RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT: Which Is Better?

The RTX 5080 is a flagship-like GPU designed to deliver fantastic 4K gaming performance. How does it compare to AMD’s best, Radeon 9070 XT?

Nvidia RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT (Image via GIGABYTE | ASUS)

The Nvidia RTX 5080 is a great GPU for 4K gaming. It can even run games with ray tracing and path tracing, thanks to its DLSS 4 upscaling technologies. However, the only caveat is that it costs upwards of $1,300, making it quite expensive and out of reach for budget gamers.

AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT also promises solid 4K gaming performance and can handle ray tracing as well. It is available for almost half the price. This raises the question: which is the better GPU of the two, and by how much?

In this article, we will compare the two graphics cards to determine which is better and which provides the best value for your money.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT: Detailed Comparison

Picture of GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5080 AERO OC SFF — GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5080 AERO OC SFF (Image via GIGABYTE)

The Nvidia RTX 5080 comes with 16 GB of memory and was launched in January 2025 at the CES 2025 event. On the other hand, the Radeon RX 9070 XT was launched in March 2025 and also features 16 GB of VRAM. Despite the same memory capacity, there are some stark differences between the two GPUs. Let’s take a look.

Specs Comparison

Here are the specs of the Nvidia RTX 5080 and Radeon RX 9070 XT:

Specifications	Nvidia RTX 5080	AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Architecture	Blackwell	RDNA 4
Shader cores	10752	4096
RT cores	84	64
TMUs	336	256
ROPs	112	128
Base core clock speeds	2295 MHz	1660 MHz
Boost core clock speeds	2617 MHz	2970 MHz
Memory capacity	16GB GDDR7	16GB GDDR6
Memory bus width	256-bit	256-bit
Memory bandwidth	960.0 GB/s	644.6 GB/s
Manufacturing node	5nm	4nm
Thermal design power (TDPs)	360W	304W

The RTX 5080 features more shader cores, faster GDDR7 memory, higher memory bandwidth, and a higher power draw compared to the Radeon RX 9070 XT. On paper, it appears to be the stronger GPU. However, as we know, specs don’t always translate directly to real-world gaming performance.

Performance Comparison

Picture of the RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT — The RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT (Image via GAMING BENCH – RGB/YouTube)

Now, let’s set aside the specs and see how the Nvidia RTX 5080 and Radeon RX 9070 XT perform in popular games:

Games	Nvidia RTX 5080	AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Starfield	63 FPS	57 FPS
Stalker 2	51 FPS	39 FPS
The Last of Us: Part 1	73 FPS	63 FPS
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2	70 FPS	72 FPS
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle	81 FPS	57 FPS
Horizon Forbidden West	76 FPS	63 FPS
Hellblade 2	46 FPS	39 FPS
Ghost of Tsushima	76 FPS	72 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	44 FPS	36 FPS
Alan Wake 2	51 FPS	47 FPS

Note: The two GPUs here were tested at 4K resolution with High/Ultra Settings unless mentioned otherwise. All the FPS numbers were sourced from the GAMING BENCH – RGB channel on YouTube. For the tests, the two graphics cards were paired with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.

The RTX 5080 outperformed the Radeon RX 9070 XT in almost every game listed, except Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which may be less optimized for Nvidia hardware. Overall, the RTX 5080 delivers around 15.78% better performance on average.

Price Comparison

The RTX 5080 launched at $999 but is currently available for upwards of $1,300. Meanwhile, the Radeon RX 9070 XT debuted at $599 and is now selling for around $720 or more, depending on the cooler model. This makes the RTX 5080 roughly 80% more expensive than the Radeon card.

Final Verdict on RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT

Picture of ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition — ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition (Image via ASUS)

The verdict is clear. The RTX 5080 is a better graphics card compared to the Radeon RX 9070 XT. The former is about 15.78% better than the latter. However, the Nvidia GPU is also 80% more expensive. Essentially, if you choose the RTX card, you will have to pay 80% more but will only get 15.78% more performance. The RTX 5080 is the better GPU, but the Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers better bang for your buck.

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RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT: Which Is Better?