'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 are halo-tier GPUs designed to deliver some of the best gaming performance without any compromises. The cards rank among the most powerful in the market, thanks to the beefy hardware powering them. While both GPUs will cost you a fortune, they bring the best in consumer GPU hardware. While the 4090 is a couple of years old, it still ranks among the top when it comes to rendering potential, placed behind only the 5090.
In this article, we will look at the two 90-class video cards in detail and try to answer which is the best option for gamers.
Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 are some of the most powerful GPUs in the market
The Nvidia RTX 5090 and 4090 are built for no-compromise 4K gaming. They are the successors to the RTX 3090 introduced in 2020. However, the latest advances in AI upscaling (DLSS) and rasterization make the newer 90-class GPUs way faster. Let's look at their specs before delving into the topic of performance.
Trending
Specs comparison
Looking at the specs, the RTX 5090 brings substantial improvements across the board compared to its predecessor. The new GB202 graphics processor packs 32.81% more CUDA cores than the AD102-based 4090, jumping from 16,384 to 21,760 cores. This pattern of ~33% uplift continues for TMUs, Tensor cores, and Ray Tracing cores. In fact, the 5090 solely relies on these spec bumps to deliver better performance.
The memory system also sees major enhancements, with bandwidth increasing by 77.78% to 1792 GB/sec, thanks to a wider 512-bit bus and 32GB of VRAM. This makes the card good for AI enthusiasts and media professionals who have a use for the 4:2:2 encoding supported by the card.
Here's a look at the specs of the two GPUs side-by-side:
The extra hardware comes at the cost of a higher power draw, with the 5090's TDP rising to 575W compared to the 4090's 450W. The company has also jacked up the prices this generation by 25%. The Blackwell card is priced at an eye-watering $1,999, compared to the $1,599 RTX 4090.
Read more: All RTX 5090 AIB cards compared
Performance comparison
The 5090's performance leaves a mixed bag of feelings, especially given how poorly the rasterization has scaled this generation. This is unlike the numbers we have seen in older generations, where a new architecture translated to a considerable bump in raw rendering capabilities.
Here's a look at the performance figures the cards can hit in the latest titles. The numbers are taken from the YouTube channel PC Centric.
DLSS 4 is the chief selling point of 50 series cards. Cyberpunk 2077 with path tracing shows a massive leap from 195 FPS on the 4090 to 403 on the Blackwell, while Dragon Age: The Veilgard doubles performance from 197 to 414 FPS.
Interestingly, some esports titles, like Apex Legends, show minimal differences, with the 5090 actually performing slightly lower at 298 FPS compared to the 4090's 300 FPS. However, the former's added hardware improves the 1% low numbers dramatically, enabling a smoother experience.
Overall, the RTX 5090 makes the most sense if you are an AI enthusiast or need a capable GPU for movie rendering, video editing, etc. For gamers, an upgrade to the 5090 won't mean much for now. However, in the long run, the newer card could mean a real difference once ray tracing is mandated in most video games.
