in a Hackintosh. The OpenCL and Vulkan scores are lower, but still respectable. The PassMark scores show a clear trend: DirectX 9 at 226 and DirectX 11 at 116 are strong, while DirectX 10 at 97 and DirectX 12 at 64 are weaker. This indicates that the card is optimized for older APIs, which is a common trait for GPUs of its era. The 2D score of 922 and G3D score of 16,277 are solid, while the GPU compute score of 7,650 is modest. The delta percentages against rivals are all within 1%, meaning that the RX 5700 XT is essentially a peer of the RTX A5000 Mobile, Arc A350M, RTX 5060 Mobile, and Quadro RTX 5000. The closest rival is the RTX A5000 Mobile at -0.1%, which is a statistical tie, while the Quadro RTX 5000 is the farthest at 0.9% ahead. In practical terms, this means that the RX 5700 XT will trade blows with these cards depending on the specific benchmark or game, and driver optimizations could easily shift the balance. The FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS is a theoretical peak that is rarely achieved, but it gives a sense of the raw compute capability. The pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s are in line with the card’s positioning. Overall, the data suggests that the RX 5700 XT is a well-balanced GPU that offers competitive performance in its class, but it lacks the modern feature set of newer cards, which is a significant drawback for future-proofing.