GeForce RTX 3090 vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3090

2020Core: 1395 MHzBoost: 1695 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024Core: 975 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3090 vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation Performance Spectrum

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 3090 vs RTX 5880 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 5880 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

  • 2.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $4,501 less on MSRP ($1,499 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 324.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.7 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 24 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (328 vs 440), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 22.8% higher power demand at 350W vs 285W.
  • 16.9% longer card at 312mm vs 267mm.

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024

Why buy it

  • 34.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (440 vs 328).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 24 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 285W instead of 350W, a 65W reduction.
  • Measures 267mm instead of 312mm, a 45mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3090 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 300.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $6,000 MSRPvs$1,499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.2 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($6,000 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3090 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6% in PassMark G3D (26,594 vs 25,096), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 48 GB vs 24 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, 110 vs 82 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2020. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3090 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $4,501 cheaper on MSRP at $1,499 vs $6,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 324.2% (17.7 vs 4.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. 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 5880 Ada Generation has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3090 vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 5 2024. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 14080 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 285W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 110 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,096 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3090 scores 26,594 versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 25,096 — the GeForce RTX 3090 leads by 6%. The GeForce RTX 3090 is built on Ampere while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 14,080 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 69.27 TFLOPS (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1695 MHz vs 2460 MHz. Ray tracing: 82 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 110 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) with 328 Tensor cores vs 440.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090RTX 5880 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score
26,594+6%
25,096
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
10496
14080+34%
Compute (TFLOPS)
35.58 TFLOPS
69.27 TFLOPS+95%
Boost Clock
1695 MHz
2460 MHz+45%
ROPs
112
176+57%
TMUs
328
440+34%
L1 Cache
10.3 MB
13.8 MB+34%
L2 Cache
6 MB
72 MB+1100%
Ray Tracing Cores
82
110+34%
Tensor Cores
328
440+34%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3090 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090RTX 5880 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)

The GeForce RTX 3090 has 24 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation carries 48 GB. RTX 5880 Ada Generation gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 936 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 768 GB/s (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — a 21.9% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3090 and 384-bit on the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 72 MB (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090RTX 5880 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity
24 GB
48 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
936 GB/s+22%
768 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit
384-bit
L2 Cache
6 MB
72 MB+1100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090RTX 5880 Ada Generation
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.4
1.4
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3090) vs NVENC 8th gen (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090RTX 5880 Ada Generation
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3090 draws 350W versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 285W — a 20.5% difference. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 650W (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 312mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090RTX 5880 Ada Generation
TDP
350W
285W-19%
Recommended PSU
750W
650W-13%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
16-pin
Length
312mm
267mm
Height
140mm
112mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
85°C
80°C-6%
Perf/Watt
76.0
88.1+16%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3090 came in at $1499, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation launched at $6000. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3090 was 75% cheaper ($4501 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 4.2 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3090 offers 321.4% better value. The newer card here is RTX 5880 Ada Generation (2024 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090RTX 5880 Ada Generation
MSRP
$1499-75%
$6000
Performance per Dollar
17.7+321%
4.2
Codename
GA102
AD102
Release
September 1 2020
January 5 2024
Ranking
#37
#40

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