Nvidia RTX 2070 Super vs AMD RX 5700 XT

So you’re having the debate about mid-range graphics cards, who comes out on top, Nvidia or AMD? It can be a heated discussion if you talk with certain people about it, and there is a good bit of bias toward either brand.

We’re here to cut through the misconceptions and show you the best option between the Nvidia RTX 2070 Super and the AMD RX 5700XT, since both are decent 1440p GPUs to be paired with Ryzen 5600X or any other capable processor.

RTX 2070 Super vs RX 5700 XT: Specs

RTX 2070 Super vs RX 5700 XT: 1080p Gaming

Both of these cards have absolutely no problem playing games at 1920×1080 resolution. This is still the most popular resolution for gamers, as per Steam, so starting the performance comparison here makes the most sense.

Nvidia RTX 2070 Super: This card is more than enough to run your games at 1080p resolution. If you are running a high refresh rate display and want a ton of frames at this resolution, the 2070 Super is a great choice.

Nvidia optimized titles give the already high performance of this card an extra boost, giving it a nice increase over the AMD card in those games. While it doesn’t win every matchup at 1080p against the competitor, it is definitely a bit ahead at this resolution.

AMD RX 5700XT: Gaming at 1080p doesn’t require a ton of power, and the first generation Navi based GPU from AMD can handle it with ease. You can game at this resolution with nice high frame rates, making it perfect for competitive gaming.

In games optimized for AMD, it wins over the 2070 Super, but the margin it wins by is not huge. This card is great for anyone wanting to game at 1080p, but the 2070 Super is just a tad bit better.

RTX 2070 Super vs RX 5700 XT: 1440p Gaming

This is the sweet spot for these two graphics cards. They give you the best performance per dollar at 1440p, and you will feel the most rewarded buying them if you game at this resolution.

Nvidia RTX 2070 Super: Upping the resolution from 1080p to 1440p really allows this card to shine. Both literally and figuratively. You can game either at higher frame rates, or turn on ray tracing and get a beautiful looking gaming experience.

Where this card had a slight edge in the previous resolution, it fails to keep it at 1440p. While the performance is still great from this card, it doesn’t beat AMD, simply trades blows with it.

AMD RX 5700XT: If the Nvidia card “shines” here, we would say the AMD card looks crisp and clean. It will give you fantastic performance, and if you turn on Radeon Image Sharpening, you will see the most clear image possible. Even if you get that soft blur from anti-aliasing, Image Sharpening will negate it and bring back the crispness that was lost.

While it doesn’t crush the competition, it hangs in there with it and wins in many instances. There is no doubt that AMD has created the perfect 1440p card in the RX 5700XT.

RTX 2070 Super vs RX 5700 XT: 4K Gaming

Playing your games at  4K on these cards will offer a playable experience, but you will notice a significant drop in frames over the previous two resolutions. If you don’t mind gaming at around 60 fps,  4K on either card is absolutely fine.

Nvidia RTX 2070 Super: First thing first, don’t go into  4K and expect to use ray tracing. The performance of this card, or any card at this point, simply is not up to it. But if you don’t turn the settings to max, and are okay without ray tracing,  4K gaming on the 2070 Super is definitely possible.

This high of resolution is not suggested if you mainly play multiplayer competitive games, as you will want as many frames per second as possible. But if you mainly play strategy games, RPGs, or any more slow paced games,  4K looks really good with this graphics card.

AMD RX 5700XT: AMD has always been more competitive in higher resolutions, and this is no different. At  4K, the AMD offering pulls out a bit ahead on average. So the small lead Nvidia once saw is now gone, and the scale tips slightly toward AMD.

While you aren’t going to get blazing fast frame rates here, if you are only using a 60 Hz monitor or have a  4K television with a PC in the living room, the RX 5700 XT can handle your games admirably.

Price

If you are on a tighter budget, this is no contest. The AMD card will consistently run you a hundred or more dollars below the Nvidia offering. That’s not to say that some variants with better cooling won’t close the pricing gap, but as a general rule the AMD RX 5700XT is the much more affordable card.

There have been instances where the Nvidia card has been on sale and the price gap closes a bit, and at that point, it may be worth exploring it as the better option. However, if the normal pricing is the standard we are judging, it is hard not to pick the AMD RX 5700XT as the winner.

Final Words

This matchup is about as equal as you can get. The cards both handle games perfectly, especially if you are gaming at 2k (1440p) resolution. In the end here, go with the brand that you are a fan of, or the one that best fits your budget.