RTX 3090 Ti Vs RX 7900 XTX [Gaming & Overall 2023]

The RTX 3090 Ti reigned supreme in the last generation of gaming GPUs as the most powerful card that money could buy. In response to this, AMD introduced a new graphics card to their lineup to take on this monster of a card. In the RTX 3090 Ti vs RX 7900 XTX comparison, we will see if AMD succeeded in its motives or if Nvidia’s last-gen is better than the latest and greatest from the Radeon lineup.

Key Takeaways

• In our 4k gaming benchmarks, the RX 7900 XTX was about 22% faster than the RTX 3090 Ti in terms of average FPS.
• Despite its lower performance, the RTX 3090 Ti consumed 20% more power than the 7900 XTX.
• The 7900 XTX ran about 18% hotter than the 3090 Ti on average in our gaming benchmarks.

RTX 3090 Ti Vs RX 7900 XTX

Comparison Table

Architectural Differences

1. Processing Nodes: The RX 7900 XTX uses a chiplet design that employs both 4nm and 5nm processing nodes, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti uses older 8nm manufacturing nodes.
2. Clock Speed: The base clock of the RX 7900 XTX is about 1855MHz, while it boasts up to 2500MHz, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti has a base clock of 1560MHz and a boost clock of up to 1860MHz. The higher clock speeds of the Radeon card, along with its more dense manufacturing process, promise higher performance than the RTX 3090 Ti.
3.  VRAM: Both graphics cards have the same VRAM buffer size of 24GB. The RTX 3090 Ti utilizes GDDR6X technology, whereas the RX 7900 XTX uses less advanced GDDR6 memory technology.
4. Memory Bus: Unlike the lower-end and midrange offerings from Nvidia, both the RTX 3090 Ti and the RX 7900 XTX utilize a wide 384-bit memory bus, allowing for fast and plentiful memory transfer between the VRAM and the GPU die.
5. TDP: Perhaps the biggest difference between these two GPUs is their power consumption. The RX 7900 XTX has a TDP of around 355 watts, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti has a TDP of up to 450 watts.

Benchmarks

Now that we’ve elaborated on the differences you can see between these cards in terms of architecture, this part of the RTX 3090 Ti vs RX 7900 XTX comparison will focus on the performance of these graphics cards in modern titles at the 4k resolution.

The test you’ll see here were performed on a test bench designed to allow these cards to spread their wings, the specifications of which you can check out below:

• OS – Windows 11
• CPU – Core i9-13900K
• Motherboard – ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming
• RAM – G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5 6000MHz
• CPU Cooler – Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
• GPU – GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB
• GPU – RADEON RX 7900 XTX 24GB
• SSD – 2xSAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB
• Power Supply – CORSAIR HX Series HX1200 1200W

Cyberpunk 2077

• Cyberpunk 2077 used to be one of the best games to showcase the performance of the RTX 3090 Ti because of how taxing it was on your GPU. Despite this, the RX 7900 XTX outperformed the older card with an average of 66 FPS compared to the RTX 3090 Ti’s 52 FPS average.
• The 1% lows were also noticeably smoother on the Radeon card, reaching a minimum of 55 FPS, compared to the slightly stuttery 45 FPS effort from the RTX.
• Both graphics cards used considerable power, with the RTX 3090 Ti maxing out at 421 watts, whereas the XTX was less power-hungry, with a consumption of 356 watts.
• AMD’s reputation for high temperatures on its graphics card remained when the RX 7900 XTX reached a peak temperature of 64°C, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had a peak temperature of around 55°C.

Also Read: RTX 4070 Vs RX 7900 XTX

The Last Of Us

• The PC port of The Last Of Us had both graphics cards struggling, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting an average of 51 FPS while the RX 7900 XTX ran at a higher framerate of around 57 FPS.
• The RTX 3090 Ti hit lower 1% lows than the RX 7900 XTX at 30 FPS vs the latter’s 48 FPS.
• Power consumption was once again higher on the RTX card at around 419 watts, whereas the RX 7900 XTX took back around 337 watts of power.
• Once again, the RTX card ran significantly cooler than the RX 7900 XTX at around 55°C, vs the 63°C of the latter.

