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 3090 vs RTX 4500 Ada Generation 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 3090 vs RTX 4500 Ada Generation: 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 3090

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $751 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 43.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.7 vs 12.4 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX 4500 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 350W vs 210W.
❌16.9% longer card at 312mm vs 267mm.

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

2023

Why buy it

✅1.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 210W instead of 350W, a 140W reduction.
✅Measures 267mm instead of 312mm, a 45mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
50.1% HIGHER MSRP
$2,250 MSRPvs$1,499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($2,250 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.7% in PassMark G3D (27,850 vs 26,594), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 8nm and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2020. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3090 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $751 cheaper on MSRP at $1,499 vs $2,250, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 43.3% (17.7 vs 12.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, GeForce RTX 3090 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, RTX 4500 Ada Generation has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3090 vs RTX 4500 Ada Generation Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 3090

The GeForce RTX 3090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 82 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,594 points. Launch price was $1,499.

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2070 MHz to 2580 MHz. It has 7680 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 210W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,850 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3090 scores 26,594 and the RTX 4500 Ada Generation reaches 27,850 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3090 is built on Ampere while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 7,680 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 39.63 TFLOPS (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1695 MHz vs 2580 MHz. Ray tracing: 82 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 60 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) with 328 Tensor cores vs 240.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score	26,594	27,850+5%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	10496+37%	7680
Compute (TFLOPS)	35.58 TFLOPS	39.63 TFLOPS+11%
Boost Clock	1695 MHz	2580 MHz+52%
ROPs	112+40%	80
TMUs	328+37%	240
L1 Cache	10.3 MB+37%	7.5 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB	48 MB+700%
Ray Tracing Cores	82+37%	60
Tensor Cores	328+37%	240

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3090 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 24 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 936 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 448 GB/s (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — a 108.9% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3090 and 192-bit on the RTX 4500 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 48 MB (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the RTX 4500 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity	24 GB	24 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	936 GB/s+109%	448 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB	48 MB+700%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 12.2 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3090) vs NVENC 8th Gen (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3090 draws 350W versus the RTX 4500 Ada Generation's 210W — a 50% difference. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 650W (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 312mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
TDP	350W	210W-40%
Recommended PSU	750W	650W-13%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	312mm	267mm
Height	140mm	112mm
Slots	3	2-33%
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	76.0	132.6+74%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3090 came in at $1499, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation launched at $2250. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3090 was 33.4% cheaper ($751 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 12.4 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3090 offers 42.7% better value. The newer card here is RTX 4500 Ada Generation (2023 vs 2020).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
MSRP	$1499-33%	$2250
Performance per Dollar	17.7+43%	12.4
Codename	GA102	AD103
Release	September 1 2020	August 9 2023
Ranking	#37	#27

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