RTX 3090 Ti Vs RX 7900 XT: 7 Games Tested

AMD outclassed the previous fastest GPU on the planet with their newer RX 7900 XTX when released in December of 2022, but what graphics card performs equally to the mighty RTX 3090 Ti? The RTX 3090 Ti vs RX 7900 XT comparison see whether AMD’s second-best GPU can hold up with the once fastest gaming graphics card on the planet.

Key Takeaway

• The RTX 3090 Ti was 6% behind the performance we saw with the RX 7900 XT at the 4k resolution.
• Though it pumped out a power framerate than the RX 7900 XT on average, it also drew 50% more power.
• The RTX 3090 Ti and RX 7900 XT can be had for an equivalent price when we consider power supply upgrades.

RTX 3090 Ti Vs RX 7900 XT

Comparison Table

Architectural Differences

1. Frequencies: The RTX 3090 Ti has a base clock of 1560MHz, which beats the 1500MHz base clock of the RX 7900 XT by a small margin. The RTX, however, loses in terms of boost clock with 1860MHz, whereas the RX 7900 XT can boost all the way up to 2394MHz.
2. Lithography: The RX 7900 XT is quite a bit newer than the RTX 3090 Ti, which leads to it using a more modern 5nm manufacturing process, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti uses an 8nm fabrication process.
3. TDP: Though the Radeon card is claimed to perform as well as the RTX 3090 Ti, it boasts a TDP of 300 watts. The RTX 3090 Ti, however, has a 150-watt higher TDP of 450 watts.
4. VRAM: Both of these cards boast large VRAM amounts, though the RTX 3090 Ti beats out its rival with 24GB of video memory, whereas the RX 7900 XT fits 20GB into its architecture.
5. Bus Width: The RTX 3090 Ti has a 384-bit bus, whereas the RX 7900 XT has a narrower but plentiful 320-bit bus.

Also Read: RTX 3090 Ti Vs RX 7900 XTX 

Benchmarks

Architectural differences aside, there is a lot that goes into making a graphics card perform well, which cannot be represented on a spec sheet. In this section of the RTX 3090 Ti vs RX 7800 XT, we used a hefty test bench to allow both these graphics cards to flex their muscles in 4k games to show you the extent of their performance.

The test bench was configured as below:

• OS – Windows 10 Pro
• CPU – Intel Core i9-13900K
• MOBO – ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming
• RAM – G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5 6000MHz CL38
• CPU Cooler – be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
• GPU – GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB  
• GPU – RADEON RX 7900 XT 20GB
• SSD – 2xSAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB
• Power Supply – CORSAIR RM850i 850W 

These tests make use of DLSS Q and High RT wherever supported.

Forza Horizon 5

• Kicking off this comparison is the notoriously well-optimized Forza Horizon 5, and with high ray tracing paired with high settings, the game ran smoothly on both cards. The RTX 3090 Ti averaged a framerate of 98 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT was slightly ahead with a framerate of 106 FPS.
• 1% lows served to be much smoother on the RX 7900 XT, which ran at a minimum of 92 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had 1% lows of around 80 FPS.
• If we account for what it’s capable of, the RTX 3090 Ti had tepid power consumption in this game; it drew only 331 watts of power. On the other hand, the RX 7900 XT drew even less power at 276 watts while still performing better.
• There was a big difference between the temperatures of these cards, with the RTX 3090 Ti cruising at a temperature of 52°C, whereas the RX 7900 XT was running much hotter at a temperature of 63°C.

Similar Comparison: RTX 3090 Ti Vs RTX 4070 Ti

Spider-Man Miles Morales

• With high ray tracing, Spider-Man Miles Morales also ran on both graphics cards with minimal trouble. The RTX 3090 Ti averaged 81 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT got a small victory by getting an average of 82 FPS.
• 1% lows had the RTX 3090 Ti leading by one frame with a minimum of 71 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT had lows of 70 FPS.
• The RTX 3090 Ti returned to form by consuming 431 watts of power in this game, while the RX 7900 XT was much more power efficient, consuming 283 watts.
• Temperatures were once again significantly hotter on the AMD card, with a peak of around 63°C, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti got a peak temperature of around 57°C.

Also Check: RTX 3090 Ti Vs RTX 4080

Horizon Zero Dawn

• The RTX 3090 Ti got its first win over the AMD card in this PS port, getting an average framerate of 105 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT trailed behind with an average of 90 FPS.
• 1% lows were much closer than the average framerates would suggest; 91 FPS for the RTX 3090 Ti and 90 FPS for the RX 7900 XT.
• Though the RTX 3090 Ti performed much better in this game than its rival, it consumed much more power, taking about 430 watts from the wall, whereas the RX 7900 XT only consumed 283 watts of power.
• Temperatures continued to show a staggering difference between the two cards, with the RTX 3090 Ti peaking at only 54°C, whereas the RX 7900 XT had a peak temperature of around 61°C.

Similar Guide: RTX 3090 Ti Vs RTX 3080 Ti

Cyberpunk 2077

• Both cards were brought to their knees when rendering Cyberpunk 2077 using Ultra ray tracing at 4k. The RTX 3090 Ti managed to get an average framerate of 52 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT was a tad bit ahead at an average framerate of 54 FPS.
• Both cards had identical 1% lows standing around 46 FPS.
• Though the framerate lowered substantially in this game, the power draw did not. The RTX 3090 Ti drew 420 watts of power from the mains, whereas the RX 7900 XT drew a much smaller amount at 281 watts.
• Temperatures were equalized in this test, with the RTX 3090 Ti and the RX 7900 XT both standing at a peak temperature of 64°C.

