NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 vs AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA / Stream cores | 16384 | 6144 |
| TDP | 450 W | 355 W |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 28000 | 21000 |
| Ray tracing cores | 128 | 96 |
| DLSS | true | false |
| Boost clock | 2520 MHz | 2500 MHz |
Between the GeForce RTX 4090 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX, the GeForce RTX 4090 comes out ahead in cuda / stream cores / 3dmark time spy, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX wins on tdp. Overall, the GeForce RTX 4090 scores 78 and the Radeon RX 7900 XTX scores 70.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The GeForce RTX 4090 edges ahead on the Mars Score (78 vs 70.5), but the 7.5-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the GeForce RTX 4090 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are cuda / stream cores, 3dmark time spy, ray tracing cores, among others. The single most decisive one: CUDA / Stream cores — 166.67% more. 16384 vs 6144.
Pick the Radeon RX 7900 XTX if you care most about tdp. Its strongest claims are tdp. The single most decisive one: TDP — 95.00 W less. 355 vs 450.
Both ship with comparable vram, memory bus, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the GeForce RTX 4090 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 or AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX?
NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 leads the current Mars Score by 7.5 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare cuda / stream cores, boost clock, tdp against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 if…
NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 has the measurable edge on cuda cores, timespy score, ray tracing cores.
Choose AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX if…
AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX has the measurable edge on tdp w.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 wins
- ▲CUDA / Stream cores — 166.67% more. 16384 vs 6144.
- ▲3DMark Time Spy — 33.33% more. 28000 vs 21000.
- ▲Ray tracing cores — 33.33% more. 128 vs 96.
- ▲Has DLSS.
- ▲Boost clock — 0.80% more. 2520 MHz vs 2500 MHz.
Why AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX wins
- ▲TDP — 95.00 W less. 355 vs 450.
Spec comparison
Core
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | AD102 | Navi 31 |
| Base clockⓘ | 2235 MHzlead | 1900 MHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 2520 MHzlead | 2500 MHz |
| CUDA / Stream coresⓘ | 16384lead | 6144 |
| Ray tracing coresⓘ | 128lead | 96 |
Memory
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|
| VRAMⓘ | 24 GB | 24 GB |
| VRAM typeⓘ | GDDR6Xlead | GDDR6 |
| Memory busⓘ | 384 bit | 384 bit |
Power & Form
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|
| TDPⓘ | 450 W | 355 Wlead |
| Recommended PSUⓘ | 850 W | 800 Wlead |
| Length | 304 mm | 287 mmlead |
| Slot size | 3-slot | 2.5-slot |
Benchmarks
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spyⓘ | 28000lead | 21000 |
| DLSSⓘ | truelead | false |
| FSRⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has more VRAM, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX?+
Radeon RX 7900 XTX ships with 24GB GDDR6 vs 24GB.
Which scores higher in 3DMark Time Spy, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX?+
GeForce RTX 4090 scores 28000 vs 21000.
Which draws less power, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX?+
Radeon RX 7900 XTX draws 355W TDP vs 450W.