Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs. RTX 4080: Which 4K GPU must you purchase?

Nvidia’s greatest competitors typically comes from—look ahead to it—Nvidia itself! It’s solely pure that the most recent, strongest two choices from Workforce Inexperienced pique the pursuits of players throughout the realm. 

Positive, the GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 share the identical Ada Lovelace DNA, DLSS 3, and even the chunky cooler dimension. If we dig deeper, nevertheless, the 2 GPUs are extra totally different than you may assume.

We’ll go over what it’s worthwhile to know should you’re evaluating these graphical powerhouses, together with worth, availability, and efficiency. Whichever route you’re taking, we’re certain you’re going to be seeing a number of the highest (and prettiest!) frames ever.

Nvidia RTX 4090 vs. RTX 4080: Worth and availability

Whereas the GeForce RTX 4090’s MSRP of $1,599 is $400 greater than the $1,199 RTX 4080 on paper, the true world tells us a distinct story. Right here’s the kicker: GPU availability is way improved in 2022, however it’s nonetheless a critical concern for the RTX 4090. 

The RTX 4090 has been perpetually bought out since its launch, a well-recognized state of affairs to anybody who tried to purchase a GPU in 2021. Thus, its avenue worth is usually increased on the secondary market. It’s the costliest GPU out now, however it additionally bought out the quickest—Nvidia has its cake and is consuming it too! 

The RTX 4080, alternatively, has been shipped in much less quantity, however it’s extra out there, satirically. It’s because it presents tremendously poor worth for the efficiency you’re getting, as PCWorld government editor Brad Chacos identified in his GeForce RTX 4080 abstract. (Nvidia asking for $500 over the RTX 3080’s MSRP is a bit a lot to abdomen!)  

Thus, the RTX 4090 loses on availability particularly as a result of it wins out on price-to-performance. Sure, even at $1,599. That’s the bizarre 2022 GPU universe we’ve landed in! To be honest, it does pack a critical punch that no different GPU can prime at the moment, by a large margin.

Nvidia RTX 4090 vs. RTX 4080: Efficiency

The GeForce RTX 4090 is brutally, futuristically highly effective. Ray tracing, content material creation, no matter you throw at it—it chews up. No-compromises excessive refresh-rate 4K gaming permits it to place us really on the following aircraft of efficiency. 

It’s a tricky act to comply with, and the RTX 4080 has an uphill battle. Beginning with its 16GB of VRAM versus the 4090’s 24GB of VRAM, the specs inform a variety of the story. In follow, most players will just do nice with 16GB of VRAM, particularly because it’s nonetheless the very quick GDDR6X selection just like the RTX 4090 has. Content material creators, although, might make higher use of 24GB of VRAM, with one’s use case being the figuring out issue in relation to reminiscence capability.

Brad Chacos

The synopsis offered in Brad Chacos’s assessment of the RTX 4080 exhibits how massive of an averaged-out lead the RTX 4090 has in 4K rasterized efficiency. Now all of the “Worth to Efficiency” speak begins to make sense in favor of the RTX 4090!

Brad Chacos

Let’s have a look at some particular examples, beginning with the most recent Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare 2. The RTX 4090 has a major lead in any respect resolutions, even 4K—by a whopping 34fps! For those who’re gaming on a 4K 144Hz monitor, the RTX 4090 will come closest to benefiting from it. Fact be instructed, nevertheless, 98fps on the RTX 4080 remains to be spectacular and also you’re not prone to discover the distinction in most sensible conditions.

Brad Chacos

Gears Ways, we discover a potential downside with the RTX 4090: CPU bottlenecks. Previous GPUs, even high-end ones, solely used to come across important CPU bottlenecking points at 1080p decision, and barely at 1440p. Right here, we see the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 with comparable 1440p body charges because of the CPU’s uncooked may turning into a problem. Whereas 4K sometimes focuses closely on GPU solely, the RTX 4090 pushes so exhausting that the CPU can turn into an issue! In Gears, whereas the 4090 breezes previous the 4080, we discovered it CPU-bound seven p.c of the time even at lofty 4K decision.

What’s one to do? Effectively, should you’re choosing the RTX 4090, you have to be enjoying at 4K or not less than very high-refresh 1440p at a minimal. If the latter, you’ll want a top-of-the-line, ultra-fast gaming CPU just like the Intel Core i9-13900K, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, or Ryzen 7 5800X3D to avoid potential efficiency bottlenecks. The GeForce RTX 4080 can nonetheless have these points in some circumstances at 1440p, however they’re a lot much less noticeable.

