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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
71.8Inno Score
VS
WINNER
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
82.5Inno Score
73.5Rasterization89.5
68.5Ray Tracing90.4
74.6Memoryspec-based91.2
55.2Efficiencyspec-based39.8
86.3Compute89.4
3 spec wins — NVIDIA GeForce RTX 409013 spec wins — NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

InnoReviews verdict

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 wins this graphics card face-off, 82.5 to 71.8, pulling ahead mainly in Ray Tracing (+22) and rasterization (+16). NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Editor's note

The 5090 is 27% faster at 4K in our numbers (142 versus 112 FPS), carries 32GB, and draws 575 watts doing it. If you own a 4090, that is not an upgrade — it is a power-supply replacement with a graphics card attached. If you are buying fresh at this tier, the 5090's extra VRAM matters more for AI workloads than for any game. The 4090's real problem is that its used price refuses to make room.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

  • 22% lower TDP: 450 W vs 575 W
  • 11% higher Base clock: 2,235 MHz vs 2,017 MHz
  • Lower launch price: $1,599 vs $1,999

Reasons to pick the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

  • Stronger rasterization score: 90 vs 74
  • Stronger Ray Tracing score: 90 vs 69
  • Stronger compute score: 89 vs 86
  • 78% higher bandwidth: 1,792 GB/s vs 1,008 GB/s
  • 41% higher 3DMark Speed Way: 14,200 vs 10,100

General

General comparison: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 versus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
SpecNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
Announced20222025
ArchitectureAda LovelaceBlackwell
Process5 nm5 nm
TDP450 W+22%575 W
Power connector1x 16-pin1x 16-pin

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 versus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
SpecNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
Shading units16,38421,760+33%
RT cores128170+33%
Tensor / AI cores512680+33%
Base clock2,235 MHz+11%2,017 MHz
Boost clock2,520 MHz+5%2,407 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 versus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
SpecNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
VRAM24 GB32 GB+33%
VRAM typeGDDR6XGDDR7
Bus width384 bit512 bit+33%
Bandwidth1,008 GB/s1,792 GB/s+78%

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 versus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
SpecNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
3DMark Time Spy36,000Top 3%48,500+35%Top 2%
3DMark Speed Way10,100Top 4%14,200+41%Top 2%
PassMark G3D38,500Top 3%39,500+3%Top 2%
1080p Ultra225 fpsTop 4%250 fps+11%Top 2%
1440p Ultra180 fpsTop 4%210 fps+17%Top 2%
4K Ultra112 fpsTop 4%142 fps+27%Top 2%

Features

Features comparison: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 versus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
SpecNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
UpscalingDLSS 4 (no MFG)DLSS 4

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