- AMD launched a brand new path tracing demo operating on RX 9000 {hardware}
- Some PC avid gamers have cited muddy textures, blurriness, and artifacting
- It is created a wider dialogue on RDNA 4’s price-to-performance
An official path tracing demo revealed on AMD Gaming’s YouTube channel has revealed that the RDNA 4 graphics playing cards fall behind what’s attainable with rival Nvidia’s RTX 50 collection concerning price-to-performance.
AMD revealed the Toyshop real-time path tracing neural rendering tech demo, which has highlighted the spectacular capabilities of the RX 9070 XT, contemplating its sub-$600 MSRP. Nevertheless, that is when taking the 75-second video in isolation, whereas some tech fans and anxious avid gamers have made comparisons with Nvidia‘s newest.
As noticed by Notebookcheck, some dissenting voices have claimed that this RX 9000 collection path tracing benchmark is marred with blurry textures and visible artifacts, with the spectacular lighting results changing into problematic throughout sooner moments.
A specific concern has arisen concerning how the RTX 9070 XT handles AI-powered supersampling and the way the noise discount is carried out when cleansing the general picture up. Particularly, consideration has been positioned on the automobiles driving alongside the road, as visible artifacts are reportedly current, because the static buildings get fuzzy and the foliage turns into blurred whenever you look somewhat nearer. That is (seemingly) with out factoring within the built-in compression that comes with YouTube as a video internet hosting platform.

In the meantime, quite a few feedback on the r/pcgaming sub-Reddit are blunter with their criticisms. The highest-voted remark merely reads: “The ghosting on the robotic arms is fairly agregious”, with one other stating: “That is loads of noise”, and an extended response from one other person arguing: “What is the level of releasing a demo with loopy noise, ghosting, and each RT-releated artifacts attainable. It isn’t going to awe anyone, it simply simply exhibits how far behind Nvidia they’re”.
It opens a wider dialog about simply how good at path tracing a $600 graphics card actually needs to be, with the RX 9070 XT retailing for a similar worth because the newly arriving Nvidia RTX 5070, itself not with out controversy. Our assessment of the weakest Blackwell GPU famous near-identical efficiency with the earlier mainstream chief, the RTX 4070 Tremendous from January 2024, with the apparent exception of DLSS 4’s Multi Body Technology; the function is less-than-stellar right here than on the corporate’s flagship fashions.
Equally, we (seemingly) get to see the restrictions of FSR 4 towards DLSS 4 with noise discount and AI-assisted path tracing in lower-end {hardware}. The outcomes are definitely spectacular on the floor, however trying nearer, some PC avid gamers concern that if that is AMD’s greatest foot ahead, then it nonetheless has loads of catching as much as do. For direct comparability, you’ll be able to see Nvidia’s official Zorah rendering tech demo, which had not obtained anyplace the identical degree of backlash when it debuted in January 2025.
An early signal of issues to return for AMD’s RDNA 4 GPU technology
It is there’s one factor that is obvious with the 2 introduced (and shortly to be launched) AMD RX 9000 collection graphics playing cards, and it is that they are marketed on their worth proposition fairly than the uncooked efficiency energy. Whereas native 4K is focused in line with the advertising and marketing materials, and the corporate is showcasing a renewed concentrate on path and ray tracing in gaming, the producer clearly is not making an attempt to compete with what its main rival can do on the higher-end.
The RX 9070 XT will retail from $599, whereas the RX 9070 will promote for $549, which roughly equates their respective pricing with the RTX 5070. Meaning Crew Purple is not swinging for the fences with a $1,000+ or $2,000+ graphics card choice, similar to Nvidia’s RTX 5080 and RTX 5090, respectively, which might outpace the whole lot RDNA can however (consequently) value double or extra.
Consequently, how unhealthy is it to see real-time path tracing not fairly dwelling as much as GPUs costing double (and even triple) the MSRP right here? That is one thing recommended by avid gamers; somewhat noise and fuzziness within the inception of AMD’s RDNA 4 GPU technology in comparison with its best-in-class rivals does not appear to be too massive a deal, given the sticker worth. Whether or not the trade-off is price it for you’ll in the end rely upon what you desire a $600 graphics card to do in 2025. Is it one thing that is good to have or a vital function for the way forward for PC gaming? Relying in your reply, you may know which card is for you.