Similar Comparison: RTX 2080 Ti vs RTX 3090 Ti

Hogwarts Legacy

• Hogwarts Legacy kept the trend of the RTX 3090 Ti being slower than the RX 7900 XTX. The former card achieved an average framerate of 69 FPS, whereas the latter got an average of around 79 FPS.
• 1% lows were once again worse on the RTX 3090 Ti, touching about 52 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XTX almost ran at the magic 60 FPS number at 1% lows of 59 FPS.
• The power intake of the RTX 3090 Ti was once again noticeably higher than its competition. It consumed 419 watts, whereas the RX 7900 XTX got by on power consumption of 314 watts.
• The predictable trend of the RTX 3090 Ti being cooler continued in Hogwarts Legacy, with the card reaching a temperature of 58°C. On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX hovered around a much hotter temperature of 67°C.

Also Check: RTX 4070 Ti Vs RX 7900 XTX

Hitman 3

• This well-optimized benchmarking classic once again showed the Radeon card to be faster than its competition. The RX 7900 XTX got an excellent performance of 161 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had a respectable yet noticeably lower performance of 115 FPS.
• The 1% lows also continued to show the RX to be faster, with a minimum framerate of 133 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had worse 1% lows of 101 FPS.
• Power consumption did not deviate from what we’ve come to expect from the pair of these cards. The RTX 3090 Ti had a power consumption of 422 watts, whereas the RX 7900 XTX came in more power efficient with a power consumption of 363 watts.
• Temperatures followed the same vein, with the RTX 3090 Ti coming in with a temperature of about 56°C, whereas the RX 7900 XTX ran hotter with a temperature of 67°C.

Also Read: RTX 4090 Vs RTX 3090 Ti

Red Dead Redemption 2

• This game only served to widen the gap between the two contenders in our GPU comparison. The RTX 3090 Ti had an average framerate of around 84 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XTX reached an average of 101 FPS.
• 1% lows were also drastically different between these graphics cards. The RTX 3090 had a minimum framerate of around 67 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had noticeably fewer stutters with a minimum framerate of 80 FPS.
• The RTX 3090 Ti hogged 422 watts of power, whereas the RX 7900 XTX was noticeably more efficient, with a performance of 342 watts.
• The peak temperature difference between the two cards was around 10 degrees in this test, with the RTX 3090 at a temperature of around 54°C, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had a peak temperature of around 64°C.

Similar Guide: RX 7900 XTX Vs RX 7900 XT

Remnant 2

• This newer game ran much better on the RX 7900 XTX with a framerate of 64 FPS, compared to the rather disappointing 48 FPS average framerate supplied by the Nvidia card.
• 1% lows faired no better on the older card at around 39 FPS, whereas the XTX had 1% lows hovering around 59 FPS, providing a relatively stutter-free experience considering the average framerate.
• The power consumption did not deviate from what we expected from these cards. The RTX 3090 Ti consumed 430 watts of power, whereas the RX 7900 XTX consumed around 355 watts.
• Temperatures were as close as they’ve ever been between these two cards in this test, with the RTX 3090 Ti reaching a peak temperature of 57°C, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had a temperature of around 59°C.

Similar Comparison: RX 7900 XTX Vs RTX 3080 Ti

Forza Horizon 5

• As we saw with Red Dead Redemption 2, the more optimized games bring out the biggest difference between the performance of these cards. Forza Horizon 5 was no different, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting a framerate of 106 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had a much higher average of 142 FPS.
• 1% lows were almost the most different in this well-optimized title, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting 86 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XTX got lows of around 113 FPS.
• Peculiarly, the RTX 3090 Ti did not take back as much power as seen with the games prior, only utilizing 343 watts of power, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had a power consumption nearing 334 watts.
• Temperatures were toasty as usual on the RX 7900 XTX, reaching a peak of around 65°C, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had a much lower peak of around 51°C.

