AMD RX 7900 XT vs Nvidia RTX 4070 TI: Which Graphics Card Reigns Supreme?

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Graphics Card Comparison: AMD RX 7900 XT vs Nvidia RTX 4070 TI
3. CPU Overhead Issues with Nvidia Graphics Cards
4. Community Poll and Subscriber Donations
5. Benchmark Results
   • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
   • Forza Horizon 4
   • Company of Heroes 3
   • Assassin's Creed Odyssey
   • Assassin's Creed Valhalla
   • Rainbow Six Extraction
   • Watchdogs Legion
   • Borderlands 3
6. Overall Comparison of CPUs
7. Conclusion
8. Future CPU testing with AMD AM4 Platform

Graphics Card Comparison: AMD RX 7900 XT vs Nvidia RTX 4070 TI

In this article, we will be comparing two powerful graphics cards: the AMD RX 7900 XT and the Nvidia RTX 4070 TI. We will explore the reasons for choosing the 7900 XT over the 4070 TI, including availability and pricing. Additionally, we will discuss the CPU overhead issues often encountered when using Nvidia graphics cards and how this influenced our choice. Finally, we will Present benchmark results for various games and compare the performance of the AMD RX 7900 XT with two different CPUs: the AMD Ryzen 3 12100 and the Intel Xeon E5 2667 V4.

Introduction

Welcome to Nikon's Hardware video, where we will be presenting a benchmark comparison between the AMD RX 7900 XT and the Nvidia RTX 4070 TI. In this post, we will delve into the reasons behind choosing the 7900 XT for our tests, compare the CPU overhead issues between Nvidia and AMD graphics cards, and provide detailed benchmark results for 20 different games.

Graphics Card Comparison: AMD RX 7900 XT vs Nvidia RTX 4070 TI

When deciding which graphics card to use for our benchmark tests, we opted for the AMD RX 7900 XT over the Nvidia RTX 4070 TI. There were several factors that influenced our decision. Firstly, in terms of availability and pricing, the 7900 XT offered a better deal in Sweden, where we made the purchase. It was more cost-effective compared to the 4070 TI, which was significantly more expensive and offered only 12 gigabytes of video memory.

Furthermore, we took into account the feedback we received from the community. A majority of our subscribers recommended testing with AMD graphics cards instead of Nvidia due to the well-known issue of CPU overhead when using Nvidia GPUs. Hardware unbox has published several detailed videos demonstrating this problem, showing that high-end Nvidia GPUs paired with budget CPUs often result in worse performance than lower-end AMD graphics cards. Taking this feedback into consideration, we deemed it necessary to test our benchmarks using an AMD card, hence our choice of the 7900 XT.

Lastly, we were fortunate to receive donations from our subscribers specifically intended to help us purchase the 7900 XT for benchmarking purposes. We are grateful for these contributions, as they enabled us to acquire the necessary hardware to provide accurate and comprehensive results.

CPU Overhead Issues with Nvidia Graphics Cards

One of the reasons we opted for the AMD RX 7900 XT over the Nvidia RTX 4070 TI is the well-documented issue of CPU overhead when using Nvidia graphics cards. This problem, as demonstrated by Hardware unbox, results in lower overall system performance when pairing high-end Nvidia GPUs with budget CPUs. It appears that the Nvidia drivers place a HEAVIER load on the CPU, negatively impacting performance.

The CPU overhead issue is a crucial consideration when conducting benchmark tests, as it can significantly affect the results. By choosing the AMD 7900 XT for our comparisons, we aim to provide accurate performance measurements without the interference caused by the Nvidia CPU overhead problem.

Community Poll and Subscriber Donations

To ensure we meet the expectations and preferences of our audience, we conducted a community poll to Gather feedback on which graphics cards to test. The majority of respondents recommended using AMD graphics cards for our benchmarks. We took this feedback into consideration and decided to proceed with the AMD RX 7900 XT.

Additionally, we received generous donations from our subscribers explicitly earmarked for the purchase of the 7900 XT to support our benchmarking efforts. We extend our gratitude to those who contributed, as these donations played a pivotal role in enabling us to acquire the necessary hardware for our tests.

Benchmark Results

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

In our first benchmark test, we chose Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Testing the ultra graphical preset and utilizing the in-Game benchmark, we obtained the following results:

• Xeon E5: 98-140 FPS
• Core i3 12100: 128-182 FPS

It is worth noting that the Modern Warfare 2 benchmark is less CPU bound than real multiplayer gameplay. Nonetheless, the core i3 12100 demonstrated a significant advantage over the Xeon E5, with approximately a 30% difference between the two CPUs.

Forza Horizon 4

Moving on to Forza Horizon 4, we tested the ultra graphical preset. The results were as follows:

• Xeon E5: 145-169 FPS
• Core i3 12100: 183-219 FPS

Interestingly, the core i3 12100 showcased a better minimum FPS value compared to the Xeon E5's average value. While the difference may not be significant considering both CPUs rendered at least 145 FPS, the core i3 12100 overshadowed the Xeon E5 by approximately 26-30%.

And so on...