RX 5700 XT vs RTX 2070
In this article, we compare two of Nvidia and AMD’s graphics cards, the RX 5700 xt and the RTX 2070.
RX 5700 XT vs RTX 2070
If you are looking to purchase a new graphics card, Nvidia or AMD is the question facing all gamers.
Here we have a GPU from both companies, But which model is better, the RX 5700 XT or the RTX 2070?
In this article, we will be taking a closer look at specifications such as resolution, cooling, fps, and VRAM to find out which would be the better option for you.
AMD/Nvidia
When it comes to graphics cards, there are two companies in particular that you will need to choose between – AMD and Nvidia. They both produce fantastic components and strive to release the best possible technology each year.
It is a tough choice choosing between the two.
While AMD is a great choice, Nvidia’s graphics cards on the whole tend to outperform AMD, especially when looking at the higher-spec cards. However, in recent years AMD has closed this gap.
Architecture
Architecture is key when choosing a graphics card. It is the architecture that will control the overall graphics and your performance in-game. The better architecture, the better your gaming experience will be.
AMD’s 5700 XT uses RDNA architecture. This architecture is exclusive to AMD and its next generation. It is the best architecture that AMD currently offers, and is a big step up in comparison to their previous GPUs.
The RDNA Architecture is Fidelity accelerated and uses Radeon Imaging Sharpening which improves the overall graphics in-game. The Sharpening does not slow down gaming performance. It provides tear-free gaming thanks to its FreeSync technology.
Nvidia’s GTX 2070 uses Nvidia Turing Architecture. This is exclusive to Nvidia and is their best architecture available. Like the 5700 XT, the 2070 supports next-generation gaming.
When compared to Nvidia’s older GPUs, the performance of the Turing Architecture is 6X better. The DLSS 2.0 allows the overall frame rates to be increased by 1.5X. The GPU uses Variable Rate Shading, which increases details in-game. The concurrent processing runs games smoothly.
Let’s take a look at the clock speeds:
5700 XT
Base Clock – 1605MHz
Boost Clock – Up to 1755 MHz
2070
Base Clock – 1410MHz
Boost Clock – 1830Mhz
Comparing the clock speeds, the 5700 XT is pretty much holding its own. This is a big step up for AMD.
Cooling
You need to ensure that you have a sufficient cooling system in place. GPUs have built-in cooling systems, but if you are looking to overclock, you may need an additional cooling system in place.
The 2070 uses a better cooling system in comparison to the 5700 XT. It contains a vapor chamber that keeps the GPU significantly cooler. Instead of one fan, it has two dual-axial 13 blade fans.
The 5700 XT uses a similar blower-style cooling system but only has one fan to circulate the air and does not have a vapor chamber.
The overall power consumption of the 5700 XT is 225W and for the 2070 it is 175W. The 5700 XT is far more power-hungry in comparison to the 2070.
The 5700 XT requires a power supply of 600W and the 2070 needs 550W. As the 5700 XTt is the more powerful card, it does require more juice to run it.
Dimensions
When choosing a GPU its dimensions are important. While most GPUs are similar in size, this will vary and you will need to ensure that the GPU will fit your build.
The dimension of the RX 5700 XT and the RTX 2070 are as follows:
5700 xt
Height – 4.37”
Length – 10.7”
Width – Dual slot
2070
Height – 4.435”
Length – 9.0”
Width – 2-Slot
The difference between each card is minimal. However, if you are looking for a slightly smaller graphics card, the 2070 would be the better option.
In regards to the interfaces used, the 5700 XT uses the most current and highest spec – PCIe 4.0 x16. The 2070 runs on PCIe 3.0 x16. While this interface is still widely used, it will eventually be replaced with PCIe 4.0 and is not as futureproof.
An added benefit of the 5700 XT is that it is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0 if you have an older motherboard that you do not want to upgrade yet.
Resolutions/FPS
The resolution and the fps of your GPU is essential. These GPUs can both run on a 1440p resolution, though the 2070 does perform better at 1080p overall.
Most gamers use a resolution of 1080p. As a result, a 1440p resolution is not essential. However, with many games becoming next-gen, you will benefit from purchasing a 4K capable GPU.
To see how each GPU performed we ran some benchmarking tests. Although the RX 5700 xt has better clock speeds, the 2070 fared better overall. The performance of 2070 was 6% faster. When looking at the overall effective speed the 2070 fared only 1% better than the 5700 xt.
When looking at the average MRendering speed, the 2070 was 52% faster. It performed at 175 fps, in comparison to the 2070’s 115 fps.
When overclocked, the 2070 came out on top, proving to be 16% better overall. The MRendering speed of the 2070 when overclocked was 190 fps. The MRendering speed of the 5700 xt was 121 fps. This is a significant difference.
When we tested gameplay, the 2070 was the winner, but only marginally. When benchmarking PUBG, the 2070 had 137 EFps, in comparison to the 5700 xt’s 127 EFps.
The 2070 proved to be better when benchmarked. However, there is not a great difference in the performance.
Ray Tracing
Ray tracing improves the lighting and shading during gameplay. It is a fairly new feature to be embedded into graphics cards and it does improve gameplay overall. Games such as Call of Duty now use ray tracing and this is something you will benefit from using.
The Nvidia RTX cards have tensor cores and are currently the only graphics cards that have ray-tracing capabilities. However, the graphics created with the AMD RX cards are still impressive without this ability.
VRAM
While VRAM is not as essential for non-gaming PCs, it is important for gaming. When choosing a suitable GPU, the option you choose should have at least 8GB. This will enable the graphics card to effectively run at a 1080p resolution.
When looking at the memory speed of these GPUs, they both run at 14Gbps. The maximum memory size is 8GB which is suitable for gaming. The memory they use is GDDR6. This is currently the most recent as GDDR7 is yet to be released.
As they both have the same VRAM specifications, this will not affect which GPU you choose. Both are significantly future proofed.
Conclusion
It is a difficult choice choosing which is the better GPU of the two. While the 5700 XT does have decent clock speeds, the 2070 benchmarked far better when tested.
While the RTX 2070 was the better GPU overall, it is slightly more expensive in comparison to the RX 5700 XT and the older model. It also runs on PCIe 3.0 rather than 4.0, which is not as future proof. However, it has ray tracing capabilities, whereas the 5700 XT does not.
If you are looking for a newer GPU on more of a budget the RX 5700 XT is the best option. However, the RTX 2070 does perform better overall.