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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

NVIDIA
VS
NVIDIA
Performance
GeForce RTX 3090
61,51859% of 104,937
GeForce RTX 409071% better
104,937Best Performance

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 71% better performance than the GeForce RTX 3090 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 3090
41.0425% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 409060% better
65.6341% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 60% better value for the money than the GeForce RTX 3090 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

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Summary

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About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 GPU

The GeForce RTX 3090 is a desktop graphics card by NVIDIA. It launched in Q3 2020 with a suggested retail price of $1,499. Its GA102 chip that powers the GPU uses the Ampere architecture and is fabricated on the 8 nm process.

Memory

This GPU is paired with 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM. Its 1,219 MHz memory clock and 384 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 936.2 Gb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.

Compatibility

The RTX 3090 is a large graphics card, taking up 3 PCIe slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 350 W. NVIDIA recommends using a power supply of at least 750 W with this card. A power supply lower than this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The GeForce RTX 3090 has the 15th highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 58.62% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 61,518 score and $1,499 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 41.04. This is the 69th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU

The GeForce RTX 4090 is a desktop graphics card by NVIDIA. It launched in Q4 2022 with a suggested retail price of $1,599. Its AD102 chip that powers the GPU uses the Ada Lovelace architecture and is fabricated on the 5 nm process.

Memory

This GPU is paired with 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM. Its 1,313 MHz memory clock and 384 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 1.01 Tb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.

Compatibility

The RTX 4090 is a large graphics card, taking up 3 PCIe slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 450 W. NVIDIA recommends using a power supply of at least 850 W with this card. A power supply lower than this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The GeForce RTX 4090 has the highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. Its 104,937 score and $1,599 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 65.63. This is the 49th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

General Info

General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.

InfoGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureAmpereAda Lovelace
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ3 2020Q4 2022
Launch Price (MSRP)$1,499$1,599
Production StatusActiveActive
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for F1 24
F1 24
Display FPS for Senua's Saga Hellblade 2
Senua's Saga Hellblade 2
Display FPS for Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima
Display FPS for Dragon's Dogma 2
Dragon's Dogma 2
Display FPS for Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West
Display FPS for Alone in the Dark (2024)
Alone in the Dark (2024)
Display FPS for Sons of the Forest
Sons of the Forest

FPS Benchmarks

This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved both GPUs in at various resolutions. Frame rate is a crucial indicator of how smoothly the GPU can run the game. A higher FPS generally translates to a smoother gameplay experience.

  • Frames Per Second
FPS data for F1 24
F1 24
GeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
Low - 1080p
498 FPS
513 FPS(+3.01%)
Medium - 1080p
446 FPS
545 FPS(+22.2%)
High - 1080p
340 FPS
495 FPS(+45.59%)
Ultra - 1080p
118 FPS
213 FPS(+80.36%)
QHD - 1440p
79 FPS
153 FPS(+93.16%)
4K UHD - 2160p
41 FPS
82 FPS(+101.73%)
FPS Source: Notebookcheck

Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)

The average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3090 or

Compare Cost Per Frame

The average cost per frame in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. Generally, a lower cost per frame implies better value for your money.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3090 or
GPUCost Per Frame
Radeon RX 7800 XT17.39-53%
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti17.97-51%
GeForce RTX 409019.57-47%
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti21.24-43%
Radeon RX 7900 XTX21.44-42%
Radeon RX 6950 XT36.39-2%
GeForce RTX 309037.01

Benchmark Performance

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Performance
GeForce RTX 3090
61,51859% of 104,937
GeForce RTX 409071% better
104,937Best Performance

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 71% better performance than the GeForce RTX 3090 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3090 is ranked 15th with a score of 61,518, and the GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 1st with a score of 104,937.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 3090
41.0425% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 409060% better
65.6341% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 60% better value for the money than the GeForce RTX 3090 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3090 is ranked 69th with a performance per dollar of 41.04, and the GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 49th with a performance per dollar of 65.63.

Relative Performance

The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3090 or
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce RTX 4090104,937+71%
GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER87,055+42%
GeForce RTX 408086,267+40%
Radeon RX 7900 XTX83,322+35%
Radeon RX 7900 XT75,896+23%
GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER68,373+11%
Radeon RX 7800 XT65,610.5+7%
GeForce RTX 309061,518
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti60,980-1%
GeForce RTX 407059,969-3%

Relative Value For Money

The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3090 or

Benchmark Scores

This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both GPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

  • Popular
BenchmarkGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
19,198
36,896
(+92.19%)
3DMark Time Spy Score
18,739
31,329
(+67.19%)
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
231,612
250,667
(+8.23%)
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
47,241
73,174
(+54.9%)
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
142,919
209,337
(+46.47%)
3DMark 11 Performance Score
47,895
64,661
(+35.01%)
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
368
(+14.36%)
321.8
PassMark G3D Mark
26,795
38,619
(+44.13%)
PassMark G2D Mark
1,053
1,287
(+22.22%)
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

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Graphics Processor

General information about the graphics processing unit like their architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.

SpecGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
CodenameGA102AD102
ArchitectureAmpereAda Lovelace
Process Size8 nm5 nm
Transistors28,300 million76,300 million

Memory Details

Memory specifications like their capacity, bandwidth, and clock speeds. GPU memory stores graphics data like frames, textures, and shadows which helps display rendered images. These specs are crucial for graphics-intense applications like gaming and 3D modeling.

SpecGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
Memory Size24 GB24 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6XGDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth936.2 Gb/s1.01 Tb/s
Memory Clock1,219 MHz1,313 MHz
Memory Interface384 bit384 bit
L1 Cache128 KB128 KB
L2 Cache6 MB72 MB

Board Compatibility

Compatibility information like their slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.

SpecGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
Slots3 slots3 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)350 W450 W
Suggested PSU750 W850 W
Power Connectors1x 12-pin1x 16-pin
OutputsHDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4aHDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a

Cores & Clock Speeds

Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can process graphics. Each type of core or component serves a specific computational purpose.

SpecGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
CUDA Cores10,49616,384
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)82128
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)328512
Render Output Units (ROP)112176
Tensor Cores328512
Ray Tracing Cores82128
Core Clock Speed1,395 MHz2,235 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,695 MHz2,520 MHz

Theoretical Performance

Theoretical performance numbers derived from the raw specifications of the different components like core count and clock speeds. While these provide a glimpse into peak processing power, they do not represent real-world performance.

SpecGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
Pixel Fill Rate189.8 GPixel/s443.5 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate556 GTexel/s1,290 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance35.58 TFLOPS82.58 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance556 GFLOPS1,290 GFLOPS

API Support

Graphics API versions supported by these graphics cards. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.

SpecGeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 4090
DirectX12 Ultimate (12_2)12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenCL3.03.0
OpenGL4.64.6
Shader Model6.76.7

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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.