🎮 Raster Gaming Performance
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Across 20 modern games at native 4K, RTX 5090 delivered ~33% higher average frame rates than the RTX 4090, with per‑title gains ranging from ~23% to ~47%.
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At 1440p gaming, TechRadar reports a consistent ~20% average uplift across both average and minimum FPS.
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Users on YouTube reports: RTX 5090 in Microsoft Flight Simulator and other titles showed 17–24% gains in VR workloads, particularly with DLSS or frame generation enabled.
🤖 Ray Tracing & DLSS 4 / Frame Generation
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RTX 5090’s Blackwell architecture with DLSS 4 and 4× Multi‑Frame Generation gives it a clear edge in RT-heavy games, boosting average FPS considerably compared to the RTX 4090.
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Especially in demanding workloads and titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Black Myth: Wukong, the gap widens further, although the exact percentages vary across titles.
📊 Synthetic & Compute Performance
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In Blender OpenData using OptiX, RTX 5090 scored ~13,483 vs RTX 4090’s ~9,652, showing ~40% performance advantage.
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However, real‑world 4K animation rendering took longer on the RTX 5090 (32 min vs 28 min), suggesting Nvidia drivers or optimization still lag in some Blender workflows.
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Other compute metrics (hosted and third-party) vary: some show the RTX 4090 outperforming on particular AI/compute workloads, especially when accounting for price and software maturity.
⚙️ Specs & Power Efficiency
| Feature | RTX 4090 | RTX 5090 |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | ~16,384 (Ada Lovelace) | 21,760 (Blackwell) |
| VRAM / Bus | 24 GB GDDR6X, 384-bit | 32 GB GDDR7, 512-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | ~1000 GB/s | ~1,792 GB/s |
| Power Draw (TDP) | ~450 W | ~575 W (requires ~1,000 W PSU) |
| MSRP | $1,599 | $1,999 |
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RTX 5090 demands significantly more power, which can be a limiting factor for thermals and PSU requirements, especially in compact builds.
🧠 Community Feedback & Real‑World Impressions
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Reddit users report 25–30% faster performance at 4K on 5090 over 4090 in multi-game testing; in lower resolutions (e.g., 2,500×2,500 or below), the difference shrinks drastically.
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A Linus Tech Tips thread suggested that many users may prefer holding on to the 4090 given the high price of early-adopter RTX 5090 units and the modest gains in some use cases.
✅ Summary: Pros & Cons Table
| Feature | RTX 5090 | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Raster Gaming | ~30–40% faster at 4K | Excellent 4K performance already |
| Ray Tracing & DLSS 4 | Significantly higher FPS with MFG | Strong, but no DLSS 4 / limited MFG |
| AI & Compute | 40% lead in some synthetic tests | More mature software support |
| Power / Efficiency | Very high (575 W) | Lower (≈450 W) |
| Value & Pricing | Costliest mainstream GPU | Slightly older but more cost‑effective |
🔍 Conclusion
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RTX 5090 is the undisputed flagship—it's clearly faster than the RTX 4090 in raster, ray tracing, and synthetic compute benchmarks. For top-tier 4K gaming with DLSS 4/MFG or heavy rendering tasks, it’s the superior choice.
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However, for most users, especially those already owning the RTX 4090, the performance uplift may feel incremental and not justify the premium price and higher power demands.
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In resolutions below 2.5K, real-world performance gaps narrow significantly, reducing the incentive to upgrade unless you need the cutting-edge features.
