RTX 5090 Vs RTX 4080: Our Thoughts

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Shehryar Khan

Senior Editor and Content Writer:

• Lead the comparison and blog writing teams at Tech4Gamers.
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Pros And Cons

Comparison Table

Architectural Difference

1. Process Nodes: Despite having a two-year gap between the two GPUs, both the RTX 5090 and the RTX 4080 share the same TMSC’s 5nm process node.  
2. Clock Speeds: While the RTX 5090 comes with a base and boost clock frequencies of 2017 MHz and 2407 MHz, the RTX 4080 comes at a higher base clock speed of 2205 MHz that you can boost up to 2505 MHz.
3. VRAM: The RTX 5090 does pack more VRAM as it is equipped with a whopping 32GB GDDR7 memory with 512-bit bus width. Whereas the RTX 4080 comes with a 16GB GDDR6X VRAM with 256-bit bus width. 
4. TDP: The RTX 5090 is a leech when it comes to consuming power since it arrives with a much higher TDP of 575W compared to the RTX 4080, which only has a TDP rating of 320W.
5. Supported Technologies: The RTX 5090’s DLSS 4 with AI and its use of PCIe 5 give it an edge when it comes to frame generation and faster loading times, respectively. This is far superior to RTX 4080’s DLSS 3 and PCIe 4.

Nvidia’s newest flagship has taken the internet by storm. So, we decided to put it against one of Nvidia’s powerful GPUs in this RTX 5090 vs RTX 4080 comparison. So, sit back and relax because we’ll be giving you the information you need to make a decision between these two cards.

Gaming Benchmark – 4K

Since both are higher-end cards, we’ve decided to test them out at 4K resolution in eight of the most popular games. A few of these games are extremely demanding, which you’ll see from the framerates that we’ll provide with each game.

Recommended Test Bench

• CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• Mobo – MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi 
• RAM – G. Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6400 CL30
• CPU Cooler – Xigmatek Aurora 360mm Cooler
• Storage – XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE 2TB NVMe SSD
• Power Supply – MSI MAG A1000GL ATX 3.1 80+ Gold
• Operating System – Windows 11

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

• Starting off with Stalker 2, we saw the RTX 5090 push with an average of 71 FPS, gaining a 49.1% advantage over the RTX 4080, which operated at 43 FPS on average.
• We found that the 1% lows were also higher on the RTX 5090 because they were 52 FPS. On the other hand, the RTX 4080 reached a minimum of 35 FPS on average, which results in a 39.1% difference.

God Of War Ragnarok

• Here, both GPUs easily went above the 100 FPS mark, with the RTX 5090 excelling with an average of 195 FPS while the RTX 4080 was 59.1% behind with an average of 106 FPS.
• For the 1% lows, we saw the RTX 5090 obtain an average of 166 FPS, which provided a much smoother gameplay than the RTX 4080’s 94 FPS. This makes for a 55.4% difference, where the RTX 5090 was victorious.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

• As for the performance of these GPUs on Space Marin 2, the RTX 5090 displayed an average of 125 FPS, which was again 59.1% better than that of the RTX 4080 since it performed with 68 FPS. 
• In terms of the 1% lows, the RTX 5090 reached only 99 FPS and proved to be 52.2% smoother than the RTX 4080, which had an average minimum framerate of 58 FPS.

A Plague Tale Requiem

• The RTX 5090 completely outshined the RTX 4080 on A Plague Tale Requiem with 128 FPS, whereas the RTX 4080 was behind with only 65 FPS. This makes for a whopping 65.3% edge gained by the newer RTX 5090.
• Unlike the average framerates, the 1% lows weren’t that high, with the RTX 5090 pushing with 92 FPS. In contrast, the RTX 4080 showed an average of 54 FPS, being 52.1% behind. 

Star Wars Outlaws

• We observed that the RTX 5090 obtained an average of 68 FPS which reigns supreme when compared to the RTX 4080’s 39 FPS on average. This equates to a 54.2% performance margin. 
• Here, the RTX 5090 was 58.8% ahead of its competitor as it showcased an average of 55 FPS. On the flip side, the RTX 4080 acquired an average of 30 FPS. 

