GeForce RTX 4090 vs GeForce RTX 5080
On raw speed the GeForce RTX 4090 comes out ahead: edging it out narrowly, about 7% ahead of the GeForce RTX 5080. That said, the GeForce RTX 5080 is the smarter buy on value — $513,529 JPY less for the performance on offer.
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GeForce RTX 4090 vs GeForce RTX 5080: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 4090 vs GeForce RTX 5080
The GeForce RTX 4090 is marginally faster, around 7% ahead of the GeForce RTX 5080. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 4K and high-refresh 1440p. The GeForce RTX 4090 packs 16,384 CUDA cores versus 10,752 on the GeForce RTX 5080.
Price & Value
The GeForce RTX 5080 currently lists from $249,980 JPY, $513,529 JPY less than the GeForce RTX 4090 at $763,509 JPY. Despite being slower, the GeForce RTX 5080 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~184% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The GeForce RTX 5080 still sits about $248,981 JPY above its $999 JPY MSRP. The GeForce RTX 4090 still sits about $761,910 JPY above its $1,599 JPY MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
At 360W against 450W, the GeForce RTX 5080 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern Blackwell architecture on a TSMC 4N process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the GeForce RTX 4090 at 24GB versus 16GB on the GeForce RTX 5080 — that extra 8GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 5080 is roughly 3 years newer than the GeForce RTX 4090 (Blackwell vs Ada Lovelace), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 4090 or GeForce RTX 5080?
Choose the GeForce RTX 4090 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce RTX 5080 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 4090 better than the GeForce RTX 5080?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 4090 or the GeForce RTX 5080?
Is the GeForce RTX 4090 worth the extra $513,529 JPY over the GeForce RTX 5080?
Does the GeForce RTX 4090 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 4090 or GeForce RTX 5080?
Video Benchmarks & Review
RTX 5070 vs RTX 5080 vs RTX 4090 vs RTX 5090 - Test in 20 Games
Editorial Review: What the Benchmarks Show
PixelBench benchmarks the new Blackwell-based RTX 5080 against the previous-generation flagship RTX 4090. The two high-end graphics cards trade blows very closely in standard 4K rasterization, but the RTX 5080 gains a distinct lead in ray tracing efficiency and DLSS 4 scaling, despite having a smaller 16GB memory pool compared to the 4090's 24GB.
Curated gameplay footage and benchmarking review from PixelBench on YouTube.
Watch original on YouTube ↗Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 5080 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell |
| Process Node | TSMC 4N | TSMC 4N |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 16,384✓ | 10,752 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 128✓ | 84 |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 512✓ | 336 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 5080 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 2,235 MHz | 2,295 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 2,520 MHz | 2,617 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 5080 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 24 GB✓ | 16 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR7 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 21 Gbps | 30 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 1,008 GB/s✓ | 960 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 5080 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| TDP | 450 W | 360 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 16-pin | 1x 16-pin |
| Released | Sep 2022 | Jan 2025 |
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