Also Read: RX 7900 XTX Vs RX 6900 XT

Microsoft Flight Simulator

• The RTX 3090 Ti finally achieved its first victory in MS Flight Sim 2020, though only by a frame of difference. It got an average framerate of 60 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had a framerate of 59 FPS, an unnoticeable difference.
• 1% lows were also just a frame apart, only the tow, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting a framerate of 47 FPS, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had a framerate of 46 FPS. Once again, an unnoticeable difference.
• Where the two differentiated noticeably was in power consumption. The RTX 3090 Ti drew 426 watts of power, whereas the RX 7900 XTX had a power consumption of around 346 watts.
• Temperatures were also drastically different between the two, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting a peak temperature of around 59°C, whereas the 7900 XTX had a temperature of around 65°C.

Also Check: RX 7900 XTX Vs Radeon RX 6950 XT

Overall Gaming Performance

Now that we know the performance of these cards in some popular games, this part of the RTX 3090 Ti vs RX 7900 XTX comparison will detail the average difference in performance between these cards in several metrics.

Framerate

• The RTX 3090 Ti had an average framerate of around 73 FPS, whereas it had 1% lows touching 59 FPS.
• The RX 7900 XTX was about 22% faster than the RTX, with an average framerate of around 89 FPS and a 1% low of 74 FPS.
• The performance you see here is very indicative of the real-world performance of these cards, as they fair more or less equally when using DLSS/FSR or ray tracing, though Nvidia’s upscaler is said to give less of a performance hit than AMD’s. 

Power Consumption

• The RTX 3090 Ti had an average power consumption of 412 watts in our testing at 4k.
• The RX 7900 XTX was considerably more power efficient than its competition, having an average power consumption of around 343 watts, 20% lower than the 3090 Ti.
• The RTX 3090 Ti had a performance per watt of around 0.17 frames/watt, whereas the RX 7900 XTX proved to be 47% more efficient with a performance per watt of around 0.26 frames/watt.

Temperatures

• The RTX 3090 Ti ran comparatively cool in our testing, with a peak average temperature of around 55°C.
• In contrast, the RX 7900 XTX was rather warm in our testing, getting an average peak temperature of around 64°C.
• Though the RX 7900 XTX ran hotter than the RTX 3090 Ti, temperatures were well within the safe range for both cards.
• The RTX 3090 Ti and RX 7900 XTX temperatures will drastically differ with cards fitted with different coolers, so make sure of your exact variant before purchasing.

Price And Availability

• The RTX 3090 Ti had a launch MSRP of $1999, whereas the RX 7900 XTX retails for an MSRP of $999.
• The age of the RTX 3090 Ti makes the used market for this card a much more viable option than getting it new. Here it can be had for around $850.
• Both of these cards should be available at any online or brick-and-mortar store of your choosing until the RTX 4090 Ti is released and demands the shelf space of its predecessor.

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

Now that we’ve outlined the performance and architectural differences of both of these graphics cards, this part of the comparison will focus on letting you know which card best suits your gaming needs.

• The RX 7900 XTX is the more powerful card overall by about 22%. It has the same merits as the RTX 3090 Ti while improving on raw performance.
• The Nvidia card also took back more power than the RX 7900 XTX, making it 47% less power efficient than its competition.
• The RTX 3090 Ti can be had for $150 less than the RX 7900 XTX on the used market.
• This leads the RTX to have a performance per dollar of 0.86 frames/dollar, while the RX 7900 XTX manages to get a similar performance of 0.89 frames/dollar.
• Both cards are excellent GPUs for heavy gaming, and you should pick the one best suited to your budget.