Are you looking for a new graphics card to take your gaming experience to the next level? You may have noticed a lot of options available on the market.
Widely considered to be the two most powerful competing graphics cards in the market today, the RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX offer superior performance and a range of features. So, you may need help deciding which is the best.
Let’s break down the features and need-to-knows of both of these graphics cards so you can fully understand their differences and make the best choice for your needs.
RTX 4080 vs. RX 7900 XTX: Side-by-Side Comparison
| RTX 4080 | RX 7900 XTX | |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | November 16, 2022 | November 3rd, 2022 |
| Developer | Nvidia | AMD |
| What is it? | Powerful gaming graphics card in the GeForce 40-series with 9,728 CUDA cores and 16GB of memory, allowing it to run games at the highest resolutions, such as 4K and UW-QHD, with remarkable speed and quality | An enthusiast-class graphics card by AMD that is built on the 5 nm process and based on the Navi 31 graphics processor, offering incredible performance and stunning visuals for a superior gaming experience |
| Ports | HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | HDMI 2:1, AV1 Encode, DisplayPort, and USB Type-C |
| Price | Starting at $1199.00 | $1,399.00 |
- 16 GB of GDDR6X VRAM
- 2.51 GHz GPU clock speed
- PCI Express 4.0 support
- Great for AI work
- 9,728 NVIDIA CUDA Cores
- 24GB GDDR6
- RDNA 3 architecture
- Great price-to-performance ratio
- 1 x HDMI 2.1 , 3 x DisplayPort 2.1
- Handles 4K and VR
RTX 4080 vs. RX 7900 XTX: What’s the Difference?
The RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX are top-tier graphics cards on the market, boasting advanced features and high performance.
What exactly is the RTX 4080? It’s commonly known as NVIDIA GeForce 4080 — an ultra-high-performance graphics card designed for gamers and creators alike. Boasting the latest NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture, the RTX 4080 is powered by a whopping 16GB of G6X memory. This offers superior power and speeds that are sure to give your gaming and creative projects a boost. You can expect lifelike visuals with ray tracing and AI-powered graphics in your games. You will also enjoy stunningly realistic images from your creative projects. Combined with its sleek design, the RTX 4080 offers an unbeatable performance that is perfect for any gamer or creator.
On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX is the most advanced graphics card in the Radeon series. It provides next-generation performance, visuals, and efficiency at 4K and beyond. This powerful graphics card is based on the ground-breaking AMD RDNATM 3 architecture with chiplet technology. This allows it to process intense graphic tasks easily. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX offers cutting-edge performance for gamers and creators. It provides an impressive level of detail, fluidity, and speed.
Let’s take a closer look at the key differences between the two cards to help you make an informed decision. We’ll consider the differences in architecture, performance, memory, GPU engine specs, and power consumption.
Architecture
The RX 7900 XTX card is based on AMD RDNATM 3 architecture that integrates chiplet technology. This graphic card is designed to provide users with enhanced performance, visuals, and energy efficiency. The chiplet technology combines multiple chips into one, enabling efficient use of resources and helping to maximize performance.
The RTX 4080 is built on NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture and features a new streaming multiprocessor. This helps boost performance by up to 2x and increases power efficiency. It also comes with the latest ray tracing technology, providing incredibly detailed virtual worlds with realistic lighting and shadows. Both graphic cards have amazing architectural performances but differ on some level, each providing different degrees of performance.
Performance
The RTX 4080 offers excellent performance due to its use of fourth-gen Tensor Cores and an Optical Flow Accelerator. These two technologies boost performance significantly. Additionally, the RTX 4080 has a graphics multiplier powered by AI that can further increase performance.
The RX 7900 XTX is based on the Navi 31 Chip. This includes a 5nm Graphics Compute Die (GCD) and six 6nm memory cache dies. This combination allows for up to 2.5 GHz clock speed and 6,144 cores. It also has a 98 MB Infinity Cache (L3 cache) and 24GB memory. It also includes a 384-bit memory bus and 20 Gbps effective speed.
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Memory
When it comes to memory, there is a clear difference between the RTX 4080 and the RX 7900 XTX. The RTX 4080 has 16GB of GDDR6X with a Memory Interface Width of 256-bit. On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX comes with 24GB of GDDR6, a memory bus of 384 bits, and a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The higher memory size of the RX 7900 XTX allows for better performance in memory-intensive applications such as gaming.
On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX can offer a smoother experience regarding graphics-heavy games and applications. The larger bus width also gives the RX 7900 XTX more bandwidth, meaning it can quickly transfer data. Ideally, the RX 7900 XTX has an advantage in memory due to its higher memory size, bus width, and bandwidth. However, the RTX 4080 still offers good performance and is a great choice for those who don’t need the extra memory.
GPU Engine Specs
When comparing the RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX GPUs, you should consider key differences in their engine specs. The RTX 4080 has 9,728 NVIDIA CUDA cores, with a boost clock of 2.51 GHz and a base clock of 2.21 GHz. On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX has 6,144 cores and an infinity cache of 96 MB. It also includes a memory speed of 20 Gbps, an effective memory bandwidth of up to 3500 GB/s, and a boost clock of 2499 MHz.
