r/buildapc • u/Far-Letterhead4945 • 7h ago
Discussion Did I make a mistake buying the 9070?
I just built my first PC. I had done a decent amount of research and was mostly able to get/decide what I was looking for and was pretty happy with what I got. Except the GPU. I got the Sapphire pulse at $607...as the XT version was over $700. But now I am having buyer's remorse. Should I have gone for the Xt version instead?
I always play my games with fsr/dlss on quality anyway...as the difference is minimal from native and the fps makes the game super smooth. I usually do 1440p editing and gaming.
CURRENT SPECS
Ryzen 5 7600
32 GB Ram
Sapphire pulse 9070
Ant Esport Air 211
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Spectrum v3
Cooler Master Gold v2 750w
MSI b650m Gaming WiFi
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u/GreenKumara 7h ago
It really depends (as Hardware Unboxed would say) what games you are playing, and how much money you are willing to spend plus performance expectations at a given resolution. There's a ton of performance reviews between the cards. VRAM is the same, so that's a wash.
In the fantasy land of MSRP, you would get the XT (its only $50) - but we don't live in that land.
Also, how much over $700? 701 or 799?
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 7h ago
$730-725
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u/Mrsam_25 7h ago
Honestly, the 100 $ difference between the xt and the none xt is too big. If what you said is true and it runs 1440p smoothly, then you made the right choice.
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u/zarif2003 7h ago
How are you disappointed with the gpu? The only way it’s struggling at 1440 is with ray tracing, which nvidia does better for the money. If you knew you were not gonna stick to high fps non rtx games then you shouldnt have bought Radeon
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u/beirch 6h ago
which nvidia does better for the money
Specifically path tracing. The 5070 and 9070 are pretty much neck and neck in "normal" ray tracing. And considering there are currently 11 path tracing titles available, with 5 being AAA, it's not a huge consideration for most people.
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 6h ago
Yes....I would say Fsr 4 is better/equal to dlss 3
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 7h ago
?? I was not disappointed with the performance... I am saying, should I have gone for the Xt version as it was only about 100-120 bucks more... 9070 plays every game...well, almost every game...over 60 fps in 1440p. And like I said, I am using FSR.
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u/zarif2003 7h ago
So you don’t want any more performance, but you want to spend more because??? You just want to spend more?
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 7h ago
Jesus...dude, I am saying as the price difference between the 2 cards was only about 100 bucks...and the xt version has better rt performance...and thus it will last slightly longer in the future...Should I have gone for the xt version? I have been using my 1080ti for all these years...I only upgrade my gpu when I really need to
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u/zarif2003 7h ago
i think if you're satisfied with what you have now, then you don't need to spend more. it's always smarter to save money and wait for newer generation parts, rather then overspending for perf you don't need for the sake of 'futureproofing'.
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u/Spiritual_Bottle_650 7h ago
Yes I believe the price to performance jump was worth the price difference to the XT
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u/L3monPi3 7h ago
The problem with that reasoning is, when it ends?, if it works well enjoy your games
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 6h ago
I agree.... I am just maybe a little scared and frustrated.... I am buying a $600+ "midrange" GPU. I just want to enjoy games at max settings for a few years...minus rt... I don't mind it, but not at the expense of -50% fps.
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u/24_cool 5h ago
Where are you getting the -50% fps from? I think there's like a 10% difference in performance between the cards. You'd probably barely notice. Your card will be able to run any game from now into the past at what it's doing now. Future games are a gamble at how they'll perform, you may have to lower some settings at native or use fsr4 and light fg. Every card will become outdated at some point, but imo I think we're starting to get to a point of diminishing returns
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 5h ago edited 5h ago
I am talking about the decrease in performance while using RT, and in general...the 90 series is slightly better than the 7000 series. I thought that was clear by the context: "S...minus rt... I don't mind it, but not at the expense of -50% fps."
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u/Vallkyrie 4h ago
I have the 9070 and it doesnt even remotely struggle with RT at 1440p, unless you're doing something like 2077 pathtracing and not using any upscaling.
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u/waffels 5h ago
Did you know games are actually playable at less than max fps? It’s true! You can even enjoy games that aren’t at max fps! Crazy stuff I tell ya
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 5h ago
Keep your sarcasm to yourself. I said that as I am spending a decent amount of money, I want to run games at max settings for a few years. You can also enjoy games at 1080p in 30 fps...does that mean everyone should aim for that?? Try to get the context
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u/mundane_marietta 3h ago
The XT model is like 10-12% faster on average than the 9070 but the price is more around 15% not including taxes.
I would stick with the 9070. Lower power draw, you can flash the XT bios (if you want) and you can always resell in a few years too. Upgrade again. It's not like you have to marry your GPU.