Also Read: RTX 2080 Ti vs RTX 3090 Ti

Red Dead Redemption 2

• The performance gains were once again shifted to the Radeon card in RDR2, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting an average framerate of around 84 FPS, whereas the RTX 7900 XT averaged a higher framerate of 92 FPS.
• The RTX 3090 Ti also lost in the department of 1% lows, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting minimum framerates of 67 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT hit slightly higher lows at 71 FPS.
• Unlike all other metrics, the power consumption of both cards remained similar throughout our testing, and the trend is not broken here as well. The RTX 3090 Ti drew 434 watts of power from the grid, whereas the RX 7900 XT drew a more timid 277 watts.
• Temperatures fluctuated quite a bit compared to the last game tested. The RTX 3090 Ti had a peak temperature of around 55°C, whereas the RX 7900 XT peak at a toastier 62°C.

Also Check: RTX 4090 Vs RTX 3090 Ti

Hitman 3

• The RX 7900 XT gained relative performance in Hitman 3 by quite a bit, with an average framerate of 141 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti averaged around 112 FPS.
• Lows were also a world apart on both cards, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting 1% lows of 91 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT had lows of around 114 FPS.
• Power consumption did not fluctuate much, with the RTX 3090 Ti taking 432 watts of power, whereas the RX 7900 XT used up 272 watts.
• Once again, temperatures stood higher on the Radeon card at around 63°C, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had temperatures of around 57°C.

Similar Comparison: RTX 4070 Vs RX 7900 XT

A Plague Tale: Requiem

• For the final game of our testing, A Plague Tale: Requiem ran equivalently on both cards, averaging 54 FPS.
• The 1% lows did differ slightly between the two cards, though, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting lows of around 44 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XT performed slightly better with lows of 46 FPS.
• Power consumption did not break its trend even in this game, with the RTX 3090 Ti consuming 443 watts of power, whereas the RX 7900 XT consumed a much lower 275 watts.
• The temperatures stay hot on the RX 7900 XT until the very end, peaking at around 64°C. On the other hand, the RTX 3090 Ti had a peak temperature of around 58°C.

Also Read: RX 7900 XT Vs RX 6800 XT

Overall Gaming Performance

Now that the game-to-game performance of the RTX 3090 Ti and RX 7900 XT has been elaborated on, this section of the comparison will highlight the average of these metrics.

Framerate

•  The average framerate for the RTX 3090 Ti was 84 FPS throughout our testing at 4k, whereas the RX 7900 XT had a 6% higher average framerate of 87 FPS. 
• The 1% lows for both cards had more of a deviance between the two cards, with the RTX 3090 Ti having lows of 70 FPS on average, whereas the RX 7900 XT came on top with 76 FPS.
• Both cards were tested using light DLSS/FSR and high RT, so the results you see here will translate to real-world performance for how most people should use these cards.

Similar Comparison: RX 7900 XTX Vs RX 7900 XT

Power

• The RTX 3090 Ti drew a very large average amount of power; 417 watts.
• The RX 7900 XT was less intensive on your PSU and power bill, drawing only 278 watts on average.
• Overall, the RTX 3090 Ti drew 50% more power than its competition, which can create some problems in real-world use, like a high power bill and the need to buy a more powerful power supply to sustain your gaming PC.
• The Radeon RX 7900 XT had an average performance per watt of 0.31 frames/watt, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti average was 56% lower, giving only 0.20 frames/watt.

Similar Guide: RX 7900 XT Vs RTX 3080 Ti

Temperature

• The Achilles’ Heel of the RX 7900 XT proved to be its temperature, averaging out to a peak temperature of 64°C.
• The RTX 3090 Ti was relatively cool, with its average peak temperature of around 58C.
• Operating temperatures of your card heavily rely on the room temperature and the cooler that the card manufacturer used, so these numbers may vary with different OEMs.

Also Read: RX 7900 XT Vs RTX 3080

Price And Availability

• The RX 7900 XT has an MSRP of $900, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti has a launch price of $1999.
• Because of its age, the RTX 3090 Ti is a much better deal if you buy it used, where it can be had for around $850.
• Both of these graphics cards should be present at any large computer parts retailer as well as any online store of your choosing.

RX 7900 XT Vs RTX 3090 Ti: Which One Should You Go For?

Now that we’ve explored all the intricacies of both of these cards, this part of the RTX 3090 Ti vs RX 7900 XT comparison will focus on listing the merits and demerits of both cards, leading you to make purchasing choice between these cards.

• According to our gaming benchmarks, the RTX 3090 Ti trails behind the RX 7900 XT by about 6%. Though this is not an immediately noticeable performance difference, it can make a big difference when these cards are close to the end of their life cycle.
• The RTX 3090 Ti drew a large amount of power despite its mediocre performance, drawing a little over 50% more power than the RTX 7900 XT, which can make the difference between getting a new power supply or keeping your old power supply, allowing you to save up some of your hard-earned cash.
• The RTX 3090 Ti can be had for at least $50 cheaper than its rival, but the higher power bills and the possibility of upgrading your power supply negates this slight advantage in price.
• Nvidia’s RTX 3090 Ti has a larger VRAM buffer than the RX 7900 XTX, which can make a difference when exporting large video projects or Blender renders. This can be a plus point for this card if your workflow requires these tasks.

Pros And Cons