As the gaming industry continues to advance, so does the technology used to power it. The new NVIDIA RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 GPUs are two GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU of the most powerful graphics cards on the market, featuring cutting-edge technology and top-of-the-line performance. In this article, we'll take a closer look at these GPUs and compare their specs to help you make an informed decision when it comes to upgrading your gaming rig.
GPU Engine Specs: GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4090
| GPU Specs | RTX 4080 | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA CUDA® Cores | 9728 | 16384 |
| Boost Clock (GHz) | 2.51 | 2.52 |
| Base Clock (GHz) | 2.21 | 2.23 |
Memory Specs:
| GPU Specs | RTX 4080 | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Memory Config | 16 GB GDDR6X | 24 GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface Width | 256-bit | 384-bit |
Display Support:
| GPU Specs | RTX 4080 | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Max Resolution, Refresh Rate (1) | 4K at 240Hz or 8K at 60Hz with DSC, HDR | 4K at 240Hz or 8K at 60Hz with DSC, HDR |
| Standard Display Connectors | HDMI(2), 3x DisplayPort(3) | HDMI(2), 3x DisplayPort(3) |
| Multi Monitor | up to 4(4) | up to 4(4) |
| HDCP | 2.3 | 2.3 |
Technology Support:
| GPU Specs | RTX 4080 | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing Cores | 3rd Generation | 3rd Generation |
| Tensor Cores | 4th Generation | 4th Generation |
| NVIDIA Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Ada Lovelace |
| NVIDIA DLSS | DLSS 3 (Super Resolution + Frame Generation) | DLSS 3 (Super Resolution + Frame Generation) |
| NVIDIA Reflex | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA Broadcast | Yes | Yes |
| PCI Express Gen 4 | Yes | Yes |
| Resizable BAR | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA® GeForce Experience™ | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA Ansel | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA FreeStyle | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA ShadowPlay | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA Highlights | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA G-SYNC® | Yes | Yes |
| Game Ready Drivers | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA Studio Drivers | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA Omniverse | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft DirectX® 12 Ultimate | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA GPU Boost™ | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA NVLink™ (SLI-Ready) | No | No |
| Vulkan RT API, OpenGL 4.6 | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC) | 2x 8th Generation | 2x 8th Generation |
| NVIDIA Decoder (NVDEC) | 5th Generation | 5th Generation |
| AV1 Encode | Yes | Yes |
| AV1 Decode | Yes | Yes |
| CUDA Capability | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| VR Ready | Yes | Yes |
Card Dimensions:
| GPU Specs | RTX 4080 | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 304 mm | 304 mm |
| Width | 137 mm | 137 mm |
| Slot | 3-Slot | 3-Slot |
GPU Thermal and Power Specs:
| GPU Specs: | RTX 4080 | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Max GPU Temperature (in C) | 90 | 90 |
| Idle Power (W) | 13 | 19 |
| Video Playback Power (W) | 21 | 25 |
| Average Gaming Power (W) | 251 | 315 |
| Total Graphics Power (W) | 320 | 450 |
| Required System Power (W) | 750 | 850 |
| Required Power Connectors | 3x PCIe 8-pin cables OR 1x 450 W or greater PCIe Gen 5 cable. | 3x PCIe 8-pin cables OR 1x 450 W or greater PCIe Gen 5 cable. |
GeForce RTX 4080 and GeForce RTX 4090 Price:
| GPU Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 4080 | $1199 |
| GeForce RTX 4090 | $1599 |
GPU Engine Specs: GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4090:
The engine specs of a graphics card are what determine its overall performance. When comparing the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090, it's clear that the latter is the more powerful option. With 16,384 NVIDIA CUDA cores, the RTX 4090 outperforms the RTX 4080's 9,728 CUDA cores. Additionally, the RTX 4090 has a slightly higher boost and base clock speed, coming in at 2.52GHz and 2.23GHz, respectively, while the RTX 4080 has a boost and base clock speed of 2.51GHz and 2.21GHz.
Memory Specs:
Another crucial factor to consider when it comes to graphics cards is memory. The RTX 4090 features a larger standard memory config with 24GB of GDDR6X memory compared to the RTX 4080's 16GB. The RTX 4090 also has a wider memory interface width at 384-bit, compared to the RTX 4080's 256-bit.
Display Support:
Both the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 are capable of supporting up to 4 displays with HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. Both graphics cards also support 4K resolution at a refresh rate of 240Hz or 8K resolution at a refresh rate of 60Hz with DSC and HDR. Additionally, both GPUs are HDCP 2.3 compliant, which means they can play protected content such as Blu-ray movies.
Technology Support:
The RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 both feature 3rd generation ray tracing cores and 4th generation tensor cores. They also support the latest NVIDIA architecture, Ada Lovelace, and DLSS 3 (Super Resolution + Frame Generation). The graphics cards also come with NVIDIA Reflex, NVIDIA Broadcast, PCI Express Gen 4, Resizable BAR, NVIDIA GeForce Experience,
NVIDIA Ansel, NVIDIA FreeStyle, NVIDIA ShadowPlay, NVIDIA Highlights, NVIDIA G-SYNC, Game Ready Drivers, NVIDIA Studio Drivers, NVIDIA Omniverse, Microsoft DirectX 12 Ultimate, NVIDIA GPU Boost, Vulkan RT API, OpenGL 4.6, NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC), NVIDIA Decoder (NVDEC), AV1 Encode, AV1 Decode, and CUDA Capability 8.9. Both cards are VR-ready, making them ideal for immersive virtual reality experiences.
Card Dimensions:
The RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 have the same dimensions, measuring 304mm in length and 137mm in width. Both cards also require a 3-slot space in your PC.
GPU Thermal and Power Specs:
When it comes to thermal and power specs, both cards have a maximum GPU temperature of 90°C. The RTX 4080 has an idle power of 13W, a video playback power of 21W, an average gaming power of 251W, and a total graphics power of 320W. In comparison, the RTX 4090 has an idle power of 19W, a video playback power of 25W, an average gaming power of 315W, and a total graphics power of 450W. The RTX 4080 requires a minimum system.
Conclusion:
The RTX 4090 offers superior performance and larger memory capacity, but comes with a higher price tag. The RTX 4080 is a more affordable option with still impressive specs.