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 9070 |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA / Stream cores | 16384 | 3584 |
| TDP | 450 W | 220 W |
| Ray tracing cores | 128 | 56 |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 28000 | 16800 |
| VRAM | 24 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory bus | 384 bit | 256 bit |
Between the GeForce RTX 4090 and Radeon RX 9070, the GeForce RTX 4090 comes out ahead in cuda / stream cores / ray tracing cores, while the Radeon RX 9070 wins on tdp. Overall, the GeForce RTX 4090 scores 78 and the Radeon RX 9070 scores 64.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The GeForce RTX 4090 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 13.1 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
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, ray tracing cores, 3dmark time spy, among others. The single most decisive one: CUDA / Stream cores — 357.14% more. 16384 vs 3584.
Pick the Radeon RX 9070 if you care most about tdp. Its strongest claims are tdp. The single most decisive one: TDP — 230.00 W less. 220 vs 450.
Both ship with comparable boost clock, 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 9070?
NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 leads the current Mars Score by 13.1 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare vram, cuda / stream cores, 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, ray tracing cores, timespy score.
Choose AMD - Radeon RX 9070 if…
AMD - Radeon RX 9070 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 — 357.14% more. 16384 vs 3584.
- ▲Ray tracing cores — 128.57% more. 128 vs 56.
- ▲3DMark Time Spy — 66.67% more. 28000 vs 16800.
- ▲VRAM — 50.00% more. 24 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲Memory bus — 50.00% more. 384 bit vs 256 bit.
- ▲Has DLSS.
Why AMD - Radeon RX 9070 wins
- ▲TDP — 230.00 W less. 220 vs 450.
Spec comparison
Core
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 9070 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | AD102 | Navi 48 |
| Base clockⓘ | 2235 MHzlead | 2070 MHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 2520 MHz | 2520 MHz |
| CUDA / Stream coresⓘ | 16384lead | 3584 |
| Ray tracing coresⓘ | 128lead | 56 |
Memory
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 9070 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAMⓘ | 24 GBlead | 16 GB |
| VRAM typeⓘ | GDDR6Xlead | GDDR6 |
| Memory busⓘ | 384 bitlead | 256 bit |
Power & Form
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 9070 |
|---|---|---|
| TDPⓘ | 450 W | 220 Wlead |
| Recommended PSUⓘ | 850 W | 650 Wlead |
| Length | 304 mm | 287 mmlead |
| Slot size | 3-slot | 2-slot |
Benchmarks
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 9070 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spyⓘ | 28000lead | 16800 |
| DLSSⓘ | truelead | false |
| FSRⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has more VRAM, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 9070?+
GeForce RTX 4090 ships with 24GB GDDR6X vs 16GB.
Which scores higher in 3DMark Time Spy, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 9070?+
GeForce RTX 4090 scores 28000 vs 16800.
Which draws less power, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 9070?+
Radeon RX 9070 draws 220W TDP vs 450W.