In October 2022, Nvidia released a new GPU model in the RTX 40 series. The GPU has outperformed its predecessor by providing a performance boost for improved outcomes in most of applications. Then, the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 came in the premium class of GPU. These two graphics cards are incredibly powerful for all GPU-demanding software, including 3D rendering, video editing, and gaming.
Selecting between these two graphics units is challenging since there are many factors to take into account before buying one, not to mention the comparatively high cost. Buying the wrong one will not only result in an unanticipated performance, but it will also increase the cost as you need to buy a new one, which may exceed your budget by double. Then, how do you select the ideal one for you?
Many users claim that RTX 4090 is the real 4K GPU, capable of running games and applications at the best framerate even though some others claiming it is an overpriced and unnecessarily powerful for a graphics card. But is it worth replacing your existing RTX 4080 at home with an RTX 4090 if you already have one? It is more powerful than the previous one in terms of performance, but the cost of that upgrade is also high. After gathering all detail information about this, you need to think about the value they offer for every aspect in order to make the correct decision about what you actually need from a graphics card.
TDP
As there are manufacturers producing the Nvidia cards, PNY became the choice of the test for the RTX 4090 since the price is lower compared the likes of MSI, Zotac, and other big names. Apart from the price, the GPU runs perfectly fine and have a great performance as well as the thermal. However, the graphics card only able to draw TDP up to 450 Watt, making people thinking that the GPU is not a real RTX 4090. Less TDP generally means less powerful card, but for some, it can be an advantage because it uses less power when operating at high performance. This may also imply a lower chance of cable adaptor melting, which was a problem that some users had when using this card. The average card in the 4080 has a TDP of 380 W, which is obviously less power consumption than his elder brother.
Gaming Performance
Before the test is taken, it is important to understand that the only difference of the component in the PC is the GPU. In this situation, we can get the fairest results to see which one is performing better and how much is the gap between these two graphics cards.
It is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the first game test. The same 4K maximum settings are applied for both with no framerate limit. As a result, the game is rendered perfectly well by both GPUs, averaging 93 frames per second on RTX 4080 and 115 frames per second on 4090. Understanding that both use the same cooling system, the temperature does not appear significant between the two GPUs.
After testing the benchmark of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the next game is God of War. The same rules apply, the two GPUs are running in the same system and settings, 4K ultra settings with no limits on anything. The results show that the RTX 4090 remains superior to the 4080, with an average framerate of 132 frames per second compared to 96 frames per second. There is a small temperature difference, but it has no effect on how well both graphics cards perform.
Horizon Zero Dawn is on the list to demonstrate how powerful both GPUs are. In the ultimate quality preset, RTX 4090 is too powerful to compare side by side with the older version. Despite the fact that both are running incredibly well in 4K resolution, the average frame rate for one is 110 fps, while the other is only 83 fps. Once more, neither temperature is an issue because both are producing heat at the ideal temperature for high-performance graphics cards, which is between 63 and 65 degrees Celsius.
Now, for the final game to be tested ins Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered in 4K very high settings with Ray Tracing Reflections very high and Geometry Detail high. It is important to understand that this game is more CPU-bonded, meaning it uses more CPU power rather than GPU power. They both perform in a narrow performance gap, with just 12 frames per second difference, which makes the result surprisingly close.
Price
Comes to the price, the RTX 4080 and 4090 are the premium class of GPU, meaning you need to reach deep into your pocket to bring one of these two back home. The RTX 4080 are cheaper than the 4090 version
Based on the performance, RTX 4090 is undoubtedly superior in any aspect, giving you the best performance and the only GPU that has no competition in terms of the power. However, the price can be a tough wall to break for those who want the best GPU in their system because there is no other graphics card powerful enough to beat its performance in the class.
After all the information regarding the TDP, gaming performance and price, we have seen that the latest RTX series have pros and cons for both GPUs. If you start from nothing and you want to get the best possible performance, either for gaming or any other heavy task that demands the power of graphics card, RTX 4090 is a superb choice to give you the top performance of a GPU can provide.
However, it seems that an upgrade from any RTX 40 series is not necessary since the price difference is huge compared to the boost performance given. This means that you better stay in your current graphics card rather than upgrading it. When RTX 50 series are released and the price of the older series are decreasing, that will be a good time to look at it. Until then, RTX 4080 is still a great option with cheaper price point.
To see the details of comparison, please see the table below.
| GPU | TDP | Gaming Performance in FPS (All in 4K) | ||||
| Assassin’s Ceed Valhalla | God of War | Horizon Zero Dawn | Spider-Man Remastered | |||
| RTX 4080 | 380 Watt | 115 | 132 | 110 | 98 | |
| RTX 4090 | 450 Watt | 93 | 96 | 83 | 86 | |
