GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile vs GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile

2023Core: 1335 MHzBoost: 1695 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile

2025Core: 990 MHzBoost: 1515 MHz

GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile vs GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile 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 4090 Mobile vs GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile 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 4090 Mobile vs GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile: 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 4090 Mobile

2023

Why buy it

  • 156.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 16 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 26.3% higher power demand at 120W vs 95W.

GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile

2025

Why buy it

  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 16 GB).
  • Draws 95W instead of 120W, a 25W reduction.
  • More future proof: Blackwell (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 156.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile instead at 28,280 vs 27,048, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 24 GB vs 16 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025) instead of DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2023. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile vs GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1335 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 9728 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 76 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,048 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile

The GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 2 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 990 MHz to 1515 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 28,280 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 27,048 and the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile reaches 28,280 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is built on Ada Lovelace while the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile uses Blackwell 2.0, both on a 4 nm process. Shader units: 9,728 (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) vs 10,496 (GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1695 MHz vs 1515 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce RTX 5090 Mobile
G3D Mark Score
27,048
28,280+5%
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Blackwell 2.0
Process Node
4 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
9728
10496+8%
Boost Clock
1695 MHz+12%
1515 MHz

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation, but the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is on the newer stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, while the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile stays on DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation.The GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is capped at DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce RTX 5090 Mobile
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation+14%
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Yes (DLSS 4)+14%
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has 16 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile carries 24 GB. GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 576 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) vs 896 GB/s (GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile) — a 55.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce RTX 5090 Mobile
VRAM Capacity
16 GB
24 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
576 GB/s
896 GB/s+56%
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce RTX 5090 Mobile
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) vs NVENC (Blackwell) (GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC (Blackwell). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) vs H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce RTX 5090 Mobile
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC
NVENC (Blackwell)
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
NVDEC (Blackwell)
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile's 95W — a 23.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 MobileGeForce RTX 5090 Mobile
TDP
120W
95W-21%
Recommended PSU
650W
650W
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
80°C-6%
85
Perf/Watt
225.4
297.7+32%