GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce RTX 4090

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz

Buy on Amazon

GeForce RTX 4090

2022Core: 2235 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz

Buy on Amazon

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce RTX 4090 Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

8 GB 200

20,312

0.0%

GeForce RTX 2060 (Mobile)

GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design

GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)

GeForce GTX 1070 SLI

GeForce RTX 5060 Ti

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile

GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile

RTX 5000 Ada Generation

GeForce RTX 4090

24 GB 450

38,112

+87.6%

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

RTX 2000 Ada Generation

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce RTX 4090 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce RTX 4090: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,200 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 113.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 23.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 450W, a 250W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 304mm, a 62mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌GeForce RTX 4090 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 4090

2022

Why buy it

✅61.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 8 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
300.8% HIGHER MSRP
$1,599 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 23.8 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌125% higher power demand at 450W vs 200W.
❌25.6% longer card at 304mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 4090 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 61.7% in average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 87.6% in PassMark G3D (38,112 vs 20,312), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 4090 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 24 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and 128 vs 38 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,200 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $1,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 113.6% (50.9 vs 23.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1440p and 4K headroom, GeForce RTX 4090 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce RTX 4090 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

GeForce RTX 4090

The GeForce RTX 4090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2022. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2235 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 16384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 450W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 128 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 38,112 points. Launch price was $1,599.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the GeForce RTX 4090's 38,112 — the GeForce RTX 4090 leads by 87.6%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4090 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 16,384 (GeForce RTX 4090). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 82.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 38 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 128 (GeForce RTX 4090) with 152 Tensor cores vs 512.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 4090
G3D Mark Score	20,312	38,112+88%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	4864	16384+237%
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS	82.58 TFLOPS+410%
Boost Clock	1665 MHz	2520 MHz+51%
ROPs	80	176+120%
TMUs	152	512+237%
L1 Cache	4.8 MB	16 MB+233%
L2 Cache	4 MB	72 MB+1700%
Ray Tracing Cores	38	128+237%
Tensor Cores	152	512+237%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4090 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4090 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 4090
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4090 carries 24 GB. GeForce RTX 4090 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1008 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090) — a 125% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4090. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090) — the GeForce RTX 4090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 4090
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	24 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s	1008 GB/s+125%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	4 MB	72 MB+1700%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4090). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 4090
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4090). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4090).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 4090
Encoder	NVENC (Ampere)	8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder	NVDEC (Ampere)	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the GeForce RTX 4090's 450W — a 76.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1000W (GeForce RTX 4090). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Card length: 242mm vs 304mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 4090
TDP	200W-56%	450W
Recommended PSU	600W-40%	1000W
Power Connector	8-pin	16-pin (12VHPWR)
Length	242mm	304mm
Height	112mm	137mm
Slots	2-33%	3
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	101.6+20%	84.7

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti came in at $399, while the GeForce RTX 4090 launched at $1599. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti was 75% cheaper ($1200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 23.8 (GeForce RTX 4090) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 113.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4090 (2022 vs 2020).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 4090
MSRP	$399-75%	$1599
Performance per Dollar	50.9+114%	23.8
Codename	GA104	AD102
Release	December 1 2020	September 20 2022
Ranking	#73	#4

Search GeForce RTX 3060 Ti on Amazon

Search GeForce RTX 4090 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.