RTX 4080 Vs 3090 – Check Which One Is Best & Why?

RTX 4080 & 3090 share many similarities, but there are also important differences, such as quality, performance, features,  and connectivity. If you want the best one between them, I Would recommend the RTX 4080 rather than the RTX 3090.

Why Do I Recommend The Nvidia RTX 4080

  • The RTX 4080 is built on the Advance Ada Lovelace architecture, which improves power efficiency and overall performance compared to the Ampere architecture of the RTX 3090.
  • Its 3rd-gen ray tracing cores & 4th-gen tensor cores offer substantial improvements in ray-traced gaming & DLSS 3. The RTX 3090 uses older 2nd-gen ray tracing & 3rd-gen tensor cores.
  • The RTX 4080’s DLSS 3 introduces frame generation, which boosts gaming performance significantly in supported titles, especially in demanding 4K & 8K gaming, but the RTX 3090’s DLSS 2 doesn’t have frame generation.
  • Nvidia RTX 4080 consumes less power (320W)  & offers better overall performance due to the 4nm process and architectural efficiency improvements, while the RTX 3090 consumes more power (350W).
  • Although the RTX 3090 has more CUDA cores, the more advanced architecture of the RTX 4080 allows it to compensate for the lower core count with higher clock speeds.

Maybe the RTX 3090 price can make you comfortable because it’s a little bit cheaper than the RTX 4080. But you have to compromise all the above-mentioned features. Now the Decision is Yours. I hope it was helpful to choose the right one.

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Side By Side Comparison

FeatureNvidia RTX 4080Nvidia RTX 3090
ArchitectureAda Lovelace (4th Gen)Ampere (2nd Gen)
CUDA Cores9,72810,496
Boost Clock Speed2.51 GHz1.7 GHz
Base Clock Speed2.21 GHz1.4 GHz
Shader Units9,728 CUDA cores, 76 RT cores10,496 CUDA cores, 82 RT cores
Memory Configuration16 GB GDDR6X24 GB GDDR6X
Memory Bus Width256-bit384-bit
Memory Bandwidth716.8 GB/s936.2 GB/s
Total Graphics Power (TGP)320W350W
Tensor Cores Generation4th Gen3rd Gen
Ray Tracing Cores Generation3rd Gen2nd Gen
Process Node4nm TSMC8nm Samsung
Transistor Count45.9 billion28.3 billion
PCIe SlotPCIe 4.0PCIe 4.0
DisplayPort VersionDisplayPort 1.4aDisplayPort 1.4a
HDMI VersionHDMI 2.1HDMI 2.1
NVLink SupportNoYes
Max Digital Resolution7680 x 43207680 x 4320
DLSS VersionDLSS 3DLSS 2
OpenCL Support3.02.0
Vulkan API SupportVulkan 1.3Vulkan 1.2
SLI SupportNoYes
PriceCheck 4080 PriceCheck 3090 Price

What Common Both Can Do?

  • Memory Type (GDDR6X): Both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 utilize GDDR6X memory, which provides extremely fast data transfer speeds. GDDR6X enables both cards to handle memory-intensive workloads such as 4K gaming, 8K video editing, and 3D rendering. This common memory type helps in ensuring smooth performance across various tasks, especially high-resolution gaming and professional content creation.
  • Ray Tracing Support: Both GPUs support ray tracing through dedicated RT cores, which handle complex light and shadow simulations in real time. While the RTX 4080 has more advanced ray tracing capabilities due to its newer generation, both cards deliver stunning visual fidelity in ray-traced games and applications, making them ideal for gamers looking for realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections.
  • PCIe 4.0 Interface: Both GPUs use the PCIe 4.0 standard, ensuring fast data transfer rates between the GPU and the rest of the system. This is essential for eliminating bottlenecks in high-performance systems, enabling both cards to achieve their full potential in terms of gaming and compute workloads.
  • DLSS Technology: Both cards support Nvidia DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), though in different versions. DLSS 2 (RTX 3090) and DLSS 3 (RTX 4080) both offer AI-powered upscaling, allowing for higher frame rates at high resolutions without compromising image quality. While DLSS 3 brings frame generation for even smoother gameplay, both cards can handle high-fidelity gaming at 4K or higher.
  • DirectX 12 Ultimate Support: DirectX 12 Ultimate support on both cards ensures they are ready for modern and future gaming technologies, including ray tracing, mesh shading, and variable-rate shading. This feature ensures that both cards are future-proof for the next generation of games, providing cutting-edge performance for immersive experiences.
  • VR Compatibility: Both GPUs are VR-ready, with enough power to run the most demanding virtual reality applications. The high performance of these GPUs ensures smooth frame rates and immersive VR experiences, making them suitable for VR gaming and professional VR development.
  • HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a: Both GPUs are equipped with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a, enabling them to support 8K resolution at 60 Hz and 4K at 120 Hz. This is important for users who want to game or work on high-resolution displays or multi-monitor setups. These ports also ensure compatibility with the latest high-end gaming monitors and TVs.
  • RTX IO and DirectStorage Support: Both cards support RTX IO and DirectStorage, which accelerate asset loading times by directly handling game decompression through the GPU. This technology is particularly important for gamers who use NVMe SSDs and want to experience faster game loading and seamless open-world gaming environments.
  • NVENC Encoder: The NVENC (Nvidia Encoder) on both cards allows for high-quality video encoding with minimal performance overhead, making both GPUs great for streamers and content creators. Whether you’re streaming on platforms like Twitch or encoding high-resolution video, both GPUs offer industry-leading performance in video encoding tasks.