Starfield

• On Starfield, the RTX 5090 averaged 89 FPS and only led with a 40.5% margin, which is the smallest gap from our entire benchmark. Simultaneously, the RTX 4080 achieved an average of 59 FPS. 
• In terms of 1% lows, the RTX 5090 was the better performer since it averaged 78 FPS, which is 43.8% higher than the RTX 4080’s 50 FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

• We observed that the RTX 5090 peaked at 124 FPS on average, whereas the RTX 4080 treaded behind with 68 FPS without any ray-tracing. This makes for 58.3%, where the RTX 5090 had an edge. 
• The 1% lows were in favor of the RTX 5090 as it achieved an average of 107 FPS, which was 57.8% higher than that obtained from the RTX 4080, which was 59 FPS. 

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

• Lastly, the RTX 5090 went out with a bang on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as it averaged 96 FPS. However, the RTX 4080 was only 44.6% far off as it obtained an average of 61 FPS. 
• Speaking of the 1% lows, the RTX 5090 displayed a 41.9% victory over the RTX 4080 because it averaged 78 FPS. In contrast, the RTX 4080 had minimum framerates of 51 FPS on average.

Productivity Benchmarks

Apart from gaming benchmarks, we would like you to get a clear idea of how both of these powerful GPUs perform in productivity applications.  

Adobe Premiere Pro 

• On Adobe Premiere Pro, the RTX 5090 had a better GPU score of 144.5, while the RTX 4080 wasn’t bad because it achieved a 123.3 score, which is about a 15.8% difference. 

DaVinci Resolve Studio

• The RTX 5090 proved to be 13.8% better while operating on the DaVinci Resolve Studio, as it obtained a GPU score of 201, which was slightly higher than the RTX 4080’s 175 points.

Blender

• On Blender, we saw a massive difference of 47.6%, where the RTX 5090 was the better performer as it achieved a score of 15,216, which was significantly higher than the RTX 4080’s score of 9,366 points. 

Overall Performance

Average Framerate

Speaking of the average framerates obtained for the eight games, we saw the RTX 5090 came out to the top with a 55.1% lead over the RTX 4080. Still, the RTX 4080 pushed hard and managed to exceed the 60 FPS mark on half of the games tested at 4K, even though it is more of a 1440p card. 

1% Lows:

Similarly, the RTX 5090 displayed a 51.1% edge over the RTX 4080 with regard to the 1% lows. However, the RTX 4080 also showcased a much smoother experience since its dips weren’t as low as the other cards we tested before.

Productivity:

In terms of productivity, the RTX 5090 surpassed with a 46.8% lead, and it especially shows significantly higher rendering performance. Meanwhile, the RTX 4080 still displayed an excellent score that easily surpasses the score obtained from most of the other cards found in the market.

Average Power Consumption

Despite higher performance in each sector, the RTX 5090 fails to be a more power-efficient card, thanks to its very high TDP. We noticed that it acts like an absolute leach because it sucked more than twice the power consumed by the RTX 4080. This makes the RTX 4080 63.7% more power efficient than the RTX 5090.

Pricing And Availability

Since the newer RTX 5090 has just been released, it’s still being sold for its MSRP. But, its price is bound to increase over time. And when it does, it will reach sky-high, given it is a flagship model with tons of features. However, for now, the RTX 4080 is $120 cheaper than the RTX 5090.

Final Verdict—What We Recommend?

RTX 4080:  It is an excellent card that leans towards 1440p, but still, it performed better in half of the games tested at 4K, which highlights its high performance. In productivity, it did well in the video editing sector but was behind in terms of rendering when compared to its rival.

RTX 5090: Conversely, the RTX 5090 doesn’t hold back. It showcased utmost performance in each area except for power efficiency. It’s still being sold for its MSRP, and users who do get hold of it right now, which are going to be few, should consider themselves lucky because they’re getting more than they’ll pay for.

However, we’ll assume that RTX 5090’s price is far more than the RTX 4080. Based on that assumption, we recommend you get the RTX 4080 if you’re looking for an excellent 1440p card that can push 4K as well, and we recommend the RTX 5090 if you have no issues with your budget and want the finest card of 2025. 

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Shehryar Khan

[Comparisons Expert]

Shehryar Khan, a seasoned PC hardware expert, brings over three years of extensive experience and a deep passion for the world of technology. With a love for building PCs and a genuine enthusiasm for exploring the latest advancements in components, his expertise shines through his work and dedication towards this field. Currently, Shehryar is rocking a custom loop setup for his built.

Get In Touch: shehryar@tech4gamers.com