Performance Gains with Undervolting
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is turning heads in the GPU market, thanks to aggressive undervolting techniques that are pushing its performance beyond initial expectations. Enthusiasts and overclocking specialists are excitedly documenting these unexpected gains, often surpassing the pricier NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 in many benchmarks.
A Benchmark Breakthrough
Recent tests conducted by overclocking expert der8auer showed impressive results using a PowerColor Red Devil RX 9070 XT. By applying a -170 mV voltage offset and increasing the power target to 110%, he achieved a remarkable 10% frame rate boost in Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K ultra settings. This modification allowed the GPU to reach clock speeds of 3.36 GHz, compared to its stock 2.90 GHz, resulting in a solid 66 fps—just nudging ahead of the RTX 5080’s 65 fps in identical gaming scenarios.
The Consistency of Success
Interestingly, this undervolting trend isn’t just a one-off success story. YouTuber Alva Jonathan managed to replicate similar 10% performance improvements on the standard RX 9070 using Asrock’s Steel Legend model. Their findings indicate that traditional core clock overclocking often yields little to no substantial gain, hinting that factory-overclocked cards might already be operating close to their architectural limits. Furthermore, attempts at memory overclocking have proven counterproductive, as the error correction mechanisms can actually hinder in-game performance when settings drift too far from stability.
While these findings are thrilling, one must note that the tested units belong to premium variants featuring enhanced power delivery and cooling solutions, commanding prices significantly above AMD’s MSRP. Nonetheless, even with these premiums, the RX 9070 XT models remain approximately $200 cheaper than NVIDIA’s equivalent offerings, making them an appealing choice for gamers focused on both performance and value.