Common Features

FeatureNvidia RTX 4080Nvidia RTX 3090
Memory TypeGDDR6XGDDR6X
Ray Tracing SupportYesYes
PCIe InterfacePCIe 4.0PCIe 4.0
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling)Yes (DLSS 3)Yes (DLSS 2)
DirectX 12 Ultimate SupportYesYes
OpenGL and Vulkan SupportOpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.3OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.2
HDMI VersionHDMI 2.1HDMI 2.1
DisplayPort VersionDisplayPort 1.4aDisplayPort 1.4a
Max Digital Resolution7680 x 43207680 x 4320
RTX IOYesYes
DirectStorage SupportYesYes
VR ReadyYesYes
CUDA, Tensor, and Ray Tracing Core SupportYes (CUDA, Tensor, Ray Tracing cores)Yes (CUDA, Tensor, Ray Tracing cores)
SLI (Scalable Link Interface)NoNo
VRAM TypeGDDR6XGDDR6X
Cooling SolutionsDual or Triple-Fan (OEM dependent)Dual or Triple-Fan (OEM dependent)
PriceCheck 4080 PriceCheck 3090 Price

FAQ

Q1: Do both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 use the same type of memory?
Yes, both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 use GDDR6X memory, which is a high-performance video memory type. GDDR6X ensures fast data transfer, which is crucial for handling tasks such as 4K gaming, 8K content creation, and AI workloads.

Q2: Do both cards support ray tracing?
Yes, both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 support real-time ray tracing through dedicated Ray Tracing (RT) cores. This allows for advanced lighting, shadows, and reflections in games and applications that support ray tracing technology. The RTX 4080, however, uses newer-generation RT cores for enhanced ray tracing performance.

Q3: What PCIe version do both GPUs use?
Both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 utilize the PCIe 4.0 interface, which enables faster data transfer between the GPU and the system. This interface ensures that both GPUs can efficiently handle large amounts of data during gaming and content creation without performance bottlenecks.

Q4: Do both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 support DLSS?
Yes, both cards support Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology. While the RTX 3090 supports DLSS 2, the RTX 4080 is equipped with DLSS 3, which offers superior frame generation and performance improvements in supported games. However, both DLSS versions use AI to upscale lower-resolution images to higher resolutions while maintaining visual fidelity.

Q5: Are the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 future-proof for modern gaming?
Yes, both GPUs are DirectX 12 Ultimate compliant, meaning they are designed to handle the latest gaming technologies, including ray tracing, variable-rate shading, and mesh shading. This makes both cards suitable for modern games and future gaming developments.

Q6: Can both GPUs handle 8K gaming and content creation?
Yes, both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 support a maximum digital resolution of 7680 x 4320 (8K resolution). This makes both cards capable of handling 8K gaming, video playback, and 8K content creation. The RTX 3090, with its 24 GB of VRAM, is particularly suited for memory-intensive 8K tasks, but the RTX 4080’s performance is also adequate for gaming and media consumption at 8K.

Q7: Do both GPUs support HDMI 2.1 for high-resolution displays?
Yes, both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 come with HDMI 2.1 support, which allows them to connect to displays that support up to 8K at 60 Hz or 4K at 120 Hz. This is important for gamers and content creators who want to connect their GPUs to modern, high-resolution monitors or TVs.

Q8: Do both GPUs offer VR compatibility?
Yes, both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 are VR-ready and provide enough power to run the latest virtual reality applications and games at high resolutions and smooth frame rates. Both cards are ideal for users who want a seamless VR experience.

Q9: Are both GPUs equipped with NVENC for video encoding?
Yes, both cards feature the Nvidia Encoder (NVENC), which is ideal for video encoding tasks. Streamers and video content creators can take advantage of NVENC for high-quality streaming and video production without putting a heavy load on the CPU. The RTX 4080 uses the newer 8th-gen NVENC, while the RTX 3090 uses the 7th-gen NVENC.

Q10: Do both GPUs support the RTX IO technology for faster loading times?
Yes, both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 support RTX IO, a technology that accelerates game asset decompression directly on the GPU. This technology reduces CPU overhead and speeds up game loading times, particularly when using fast storage devices like NVMe SSDs.

Q11: Do both cards support DirectStorage for faster game load times?
Yes, both the RTX 4080 and RTX 3090 are compatible with Microsoft DirectStorage, which improves game loading speeds by streaming game assets directly from the storage to the GPU, bypassing the CPU. This feature is particularly beneficial in games with large, open worlds.

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