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 4090

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($1,599 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 22.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 23.8 vs 19.4 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 450W instead of 575W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 24 GB vs 32 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (512 vs 680), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 5090 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

GeForce RTX 5090

2025

Why buy it

✅32.8% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (680 vs 512).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (32 GB vs 24 GB).
✅More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
25% HIGHER MSRP
$1,999 MSRPvs$1,599 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 19.4 vs 23.8 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
❌27.8% higher power demand at 575W vs 450W.

GeForce RTX 4090

2022

GeForce RTX 5090

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($1,599 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 22.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 23.8 vs 19.4 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 450W instead of 575W, a 125W reduction.

Why buy it

✅32.8% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (680 vs 512).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (32 GB vs 24 GB).
✅More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 24 GB vs 32 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (512 vs 680), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 5090 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Trade-offs

❌
25% HIGHER MSRP
$1,999 MSRPvs$1,599 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 19.4 vs 23.8 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
❌27.8% higher power demand at 575W vs 450W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 5090 better than GeForce RTX 4090?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 38,112 vs 38,867 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 5090 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, DLSS 4 + Multi Frame Gen.

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

GeForce RTX 5090 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2022, more VRAM at 32 GB instead of 24 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) instead of DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and better frame-generation support with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025) instead of DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023). That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

GeForce RTX 4090 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $1,599 MSRP. GeForce RTX 5090 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce RTX 5090 is about 25.0% more expensive on MSRP at $1,999 MSRP versus $1,599 MSRP, and you are getting 2.0% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $1,999 MSRP gets you newer hardware, and DLSS 4 + Multi Frame Gen.

Is GeForce RTX 4090 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4090 is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p and 1440p maxed-out gaming, and still very capable for 4K in many titles. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $1,599 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce RTX 5090 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and DLSS 4 + Multi Frame Gen.

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 4090 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 5090 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
1080p
low	350 FPS	342 FPS
medium	334 FPS	327 FPS
high	282 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	217 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	325 FPS
medium	274 FPS	273 FPS
high	215 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	173 FPS
4K
low	194 FPS	193 FPS
medium	160 FPS	160 FPS
high	121 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	108 FPS	107 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4090 Open GeForce RTX 5090

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
1080p
low	955 FPS	955 FPS
medium	795 FPS	785 FPS
high	632 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	535 FPS	526 FPS
1440p
low	796 FPS	757 FPS
medium	662 FPS	641 FPS
high	542 FPS	528 FPS
ultra	438 FPS	419 FPS
4K
low	435 FPS	418 FPS
medium	367 FPS	357 FPS
high	341 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	288 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4090 Open GeForce RTX 5090

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
1080p
low	999 FPS	999 FPS
medium	999 FPS	999 FPS
high	999 FPS	999 FPS
ultra	858 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	988 FPS	988 FPS
medium	902 FPS	902 FPS
high	832 FPS	832 FPS
ultra	643 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	580 FPS	580 FPS
medium	504 FPS	504 FPS
high	455 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	388 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4090 Open GeForce RTX 5090

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
1080p
low	999 FPS	999 FPS
medium	999 FPS	999 FPS
high	927 FPS	977 FPS
ultra	819 FPS	866 FPS
1440p
low	893 FPS	943 FPS
medium	786 FPS	832 FPS
high	684 FPS	724 FPS
ultra	588 FPS	619 FPS
4K
low	653 FPS	682 FPS
medium	582 FPS	609 FPS
high	513 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	437 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4090 Open GeForce RTX 5090

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 5090

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.

GeForce RTX 5090

The GeForce RTX 5090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 30 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2017 MHz to 2407 MHz. It has 21760 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 575W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 170 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 38,867 points. Launch price was $1,999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 4090 scores 38,112 and the GeForce RTX 5090 reaches 38,867 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 4090 is built on Ada Lovelace while the GeForce RTX 5090 uses Blackwell 2.0, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 16,384 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 21,760 (GeForce RTX 5090). Raw compute: 82.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 104.8 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 5090). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 2407 MHz. Ray tracing: 128 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 170 (GeForce RTX 5090) with 512 Tensor cores vs 680.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
G3D Mark Score	38,112	38,867+2%
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Blackwell 2.0
Process Node	5 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	16384	21760+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	82.58 TFLOPS	104.8 TFLOPS+27%
Boost Clock	2520 MHz+5%	2407 MHz
ROPs	176	176
TMUs	512	680+33%
L1 Cache	16 MB	21.3 MB+33%
L2 Cache	72 MB	96 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores	128	170+33%
Tensor Cores	512	680+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation, but the GeForce RTX 5090 is on a newer tier with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, while the GeForce RTX 4090 tops out at DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation.The GeForce RTX 5090 supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 4090 is capped at DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation+14%
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	Yes (DLSS 4)+14%
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4090 comes with 24 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 5090 has 32 GB. The GeForce RTX 5090 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 1008 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 1792 GB/s (GeForce RTX 5090) — a 77.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 5090. Bus width: 384-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 96 MB (GeForce RTX 5090) — the GeForce RTX 5090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
VRAM Capacity	24 GB	32 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR7
Memory Bandwidth	1008 GB/s	1792 GB/s+78%
Bus Width	384-bit	512-bit+33%
L2 Cache	72 MB	96 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 5090). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
DirectX	12.2	12.2
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 9th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 5090). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs 6th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 5090).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC (2x)	9th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	6th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4090 draws 450W versus the GeForce RTX 5090's 575W — a 24.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 4090 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1000W (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 1000W (GeForce RTX 5090). Power connectors: 16-pin (12VHPWR) vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Card length: 304mm vs 304mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4090	GeForce RTX 5090
TDP	450W-22%	575W
Recommended PSU	1000W	1000W
Power Connector	16-pin (12VHPWR)	16-pin (12VHPWR)
Length	304mm	304mm
Height	137mm	137mm
Slots	3	2-33%
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	84.7+25%	67.6

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4090 launched at $1599 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 5090 launched at $1999. The GeForce RTX 4090 costs 20% less ($400 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 23.8 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 19.4 (GeForce RTX 5090) — the GeForce RTX 4090 offers 22.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 5090 is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2022).