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ASUS ATS Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12GB GDDR6RX9070GRE|OC|12GB12 x 4.95 x 0.1 Inches2.2 PoundsCheck on Amazon
ASUS Prime Radeon™ RX 9070 GRE EVO OCRX9070GRE|OC|12GB|EVO12 x 5 x 0.1 inches2.4 PoundsCheck on Amazon
For most RX 7800 XT owners, the RX 9070 GRE isn’t worth it for rasterized gaming. Reviews put it only about 10–11% faster at 1440p, and it drops from 16 GB to 12 GB of VRAM. The upgrade makes sense mainly if you play many ray-traced games, where RDNA 4’s lead is much larger, or if you want FSR 4 running natively at full speed. If you’re buying from scratch, the GRE is the more modern card. If you already own a 7800 XT and want a meaningful jump, the RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT gives far more for the money.
Spec Changes at a Glance
| Specification | RX 7800 XT (current card) | RX 9070 GRE (upgrade) |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | RDNA 4.0 |
| Release date | 25 August 2023 | 8 May 2025 |
| Launch MSRP | $499 | $549 |
| Shaders | 3840 | 3072 |
| Boost clock | 2430 MHz | 2790 MHz |
| Process | 5 nm | 4 nm |
| TDP | 263 W | 220 W |
| Memory | 16 GB GDDR6 | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Bus / bandwidth | 256-bit / 624.1 GB/s | 192-bit / 432.0 GB/s |
| Cache | 4 MB L2 + 64 MB Infinity Cache | 8 MB L2 + 48 MB Infinity Cache |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| Power connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Width | 2-slot (267 mm reference length) | 2-slot (length varies by partner model) |
| Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DP 2.1 | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DP 2.1a |
On paper the GRE has fewer shaders, less memory and about 31% less bandwidth than the card it replaces. It makes up the difference with RDNA 4’s redesigned compute units, higher clocks, twice the L2 cache and much stronger ray-tracing and AI hardware. In raster games the net result is a modest gain. In ray tracing it’s a large one.
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC 16G Graphics Card, 3X WINDFORCE Fans 16GB 256-bit GDDR6, GV-R78XTGAMING OC-16GD Video Card
Chosen because it specifies 3X WINDFORCE Fans 16GB 256-bit GDDR6 and GV-R78XTGAMING OC-16GD Video Card.
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PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
Picked as a relevant option in this category.
View on AmazonASUS ATS Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12GB GDDR6 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card
Picked as a relevant option in this category.
View on AmazonASUS Prime Radeon™ RX 9070 GRE EVO OC Edition Graphics Card (PCIe 5.0, HDMI/DP 2.1, 2.5-Slot Design, axial-tech Fans, Dual Ball Fan Bearings, Dual BIOS, GPU Guard)
Chosen because it specifies HDMI/DP 2.1 and 2.5-Slot Design.
View on AmazonRaster Performance: Roughly One-Tenth Faster
Guru3D’s RX 9070 GRE review measured it about 11% ahead of the RX 7800 XT at 1440p and about 5% ahead of the RTX 4070. In the same data the RX 9070 was about 14% faster than the GRE and the RX 9070 XT about 29% faster. Early Chinese reviews reported by Notebookcheck put the GRE around RX 7900 GRE level at 1440p, roughly the same position. AMD itself had claimed a slightly higher result. Expect about 10% at 1440p in rasterized games.
Resolution changes the picture:
- 1080p: a similar or slightly smaller gain, since CPU limits flatten differences in many games.
- 1440p: about 10–11% in favor of the GRE.
- 4K: the gap narrows and can disappear in some titles. Reviewers noted the GRE does worse at 4K, which they attributed to its reduced memory bandwidth, while the 7800 XT’s 256-bit bus helps it there.
A 10% gain moves a game from about 70 FPS to about 77 FPS. You’d notice it on a frame counter, but probably not in how the game feels. These figures are approximate and vary with settings, CPU and game version.
Ray Tracing: The Case for Upgrading
Ray tracing is where the upgrade actually changes things. RDNA 4 roughly doubled ray-tracing throughput per compute unit compared with RDNA 3, and Chinese launch reviews highlighted the GRE’s strong RT results. In games with heavy RT, such as global illumination plus reflections, the gap between the two cards is far larger than in raster, with the GRE well ahead. Benchmark databases show especially large leads in Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing and frame generation enabled. Treat those as best-case examples rather than an average.
If you mostly turn RT off, this advantage won’t matter much. If you’ve been avoiding RT on your 7800 XT because of the performance cost, the GRE makes it usable at 1440p with upscaling.
