Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti
Verdict
Our overall take, at a glance
Key takeaways
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 leads NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti overall by 9 points (85 vs 76 out of 100).
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 stands out on Core Specifications Base Power: 450 W, Core Specifications Maximum Power: 575 W, Core Specifications Lithography Process: 4 nm.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 leads overall
$1,599 at launch
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
85
NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti
76
Why it stands out
- Core Specifications Base Power: 450 W
- Core Specifications Maximum Power: 575 W
- Core Specifications Lithography Process: 4 nm
In-depth analysisAI
AI-generated from the cited sources — may be incomplete or inaccurate; verify important details before deciding · generated Jul 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 RTX 3080 Ti
The NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end graphics card built on the Ampere GPU architecture, aimed at demanding gamers and creative professionals. Launched at a premium $1,200 price point, it features hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Tensor cores to deliver performance that closely approaches the flagship RTX 3090.
Best for High-resolution gaming with demanding real-time ray tracing effectsBest for Running local AI models and hardware-accelerated workstation rendering
Pros
- Gaming and production performance that nearly matches the flagship RTX 3090
- Hardware-level acceleration for ray-traced visuals and local AI applications
- Substantial generational performance improvements over older Turing-based models
Cons
- Highly expensive launch price of $1,200 that offers diminishing performance returns over the base RTX 3080
- Can experience high operating temperatures, particularly regarding memory heat
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 RTX 3080 Ti
Performance
Higher benchmark score = faster
Nvidia GeForce RTX 409039,178
NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti26,800
Benchmark score — a measured indicator of raw performance, not a guarantee of real-world speed.
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Detailed Specifications
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