The RTX 4080 offers a significant advantage in terms of NVIDIA CUDA cores. This allows it to process more graphics data and provide a smoother gaming experience.
Additionally, its faster base and boost clocks enable it to run faster and more efficiently. This makes it a great option for gamers who need to maximize their system’s performance.
The RX 7900 XTX offers more memory with an Infinity Cache of 96MB and a memory speed of 20 Gbps. This allows it to store larger amounts of data and process them faster. Equally, its effective memory bandwidth is higher than the RTX 4080, allowing it to transfer data more quickly and efficiently. Both GPUs offer powerful performance and are great options for gamers looking to upgrade their graphics cards. However, depending on your needs and budget, one may be more suitable.
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX are not far apart. The RTX 4080 draws a maximum of 320W from its 1x 16-pin power connector, while the RX 7900 XTX draws a maximum of 355W from its 2x 8-pin power connectors. It is worth noting that the typical board power (Desktop) for both cards is relatively similar, with the RTX 4080 drawing up to 320W and the RX 7900 XTX drawing up to 350W.
Essentially, there isn’t much difference in power consumption between the RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX. Both are high-end graphics cards that draw more than average power, so they may be too powerful for those who don’t need them. However, for gamers and PC enthusiasts who want to experience top-notch visuals and performance, either card is a great choice.
RTX 4080 vs. RX 7900 XTX: 5 Must-Know Facts
- The RTX 4080 is built on the 4 nm process, and based on the AD103 graphics processor in its AD103-300-A1 variant, it supports DirectX 12 ultimate. This ensures that all modern games will run seamlessly on GeForce RTX 4080.
- The RTX 4080 and its 40-series GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs are designed to provide the lowest latency and best responsiveness for gaming. This means faster target acquisition, faster reaction times, and better aim precision for competitive gamers.
- The RTX 4080 is the second most powerful GeForce 40-series gaming graphics card. It boasts 9,728 CUDA cores and 16GB of memory, making it perfect for gaming at the highest resolutions, 4K and UW-QHD. Additionally, the RTX 4080’s Tensor Cores and RT Cores enable advanced DLSS AI rendering, which improves game performance and helps to deliver realistic visuals for the ultimate gaming experience.
- The RX 7900 XTX is based on the 5 nm process and built on the Navi 31 graphics processor, with the Navi 31 XTX variant supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate, ensuring all modern games run on it.
- The RX 7900 XTX draws power from two 8-pin power connectors and is connected to the rest of the system via a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 interface. Its dimensions are 287 mm x 135 mm x 51 mm, featuring a dual-slot cooling solution.
- 16 GB of GDDR6X VRAM
- 2.51 GHz GPU clock speed
- PCI Express 4.0 support
- Great for AI work
- 9,728 NVIDIA CUDA Cores
- 24GB GDDR6
- RDNA 3 architecture
- Great price-to-performance ratio
- 1 x HDMI 2.1 , 3 x DisplayPort 2.1
- Handles 4K and VR
RTX 4080 vs. RX 7900 XTX: Which One is Best for You?
Deciding which is better between the RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX can be challenging because both cards offer powerful performance and great features, but the decision comes down to your needs and budget.
The NVIDIA RTX 4080 is a powerhouse for gaming, thanks to its AD103-300-A1 graphics processor and 4nm process. It boasts 9,728 CUDA cores and 16GB of memory, making it capable of powering high resolutions like 4K or UW-QHD. In addition, the card’s Tensor Cores and RT cores also provide advanced DLSS AI rendering for lifelike visuals and improved performance. To top it off, the RTX 4080 draws a maximum of 320 W from its single 16-pin power connector. All these features make it an excellent choice for gaming.
The RX 7900 XTX utilizes AMD’s 5nm process, featuring a Navi 31 graphics processor in the XTX variant and DirectX 12 ultimate. With 6,144 cores clocked at up to 2.5 GHz, 24GB GDDR6 memory, a 384-bit memory bus, and 20 Gbps effective speed, this card is sure to provide an efficient gaming experience. It requires two 8-pin power connectors connected through PCI Express 4.0 x16 interface for power supply.
Comparatively, the RTX 4080 offers better performance in terms of NVIDIA CUDA cores and its faster base and boost clocks. It is also more suitable for gamers who need to maximize their system’s performance. On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX has more memory with an Infinity cache of 96MB and higher effective memory bandwidth, making it ideal for memory-intensive applications such as gaming.
At the end of the day, you must decide which to purchase based on your needs and budget. If you’re looking for a powerful card that can handle 4K gaming with ray-tracing, then the RTX 4080 is the clear winner. However, if you’re looking for more memory and faster speeds, then the RX 7900 XTX may be the better choice. Whichever card you choose, both offer amazing performance and features for a high-end gaming experience.
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