Brad Chacos

One of many greatest attracts to RTX 40-series efficiency will likely be in Nvidia’s DLSS flavors, primarily DLSS 3 and its killer Body Technology characteristic. Whereas not each recreation helps this, those that do, comparable to Flight Simulator 2020, have nice uplifts in efficiency. The RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 each have very highly effective {hardware} in-built to do that, however the RTX 4090 has an enormous spec benefit that provides it the outright lead when pushed exhausting.  

Why is DLSS necessary? Ray tracing is an enormous motive—which historically provides GPUs a efficiency penalty. With DLSS, you may have each superior visuals and better frames. (The stuff desires are product of!) 

Cyberpunk 2077, we are able to go from 42.3 frames at 4K with ray tracing, to a whopping 83.9 with DLSS on the RTX 4090—and that’s not even with DLSS 3 Body Gen on, which despatched efficiency skyrocketing to 138fps in our testing. The RTX 4080 brings its 29.1fps to 47.9fps. Positive, it’s underneath 60fps, however it’s nonetheless playable in comparison with underneath 30fps with out DLSS. (It’s value noting our exams additionally set ray tracing settings to extremely, and lowering these to Excessive can enhance efficiency drastically.) 

There’s little doubt that right here the RTX 4090 could be very far forward with ray tracing over the RTX 4080, partly due to its {hardware} benefit. 83fps in comparison with 47fps is an enormous distinction that you would be able to definitely really feel, placing the RTX 4090 really in a category of its personal.

Adam Taylor

In content material creation each the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 show to be very highly effective. There could also be a barely totally different “price-to-performance” mindset should you’re a content material creator, because the RTX 4080 might be glorious even when in comparison with the RTX 4090 relying in your use case. In gaming, nevertheless, the RTX 4090 nonetheless takes the cake by a a lot wider margin—particularly should you want its blazing-fast 24GB of GDDR6X reminiscence for high-resolution video exports.

Nvidia RTX 4090 vs. RTX 4080: Energy and different issues to know

Once you consider power-efficient GPUs, the very last thing that pops into your thoughts is a four-slot RTX 4090, proper? Effectively, what if I instructed you it has the identical 450W TDP because the RTX 3090 Ti, however with oodles extra efficiency? Likewise, the RTX 4080 has a TDP of 320W however is significantly extra highly effective than its predecessors. Extra efficiency, identical energy. If that’s not effectivity, I don’t know what’s! 

In fact, we have to point out the RTX 4090 12VHPWR adapter and its well-publicized soften down points. To sum it up, don’t fear about it. There was a really low incidence fee, and the trigger got here all the way down to principally consumer error in connecting the adapter. (Be sure to push all of it the best way in!) There are different issues to bear in mind, comparable to not bending the cable an excessive amount of—which generally is a downside on the very thick RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 in lots of PC circumstances. Since they typically share comparable coolers, they’re about the identical by way of case necessities, too. 

Thiago Trevisan

The benefit of these outsized monsters is that each sometimes have glorious thermals because of the coolers, and quiet operation. Coil whine can nonetheless be a problem on each GPUS, nevertheless, should you’re unfortunate. 

Nvidia RTX 4090 vs RTX 4080: The decision

In the long run, it’s exhausting to say, “Simply get the $1,599 GPU!” prefer it’s an off-the-cuff resolution. We are able to discuss how and why we obtained right here—however it’s the fact of the state of affairs.

When you’ve got an enormous GPU funds that may cowl a GeForce RTX 4090, and if you’ll find one, it’s the plain alternative. The efficiency is solely unmatched. It’s going to open up new gaming experiences for you which have by no means earlier than been potential. 4K 144Hz? Ray tracing? We’re right here!

The RTX 4080, worth apart, will not be a foul GPU. It has nice efficiency, thermals, and next-gen DLSS 3 with the second-best ray tracing efficiency. Not too shabby. It’s additionally not notably energy hungry both. Sadly, we are able to’t put “worth apart” completely, and its wildly costly for what you’re getting so far as gaming goes. Content material creators could discover the RTX 4080 suits them properly on their use case, nevertheless, so their “math” could also be barely extra constructive than for simply gaming functions. For gaming, the RTX 4090 is it, although! 

The RTX 4080’s atrocious worth makes the RTX 4090 really appear to be a significantly better choice, with the least compromises. Hats off to you, GeForce RTX 4090, our winner!