The RTX 3090 was the best performer in Nvidia’s 30-series GPU lineup. Even now, the unit is marked as one of the best gaming and content-creation GPUs on the market. After the Ada Lovelace graphics cards were launched, we started to see how big of a gap exists between these two generations. However, there’s one question that remains: who wins the bout of the RTX 4070 Ti vs the RTX 3090?
In this article, we will compare both cards and underscore which among the duo is a better fit for specific builders. We will respond with how much of an improvement the last generation of GPUs sees over their newer counterparts. We know it’s a difficult comparison for the 4070 Ti, but the new architecture has a lot to offer.
RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3090: Specs
The RTX 3090 is the flagship GPU from the previous Nvidia generation. As a top–of–the–line unit, it’s normal that we find the highest set of features on it. A good example of a difference between high-end and mid-range is memory size. Adding memory capacity to a GPU is expensive, especially for Nvidia due to its chosen GDDR6X VRAM. As a result of costs, we only see 20+ memory in flagship graphics cards.
The RTX 3090 has 24GB of GDDR6X memory built to endure 4K and other major demanding processes. The 4070 Ti, on the other hand, has a limit of 12GB of VRAM cutting the size in half. This would affect the overall processing capacity of the GPU and the cost. However, the Ada Lovelace architecture has other means to battle this difference.
| RTX 4070 Ti | RTX 3090 | |
| Memory size | 12GB GDDR6X | 24GB GDDR6X |
| Memory bus | 192 bit | 384 bit |
| Bandwidth | 504.2 GB/s | 936.2 GB/s |
| Base Clock speed | 2310 MHz | 1395 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2610 MHz | 1695 MHz |
| Higher floating-point performance | 40.09 TFLOPS | 35.58 TFLOPS |
| RT Cores | 60 | 82 |
| TDP | 285 W | 350 W |
| MSRP | 799 USD | 1,499 USD |
One of the main characteristics of the Ada Lovelace architecture present in the RTX 4070 Ti is the clock speeds Nvidia was able to reach. As we can see in the table above, the 4070 Ti is able to provide frequencies of 2.3 GHz at its base speed and an amazing 2.6 GHz at its boosted frequency. This is an entire extra 1 GHz over the 3090.
More importantly, Nvidia gets to that number without affecting TDP. Actually, it improves thermal design power: the 4070 Ti draws 285W, while the 3090 has a TDP of 350W – a draw consumption that we could expect when we consider the higher memory size and bandwidth.
And this leads us to the last point: bandwidth and floating-point performance. The RTX 3090 is a bigger GPU when we refer to space and transferring capacity; it has 936.2 GB/s which is almost double the 504.2 GB/s of the 4070 Ti with this size, and that memory capacity, even a lower speeds the GPU is capable of really high floating-point performance; we can see that the GPU can reach 35.58 TFLOPS which is a really high speed; Nonetheless is not enough to get to the 40 TFLOPS of the 4070 Ti.
So far the new-gen mid-range GPU, the RTX 4070 Ti, seems to be winning in all aspects. Let’s check the price-tag comparison and conclude with the performance results of these two GPUs.
RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3090: Price
The RTX 3090 was dropped as the best GPU from Team Green in the Ampere generation. We know that Nvidia loves to overprice these high-end GPUs. As a result of this tendency, the RTX 3090 was released at an MSRP of $1,499, the same price Nvidia gave to the 4090.
In defense of Nvidia, these GPUs are not intended for gaming PCs only or non-regular users, but rather for professional users in the content creation field, or even professional gamers and streamers that need that much power.
On the other side, the xx70 class conforms to the gaming GPU by excellence. It has the power, the speed, and a lower price, providing the best price-to-performance ratio in Nvidia’s dungeons.
The RTX 4070 Ti has a price of $799, which might still feel high, especially when we compare it to the previous x070 class, like the 3070, but at the same time, it’s an objectively stronger and faster GPU than any other xx70 card has been in the past when compared to the same generation and to the previous flagship unit.
RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3090: Performance
Based on the strong architectural changes Ada Lovelace brought to the 40 series, the RTX 4070 Ti is capable of better performance across all games. As we’ve seen in multiple public benchmarks, the 4070 Ti has constantly delivered around 5-15 FPS higher than the RTX 3090.
One of the reasons for these results is the powerful features the 4070 Ti has to offer. After all, this was supposed to be called the RTX 4080 12GB. We can mainly see that the faster frequencies and TFLOPS allow the 4070 Ti to give back more FPS even at 4K, which is not the main resolution the GPU is made for.
Another important reason is technology. The 4070 Ti has 3rd-gen ray tracing and DLSS which helps the GPU use fewer resources when upscaling and allows the unit to read lights and render them smoother than previous generations
Final thoughts
The RTX 3090 has a higher memory size, a memory bus, and bandwidth, which may be beneficial for some tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and certain gaming scenarios. However, it also has a higher TDP and a much higher price point compared to the RTX 4070 Ti.
On the other hand, the RTX 4070 Ti has a higher base clock speed and boost clock speed, resulting in higher floating-point performance. It also has fewer RT cores and a lower TDP. It also has a better performance per TFLOPS and a better overall gaming performance.
It’s only when we consider the price that we can really start making a sound conclusion. The RTX 4070 Ti performs better in the majority of games, has a higher frequency, and yes it lacks the memory size and bandwidth of the 3090 but it also costs a lot less than the RTX 3090, even now, when the 30-series has experienced a drop in prices you can still find the 4070 Ti at a far better price. So, we can say confidently that the 4070 Ti is better than the 3090 in most scenarios.
