GeForce RTX 4090 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4090

2022Core: 2235 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022Core: 1929 MHzBoost: 2498 MHz
RX family
·······

GeForce RTX 4090 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX 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 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX 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 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX: 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

2022

Why buy it

  • 12.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • 60.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,599 MSRPvs$999 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 23.8 vs 31.3 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • 26.8% higher power demand at 450W vs 355W.

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022

Why buy it

  • Costs $600 less on MSRP ($999 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 31.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 31.3 vs 23.8 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • Draws 355W instead of 450W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.

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 12.7% in average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 21.8% in PassMark G3D (38,112 vs 31,285), 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: 128 vs 96 ray-tracing units. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 7900 XTX makes the most sense to buy today. It is $600 cheaper on MSRP at $999 vs $1,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.4% (31.3 vs 23.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1440p and 4K, Radeon RX 7900 XTX 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 4090 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1929 MHz to 2498 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 355W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 96 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 31,285 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4090 scores 38,112 versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 31,285 — the GeForce RTX 4090 leads by 21.8%. The GeForce RTX 4090 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX uses RDNA 3.0, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 16,384 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 6,144 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Raw compute: 82.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 61.39 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 2498 MHz. Ray tracing: 128 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 96 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) with 512 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
G3D Mark Score
38,112+22%
31,285
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
RDNA 3.0
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
16384+167%
6144
Compute (TFLOPS)
82.58 TFLOPS+35%
61.39 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2520 MHz
2498 MHz
ROPs
176
192+9%
TMUs
512+33%
384
L1 Cache
16 MB+433%
3 MB
L2 Cache
72 MB+1100%
6 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
128+33%
96

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both GPUs support Frame Generation, but they get there through different ecosystems. The GeForce RTX 4090 uses DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX relies on FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. Both can help smooth out supported games, but they are not on the same feature stack.The GeForce RTX 4090 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 24 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 1008 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 960 GB/s (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — a 5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4090. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090 and 384-bit on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX. L2 Cache: 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 6 MB (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the GeForce RTX 4090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
VRAM Capacity
24 GB
24 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
1008 GB/s+5%
960 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit
384-bit
L2 Cache
72 MB+1100%
6 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4090) vs AMD Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs AMD Dual Media Engine. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
AMD Dual Media Engine
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
AMD Dual Media Engine
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4090 draws 450W versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 355W — a 23.6% difference. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1000W (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 800W (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Power connectors: 16-pin (12VHPWR) vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 287mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 68°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
TDP
450W
355W-21%
Recommended PSU
1000W
800W-20%
Power Connector
16-pin (12VHPWR)
2x 8-pin
Length
304mm
287mm
Height
137mm
110mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
80°C
68°C-15%
Perf/Watt
84.7
88.1+4%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4090 came in at $1599, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX launched at $999. On MSRP, Radeon RX 7900 XTX was 37.5% cheaper ($600 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 23.8 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 31.3 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the Radeon RX 7900 XTX offers 31.5% better value.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
MSRP
$1599
$999-38%
Performance per Dollar
23.8
31.3+32%
Codename
AD102
Navi 31
Release
September 20 2022
November 3 2022
Ranking
#4
#12

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.