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RTX 5090 vs RX 7900 XTX specs comparison – how do they compare?

Nvidia flagship vs the last AMD flagship, who wins?
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RTX 5090 vs RX 7900 XTX specs comparison – how do they compare?
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The RTX 5090 is up for grabs at various retailers. This GPU is set to replace the RTX 4090 as Nvidia’s most powerful GPU. While there is no competition for Nvidia in the high-end market segment as AMD is focusing on the mid-range and budget graphics cards, the only card that could possibly compete with the RTX 5090 from Team Red is the RX 7900 XTX.

The RTX 7900 XTX is most likely AMD’s last “high-end” GPU, and we've tested and reviewed it in-house. It could deliver gaming performance on par with the RTX 4090 at 4K. That being said, the review embargo for the RTX 5090 has been lifted, meaning we have plenty of performance benchmarks that we can use to gauge how these GPUs differ. We’ll update this article with our own findings when we take the RTX 5090 through its paces in our testing lab.

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Spec comparison

We’ve listed their specifications below to see the hardware difference between the two processors.

SpecificationsRTX 5090RX 7900 XTX
Cores217606144
Base clock speed2.01 GHz1.9 GHz
Boost clock speed2.41 GHz2.5 GHz
Memory 32GB GDDR724GB GDDR6
Memory interface 512-bit384-bit 
Bandwidth1.79 TB/s960 GB/s
TDP575W355W
Release date30th January 202513th December 2022
Measurements 304 mm x 137 mm x 48 mm287 mm x 110 mm x 51 mm

Core count 

After looking at the core count of the RTX 4090, we knew that the RTX 5090 would take it a step further, and it did. It features 21,760 CUDA cores, whereas the RX 7900 XTX has 6,144 Stream Processors. 

Now, these cores can't be compared directly as they are based on different architectures. However, the RTX 5090 most likely brings improvements to the CUDA cores with its Blackwell architecture. To see how different the RTX 5090 and RX 7900 XTX are, first, we'll look at the Blender benchmarks of the RTX 5090 and RTX 4090. 

The RTX 5090 scored 17822.17 points in Blender, while the RTX 4090 managed 13068.88 points. This means the RTX 5090 is 30% better in Blender than the RTX 4090. On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX scored 3979.54, meaning the 5090 and 4090 are 126% and 106% better than it in various rendering 3D models, animations, and more. 

So, the RX 7900 XTX can't compete with either of these cards regarding synthetic performance; however, during our in-house testing, we found that it could keep up with the RTX 4090 in 4K gaming. 

In Cyberpunk 2077, Overwatch 2, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the RTX 4090 scored 74, 243, and 184 FPS, respectively. The RX 7900 XTX managed 70, 206, and 147 in the same three resolutions. While the difference in the last two games is significant, in Cyberpunk 2077, it was only 4 FPS, and it is a significantly more demanding title. 

So, it is safe to assume that the RTX 5090 will offer significantly better performance in productivity and gaming than the RX 7900 XTX natively. The new architecture and higher core count do create a massive performance gap between the two cards. 

Memory 

The RTX 5090 has 32GB GDDR7 VRAM, and the RX 7900 XTX has 24GB GDDR6 VRAM. This is a difference of 8GB, which is a lot. When you factor in the faster memory type, the odds are completely stacked against the RX 7900 XTX.

GDDR7 has a maximum data rate of 32GB/s per pin, while the GDDR6 tops out at 16GB/s. This means that GDDR7 can handle double the data, and with more VRAM, more data can be easily processed, meaning the RTX 5090 should have leagues better performance than the RX 7900 XTX.

Overclocking the GPU for a faster clock speed so that the cores can process more data might lessen the gap between these GPUs, but it won't be much to make a considerable difference. 

Memory interface width

The RTX 5090 is the first card to feature a 512-bit interface width, and while the RX 7900 XTX also has a solid 384-bit connection, it pales in comparison. This means that the 5090 can handle 512 bits of data per clock cycle, while the 7900 XTX can accommodate 384. This operation happens billions of times per clock cycle, so if you look at the bigger picture, 512 bits add up to a whole lot more, which Team Red's champion just can't match. 

So, not only does the 5090 have more cores and VRAM, but it can also handle and process more data, making it the clear winner in this department.  

Performance

To paint a clear picture of the performance difference between these cards, we’ll use in-game benchmarks from our RX 7900 XTX review and the available gaming results for the RTX 5090. Keep in mind that we test the GPUs natively, meaning no AI upscaling technologies are used, such as DLSS or FSR.

We’ll use the results for Cyberpunk 2077 as that title has a high graphical fidelity and has been tested using both graphics cards. The RX 7900 XTX managed 70 and 137 FPS at 4K and 1440p, while the RTX 5090 delivered 124 and 209 FPS in the same resolutions. So, this is a huge difference in performance as the RTX 5090 is 55% and 41% better than the RX 7900 XTX.

