RTX 4000 Ada Generation vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation

NVIDIA

RTX 4000 Ada Generation

2023Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1560 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024Core: 975 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
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RTX 4000 Ada Generation 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.

RTX 4000 Ada Generation 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.

RTX 4000 Ada Generation 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.

RTX 4000 Ada Generation

2023

Why buy it

  • Costs $4,001 less on MSRP ($1,999 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 187.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 12.0 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Draws 70W instead of 285W, a 215W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 5880 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (192 vs 440), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

RTX 5880 Ada Generation

2024

Why buy it

  • 67.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 129.2% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (440 vs 192).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 200.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $6,000 MSRPvs$1,999 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.2 vs 12.0 G3D/$ ($6,000 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • 307.1% higher power demand at 285W vs 70W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 67.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.4% in PassMark G3D (25,096 vs 24,046), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while RTX 5880 Ada Generation is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
RTX 4000 Ada Generation makes the most sense to buy today. It is $4,001 cheaper on MSRP at $1,999 vs $6,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 187.6% (12.0 vs 4.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. RTX 5880 Ada Generation still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

RTX 4000 Ada Generation vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

RTX 4000 Ada Generation

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1560 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 24,046 points.

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

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation scores 24,046 and the RTX 5880 Ada Generation reaches 25,096 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 6,144 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 14,080 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 26.73 TFLOPS (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 69.27 TFLOPS (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1560 MHz vs 2460 MHz. Ray tracing: 48 RT cores (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 110 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) with 192 Tensor cores vs 440.

FeatureRTX 4000 Ada GenerationRTX 5880 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score
24,046
25,096+4%
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
6144
14080+129%
Compute (TFLOPS)
26.73 TFLOPS
69.27 TFLOPS+159%
Boost Clock
1560 MHz
2460 MHz+58%
ROPs
64
176+175%
TMUs
192
440+129%
L1 Cache
6 MB
13.8 MB+130%
L2 Cache
48 MB
72 MB+50%
Ray Tracing Cores
48
110+129%
Tensor Cores
192
440+129%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The RTX 5880 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is capped at DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution.

FeatureRTX 4000 Ada GenerationRTX 5880 Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 2 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation carries 48 GB. RTX 5880 Ada Generation gives you 2300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 768 GB/s (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — a 113.3% advantage for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. Memory bus width is 160-bit on the RTX 4000 Ada Generation and 384-bit on the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 48 MB (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 72 MB (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRTX 4000 Ada GenerationRTX 5880 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
48 GB+2300%
Memory Type
GDDR6 ECC
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
768 GB/s+113%
Bus Width
160-bit
384-bit+140%
L2 Cache
48 MB
72 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureRTX 4000 Ada GenerationRTX 5880 Ada Generation
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 (3x) (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs NVENC 8th gen (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation).

FeatureRTX 4000 Ada GenerationRTX 5880 Ada Generation
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (3x)
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation draws 70W versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 285W — a 121.1% difference. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 650W (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 1x 8-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureRTX 4000 Ada GenerationRTX 5880 Ada Generation
TDP
70W-75%
285W
Recommended PSU
750W
650W-13%
Power Connector
1x 8-pin
16-pin
Length
267mm
267mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
343.5+290%
88.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation came in at $1999, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation launched at $6000. On MSRP, RTX 4000 Ada Generation was 66.7% cheaper ($4001 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 12.0 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation) vs 4.2 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the RTX 4000 Ada Generation offers 185.7% better value. The newer card here is RTX 5880 Ada Generation (2024 vs 2023).

FeatureRTX 4000 Ada GenerationRTX 5880 Ada Generation
MSRP
$1999-67%
$6000
Performance per Dollar
12.0+186%
4.2
Codename
AD104
AD102
Release
August 9 2023
January 5 2024
Ranking
#47
#40

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