Two mid-range graphics cards are going head to head at the exact same price point: Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070 and AMD's Radeon RX 9070. In this review we compare both GPUs with multiple upscaling modes enabled to see which one delivers the stronger experience in real-world gaming workloads. We know many of you will be enabling DLSS 4 on GeForce hardware and FSR 4 on Radeon GPUs, so this review includes that performance data.
Following on from our look at the RTX 5060 Ti versus the RX 9060 XT, this comparison will help uncover a wide range of insights. You will see both native and upscaled FPS performance across 23 games, giving a clear sense of what these cards actually feel like to use.
We will also break down how much uplift DLSS 4 and FSR 4 provide, and whether that changes the overall performance gap between these graphics cards. You will also see the benefit of using Balanced or Performance upscaling instead of Quality, which is increasingly relevant as modern upscaling technologies continue to deliver strong image quality at lower modes.
FSR 4 vs DLSS 4
The ultimate goal for this review is to provide a broader dataset than our day-one coverage, which largely focuses on native performance at multiple resolutions. Including both native and upscaled benchmarks in a single review would be super time-consuming, so separating upscaling data out into a follow up article like this makes sense.
As with all upscaling benchmarks, it is important to understand the visual differences between DLSS 4 and FSR 4 because they do not produce identical images, so the performance comparison is not a direct one-to-one (hence why we focus more on native for our day-one reviews).
We have published several in-depth breakdowns for those who want a deeper technical dive, and those serve as helpful companions to this performance review.
Today we will be testing 23 games at 1440p that support both DLSS 4 and FSR 4, and in each game we will evaluate the three primary upscaling modes: Quality, Balanced, and Performance, in addition to native TAA. In both the GeForce and Radeon drivers we have used the global override feature to ensure each game is upgraded to the most recent DLSS 4 or FSR 4 version.
Test System Specs
For testing, we used the MSI Vanguard SOC version of the RTX 5070 alongside the Asrock Steel Legend OC version of the RX 9070. Because these are factory-overclocked models, both were reset to stock clocks during benchmarking, which is our standard testing methodology. Both cards feature premium designs with high-quality coolers that remained quiet during testing.
The test system includes a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB of DDR5 6000 CL30 memory, and the latest game patches, Windows updates, and drivers. Nvidia driver version 581.57 and AMD driver version 25.10.1 were used. Let's get into it.
Gaming Benchmarks
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is first up, and here we see both models performing well, each offering over 100 FPS using native rendering. This is a title where upscaling does not provide as large a benefit as others, so we see a 16% increase using FSR 4 Quality on the RX 9070 and a similar 15% uplift using DLSS 4 Quality on the RTX 5070. Overall, the RX 9070 is 13% faster using native rendering and 14% faster using Quality upscaling.
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
Using the Very High preset with High ray tracing enabled, both models deliver similar native performance, although the Radeon card scales a little better with upscaling. It runs 29% faster with FSR 4 Quality compared to a 23% uplift for DLSS 4 Quality on the RTX 5070. As a result, the Radeon card is 5% faster when using Quality upscaling, and we see a similar margin with the Performance mode.
The Last of Us Part I
In The Last of Us Part I, the Radeon RX 9070 is 16% faster using native rendering, though this narrows to a 12% advantage when using Quality upscaling, meaning DLSS scales slightly better in this game. To match the RX 9070 using FSR 4 Quality, the RTX 5070 would need DLSS set to at least Balanced and likely Performance mode.
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 results are a little strange, and we saw this last time we tested this game for our previous upscaling analysis. Basically, the RX 9070 starts off as the faster card, even though we're using Very High ray tracing in addition to the Very High preset: it's 11% ahead of the RTX 5070. But then when Quality upscaling is used, that margin evaporates and now both models deliver similar average performance. On top of this, 1% low performance is clearly worse on the Radeon card, despite 1% lows being higher than with native rendering, so overall the GeForce model goes from offering a worse experience natively, to a better experience when upscaling is factored in.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows is a simple story: the RX 9070 is 16% faster than the RTX 5070 in this title whether we use upscaling or not. And given the performance we are seeing, where the Ultra High preset runs at just 50 FPS on the 5070 and 58 FPS on the 9070, this is probably a title where you'll want to enable at least quality upscaling, or maybe a little more on the GeForce model. It's also interesting that even DLSS 4 Performance mode on the 5070 is unable to match FSR 4 Quality on the 9070 in terms of performance.
