Between the GeForce RTX 4090 and Radeon RX 7800 XT, the GeForce RTX 4090 comes out ahead in cuda / stream cores and ray tracing cores, while the Radeon RX 7800 XT wins on tdp. Overall, the GeForce RTX 4090 scores 80.3 and the Radeon RX 7800 XT scores 62.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The GeForce RTX 4090 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 17.8 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.
Pick the Radeon RX 7800 XT if you care most about tdp. Its strongest claims are tdp.
There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.
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.
Why NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 wins
- ▲CUDA / Stream cores — 326.67% more. 16384 vs 3840.
- ▲Ray tracing cores — 113.33% more. 128 vs 60.
- ▲3DMark Time Spy — 69.70% more. 28000 vs 16500.
- ▲VRAM — 50.00% more. 24 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲Memory bus — 50.00% more. 384 bit vs 256 bit.
- ▲Boost clock — 3.70% more. 2520 MHz vs 2430 MHz.
- ▲Has DLSS.
Why AMD - Radeon RX 7800 XT wins
- ▲TDP — 187.00 W less. 263 vs 450.
Spec comparison
Core
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | AD102 | Navi 32 |
| Base clockⓘ | 2235 MHzlead | 1295 MHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 2520 MHzlead | 2430 MHz |
| CUDA / Stream coresⓘ | 16384lead | 3840 |
| Ray tracing coresⓘ | 128lead | 60 |
Memory
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDPⓘ | 450 W | 263 Wlead |
| Recommended PSUⓘ | 850 W | 700 Wlead |
| Length | 304 mm | 267 mmlead |
| Slot size | 3-slot | 2.5-slot |
Benchmarks
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD - Radeon RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spyⓘ | 28000lead | 16500 |
| DLSSⓘ | truelead | false |
| FSRⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has more VRAM, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7800 XT?+
GeForce RTX 4090 ships with 24GB GDDR6X vs 16GB.
Which scores higher in 3DMark Time Spy, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7800 XT?+
GeForce RTX 4090 scores 28000 vs 16500.
Which draws less power, GeForce RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7800 XT?+
Radeon RX 7800 XT draws 263W TDP vs 450W.
Spec-level deep dives
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