FSR 4: Smaller Advantage Than Before
When the GRE launched, FSR 4 was exclusive to RDNA 4 and was one of the strongest reasons to upgrade. That changed in July 2026, when AMD released FSR 4.1 upscaling for RX 7000-series cards using an INT8 version of the model. Your 7800 XT now gets much of FSR 4’s image-quality improvement.
The difference that remains is speed. TechPowerUp reported that FSR 4.1 runs noticeably slower on RDNA 3 than FSR 3.1 does, because RDNA 3 lacks the FP8 hardware that RDNA 4 uses to run the model efficiently. On the GRE, FSR 4 runs at full speed, so at the same upscaling preset the GRE’s effective lead is somewhat larger than raw raster numbers suggest. AMD’s newer ML-driven features, including frame generation and ray-tracing denoising, are also designed for RDNA 4 first.
The VRAM Step Down
This is the GRE’s weakest point as an upgrade. You’d go from 16 GB to 12 GB. At 1440p in 2026, 12 GB is still workable for most games. It becomes tight when you combine ultra textures, ray tracing and frame generation, the same combination where the GRE otherwise performs best. At 4K, 12 GB is a real limit in some new releases.
- 1440p, high settings, no RT: 12 GB is fine.
- 1440p, ultra textures + RT + frame gen: 12 GB can run out in some new games; the 7800 XT’s 16 GB has more headroom.
- 4K: the 7800 XT’s memory and bandwidth narrow or erase the GRE’s lead.
- Local AI or heavy modding: the 7800 XT’s 16 GB is the better fit.
Power, PSU and Fit
The GRE is rated at 220 W against 263 W for the 7800 XT, a 43 W drop. Both use two 8-pin connectors, so your existing cabling works. PSU sizing with GPU TDP + CPU + about 150 W headroom and a 125 W CPU:
- RX 7800 XT: 263 + 125 + 150 = 538 W, so a 650 W unit.
- RX 9070 GRE: 220 + 125 + 150 = 495 W, so a quality 550–650 W unit.
Any PSU running your 7800 XT will handle the GRE. Both are two-slot designs. The 7800 XT’s reference length is 267 mm, and GRE partner cards vary in size, so check the specific model’s length against your case clearance.
What the Upgrade Actually Costs
Used RX 7800 XT cards usually sell for $350–$420. With the GRE at its $549 launch MSRP, the net upgrade cost is roughly $130–$200.
- Raster gain ~10%: about $13–$20 per percentage point gained. That’s poor value for an upgrade.
- Heavy-RT gain: much larger percentage gains, so the cost per point drops considerably.
- Minus: 4 GB less VRAM.
Compare that with moving to an RX 9070 or 9070 XT. Guru3D’s data puts those cards about 14% and 29% ahead of the GRE respectively, which is roughly 25% and 40% ahead of your 7800 XT, and both keep 16 GB of memory. Even at a higher net cost, either is a more sensible upgrade from a 7800 XT. The GRE has also been sold mainly in certain regions since its China-first launch, so availability and pricing vary by country.
Upgrade Verdict by Gamer Type
| Your profile | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 1440p raster gaming, no RT | Keep the 7800 XT |
| Want to use ray tracing at 1440p | GRE is a real improvement; the RX 9070 is better |
| 4K gaming | Keep the 7800 XT or go to the RX 9070 XT |
| Buying new, $500–$550 budget, no card to sell | RX 9070 GRE over a new 7800 XT |
| Heavy mods or local AI | Keep the 7800 XT (16 GB) |
| Want lower power and heat | GRE saves about 43 W, a small benefit |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much faster is the RX 9070 GRE than the RX 7800 XT?
About 10–11% at 1440p in rasterized games, according to Guru3D’s review, with a smaller gap at 4K. In ray-traced games the GRE’s lead is much larger thanks to RDNA 4’s improved RT hardware.
Is 12 GB on the RX 9070 GRE enough?
For 1440p at high settings, yes, in nearly all current games. It can become tight with ultra textures plus ray tracing and frame generation, or at 4K, where the 7800 XT’s 16 GB gives more headroom.
Can the RX 7800 XT use FSR 4?
Yes. AMD released FSR 4.1 for RX 7000-series cards in July 2026. Image quality is greatly improved over FSR 3.1, but it runs slower on RDNA 3 than on RDNA 4 cards like the 9070 GRE.
Do I need a new PSU for the RX 9070 GRE?
No, if your PSU already runs an RX 7800 XT. The GRE is rated at 220 W against the 7800 XT’s 263 W and uses the same two 8-pin connectors.
What is a better upgrade from an RX 7800 XT?
The RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT. Based on Guru3D’s numbers they land roughly 25% and 40% ahead of the 7800 XT at 1440p, keep 16 GB of VRAM and offer the same RDNA 4 features as the GRE.
