The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is officially coming Q1 2025 with 16GB VRAM, but the first RDNA 4 graphics card isn't an RTX 5090 rival

ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 graphics card with red AMD backdrop — (Image credit: Asus / AMD)

Update: Asus has shared official images of its Radeon RX 7090 XT on Instagram, and a blog post also reveals it'll be a 16GB graphics card. While I'm still waiting for more specs to surface, we can now at least get a decent look at the TUF OC version in the flesh.

So far, the card is staying true to its implied class, serving as al alternative to the RX 7900 XT with enhanced AI abilities. Naturally, that means it won't be taking on the RTX 5090 or any other top-end Nvidia cards, instead fighting for value 4K territory.

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The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, marking the launch of RDNA 4 graphics card. Just like the RX 7900 XTX, the new GPU line-up won't be taking on Nvidia frontrunners like the RTX 5090 in terms of performance, but it could lure PC players looking for an affordable 4K experience this generation.

Scheduled to land Q1 2025, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT will enter the best graphics card race with a 4nm RDNA 4 GPU, boasting improved ray tracing core performance and new AI capabilities. The latter goes hand in hand with the red team's AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution 4, which may finally bring the AI fight to DLSS using machine learning-powered upscaling.

AMD FSR 4 will seemingly only work with new Radeon 9070-class cards, so that in itself could be a reason to opt for one of the RDNA 4 models over an older RX 7900 card. The component maker seems to be pitching the 9070 XT as on par with the 7900 XT, but says the successor will provide a "significant boost in AI." Simply put, we're looking at a more affordable 4K GPU with top-end abilities that can pull more impressive upscaling tricks.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 series graphic with various GPU models on grey backdrop, release date info, and brands — (Image credit: AMD)

It's also worth touching on AMD's new naming conventions since RX 9070 looks more like either a typo or a future Nvidia graphics card than a Radeon GPU tier. The company says the decision will help players better recognise model tiers at a glace. It also helps the company's card names match up with its Ryzen 9000 series CPUs, unifying both with generational terminology.

I'm not so convinced the new naming conventions will help make shopping for a graphics card easier, and the fact AMD has reserved the entire Ryzen 8000 series for its RDNA 3.5 APU range makes things that bit more complicated. Nevertheless, it should mean using the exact same patter to identity GPU class as you would with an Nvidia card, with XX90 representing top-end models.

I was fully expecting to hear more about the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 during AMD's CES 2025 presentation, but for whatever reason, its gaming section only covered the gaming CPU side of things. So, if it's RDNA 4 specs you're after, you'll sadly have to wait a little longer. What I can confirm right now is that both those cards and a lower-spec RX 7060 are in the pipeline, and I'll be sure to update you all when I have its official price and abilities.

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Phil is the Hardware Editor at GamesRadar+ who specializes in retro console setups, choosing the latest gaming handhelds, and navigating the choppy seas of using modern-day PC hardware. In the past, they have covered everything from retro gaming history to the latest gaming news, in-depth features, and tech advice for publications like TechRadar, The Daily Star, the BBC, PCGamesN, and Den of Geek. In their spare time, they pour hours into fixing old consoles, modding Game Boys, exploring ways to get the most out of the Steam Deck, and blasting old CRT TV visuals into their eye sockets.