RTX 4070 or RX 7800XT if I have CPU Bottleneck?

[Pocok]

Hey there!

I have the opportunity to get either of these cards right now for a heavily discounted price (both of them are same actually), however my current cpu (i7 6700k) is fairly old and will be the limiting factor in my case until I can upgrade the mobo+CPU as well.

As I don't want to pass on this chance, which card should I choose that would benefit the most for myself right now (and in the future)?

Currently I'm playing on a 1080p 75hz monitor.

I've read that in long term, the 16 GB VRAM from the AMD GPU would be better (as some heavy hitter games already reach or exceed that 12GB limit), however the NVIDIA GPU has better features, overall the DLSS is (currently) superior to FSR 3.1, it is widely more supported in the gaming industry when it comes to optimization (market share matters, right?) and has somewhat lower temperatures.

What do you guys think, how should I choose? I plan to use one of these cards for years to come (4-5 years at least), so please consider that as well!

Thank you in advance!

P.S.: the exact card models are: Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ OC 16GB GDDR6 or MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 2X OC 12GB GDDR6X.

 

[Macro Device]

First and foremost, what games are you actually interested in? If mostly those with standard graphics are what you're most likely to play, and UE5 / otherwise RT-heavy titles aren't your main interest then the AMD GPU looks somewhat more appealing. Mostly because it's a Nitro+ VS Ventus we're talking about.
Secondly, are you gonna do any GPU intensive work on this PC? If yes then CUDA is a go. This means you go green.
Thirdly, 7800 XT consumes 50+ more W of power at full throttle and it's generally less power efficient. Whilst I wouldn't personally give a crap about it, this thread is not about me. If your PSU is weak and/or your electricity cost is sky high (no idea where you reside) then you also go team green.

And with your current CPU, both GPUs will be heavily bottlenecked. As of '22, red GPUs handled severe CPU bottlenecks better than the green ones but I got no idea if it's still true. Wouldn't matter that much, it's still "horrible experience VS still horrible experience" we're talking about.

At 1080p, FSR is absolutely unbearable by the way. At least for my eyes. I know what I'm talking about, I'm an AMD GPU guy with a 1080p display. DLSS is also rubbish but at least doesn't outright destroy the quality. At 4K, it won't matter that much but DLSS works leagues better overall. Sometimes to the point the DLSS Performance mode looks better than the FSR Quality one. And by a lot.

 

[eidairaman1]

Still a performance hit with dlss

 

[dgianstefani]

Wait for 5070 or get 4070 Ti Super now.

 

[Macro Device]

Still a performance hit with dlss

I've never seen DLSS P to be slower than FSR Q anyway. DLSS Q almost always equals FSR Q in speed, and even if it trails 2% behind the visuals are more than worth it.

Wait for 5070 or get 4070 Ti Super now.

"Oi m8 I got about 4 hundred bucks..."
"Buy a thing for 900."

 

[eidairaman1]

Sapphire is superior in build quality over msi

 

[dgianstefani]

"Oi m8 I got about 4 hundred bucks..."
"Buy a thing for 900."

Where does it say he has $400?

 

[Macro Device]

Where does it say he has $400?

They are viewing heavily discounted 7800 XT and 4070 as their options. Obviously they don't got more than that.

 

[jormungand]

Hey there!

I have the opportunity to get either of these cards right now for a heavily discounted price (both of them are same actually), however my current cpu (i7 6700k) is fairly old and will be the limiting factor in my case until I can upgrade the mobo+CPU as well.

As I don't want to pass on this chance, which card should I choose that would benefit the most for myself right now (and in the future)?

Currently I'm playing on a 1080p 75hz monitor.

I've read that in long term, the 16 GB VRAM from the AMD GPU would be better (as some heavy hitter games already reach or exceed that 12GB limit), however the NVIDIA GPU has better features, overall the DLSS is (currently) superior to FSR 3.1, it is widely more supported in the gaming industry when it comes to optimization (market share matters, right?) and has somewhat lower temperatures.

What do you guys think, how should I choose? I plan to use one of these cards for years to come (4-5 years at least), so please consider that as well!

Thank you in advance!

P.S.: the exact card models are: Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ OC 16GB GDDR6 or MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 2X OC 12GB GDDR6X.

Pick the one is cheaper, save money to upgrade your cpu.
You will def have a bottleneck, with the 6700k even at 1440p.
Myself, i would get the 7800xt.

 

[arbiter]

It hasn't been retested recently sadly but it was some time ago and nvidia drivers were better when cpu was limited and AMD would lose good % due to driver over head. That test though was done many years ago so can't sure for sure if its still same now or if been fixed.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Hey there!

I have the opportunity to get either of these cards right now for a heavily discounted price (both of them are same actually), however my current cpu (i7 6700k) is fairly old and will be the limiting factor in my case until I can upgrade the mobo+CPU as well.

As I don't want to pass on this chance, which card should I choose that would benefit the most for myself right now (and in the future)?

Currently I'm playing on a 1080p 75hz monitor.

