RTX 5090 Vs RTX 4090: We Tested Both In 2025

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Shehryar Khan

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Pros And Cons

Comparison Table

Architectural Differences

1. Clock Speed: Going over clock speeds. the RTX 4090 has a slightly higher boost clock at 2.5 GHz compared to the RTX 5090’s 2.41 GHz, though the difference is unlikely to be noticeable in most applications.
2. VRAM: But in terms of memory the RTX 5090 packs 32GB of faster GDDR7 memory, a significant upgrade from the RTX 4090’s 24GB of GDDR6X, making it better suited for memory-intensive tasks.
3. Process Node: Although both cards are built on TSMC’s advanced 5nm process, the RTX 5090 utilizes the slightly refined 4NP node for improved efficiency and performance.
4. TDP: The RTX 5090 has a higher power requirement at 575W, compared to the RTX 4090’s 450W, which means you’ll need a beefier PSU for the newer card.
5. Supported Technologies: The RTX 5090 introduces DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation, offering better AI-driven performance, while the RTX 4090 also supports DLSS 4.

Since the release of the newest RTX 5090, the internet has been taken by a storm with people wondering if the new card can finally dethrone the RTX 4090 from its throne. Well in this article I will be exactly working on coming up with an answer by testing these GPUs across several tests.

Gaming Benchmarks – 2160p

The best place to test any GPU is by running it at what truly gauges its limits. So we will start by putting both of these cards against each other in seven different games. Moreover, although the RTX 5090 has been judged for its AI frame generation, we have tried to keep things even in our benchmarking.

Test Bench

• OS – Windows 11 
• CPU Cooler – Enermax LiqMaxFlo 360mm
• Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• SSD – XPG Gammix S50 Lite
• Power Supply – be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1300W
• Mobo (AMD) – ASRock X870E Taichi Lite

Fortnite

• The RTX 5090 delivers an average of 320 FPS, a solid 20.3% improvement over the RTX 4090’s 261 FPS. The difference is noticeable, especially in high-motion scenes.
• For the 1% lows, the RTX 5090 scores 152 FPS compared to 122 FPS on the 4090, which is about 21.9% better. It smooths out dips significantly in busy fights.

Apex Legends

• The difference in average FPS is minimal in Apex Legends, with the RTX 5090 at 299  FPS and the 4090 at 297 FPS leading to a less than 1% improvement.
• However, the 1% lows are a different story. The RTX 5090 delivers 141 FPS versus 96 FPS on the RTX 4090, a massive 37.9% improvement. 

Call Of Duty Warzone

• The RTX 5090 crushes it here with an average FPS of 216 FPS, about 21.5% higher than the RTX 4090’s 174 FPS. The gameplay feels ultra-smooth, even in high-action scenes.
• When it comes to 1% lows, the RTX 5090 scores 146 FPS, a 17.1% improvement over the RTX 4090’s 123 FPS which makes shooting enemies feel way smoother. 

Smite 2

• In Smite 2, the RTX 5090 reaches 262 FPS, a 13% jump over the RTX 4090’s 230 FPS. It’s a decent uplift, especially for a competitive MOBA.
• The 1% lows show less improvement, with the RTX 5090 at 96 FPS versus 93 FPS on the RTX 4090 a minor 3.2% increase. Frame drops aren’t too noticeable on either card.

Counter-Strike 2

• The RTX 5090 averages 343 FPS, which is about 10.2% slower than the RTX 4090’s 380 FPS. Oddly enough, the older card performs better here, possibly due to optimization.
• However, for the 1% lows, the RTX 5090 takes the lead with 149 FPS, a 34.4% increase over the RTX 4090’s 111 FPS. It shines when preventing frame dips in intense gunfights.

Ghost Of Tsushima

• With 173 FPS on the RTX 5090, it’s a 15.6% jump over the RTX 4090’s 148 FPS. That bump makes the game feel even more cinematic during exploration and combat.
• The 1% lows see a 9.3% improvement, with the RTX 5090 managing 135 FPS compared to 123 on the RTX 4090. It’s not huge, but enough to smooth out demanding scenes.

Returnal (Ray Tracing)

• Returnal with ray tracing enabled gets a huge boost on the RTX 5090, with 192 FPS compared to the RTX 4090’s 159 FPS, a solid 18.8% improvement.
• For the 1% lows, the RTX 5090 hits 109 FPS, a 19% bump over the RTX 4090’s 90 FPS. It handles the ray-traced effects much better during fast-paced combat.

Productivity Benchmarks

As not everyone uses GPUs for gaming, I have taken some additional steps and ran these cards across some software to test out their productivity. Here are the compiled results that I have achieved from the tests.

Unreal Engine 5.5

• The RTX 5090 scores 135 FPS, offering a 16.9% improvement over the RTX 4090’s 114 FPS. For heavy-duty ray tracing workloads, this bump makes a difference in rendering performance.
• On rasterized workloads, the RTX 5090 achieves 155 FPS, about 14.5% better than the RTX 4090’s 134 FPS. It handles complex scenes more efficiently.

DaVinci Resolve Studio

• The RTX 5090 pushes ahead with a score of 13,369, a 15.4% improvement over the RTX 4090’s 11,461. Video editing and color grading feel significantly faster, especially with heavy effects.

Blender

• The RTX 5090 absolutely dominates here, scoring 15,216 compared to the RTX 4090’s 11,306 a massive 29.5% uplift. Rendering times in Blender drop noticeably, making it a game-changer for 3D artists.

Overall Performance

Average Framerate

The RTX 5090 just like its predecessors hasn’t let us down as it comfortably created a 9% lead over the RTX 4090 in all games aside from Counter-Strike 2, where the RTX 4090 was seen providing 10.2% more average FPS than its counterpart.

1% Lows

Similar to the average FPS, we saw the RTX 5090 again in a 7.8% lead over the RTX 4090, although the difference might seem minimal but while playing shooting games this can actually make a lot of difference when it comes to frame dips and stuttering.

Productivity

While testing the productivity of these cards, I wasn’t shocked to see the RTX 5090 winning again. It easily beat the RTX 4090 in all of the benchmarks which proves that this card can offer multi-dimensional performance for the user’s requirements.

Thermal Efficiency

Contrary to all the other tests that were done, the RTX 4090 still reigns supreme when it comes to thermal management. Even while closely trailing behind the RTX 5090 was still running 6.7% hotter in temperature on average.

Price 

Pricing of both these cards needs a little attention, as the RTX 4090 has been in the market for a while now while the other has just recently been released. So when comparing the MSRP of RTX 5090 with the current price of RTX 4090 we see the former selling for a 23.4% cheaper price tag which can change at any time.

What We Recommend

GeForce RTX 5090: Being the flagship model of the RTX 5000 series comes with lots of expectations and while this card doesn’t satisfy everyone its performance can’t be denied as it was able to showcase it in all of my tests but the real question is after the MSRP goes away will it still be able to justify the price tag?

GeForce RTX 4090: Just like before, the RTX 4090 is a mighty card and is capable of holding its own by providing credible results. The GPU still offers incredible performance while keeping itself thermally efficient which always makes it a comfortable pick for many users.

In the end, the decision for going with either of these cards depends on the users but as I said, the question remains whether the RTX 5090 will be able to justify its future pricing once other variants come out or if there is a scalping situation which could potentially harm its demand for the end users.

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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