These results were without leveraging DLSS 4, but we can expect much better framerates from the RTX 5090 with that enabled. The RX 7900 XTX only has FSR 3 on its side, as FSR 4 is said to be exclusive for the Radeon 9000 series graphics cards. That being said, the RX 7900 XTX costs much less than the RTX 5090 and can be paired with a decent number of processors, not only high-end options.

This is an important factor, as the CPU bottleneck at 1440p was an issue with the 5090, which isn’t that surprising when you consider how much more powerful it is than the RTX 4090 or 7900 XTX. That being said, it also gives the RX 7900 XTX an edge, and you can pair mid-range CPUs with it without running into bottleneck issues.

On the other hand, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D was a good pair for the RTX 5090 as it is currently the best gaming CPU and rightfully made its way to the top of the best CPUs for RTX 5090. So, to get the best performance, you’ll have to spend more, but it should be set for years to come.

Size

The RX 7900 XTX measures 287 mm x 110 mm x 51 mm (LxWxH), while the RTX 5090 measures 304 mm x 137 mm x 48 mm (LxWxH). Their sizes clearly differ, but despite that, the RX 7900 XTX is a 2.5-slot card, while the 5090 FE is a 2-slot card. The difference in their height is only 3mm, but it has a big impact on how much space they take.

The RTX 50-series card took a step in the right direction as the GPUs kept increasing in size with each generation. They achieved this by reducing the PCB size, which allowed the fans to blow air through the GPU, and in turn, the card slimmed down. Nvidia uploaded a YouTube video on its channel, giving an overview of the history of the Founder’s Edition cards and how they decreased the size of the RTX 50 series.

Upscaling technologies 

The RTX 50-series features DLSS 4, which will be available for RTX 20, 30, and 40 series cards later on. However, what makes DLSS 4 great is the Multi-Frame Generation, which is only exclusive to the RTX 50 graphics cards. However, we might see it being added for older GPUs, but nothing is certain for now. 

To showcase how powerful DLSS 4 is, Nvidia uploaded a video on its YouTube channel showing Cyberpunk with different DLSS versions enabled. Without DLSS, it ran at 27 FPS, which increased to 71, 141, and 243 FPS for DLSS 2, 3, and 4, respectively. 

So, you can see how big of a jump it is from DLSS 3 to 4. That being said, the RX 7900 XTX has FSR 3.1 and might get the FSR 4 later on. Hardware Unboxed did a video comparing FSR 3.1 and 4, and the latter brings a lot of improvements, such as reduced ghosting, better visual quality, definition, and smoothness in multiple instances. 

What got my attention was the first comment on the video, which said: “You know it’s a big improvement when you can tell the difference through a camera recording the monitor at a distance PLUS the YouTube compression.” So, we can only imagine how much better it'll be in person. 

That being said, as we're standing, the RX 7900 XTX can't compete with the RTX 5090 with FSR 3.1, but it might close the gap even more with the inclusion of FSR 4 in its arsenal, so we'll have to wait and see. 

RTX 5090 vs. RX 7900 XTX – price comparison

The RTX 5090 has a $1999 MSRP, while the RX 7900 XTX launched with a $999 price tag. That being said, it wouldn't be surprising to see the RTX 5090 third-party variants having a $2,500+ price tag. 

On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XTX OC, our reviewed variant, is available for $1,247.79 on Amazon. However, plenty of options are available for this card, including much cheaper ones. We found the XFX Speedster MERC310, ASRock AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Phantom Gaming, and XFX Mercury AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX on Amazon for $899.90, $899.69, and $979.99, respectively. 

Besides that, the SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7900 XTX was also available at Newegg for $869.99. So, these cards cost less than its MSRP and should offer excellent 4K gaming performance. 

However, if you want the ultimate gaming and working experience, the RTX 5090 has no competition. You might have to wait a week after its launch as there is an extremely limited supply, and it'll be a tough fight to score one against the bots and scalpers. 

Early impressions

The RTX 5090 and RX 7900 XTX are in different leagues. The RTX 5090 obviously has better performance in every aspect due to its decked-out hardware, but it also costs a small fortune, which many aren't able to afford. 

On the other hand, the RX 7900 XTX can be bought for less than $1,000 and is still a viable GPU for playing games at 4K. If it gets FSR 4, its value should increase even more, but compared to the RTX 4090 or 5090, its synthetic performance is lacking, for which Nvidia GPUs are better. However, if its just gaming, the RX 7900 XTX is a solid graphics card that should last a good couple of years.

About the Author

Ussamah works as a content writer and editor at BGFG. He is experienced in tech, hardware, gaming, and marketing.