I've read that in long term, the 16 GB VRAM from the AMD GPU would be better (as some heavy hitter games already reach or exceed that 12GB limit), however the NVIDIA GPU has better features, overall the DLSS is (currently) superior to FSR 3.1, it is widely more supported in the gaming industry when it comes to optimization (market share matters, right?) and has somewhat lower temperatures.

What do you guys think, how should I choose? I plan to use one of these cards for years to come (4-5 years at least), so please consider that as well!

Thank you in advance!

P.S.: the exact card models are: Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ OC 16GB GDDR6 or MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 2X OC 12GB GDDR6X.

With that CPU, you'll get a bit more value out of a 4070 than the 7800 at 1080p.

 

[Calenhad]

Either will work fine. You will be bottlenecked hard in most games with both. Personally I would go with the RX 7800XT. In 4-5 years that extra 4GB vram might do you good.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Get the 7800 XT. Will work better with old/slow CPU. If you plan on upgrading within a reasonable time frame, the 4070 should prove the better option. It'll have more features.

 

[Majcric]

Either the 7800Xt or 4070S and that's only if you're certain you'll be upgrading the CPU. Otherwise, get something with performance Equalivant of the 3060ti/2080S but with more VRAM.

 

[Krit]

Wait for 5070 or get 4070 Ti Super now.

RTX 4070 Ti Super right now costs ~ 850€ aka overpriced trash. There are big chance that 5000 series also will be heavily overpriced like all RTX 4000 series gpus.
I would wait for RX 8800 XT in worst case get the RX 7800 XT but better used one if it's possible.

 

[Shakallia]

The 7800XT is 5% faster on 1080p than the 4070, so go for that. The model you cited can also be overclocked nicely based on TPU review : https://www.techpowerup.com/review/sapphire-radeon-rx-7800-xt-nitro/32.html

 

[AusWolf]

I wouldn't get either with an i7 6700.

If the above point isn't valid, then the 7800 XT because AMD drivers have less CPU overhead.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I wouldn't get either with an i7 6700.

If the above point isn't valid, then the 7800 XT because AMD drivers have less CPU overhead.

Maybe, that difference is likely minimal but they're more of PITA than Nvidia's driver. I'll take NVidia drivers over AMD drivers all day, any day.

@Pocok (Captain is it?)
I'm going to restate the recommendation for the 4070 in your situation. The reasons are simple, the 4070 is the better over all performer and 12GB of VRAM will not hold you back even if you upgrade to 4k display(s). The proof is in the rice pudding;

MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ventus 3X Review

The MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X comes with a triple-fan, dual-slot design. Our review confirms that this is the most powerful cooler tested today, and the card runs extremely quiet, less than 30 dBA at full load. MSI is pricing their card at an MSRP of $600, which makes it an attractive choice for...

www.techpowerup.com

While that is the 3X review, the 2X is in the same ballpark, just runs a bit warmer.

Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ Review - Fantastic Overclocking

Sapphire's Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ is the quietest RX 7800 XT reviewed today, it's virtually inaudible at full load thanks to its powerful cooler. The card is also the best overclocker, it gained a spectacular 15% in real-life performance, which makes it nearly as fast as RTX 4070 Ti.

www.techpowerup.com

These results speak for themselves. While the average FPS is higher for the Nitro+, the raytracing performance is not. The Ventus has the clear lead with RTRT, especially at 1080p where the difference is 14% on average. With many game devs employing raytracing at an increasing rate and many games getting updates to include it, the 4070 is going to be the better choice long term. If raytracing is not important to you, or not as important, the Nitro+ card is a factor and you just have to decide what you prefer.

Your 6700K is going to limit you somewhat, but not severely, until you upgrade your platform which should be your next upgrade. An Intel 9th or 10th gen as well as a Ryzen 7 2000 or 3000 should be solid upgrades. For something newer, an intel 12700K or Ryzen 5800X(5800X3D is a boss CPU) would be excellent choices, when the time comes to make that jump.

As with all upgrades, what you go for is dependent on what you want to do and what your expectations are. As always "It depends".

 

[Lewzke]

Upgrade your CPU platform, there is no point running a modern GPU with 9 years old CPU, modern games are CPU heavy (Stalker 2, Cyberpunk, Wukong ...) you cannot run these with that old 4 core CPU. You need at least a decent 6 core CPU, at least a Ryzen 5600X with those GPU's, but 7600X preffered -> consider upgrading your PC to AM5 platform.

 

[AusWolf]

Maybe, that difference is likely minimal but they're more of PITA than Nvidia's driver. I'll take NVidia drivers over AMD drivers all day, any day.

@Pocok (Captain is it?)
I'm going to restate the recommendation for the 4070 in your situation. The reasons are simple, the 4070 is the better over all performer and 12GB of VRAM will not hold you back even if you upgrade to 4k display(s). The proof is in the rice pudding;

MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ventus 3X Review

The MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X comes with a triple-fan, dual-slot design. Our review confirms that this is the most powerful cooler tested today, and the card runs extremely quiet, less than 30 dBA at full load. MSI is pricing their card at an MSRP of $600, which makes it an attractive choice for...

www.techpowerup.com

While that is the 3X review, the 2X is in the same ballpark, just runs a bit warmer.

Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ Review - Fantastic Overclocking

Sapphire's Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ is the quietest RX 7800 XT reviewed today, it's virtually inaudible at full load thanks to its powerful cooler. The card is also the best overclocker, it gained a spectacular 15% in real-life performance, which makes it nearly as fast as RTX 4070 Ti.

www.techpowerup.com

These results speak for themselves. While the average FPS is higher for the Nitro+, the raytracing performance is not. The Ventus has the clear lead with RTRT, especially at 1080p where the difference is 14% on average. With many game devs employing raytracing at an increasing rate and many games getting updates to include it, the 4070 is going to be the better choice long term. If raytracing is not important to you, or not as important, the Nitro+ card is a factor and you just have to decide what you prefer.

Your 6700K is going to limit you somewhat, but not severely, until you upgrade your platform which should be your next upgrade. An Intel 9th or 10th gen as well as a Ryzen 7 2000 or 3000 should be solid upgrades. For something newer an intel 12700K or Ryzen 5800X would be excellent choices, when the time comes to make that jump.

As will all upgrades what you do for is dependent on what you want to do and what your expectations are. As always "It depends".

RT is irrelevant at this price point, in my opinion. Both the 4070 and the 7800 XT are quite bad at it. But that's up to the individual to decide, I guess.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Upgrade your CPU platform, there is no point running a modern GPU with 9 years old CPU

Not everyone can afford a complete system upgrade all at once. Some people upgrade one major component at a time with addition future upgrade in mind.

You need at least Ryzen 5600 with those GPU's.

Moose muffins. I have install 4080's into system with 2700X CPU's to no ill effect.

RT is irrelevant at this price point, in my opinion.

Interesting perspective.

Both the 4070 and the 7800 XT are quite bad at it.

What?!? Seriously with that? What reviews are you reading? Sorry man, I'm calling you out on that statement. When an RTX2070 and 6800XT can still do reasonable raytracing, a 4070 or 7800XT will have no issues, as demonstrated by the benchmarks. The 4070 is better at it but either one will deliver a playable experience.

 

[AusWolf]

Interesting perspective.

What?!? Seriously with that? What reviews are you reading? Sorry man, I'm calling you out on that statement. When an RTX2070 and 6800XT can still do reasonable raytracing, a 4070 or 7800XT will have no issues, as demonstrated by the benchmarks. The 4070 is better at it but either one will deliver a playable experience.

I'm not so sure about that.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'm not so sure about that.

View attachment 374948

That is a cherry-pick result, at the wrong resolution for the OP's stated needs. Below is the correct result, in context.

Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ Review - Fantastic Overclocking

Sapphire's Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ is the quietest RX 7800 XT reviewed today, it's virtually inaudible at full load thanks to its powerful cooler. The card is also the best overclocker, it gained a spectacular 15% in real-life performance, which makes it nearly as fast as RTX 4070 Ti.

www.techpowerup.com

Additionally, here's the result for your stated 1440p.

Context is important. With that said, keep in mind that W1z generally runs benchmarks at "ultra" or maximum settings. Using/customizing ones own settings to something more reasonable will make for an excellent experience. For the record, I never run games at "ultra". Most of the time the quality differences between more reasonable setting and ultra not worth the added GPU load.

 

[AusWolf]

That is a cherry-pick result, at the wrong resolution for the OP's stated needs. Below is the correct result, in context.

Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ Review - Fantastic Overclocking

Sapphire's Radeon RX 7800 XT Nitro+ is the quietest RX 7800 XT reviewed today, it's virtually inaudible at full load thanks to its powerful cooler. The card is also the best overclocker, it gained a spectacular 15% in real-life performance, which makes it nearly as fast as RTX 4070 Ti.

www.techpowerup.com

View attachment 374951
Additionally, here's the result for your stated 1440p.
View attachment 374952
Context is important. With that said, keep in mind that W1z generally runs benchmarks at "ultra" or maximum settings. Using/customizing ones own settings to something more reasonable will make for an excellent experience. For the record, I never run games at "ultra". Most of the time the quality differences between more reasonable setting and ultra not worth the added GPU load.

That's a percentage comparison, not FPS. FPS-wise, both cards are meh with RT, imo.

Another opinion of mine is that RT is above ultra graphics. You shouldn't sacrifice basic image detail just to be able to turn RT on.

 

[lexluthermiester]

That's a percentage comparison, not FPS. FPS-wise, both cards are meh with RT, imo.

Again, that's on ultra settings. Raytracing can be used without settings on ultra and very effectively.

Another opinion of mine is that RT is above ultra graphics. You shouldn't sacrifice basic image detail just to be able to turn RT on.

That's an interesting perspective. It doesn't bare out with actual usability. Raytracing enabled does not equate to ultra settings. Raytracing is a setting all in and of itself and can be adjusted independently of any other setting. Again when an RTX2070 can still do effective RTRT at 60+FPS, the two cards discussed here will have no issues.