GeForce RTX 4090 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4090

2022Core: 2235 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022Core: 1929 MHzBoost: 2498 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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

  • 13.0% more average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023).

Trade-offs

  • 60.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,599 MSRPvs$999 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 23.8 vs 31.3 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • 26.8% higher power demand at 450W vs 355W.

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022

Why buy it

  • Costs $600 less on MSRP ($999 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 31.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 31.3 vs 23.8 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • Draws 355W instead of 450W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4090 better than Radeon RX 7900 XTX?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4090 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 13.0% more average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data, 21.8% higher PassMark G3D performance, and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4090 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 21.8% more raw performance headroom and the stronger feature stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation instead of FSR 3 + AFMF. 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 4090 is about 60.1% more expensive on MSRP at $1,599 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and you are getting 13.0% more estimated average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data and 21.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 7900 XTX 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 4090 is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, Radeon RX 7900 XTX still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.
Is Radeon RX 7900 XTX still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon RX 7900 XTX is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p and 1440p maxed-out gaming, and still very capable for 4K in many titles. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $999 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 4090 earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low283 FPS263 FPS
medium262 FPS244 FPS
high224 FPS211 FPS
ultra196 FPS185 FPS
1440p
low261 FPS246 FPS
medium217 FPS205 FPS
high173 FPS167 FPS
ultra156 FPS150 FPS
4K
low180 FPS174 FPS
medium149 FPS145 FPS
high114 FPS112 FPS
ultra102 FPS100 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low910 FPS871 FPS
medium726 FPS683 FPS
high567 FPS524 FPS
ultra478 FPS459 FPS
1440p
low728 FPS677 FPS
medium607 FPS546 FPS
high494 FPS434 FPS
ultra397 FPS361 FPS
4K
low396 FPS373 FPS
medium335 FPS307 FPS
high309 FPS277 FPS
ultra265 FPS236 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low944 FPS945 FPS
medium772 FPS775 FPS
high699 FPS690 FPS
ultra604 FPS595 FPS
1440p
low731 FPS714 FPS
medium598 FPS587 FPS
high529 FPS511 FPS
ultra452 FPS432 FPS
4K
low506 FPS501 FPS
medium419 FPS414 FPS
high377 FPS358 FPS
ultra317 FPS295 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low999 FPS951 FPS
medium971 FPS805 FPS
high855 FPS718 FPS
ultra764 FPS626 FPS
1440p
low830 FPS718 FPS
medium728 FPS607 FPS
high641 FPS527 FPS
ultra561 FPS459 FPS
4K
low606 FPS507 FPS
medium538 FPS439 FPS
high480 FPS388 FPS
ultra420 FPS339 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4090 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1929 MHz to 2498 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 355W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 96 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 31,285 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4090 scores 38,112 versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 31,285 — the GeForce RTX 4090 leads by 21.8%. The GeForce RTX 4090 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX uses RDNA 3.0, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 16,384 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 6,144 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Raw compute: 82.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 61.39 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 2498 MHz. Ray tracing: 128 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 96 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) with 512 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
G3D Mark Score
38,112+22%
31,285
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
RDNA 3.0
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
16384+167%
6144
Compute (TFLOPS)
82.58 TFLOPS+35%
61.39 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2520 MHz
2498 MHz
ROPs
176
192+9%
TMUs
512+33%
384
L1 Cache
16 MB+433%
3 MB
L2 Cache
72 MB+1100%
6 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
128+33%
96

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both GPUs support Frame Generation technologies, but they achieve it differently. The GeForce RTX 4090 uses DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX relies on FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. Both can significantly boost FPS in supported titles, but they are not on the same feature stack.The GeForce RTX 4090 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 24 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 1008 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 960 GB/s (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — a 5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4090. Bus width: 384-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 6 MB (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the GeForce RTX 4090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
VRAM Capacity
24 GB
24 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
1008 GB/s+5%
960 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit
384-bit
L2 Cache
72 MB+1100%
6 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
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 (2x) (GeForce RTX 4090) vs AMD Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs AMD Dual Media Engine. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
AMD Dual Media Engine
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
AMD Dual Media Engine
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4090 draws 450W versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 355W — a 23.6% difference. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1000W (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 800W (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Power connectors: 16-pin (12VHPWR) vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 287mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 68°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
TDP
450W
355W-21%
Recommended PSU
1000W
800W-20%
Power Connector
16-pin (12VHPWR)
2x 8-pin
Length
304mm
287mm
Height
137mm
110mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
80°C
68°C-15%
Perf/Watt
84.7
88.1+4%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4090 launched at $1599 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX launched at $999. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX costs 37.5% less ($600 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 23.8 (GeForce RTX 4090) vs 31.3 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the Radeon RX 7900 XTX offers 31.5% better value.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090Radeon RX 7900 XTX
MSRP
$1599
$999-38%
Performance per Dollar
23.8
31.3+32%
Codename
AD102
Navi 31
Release
September 20 2022
November 3 2022
Ranking
#4
#12