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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

NVIDIA
VS
NVIDIA
Performance
GeForce RTX 409070% better
104,52781% of 129,772
GeForce RTX 3090
61,56947% of 129,772

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 70% better performance than the GeForce RTX 3090 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 409059% better
65.3740% of 165.13
GeForce RTX 3090
41.0725% of 165.13

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 59% 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 4090 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q4 2022 with a MSRP of $1,599. It is built on the Ada Lovelace GPU microarchitecture (codename AD102) and is manufactured on a 5 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,313 MHz memory clock and a 384 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 1.01 Tb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The RTX 4090 includes 16,384 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 2,235 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 2,520 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 512 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 176 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 512 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 128 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 4090 is a large graphics card, occupying 3 PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. With a thermal design power (TDP) of 450 W and a large, 3-slot size, it is recommended to use a power supply of 850 W and a case with sufficient space to accommodate the card. Compare your card's model and your case's dimensions to verify compatibility.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 4090 has the 2nd best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 567 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 80.55% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. Its 104,527 score and $1,599 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 65.37. This is the 59th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q3 2020 with a MSRP of $1,499. It is built on the Ampere GPU microarchitecture (codename GA102) and is manufactured on a 8 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,219 MHz memory clock and a 384 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 936.2 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The RTX 3090 includes 10,496 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,395 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,695 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 328 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 112 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 328 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 82 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 3090 is a large graphics card, occupying 3 PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. With a thermal design power (TDP) of 350 W and a large, 3-slot size, it is recommended to use a power supply of 750 W and a case with sufficient space to accommodate the card. Compare your card's model and your case's dimensions to verify compatibility.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 3090 has the 23rd best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 567 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 47.44% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. Its 61,569 score and $1,499 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 41.07. This is the 82nd 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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureAda LovelaceAmpere
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ4 2022Q3 2020
Launch Price (MSRP)$1,599$1,499
Production StatusActiveActive
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
Display FPS for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Space Marine 2
Display FPS for Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws
Display FPS for Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong
Display FPS for Once Human
Once Human
Display FPS for The First Descendant
The First Descendant
Display FPS for F1 24
F1 24

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 God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
GeForce RTX 4090GeForce RTX 3090
Low - 1080p
307 FPS(+38.91%)
221 FPS
Medium - 1080p
289 FPS(+51.95%)
190 FPS
High - 1080p
277 FPS(+61.42%)
172 FPS
Ultra - 1080p
263 FPS(+64.58%)
160 FPS
QHD - 1440p
225 FPS(+79.14%)
126 FPS
4K UHD - 2160p
140 FPS(+87.13%)
75 FPS
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 4090 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 4090 or
GPUCost Per Frame
GeForce RTX 30609.68-16%
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti10.33-10%
Radeon RX 7900 XT10.44-9%
GeForce RTX 409011.45
GeForce RTX 408011.89+4%
GeForce RTX 309020.09+75%

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce RTX 409070% better
104,52781% of 129,772
GeForce RTX 3090
61,56947% of 129,772

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 70% better performance than the GeForce RTX 3090 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 2nd with a score of 104,527, and the GeForce RTX 3090 is ranked 23rd with a score of 61,569.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 409059% better
65.3740% of 165.13
GeForce RTX 3090
41.0725% of 165.13

The GeForce RTX 4090 has 59% better value for the money than the GeForce RTX 3090 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 59th with a performance per dollar of 65.37, and the GeForce RTX 3090 is ranked 82nd with a performance per dollar of 41.07.

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 4090 or
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce RTX 5090129,772+24%
GeForce RTX 4090104,527
GeForce RTX 5080100,190-4%
Radeon RX 9070 XT98,912-5%
Radeon RX 907088,618-15%
Radeon RX 7900 GRE67,134-36%
Radeon RX 7800 XT65,610.5-37%
GeForce RTX 309061,569-41%
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti60,980-42%
GeForce RTX 407059,986-43%

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 4090 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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
36,668
(+90.67%)
19,231.5
3DMark Time Spy Score
30,438
(+62.55%)
18,725.5
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
266,734
(+15.14%)
231,656
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
76,014.5
(+59.23%)
47,738.5
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
209,337
(+24.55%)
168,080
3DMark 11 Performance Score
62,846
(+31.09%)
47,939.5
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
341.3
368
(+7.82%)
PassMark G3D Mark
38,230
(+43.46%)
26,648
PassMark G2D Mark
1,295
(+23.8%)
1,046
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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
CodenameAD102GA102
ArchitectureAda LovelaceAmpere
Process Size5 nm8 nm
Transistors76,300 million28,300 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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
Memory Size24 GB24 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6XGDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth1.01 Tb/s936.2 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,313 MHz1,219 MHz
Memory Interface384 bit384 bit
L1 Cache128 KB128 KB
L2 Cache72 MB6 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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
Slots3 slots3 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)450 W350 W
Suggested PSU850 W750 W
Power Connectors1x 16-pin1x 12-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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
CUDA Cores16,38410,496
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)12882
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)512328
Render Output Units (ROP)176112
Tensor Cores512328
Ray Tracing Cores12882
Core Clock Speed2,235 MHz1,395 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)2,520 MHz1,695 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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
Pixel Fill Rate443.5 GPixel/s189.8 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate1,290.2 GTexel/s556 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance82.58 TFLOPS35.58 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance1,290.2 GFLOPS556 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 4090GeForce RTX 3090
DirectX12 Ultimate (12_2)12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenCL3.03.0
OpenGL4.64.6
Shader Model6.86.8

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