Adopting AMD After Years with NVIDIA Hardware
After using NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) for approximately a decade, the author upgraded from an RTX 3070 to an RX 9070 XT in early 2025. While the AMD card delivered impressive gaming performance, the most surprising revelation following the switch was not related to the physical hardware, but rather the software experience.
The Enhanced User Experience of AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
The primary shock for the author was the quality of the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, which was noted to be significantly superior to the utility offered by NVIDIA at the time of the switch. Throughout years of using NVIDIA products, the Control Panel served as the main configuration tool for adjusting all GPU settings. While the Control Panel had a dated, XP-era aesthetic, owners also had access to the GeForce Experience application, which provided additional features. Although NVIDIA began rolling out the NVIDIA app in beta in early 2024, the Control Panel remained the primary method of control until the author switched to AMD, as many necessary settings were still unavailable in the newer app.
In contrast, the author found the Adrenalin Edition software to possess a modern user interface (UI) and a vast array of features, drastically surpassing the dated Control Panel. The software was highly intuitive, allowing users to easily access nearly every necessary option without needing to manage multiple applications. Key features praised included automatic notifications for new GPU drivers and simple functionality for capturing gameplay. Furthermore, the ability to set per-game profiles was highlighted as a major convenience.
Simplified Overclocking and Advanced Feature Comparisons
A significant functional advantage noted was the simplified process for modifying GPU performance. Unlike NVIDIA GPUs, which typically required third-party software, such as MSI Afterburner, for proper overclocking or undervolting, the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition contained all necessary controls internally. Users could navigate to the Performance section, open the Tuning tab, and enable a Custom tuning preset to perform these adjustments easily. This process was described as much simpler than achieving the same results on NVIDIA hardware. The software also allowed for performance tuning on a per-game basis, a feature considered crucial given the varying sensitivities of different games, such as titles running on Unreal Engine 5.
Additionally, AMD Software provides the ability to generate custom GPU fan curves, a feature reportedly absent from the NVIDIA app. While the latest versions of the NVIDIA app are comparable in many areas, the author observed that NVIDIA still needed to improve its overclocking functionalities. It was noted that AMD implemented useful overclocking and undervolting features before focusing heavily on AI initiatives.
Areas Where AMD Still Trails NVIDIA
Despite the superior user experience, AMD still lags behind NVIDIA in certain graphic-specific features. For instance, multi-frame generation, offered by both NVIDIA and Intel, was still unavailable on AMD GPUs. Multi-frame generation is beneficial for maximizing refresh rates on high-refresh-rate monitors, particularly when maintaining a base frame rate of about 65 “real” FPS.
Another feature the author admired in NVIDIA hardware was RTX HDR, which functions effectively with nearly all DirectX 9 games and newer, and was deemed superior to the Auto HDR feature available in Windows 11. The author expressed a desire to use RTX HDR on their AMD GPU. However, overall, the experience with the RX 9070 XT was highly positive, noting that it performs exceptionally well in all tested games, runs quietly, and maintains relatively low temperatures. The availability of FSR 4, which was considered nearly as good as DLSS 4, and could be enabled in every game with DLSS support via OptiScaler, contributed to a high level of satisfaction.
Featured Hardware
The Sapphire NITRO+ AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU was listed with specifications including 16GB of DDR6 memory, two HDMI ports, and two DisplayPorts, housed in a cooling system designed for whisper-quiet operation regardless of workload.