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II is one of the strongest results for the RX 9070, as it's 31% faster than the RTX 5070 in our test area using native rendering, and 29% faster using quality upscaling. Even with DLSS 4 Performance mode enabled, the RTX 5070 is unable to match the frame rate of the 9070 using FSR 4 Quality, so in this title the Radeon card is offering a definitively superior experience.
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is also one of the better results for Radeon, with the 9070 outperforming the 5070 by 25% using native rendering and 23% using quality upscaling. Both GPUs see roughly a 25% gain when upscaling is enabled, so it is definitely worthwhile here.
Stalker 2
In Stalker 2, the two GPUs are essentially tied using native rendering. With the Epic preset at 1440p, neither reaches 60 FPS, so upscaling is the best choice. With Quality mode enabled, the RX 9070 pulls ahead by 7%. However, 1% lows still land in the mid 60s, suggesting the game is hitting another limitation even when upscaled.
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals is a game I've tested using the Ultra preset, and again we see the Radeon card scaling a little better when upscaling is used. The 9070 starts off 10% faster using native rendering, but improves to 16% faster when quality upscaling is enabled, and is as much as 19% faster with balanced upscaling. To get the 5070 running above 100 FPS in the benchmark, you need to use DLSS 4 Performance, whereas the 9070 achieves this with FSR 4 Quality.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II
Kingdom Come Deliverance II is a modern game that runs very well without upscaling, hitting over 90 FPS on both GPUs, very playable in this sort of title. But you can also improve performance by over 20% with upscaling enabled. Natively, the 9070 is 12% faster than the 5070, and this drops to a 9% advantage when using quality upscaling.
Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws produced surprising scaling behavior. Natively, the RX 9070 is just 7% faster than the RTX 5070. However, with upscaling enabled, FSR 4 delivers a much larger boost and the RX 9070 extends its lead to 30%. DLSS 4 Quality improves the RTX 5070 by 18% compared to native, while FSR 4 Quality improves the RX 9070 by 44%. It is unclear whether this behavior is tied to the game's ray tracing usage, the implementation of the upscalers, or a GPU architecture quirk.
Hunt Showdown
Hunt Showdown is a game that previously ran poorly on AMD GPUs the last few times we tested it, but AMD appears to have quietly fixed the issue in a recent driver. Instead of the RX 9070 being much slower as expected based on past benchmarks, it now performs in line with the rest of the results. It is 18% faster than the RTX 5070 using native rendering at 1440p and 17% faster using Quality upscaling.
God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok is another title where upscaling runs a little better on Radeon than GeForce. The RX 9070 starts out 17% faster than the RTX 5070, and this increases to 23% when Quality upscaling is enabled. This is because FSR 4 Quality delivered a 35% uplift compared to native, while DLSS 4 Quality improved performance by 29%. Both GPUs do run the game very well, and high refresh framerates are easily achievable once upscaling is enabled.
Stellar Blade
While AMD may have improved performance in Hunt Showdown, Stellar Blade is still a bad showing for team red. Here the RTX 5070 is faster: 6% faster at native rendering and 2% faster using Quality upscaling, making it one of the rare non ray tracing titles where GeForce leads. There is also a much wider gap in 1% lows, with the RTX 5070 providing smoother performance, especially once upscaling is applied.
F1 25
F1 25 again sees the RX 9070 scaling a little better once upscaling is enabled, extending a 9% native lead to a 15% lead when using Quality upscaling. RTX 5070 owners would need to use Balanced upscaling to match the RX 9070 using Quality in this title at 1440p with the Ultra High preset.
