AMD debuted its RDNA 4 architecture during CES 2025, yet the reveal did not create a significant buzz, as many of the details remained vague. However, leaked benchmark results have emerged, providing unofficial insights that indicate the new graphics card outperforms Nvidia’s $1,000 RTX 4080 Super. This information helps us position AMD’s offering within the hierarchy of top-tier graphics cards.
The benchmarks were shared on the Chiphell forum by a user named nApoleon, who posted results from 3DMark along with GPU-Z specifications. The message encouraged users to hold off on purchasing Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 50-series, asserting that the GPU landscape has experienced a “complete transformation” due to these findings.
Following the initial leak, the original screenshots were taken down, but community members contributed additional information. Another user, Zhanghonghao, pointed out a noteworthy rise in the GPU’s total board power (TBP). Initially projected at 265W, recent reports suggest that the RX 9070 XT may now hit 330W, comparable to the RTX 4080 Super’s TDP of 320W.
The leaked benchmarks showcased the RX 9070 XT achieving a graphics score of 14,591 in 3DMark Time Spy Extreme and 6,345 in 3DMark Speedway. The Time Spy Extreme result places it on equal footing with the RTX 4080 Super. However, the Speedway score, which focuses on ray tracing, reveals AMD’s weaker performance in that category. As AMD finalizes its drivers for these GPUs, there is potential for improved performance.
The GPU-Z data referred to the card as an RX 7800 XT but indicated different specifications, hinting it may be an unreleased model. The card could feature a base clock speed of 2,520MHz alongside a boost clock of 3,060MHz, though these specifications haven’t been confirmed by AMD.
In materials distributed to the press prior to the keynote, AMD highlighted several updates for the RX 9070 series: a shift to a 4nm manufacturing process, enhanced ray tracing capabilities with third-gen RT accelerators, expanded media encoding options with the second-gen AMD Radiance Display Engine, and improved AI performance via second-gen AI accelerators. However, none of these points were discussed during the CES 2025 presentation.
The standout feature of the RX 9070 series is likely to be FSR 4, which will be available exclusively on RDNA 4 GPUs. While official performance data remains elusive, Hardware Unboxed previewed the technology with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. This demo showcased crisper visuals and a notable reduction in ghosting compared to FSR 3.1, offering an encouraging glimpse of AMD’s upcoming upscaling technology.
These benchmark results are significant, marking the second instance where RDNA 4 technology appears to rival the RTX 4080 Super, with the non-XT variant reportedly achieving 99 frames per second in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Although the release date remains a mystery—preorders are expected to start on January 23—more benchmark leaks are likely to surface before AMD officially announces the GPUs.
