Risky Mod Makes AMD RX 9070 Outperform Costly 9070 XT

The AMD RX 9070 struggles to compete with some of the top graphics cards on the market. Although it offers 3,584 cores compared to the RX 9070 XT’s 4,096, its $50 lower price tag raises questions about its position. However, this card holds considerable potential. A user named Gurdi showcased how a bit of modification allowed the RX 9070 to compete with the more expensive XT variant.

Gurdi shared their experience on the PCGamesHardware forums. While it’s common knowledge that overclocking the RX 9000 series yields positive results, it alone cannot elevate the non-XT model to the XT’s level, as the latter features significantly better specifications. With a shared Navi 48 GPU, the performance disparity is evident.

So, what was the secret to success for the RX 9070 owner? They modified the BIOS. By using the RX 9070 XT BIOS on their non-XT card, they were able to boost its performance.

This BIOS modification yielded noticeable performance gains. Gurdi used the BIOS from the Asus Prime RX 9070 XT to boost their non-XT variant. The stock card operated between 2,140MHz and 2,610MHz with a power consumption of 220 watts, but following the BIOS upgrade, it ramped up to a powerful 2,480MHz to 3,030MHz, albeit with increased power draw of 317 watts.

It’s essential to highlight that the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT don’t share the same power connector design; the XT model requires three 8-pin connectors while the non-XT operates with only two. Nonetheless, Gurdi reports achieving stable performance, although there were hurdles along the way.

Post-modification, the RX 9070 presented up to a 20% performance boost in benchmarks when compared to its stock configuration, effectively bringing it closer to the RX 9070 XT’s capabilities.

Is it advisable to attempt this at home? Caution is advised unless you’re experienced in handling such modifications. The process carries risks, and warranties may be voided in the event of complications. Nevertheless, it’s an exciting feat, and for those struggling to find the RX 9070 XT, it offers a unique way to maximize performance from the non-XT variant.