Move over, GeForce RTX 3090 (and your meaner RTX 3090 Ti brother). There’s a new graphics card sheriff on the town—the brutally, futuristically fast GeForce RTX 4090, powered by Nvidia’s next-gen “Ada Lovelace” GPU structure. The newcomer arrived shortly after the discharge of the earlier prime canine, however there’s a lot extra to the story.
Sure, the RTX 4090 gives large efficiency good points over its still-strong predecessors, but it surely’s additionally at present much less obtainable — and costlier — than the RTX 3090 Ti’s plummeting pricing. The unique GeForce RTX 3090’s value has fallen even additional, making it a possible nice price-to-performance choice. And don’t neglect: The GeForce RTX 4080 16GB and AMD’s next-gen RDNA 3 Radeon GPUs are virtually right here, throwing a wrench into the GPU battle.
For now, let’s deal with what we’ve got at present obtainable, however preserve that in thoughts. We’ll focus on how the RTX 3090 (and its Ti variant) stacks up in opposition to the large, badass GeForce RTX 4090 with efficiency, pricing, and sensible issues resembling GPU dimension. What goodies embedded within the RTX 4090 are you lacking in case you go along with the highest performer from final technology? Let’s discover out!
Nvidia RTX 4090 vs RTX 3090 (and Ti): Price and availability
The GeForce RTX 4090’s $1,599 MSRP is considerably lower than the $1,999 whopper of a value that the RTX 3090 Ti launched with. It’s additionally $100 greater than the unique RTX 3090’s debut $1499 value. Good information, nonetheless – the RTX 3090 Ti has dropped to a a lot decrease $1099 for the Founders Edition, and typically could be discovered for much less. The 3090 can usually be discovered for below $900, and even nearer to $700 in case you’re OK with a used graphics card.
Availability will get extra difficult: The GeForce RTX 4090 has been steadily offered out since its October 12 launch, making buying one a sport of “catch me if you can.” The RTX 3090 Ti has been rather more obtainable, together with the remainder of the RTX 3000 household – but it surely can also nonetheless promote out at its lower cost. The vanilla RTA 3090 is pretty straightforward to seek out, in the meantime, however retail pricing should still be a bit excessive compared to the Ti model.
Many will argue that $500 further bucks is justified for the 4090 resulting from its spectacular efficiency, however that’s not all the time the case. The 3090 Ti continues to be very succesful, particularly at lower than 4K resolutions or in case your 4K show maxes out at 60Hz, as we’ll discover out within the efficiency part.
Thiago Trevisan
Nvidia RTX 4090 vs RTX 3090 (and Ti): Performance
For the one fanatic left within the room that cares about this: Unlike the RTX 3090, the brand new RTX 4090 lacks any NVLink or SLI help in any way. It was already a non-issue for the 3090 and 3090 Ti when the overwhelming majority of video games have deserted multi-GPU help, however you possibly can at the very least hook them up bodily in case you actually needed to make use of the may of two titan GPUs for content material creation or machine studying.
With that out of the way in which, let’s speak numbers. Yep, the RTX 4090 completely crushes something that got here earlier than it in an virtually “meme-tastic,” hilarious method. There are some caveats that can develop into clearer, particularly with sure video games resembling Gears Tactics, as a result of the 4090 is so insanely quick that it might probably develop into restricted by even top-end CPUs, even at 4K decision. Wowza.
From the PCWorld RTX 4090 overview.
Brad Chacos
First let’s have a look at Cyberpunk 2077 as an excellent instance of the 4090’s dominance. In each conventional rasterized efficiency and ray tracing with graphics choices maxed-out, it steam rolls forward. The RTX 3090 falls wanting the 60fps objective for 4K (although it may hit that by dropping some graphics settings), and even its 3090 Ti variant can barely scratch that golden customary. The 4090 clears the bar simply, pulling a big lead.
From the PCWorld RTX 4090 overview.
Brad Chacos
Things get a bit extra fascinating once we have a look at Gears Tactics. The 1440p efficiency distinction is affordable as all of those are monster GPUs pushing the sport (and your CPU) to its limits, however the 4k efficiency hole is much more pronounced.
We uncovered one other novelty throughout our 4K testing for Gears Tactics: While it ran 67 p.c quicker than the 3090, it was bottlenecked by the CPU seven p.c of the time. This is very uncommon at 4K, the place the GPU is usually your complete bottleneck. It demonstrates how succesful the RTX 4090 really is, because it may theoretically obtain much more if unleashed absolutely.
This implies that in case you’re going for the GeForce RTX 4090, even at 4K, you’ll need to pair a extremely succesful trendy CPU with it, such because the AMD Ryzen 7950X or Intel Core i9-13900K. You’d count on most customers to take action anyway because of the pricing tier, however now the 4090 calls for the quickest potential chip you’ll be able to throw at it, even at larger resolutions. (It’s nonetheless not the case with each 4K or above sport, as most are nonetheless GPU bottlenecked, even with a 4090.)
On the opposite hand, the GeForce RTX 3090 and 3090 Ti will sometimes not bottleneck or present any efficiency distinction amongst many ranging CPUs at 4K, and even 1440p usually has negligible variations. You’ll nonetheless need a good, quick chip – but it surely doesn’t should be a screamer just like the RTX 4090 calls for.
Thiago Trevisan
That’s why the 3090 and 3090 Ti are nonetheless particularly nice decisions for these at 1440p and under resolutions, and for gaming at 4K on a 60Hz show. The efficiency good points below 4K on the 4090 aren’t as vital, particularly when accounting for CPU bottlenecks. The true good points can be at larger resolutions, so many players could discover the 3090 class GPUs are greater than sufficient.