Cyberpunk 2077
In Cyberpunk 2077 we are using the Ultra Ray Tracing preset, which is right on the edge of what these cards can handle at 1440p. Native performance is poor at just 35 FPS on both GPUs, with the Radeon model also showing worse frame pacing, reflected in a much lower 1% low. Once Quality upscaling is enabled, both cards exceed 60 FPS on average, but the RTX 5070 offers the better overall experience thanks to a 16% advantage in 1% lows even though averages are similar.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy has now been updated with FSR 3.1 support and therefore also supports FSR 4 through a driver override. In this title, the RX 9070 is 7% faster whether upscaling is used or not. Due to the structure of the game and the heavy load in Hogsmeade, 1% lows hit a wall and cannot be meaningfully improved by upscaling.
Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 runs considerably faster on the RX 9070, showing a 26% advantage using the Badass preset at 1440p, though neither GPU reaches 60 FPS. Upscaling scales slightly better on GeForce here, closing the gap to 20% with Quality, and to 14% using Performance mode. The RX 9070 can reach a playable framerate with FSR 4 Quality, whereas the RTX 5070 only reaches 60 FPS on average with DLSS Balanced.
Mafia The Old Country
Mafia The Old Country is visually impressive and runs far better on Radeon. The RX 9070 is 25% faster using native rendering and 30% faster using upscaling. The RTX 5070 is essentially a 60 FPS card here using Quality upscaling, while the RX 9070 sits at about 80 FPS, which is significantly better for high refresh rate displays. Even DLSS 4 Performance mode is not enough to hit 80 FPS on the 5070.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds is poorly optimized and again favors the RX 9070, which is about 30% faster overall in the most intensive part of the benchmark. Upscaling is not especially impactful in this title, improving performance by 15% on the 5070 and 19% on the 9070 when going from native to Quality mode.
Dying Light The Beast
Dying Light The Beast offers very similar performance on both GPUs whether using native rendering or upscaling. The RX 9070 does pull ahead by 6% when using Performance mode, but in other modes the two are very close. Both GPUs deliver a stable experience even without upscaling.
The Alters
The Alters sees the RX 9070 scaling a little better once upscaling is used, improving from a 7% native lead to a 14% advantage with Quality enabled. The difference in 1% lows is not as large, but Radeon still leads. This is also a title where upscaling brings more pronounced gains than in games like Monster Hunter.
Battlefield 6
The last game tested is Battlefield 6. In a botmatch test scenario, the RX 9070 was 11% faster using native rendering and 7% faster using Quality upscaling, suggesting DLSS scales a little better on the GeForce model. In this intensive scenario, both GPUs could hit 120 FPS with Balanced upscaling, and if you plan on using the Overkill preset, upscaling is highly recommended.
23 Game Average
Now it is time to look at the 23 game average, calculated using the geomean. Across the games tested, the Radeon RX 9070 was 13% faster than the RTX 5070 using native rendering at 1440p. This is a larger margin than in our day one review, where the 9070 was only 4% faster at 1440p across a different 18 game sample.
Our more recent testing has shown that RDNA 4 GPUs have gained performance since launch thanks to driver updates and what many would refer to as FineWine, which certainly appears to apply to the 9070 versus 5070 comparison.
When comparing the upscaling modes, this margin barely changes. The RX 9070 is also 13% faster using Quality upscaling, 13% faster using Balanced upscaling, and 13% faster using Performance upscaling. One percent lows are roughly 11% faster across all modes, with no meaningful change from upscaling. This confirms that if you see a margin in native testing, you should expect a very similar gap when using each vendor's respective upscaler.
We can also use this to see which settings are required to match performance between the two cards. If you play with Quality upscaling on the RX 9070, you would need Balanced upscaling on the RTX 5070 just to get close, and realistically Performance mode is required to properly match or exceed it. It is not a perfect one to one alignment since FSR 4 Quality on the 9070 usually lands between Balanced and Performance DLSS 4 on the 5070.
