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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3090

2020

Why buy it

✅17.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 16 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌
50.1% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$999 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
❌16.7% higher power demand at 350W vs 300W.
❌16.9% longer card at 312mm vs 267mm.

Radeon RX 6900 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $500 less on MSRP ($999 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 50.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅Draws 300W instead of 350W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 267mm instead of 312mm, a 45mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3090 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 16 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.

GeForce RTX 3090

2020

Radeon RX 6900 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅17.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 16 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $500 less on MSRP ($999 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 50.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅Draws 300W instead of 350W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 267mm instead of 312mm, a 45mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌
50.1% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$999 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
❌16.7% higher power demand at 350W vs 300W.
❌16.9% longer card at 312mm vs 267mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3090 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 16 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3090 better than Radeon RX 6900 XT?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3090 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 17.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 0.5% higher PassMark G3D performance, DLSS 2 Super Resolution, and 24 GB vs 16 GB of VRAM.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 6900 XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) instead of DLSS Super Resolution and a 7nm process instead of 8nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3090 is about 50.1% more expensive on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and you are getting 17.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (26,594 vs 26,729). Radeon RX 6900 XT still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 3090 is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, Radeon RX 6900 XT still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.

When does Radeon RX 6900 XT make more sense than GeForce RTX 3090?

Yes. Radeon RX 6900 XT is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It makes more sense if your priority is lower power draw (300W vs 350W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $999 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce RTX 3090. The trade-off is that GeForce RTX 3090 currently gives you a lower G3D Mark (26,594 vs 26,729) and 17.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon RX 6900 XT still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce RTX 3090 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 6900 XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
1080p
low	259 FPS	258 FPS
medium	240 FPS	235 FPS
high	201 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	249 FPS	242 FPS
medium	208 FPS	200 FPS
high	162 FPS	162 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	146 FPS
4K
low	167 FPS	171 FPS
medium	138 FPS	143 FPS
high	98 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	95 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open Radeon RX 6900 XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
1080p
low	648 FPS	601 FPS
medium	557 FPS	500 FPS
high	440 FPS	400 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	341 FPS
1440p
low	475 FPS	397 FPS
medium	405 FPS	330 FPS
high	319 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	221 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	193 FPS
medium	193 FPS	162 FPS
high	161 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	111 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open Radeon RX 6900 XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
1080p
low	909 FPS	924 FPS
medium	745 FPS	767 FPS
high	664 FPS	683 FPS
ultra	574 FPS	585 FPS
1440p
low	711 FPS	714 FPS
medium	583 FPS	587 FPS
high	508 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	489 FPS	498 FPS
medium	406 FPS	412 FPS
high	349 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	290 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open Radeon RX 6900 XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
1080p
low	821 FPS	684 FPS
medium	765 FPS	565 FPS
high	675 FPS	494 FPS
ultra	598 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	656 FPS	563 FPS
medium	609 FPS	471 FPS
high	534 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	449 FPS	360 FPS
4K
low	475 FPS	365 FPS
medium	443 FPS	317 FPS
high	397 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	256 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3090 Open Radeon RX 6900 XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3090 and Radeon RX 6900 XT

GeForce RTX 3090

The GeForce RTX 3090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 82 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,594 points. Launch price was $1,499.

Radeon RX 6900 XT

The Radeon RX 6900 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 28 2020. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1825 MHz to 2250 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,729 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3090 scores 26,594 and the Radeon RX 6900 XT reaches 26,729 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3090 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6900 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 5,120 (Radeon RX 6900 XT). Raw compute: 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 23.04 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6900 XT). Boost clocks: 1695 MHz vs 2250 MHz. Ray tracing: 82 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 80 (Radeon RX 6900 XT) with 328 Tensor cores.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
G3D Mark Score	26,594	26,729
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	10496+105%	5120
Compute (TFLOPS)	35.58 TFLOPS+54%	23.04 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1695 MHz	2250 MHz+33%
ROPs	112	128+14%
TMUs	328+3%	320
L1 Cache	10.3 MB+930%	1 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	82+3%	80

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6900 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3090 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 3090 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 6900 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3090 comes with 24 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6900 XT has 16 GB. The GeForce RTX 3090 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 936 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 512 GB/s (Radeon RX 6900 XT) — a 82.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Bus width: 384-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 6900 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
VRAM Capacity	24 GB+50%	16 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	936 GB/s+83%	512 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 6900 XT). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3090) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6900 XT). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 6900 XT).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	VCN 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	VCN 3.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3090 draws 350W versus the Radeon RX 6900 XT's 300W — a 15.4% difference. The Radeon RX 6900 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 850W (Radeon RX 6900 XT). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 312mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2.5 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6900 XT
TDP	350W	300W-14%
Recommended PSU	750W-12%	850W
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	312mm	267mm
Height	140mm	120mm
Slots	3	2.5-17%
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	76.0	89.1+17%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3090 launched at $1499 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 6900 XT launched at $999. The Radeon RX 6900 XT costs 33.4% less ($500 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 26.8 (Radeon RX 6900 XT) — the Radeon RX 6900 XT offers 51.4% better value.