We can’t speak about efficiency and never convey up Nvidia’s piece de resistance: DLSS 3.0. The RTX 4090 comprises rather more highly effective {hardware} within the type of its optical circulate accelerators. While the 3090 and 3090 Ti comprise some taste of this know-how, they don’t seem to be highly effective sufficient to convincingly pull off DLSS 3.0. Frame technology with its AI chops actually convey wholesome good points not discovered within the common DLSS 2.0, as spectacular as that one is.
Is this an enormous deal? It could be in case your sport helps it. It can be particularly helpful with ray tracing, which historically provides you a efficiency penalty – however that may be negated with DLSS 3.0 much more.
Demanding video games resembling Flight Simulator 2020 are good examples of spectacular good points: You can usually double your body charge whereas retaining visible constancy excessive. In a case resembling this, the place even a 3090 Ti will wrestle with DLSS 2.0 to keep up excessive body charges, your use case for a 4090 could very nicely be justified. Note, nonetheless, that whereas DLSS 3.0 is ready to enormously speed up uncooked body charges by inserting AI-generated photos each different body, you received’t essentially really feel like the sport is performing quicker, as responsiveness could be affected by these AI insertions. Check out the DLSS 3.0 section of our RTX 4090 review if you’d like a deeper dive into its capabilities.
Framerates in video games like Microsoft Flight Simulator can double with the RTX 4090 and DLSS 3.
Thiago Trevisan
The efficiency benefits of the RTX 4090 are clear and no arguing its dominance. (This is particularly true at 4K, and when DLSS 3.0 and ray tracing enter the combo.)
At the appropriate value, nonetheless, the RTX 3090 and 3090 Ti nonetheless put up a valiant effort which can be greater than sufficient efficiency at 1440p or 4K/60Hz ranges, whereas not requiring the quickest CPU just like the RTX 4090.
Nvidia RTX 4090 vs 3090/3090 Ti: Power and different issues to know
Technically each the GeForce RTX 4090 and 3090 Ti share a TDP of 450W, whereas the unique RTX 3090 attracts “only” 350W. The RTX 4090 has lately come under scrutiny with its new 16-pin 12VHPWR power adapter, as some distant instances have proven some customers with some melting issues because of the cable probably being bent. It’s too early to inform if these are remoted instances or maybe a possible challenge, however regardless, all three of those GPUs are actually scorching, power-hungry beasts.
From the PCWorld RTX 4090 overview.
Brad Chacos
The GeForce RTX 4090 places out considerably extra efficiency over the 3090 Ti for comparable energy utilization, which is spectacular. You could run into different points, nonetheless: All RTX 4090 graphics playing cards are bodily large.
Many folks have had hassle becoming them of their instances with the aspect panel absolutely closed, as they’re considerably bigger than even most 3090 Ti GPUs for the third occasion AIB fashions. Founder Editions are nonetheless chunky, albeit barely much less so than AIB flavors.
The RTX 4090 is an absolute unit and also you want a decently massive case to suit it into.
Thiago Trevisan
Verdict: Is the RTX 4090 a no brainer, or do the RTX 3090 and 3090 Ti nonetheless have sport left in them?
Have $1,599 (or extra) bucks to spend on a GPU? Plan to play at 4K 144hz with all of the settings ultra-fied? Don’t thoughts additionally shopping for the quickest CPU on the market? Have a pretty-big case to suit it?
If you answered “Yes” to the above, and in case you can stand in line lengthy sufficient, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is for you. It’s a powerful feat of know-how for individuals who merely demand the very best efficiency. You’ll additionally must be keen to place up with the quirky energy connector points, quick CPU necessities, and getting it to suit your case.
Keep in thoughts the GeForce RTX 4080 16GB is coming soon at a MSRP of $1199. This could find yourself being extra best for some customers, but it surely’s but to be seen. AMD’s next-gen “RDNA 3” Radeon GPUs will spring up quickly, too, with a reveal due November 3.
How concerning the RTX 3090 and 3090 Ti? It’s a tricky name. It will rely solely on value and your use case performance-wise. If you’re after an RTX 3090, a used one could also be your finest wager if it was nicely taken care of. (VRAM thermal points had been a difficulty with some Founders Edition GPUs.) If you get it cheaply sufficient, the RTX 3090 should still be very appropriate for you. At 1440p, it nonetheless crushes many video games, even with ray tracing, and the RTX 3090 stays no slouch at 4K/60 gaming both. DLSS 2.0 isn’t as succesful because the electrified DLSS 3.0, but it surely nonetheless may be very potent.
The RTX 3090 Ti is a extra “refined” model of the RTX 3090, with barely extra efficiency, and sometimes higher thermal design with VRAM. Once once more, all of it is determined by the value which you could get it for—its $1099 retail value is considerably cheaper than earlier than, however shortly approaching the MSRP of the approaching RTX 4080 16GB at $1199, and probably no matter RDNA 3 competitor pops up from AMD.
Either of those graphics playing cards will serve you nicely. But at this level, in case you aren’t splurging on an RTX 4090, we’d advise ready for each the GeForce RTX 4080 16GB and AMD’s RDNA 3 counter-punch to materialize, as we’re very near each hitting the streets. They could make extra sense than the 3090 and 3090 Ti relying on pricing. Their existence will at the very least push down the value of the RTX 30-series GPUs even additional, making your bounty extra plentiful in case you’re affected person.
Otherwise, it’s clear the RTX 4090 is the dominant GPU for now—if you’ll find one and don’t thoughts paying an eye-watering value for eye-watering efficiency.