This test suite includes games both with and without ray tracing, though it is not always the ray tracing titles where the 9070 falls behind. Dying Light The Beast and Stellar Blade are examples where the 5070 fares better, and neither currently uses ray tracing. On the other hand, several games show the 9070 more than 20% ahead, such as Mafia The Old Country, The Last of Us Part II, and Borderlands 4.
These margins remain similar with upscaling enabled, though a few outliers scale better on Radeon and others scale better on GeForce. In roughly half the games tested, you should expect about a 15% lead for the 9070, while in about one third of the games the difference is 7% or less.
Benchmark Summary and Wrap Up
So what does this mean when deciding between the RTX 5070 and RX 9070, and which would we recommend? Based on this testing, the Radeon RX 9070 is in a stronger position than it was at launch, extending its lead to 13% on average at 1440p with or without upscaling. Neither DLSS 4 nor FSR 4 meaningfully shifts the standings overall. There are differences on a game by game basis, but on average it's a wash.
Right now both GPUs retail for $550, which puts the Radeon at an 11% advantage in cost per frame. That still falls just short of the 15% threshold we typically look for when recommending Radeon over GeForce. However, context matters.
The biggest strength of the Radeon is its overall performance advantage. Coming in 13% faster means the 9070 is more likely to hit your desired performance target. With Quality upscaling enabled, for example, the 9070 hit 60 FPS on average in all 23 games we tested, whereas the 5070 fell short in two games.
The 9070 hit 80 FPS in at least 20 titles, compared to 16 on the 5070. And for 120 FPS high refresh rate gaming, the 9070 achieved this in 11 titles, versus 6 for the 5070. On average, it's not significantly faster, but there are certainly games where the Radeon card is noticeably ahead, while in the worst cases it's rarely the slower GPU.
The RX 9070 also has a VRAM advantage, offering 16GB compared to 12GB on the RTX 5070. At 1440p this isn't often a problem in today's games, especially when using upscaling, though there are certainly edge case, realistic scenarios where 12GB runs into limitations. Having 16GB is more about future breathing room.
A lot of modern titles already sit in the 10 to 11GB range at 1440p with upscaling, which is right up against the 5070's limit. Those memory demands are only going up, and once games regularly exceed 12GB, the RX 9070 will age much better.
The main strength of the GeForce card is its feature set. DLSS 4 is supported in far more titles than FSR 4, and when DLSS 4 is not available, games often support DLSS 2 or 3 which still look pretty good. Radeon owners are stuck using FSR 2 or 3 in games without FSR 4, and the image quality in those modes is noticeably worse, especially at 1440p which is the most popular resolution for mid-range cards like these.
To AMD's credit, FSR 4 support has been impressive in the latest big releases and it is improving quickly. So if you mostly stick to newer games like Borderlands 4 or Battlefield 6, missing DLSS 4 is not a huge deal. But if you enjoy dipping into older titles that may never get FSR 4, the RTX 5070 has the advantage there. It's also true that in general, DLSS 4 offers somewhat better image quality than FSR 4.
The RTX 5070 is also faster in heavy ray tracing games, especially those that use path tracing, as we showed in our day one review. However, in these titles the RTX 5070 isn't exactly the fastest card, often falling well short of 60 FPS at 1440p with upscaling enabled, and ray tracing is more likely to cripple the 12GB VRAM buffer. So this isn't a huge strength of the 5070 and in titles with milder ray tracing implementations, the RX 9070 is competitive.
There are also extra features Nvidia offers like CUDA, AI tooling, and multi frame generation, but for pure gaming, these are the main considerations.
In the end, neither card lands as the obvious slam dunk choice. The Radeon RX 9070 is in a much healthier spot than it was at launch and the performance uplift is meaningful, but the pricing is still only "okay." There's also to consider how the RX 9070 XT shakes things up, especially with its current $650 price putting pressure on the stack, so we will be looking at that soon.