GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 7800 XT
On raw speed the GeForce RTX 3090 comes out ahead: edging it out narrowly, about 5% ahead of the Radeon RX 7800 XT.
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GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 7800 XT: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 7800 XT
The GeForce RTX 3090 is marginally faster, around 5% ahead of the Radeon RX 7800 XT. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1440p.
Power & Efficiency
At 263W against 350W, the Radeon RX 7800 XT is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern RDNA 3 architecture on a TSMC N5 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the GeForce RTX 3090 at 24GB versus 16GB on the Radeon RX 7800 XT — that extra 8GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 7800 XT is roughly 3 years newer than the GeForce RTX 3090 (RDNA 3 vs Ampere), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 3090 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 7800 XT offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3090 or Radeon RX 7800 XT?
The GeForce RTX 3090 is the faster card. With live pricing limited for this pair, base your decision on the spec differences above — particularly VRAM and power draw — and check current stock before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3090 better than the Radeon RX 7800 XT?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3090 or the Radeon RX 7800 XT?
Does the GeForce RTX 3090 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3090 or Radeon RX 7800 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3090 | Radeon RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 3 |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N5 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 10,496✓ | 3,840 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 82✓ | 60 |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 328✓ | 120 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3090 | Radeon RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,395 MHz | 1,800 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,695 MHz | 2,430 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3090 | Radeon RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 24 GB✓ | 16 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 19.5 Gbps | 19.5 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 936 GB/s✓ | 624 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3090 | Radeon RX 7800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 350 W | 263 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2020 | Aug 2023 |
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