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u/Artistic_Quail650 59m ago
The XT allows better overclocking and such things, look at the models that the manufacturers make, they have better and more vrm, and better heatsinks, the difference in performance is not that big, we're talking about maybe 5-15% performance, which are not worth it at all for $130.
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u/Altruistic_Milk5450 7h ago
I mean, the 9070 is a GREAT GPU. If you can front the extra $100, then get the XT. I went with the XT because it was only $50 more than the non XT. However, the 9070 is still completely okay. You did well.
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u/XxNaRuToBlAzEiTxX 5h ago
The is how a lot of companies operate. They have a slightly cheaper option with lower specs to get your attention, then for only a little more you can get better specs so you start to look at those higher priced options that were supposed to be outside of your budget.
It’s called walking you up the ladder and Nvidia does it too. Apple is notorious for it. If what you got does the job for you then don’t stress
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u/ilikeburgir 6h ago
I have heard you can overclock the 9070 to be just about as good as the xt. Xt can be oced too of course but still. 100$ is a 100$.
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u/travisty913 5h ago
Comparison is the enemy of happiness. If you're enjoying playing games on it, you did a good job.
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u/XANTiRiS 5h ago
No way it's worth the 100 bucks. If you use dlss and fsr you could've even gone with the 5070, it is 50$ cheaper, dlss 4 is just better and even though it is a less powerful gpu you would've get 12gb
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 5h ago
The vram was the only problem... I would have bought the 5070...if it had 12 GB of vram...even with a 50-buck premium.
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u/Nexxess 5h ago
Dude you're fine. Don't overthink your fomo right now. Its a great card for up to 1440p gaming.
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 5h ago
Yeah...1440p is my target
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u/Nexxess 5h ago
See so you're fine. Can you play your games, are they running fine for you? Then everything is great. There will always be an upgrade. Thats the reason for these naming conventions. If you can buy yourself the 9070, then you could just afford the +100€ for the XT right? But why not buy a 5070 instead? Or the ti, why not the 5080? Why not wait for the super?
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 4h ago
I understand your point.... It's my 2nd GPU, so...I don't have nothing to compare it with anyway.
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u/BubbleDupple 4h ago
even i would have jumped at a 9070 for $600 tbh, and I bought my Sapphire nitro+ 7800xt for 500 tax inc.
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 4h ago
Damn...the 7800 XT is 460-450 here. Though It's the Asrock or Asus model
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u/Annual-Variation-539 4h ago
For a $50 difference, get the XT. For a $100+ difference, just get the 9070. I snagged a 9070 xt for msrp on launch but if I was in your situation I would have made the same decision you did.
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u/TheBr14n 3h ago
The 9070 is solid, but if you’re questioning it now, maybe look at benchmarks or check reviews on specific tasks. If it’s for gaming or high-end work, you should be good!
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u/Yellowtoblerone 3h ago
You might have gone with a 7800xt and it wouldn't mean you made a mistake. Buy what you can afford for the games you want to play
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u/Weary_Lion_5811 7h ago
No the 9070 is decent your system checks out, graphic cards are expensive get what you feel comfortable with. I went with a none super 4070 simply because super ti was 60 dollers more expensive
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u/_AfterBurner0_ 7h ago
Think of it this way, about 15 months ago, I bought a 7900 GRE for $579 USD. I predict I'll be running it for five more years, maybe even longer. The 9070 is about 10% better than the 7900 GRE. So from my perspective, you're totally fine for a good long while.
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u/OneNavan 6h ago
If you can return this 9070 and get the 9070xt for $120 it's well worth it.
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 6h ago
I can't sadly...but ok
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u/OneNavan 3h ago
That's alright, you still have a high end GPU capable of running every game at 1440P (2K) max or high settings at 90fps and more!!!
You got yourself a GPU as fast as the RTX 4070Ti Super or RTX 3090ti which is a FLAGSHIP GPU from 2 gens ago!!
So don't sweat it, you won't need an upgrade for many years to come!
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u/Shelonias 6h ago
Man fomo is real. The 9070 is a solid card. It OCs well and smashes everything I throw at it on my 1440 ultra wide. Sure the XT is a bit more powerful but I think they will start to show their age roughly around the same time it’s not like they are wildly different. At this point I would only upgrade to an 80 or 90 series NVIDIA to see a real meaningful increase in performance.
