RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090

GPU Head-to-Head · FPS & Value Comparison

RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090: Gaming Performance Comparison in 1080p Ultra

In gaming, the RTX 5090 delivers approximately +5% higher frame rates compared to the RTX 4090 in 1080p Ultra. For budget-conscious buyers, the RTX 4090 currently offers +49.7% better value, available at a $1,397 price difference.

RTX 5090 Advantages

Up to 5% faster in gaming benchmarks on average – 177 vs 169 FPS

33% more VRAM memory – 32 vs 24 GB

Is newer – 2025-01-30 vs 2022-10-12

RTX 4090 Advantages

Up to 49.7% better value for money – $14.48 vs $21.67/FPS

Costs only 64% of the price – $2,443 vs $3,840 (36% cheaper)

Consumes up to 22% less energy – 450W vs 575W

Performance Analytics

Average FPS across 21 games · all benchmarks use the same test suite

1080p Medium

Entry / competitive gaming

AVG FPS
RTX 5090
197.5fps(100%)
RTX 4090
195.6fps(99%)
WinnerRTX 5090
+1% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (RTX 4090 FPS ÷ RTX 5090 FPS) × 100
Example: (195.6 ÷ 197.5) × 100 = 99%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((RTX 5090 FPS - RTX 4090 FPS) ÷ RTX 4090 FPS) × 100
Example: ((197.5 - 195.6) ÷ 195.6) × 100 = 1%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If RTX 4090 is only 99% as fast, then RTX 5090 should be 1% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "1% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (99% of and 1% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

1080p Ultra

Full HD — max settings

AVG FPS
RTX 5090
177.2fps(100%)
RTX 4090
168.8fps(95%)
WinnerRTX 5090
+5% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (RTX 4090 FPS ÷ RTX 5090 FPS) × 100
Example: (168.8 ÷ 177.2) × 100 = 95%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((RTX 5090 FPS - RTX 4090 FPS) ÷ RTX 4090 FPS) × 100
Example: ((177.2 - 168.8) ÷ 168.8) × 100 = 5%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If RTX 4090 is only 95% as fast, then RTX 5090 should be 5% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "5% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (95% of and 5% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

1440p Ultra

1440p QHD — max settings

AVG FPS
RTX 5090
142fps(100%)
RTX 4090
125.7fps(89%)
WinnerRTX 5090
+13% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (RTX 4090 FPS ÷ RTX 5090 FPS) × 100
Example: (125.7 ÷ 142) × 100 = 89%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((RTX 5090 FPS - RTX 4090 FPS) ÷ RTX 4090 FPS) × 100
Example: ((142 - 125.7) ÷ 125.7) × 100 = 13%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If RTX 4090 is only 89% as fast, then RTX 5090 should be 11% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "13% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (89% of and 13% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

4K Ultra

3840×2160 — max settings

AVG FPS
RTX 5090
106.1fps(100%)
RTX 4090
85.2fps(80%)
WinnerRTX 5090
+25% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (RTX 4090 FPS ÷ RTX 5090 FPS) × 100
Example: (85.2 ÷ 106.1) × 100 = 80%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((RTX 5090 FPS - RTX 4090 FPS) ÷ RTX 4090 FPS) × 100
Example: ((106.1 - 85.2) ÷ 85.2) × 100 = 25%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If RTX 4090 is only 80% as fast, then RTX 5090 should be 20% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "25% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (80% of and 25% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

Efficiency Coefficient 1080p Ultra (Higher = Better Value)

Performance delivered per currency unit: FPS/$

RTX 5090
0.046 Value67% Efficiency
RTX 4090
0.069 Value100% Efficiency