Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
Verdict
Our overall take, at a glance
Key takeaways
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 leads Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 overall by 9 points (96 vs 87 out of 100).
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 stands out on Core Specifications Base Power: 450 W, Core Specifications Maximum Frequency: 2.52 GHz, Core Specifications Maximum Power: 575 W.
- Best value: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 (from $1,199) — the strongest score-per-dollar of the two.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 leads overall
$1,599 at launch
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
96
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
87
Best value: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 ($1,199)
Why it stands out
- Core Specifications Base Power: 450 W
- Core Specifications Maximum Frequency: 2.52 GHz
- Core Specifications Maximum Power: 575 W
In-depth analysisAI
AI-generated from the cited sources — may be incomplete or inaccurate; verify important details before deciding · generated Jun 2026.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
The GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship graphics card in Nvidia's consumer GPU family, succeeding the GeForce RTX 30 series. It is based on Nvidia's Ada Lovelace architecture and features third-generation RT cores and fourth-generation Tensor Cores for hardware acceleration.
Best for High-end graphics tasks
Pros
- Features a TSMC 4N process designed by Nvidia
- Includes three-generation Ray Tracing Cores for accelerated ray tracing
- Supports OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4, and DirectX Direct3D 12.0 Ultimate APIs
- Features dual NVENC with 8K 10-bit 120FPS AV1 fixed function hardware encoding
Cons
- No NVLink support
- Double-precision performance is 1/64 of single-precision performance
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
The GeForce RTX 40 series is a family of consumer GPUs from Nvidia's GeForce line, succeeding the RTX 30 series. The cards are based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and include third-generation RT cores for ray tracing and fourth-generation Tensor Cores.
Best for High-end computingBest for Graphics processing
Pros
- Features native support for DirectX Direct3D 12.0 Ultimate (feature level 12_2)
- Includes a new generation of Optical Flow Accelerator to aid DLSS 3.0 frame generation
- Supports DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1 display connections
Cons
- The RTX 4080 12GB was noted for potential failures related to the 12VHPWR connector.
Value for Money
Which is the better deal for the price
Pre-filled with launch prices where known — enter today's price for an up-to-date check. Use the same currency for both.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
Performance
Higher benchmark score = faster
Nvidia GeForce RTX 409039,178
Nvidia GeForce RTX 408035,129
Benchmark score — a measured indicator of raw performance, not a guarantee of real-world speed.
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Detailed Specifications
The full spec sheet, side by side