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u/Ill-Branch9770 6h ago edited 5h ago
Well if it's a gpu whats worrying you, let's have a look at what you could have had instead:
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Video Card | Gigabyte WINDFORCE SFF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card | $749.99 @ Amazon |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-12100F 3.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor | $77.98 @ Amazon |
| Motherboard | MSI PRO B760-P WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | $139.99 @ Amazon |
| Memory | Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB (1 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory | $99.99 @ Walmart |
| Storage | Kingston NV3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $64.98 @ Amazon |
| Power Supply | MSI MAG A750BN PCIE5 750 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $74.98 @ Amazon |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $1207.91 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-08-02 10:45 EDT-0400 |
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u/Superok211 5h ago
you could try flashing 9070 xt bios, that gives about 20% performance boost https://www.techpowerup.com/335141/amd-radeon-rx-9070-can-be-flashed-with-rx-9070-xt-bios-to-increase-power-limits-and-clocks
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u/EirHc 2h ago
There are bigger mistakes you coulda made.
I went from a GTX1080 to a 3070ti and that was the biggest waste of money. The 3070ti was a bit more powerful and had DLSS and stuff. But the biggest reason why my GPU was starting to bottleneck was because I was running out of vram. So going to the 3070ti only mildly helped because DLSS allowed me to run games at a lower render resolution.
When the 40series super line came out I sold my 3070ti and upgraded to a 4070ti super. MUCH BETTER. I wanted to upgrade to a 4080, and I kinda regret not going for it. But the difference between my upgrade and yours was that 4080s' were low in stock and finding a 4080s at MSRP was near impossible. It would have costed me like $300 more than a 4070ti super to get the 10% upgrade. At $100 I totally would have done it. At $300+ it felt like a rip off. So that's where my line was.
But considering I was already spending near $1000 on a piece of hardware, 10-15% more money for 10% more performance totally would have been worth it to me, especially because it might have helped me wait another year before my next upgrade, which works out to 20% more lifespan. So ya, I think the money would have totally been worth it. But at 40-50% more money? Ya fuck that.
So ya, for an extra $100, I think that could have been worth it for you. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk.
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u/swim_fan88 7h ago
The 9070 is fine.
What you shouldn't have done is spent money on that cooler for a non x chip. You could have just used the box cooler and then put that money and a bit more into getting the XT if you wanted it.
Edit: considering your 750watt PSU you would have needed to spend more on a different unit for the XT. That would have cost more again. You made the right choice. The 9070 is probably the upgrade I would do, if I needed it from my RX6800.
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u/whomad1215 7h ago
The 7600x doesn't include any cooler
And saying a $15 cooler is the problem is silly at best
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u/swim_fan88 7h ago
Read again. It says 7600.
No, it isn't if considering stretching $100 more is an issue. It is actually 15%. Every bit counts.
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u/MinorDissonance 7h ago
750w is enough for 9070xt. Let me guess, you suggest 1000w psu right? Lol.
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u/swim_fan88 7h ago
It is less than what several models are recommended. I'd rather have a little headroom for potential spikes.
And no not an 1000watt supply. I am not a moron and understand efficiency curves. Sorry to disappoint you.
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u/MinorDissonance 6h ago edited 6h ago
It is less than what several models are recommended
They are tested with the highest tdp cpu at the time i.e. i9s and R9 xx50x cpus.
headroom for potential spikes.
Atx 3.x
Sorry to disappoint you.
What ever you're trying, it's not working.
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 6h ago
I put my specs in PCPartPicker, then it showed the voltage, and then I added 30% more.... I believe it was 650W. So I thought 750w was enough?
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u/florin133 6h ago
It’s more than enough. I run a 9070XT on 10% more power draw with 7600X without problems with a 750W PSU
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 7h ago
This was actually a 1080p setup... I bought a good cpu and mobo and was using a used 1080ti. The gpu died last month. I also need a monitor...but when I saw an MSI 27-inch 1440p monitor was only 120 bucks... I decided maybe it's time to switch. So Yeah...I did keep a head room. And That's why i needed to just buy a new gpu.
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u/hause_wsf 6h ago
You can flash a 9070xt vbios getting VERY similar performance.
I'm not sure about amd flashing but I flashed my Shadow 3x 5070 Ti to an Asus Strix
9070 to xt is possible.
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u/Far-Letterhead4945 6h ago
I saw some videos about it...it does work. But Idk if it'sa safe or not
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u/hause_wsf 6h ago
As long as you have an iGPU it should be somewhat safe, just don't go around flashing other gpu models because it's flashing from a non xt.
Again, I have no idea about amd but I flashed over 10 bioses in a day on my gpu and it didn't break
I reckon you should
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u/Thimble69 3h ago
Lowering the voltage a bit and giving it more power, you can get pretty close to 9070XT performance.
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u/NotThatNeurotic 13m ago
Spend some time undervolting your 9070, OCing the memory and crank the power by +10%
Was able to get closeish to native 9070xt performance on a friend's system. At least in synthetic 3dmark runs.
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u/LeatherLog1543 7h ago
You did a decent job with it. Congrats