AMD’s long-awaited RX 7900 XTX is here, and given its price, many gamers have a tough decision to make between the RTX 7900 XTX and Nvidia’s RTX 4080. Both are among the best graphics cards you can buy, but one of them is clearly better for most. People.
The RX 7900 XTX simply offers better value, and while the RTX 4080 has better features and ray tracing support, AMD still comes out on top given how much cheaper its GPU is. I’ll break down the specs, performance, ray tracing and more here, but be sure to read my RTX 4080 review and RX 7900 XTX review for a full look at these graphics cards.
Breaking down the specs
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It’s hard to compare the specs of the RX 7900 XTX and the RTX 4080 because many of them mean nothing. For example, AMD’s GPU includes more ray tracing cores, but as I will explore later, Nvidia still provides much better ray tracing performance. However, there are some important differences between the RX 7900 XTX and the RTX 4080 based on the specification.
| RX 7900 XTX | RTX 4080 | |
| Architecture | RDNA 3 | Ada Lovelace |
| Procedure | TSMC 5nm + 6nm | TSMC N4 |
| AI accelerators | 192 | ON |
| Ray Tracing Accelerators | 96 | ON |
| Ray tracking cores | ON | 76 3rd gen |
| Tensor kernels | ON | 304 4th gen |
| Memory | 24 GB GDDR6 | 16 GB GDDR6X |
| Memory speed | 20 Gbps | 21 Gbps |
| Memory bus size | 384-bit | 256-bit |
| Increase clock speed | 2.3 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Connection support | DisplayPort 2.1 | DisplayPort 1.4a |
| Total board power | 355 W | 320 W |
| Price list | 1000 dollars | 1200 dollars |
First, it is memory. AMD’s RX 7900 XTX includes 24GB of memory compared to just 16GB for the RTX 4080. However, Nvidia uses faster GDDR6X memory. For gaming at least, the balance of speed and bus width means that the RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX are mostly on par, but VRAM-heavy applications will definitely benefit from the increased capacity on the RX 7900 XTX.
It is also important to note the connection standard. Nvidia stuck with DisplayPort 1.4 for the RTX 4080, which can still drive high-end displays like the 4K Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 at 240Hz. The RX 7900 XTX supports DisplayPort 2.1, which could be important for PC gamers in the future.
In particular, VR gamers and those looking to drive the first 8K gaming monitors will need DisplayPort 2.1. The difference between DisplayPort 1.4 and 2.1 is now irrelevant. However, in six months to a year, it could be the key difference if you want to pair your high-end GPU with an equally high-end monitor.
It all comes down to prices
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Price is the main factor that separates the RTX 4080 and the RX 7900 XTX. The RTX 4080 launched at a retail price of $1,200, although most partner cards sell for around $1,300 to $1,400. The RX 7900 XTX costs $1,000, but it’s unclear how much the partner cards will cost right now. It will most likely sell for around $100 more than retail.
Somewhere around $200 to $300 separates the two GPUs, and possibly as much as $400 depending on which model you choose. It is important that the RX 7900 XTX is significantly cheaper. Even at $200 above retail, you’ll still spend more on the cheapest RTX 4080 than you will on the RX 7900 XTX.
Rumors say that Nvidia may reduce the price of the RTX 4080 in the future. That’s currently unconfirmed, and even if Nvidia drops prices, that doesn’t mean the models you can actually buy will follow suit. The price you pay is generally different from the price set in the graphics card world, and on that front AMD wins. Our monthly tracking of GPU prices consistently shows that AMD cards sell for less than Nvidia, and this generation should be no different.
Comparable performance in most games
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In our gaming suite, the RX 7900 XTX ends up just 2% slower than the RTX 4080. That includes some wins and some serious losses for AMD’s card, with the two GPUs winning depending on the title. It’s safe to say they’re on the same level, and the RX 7900 XTX offers far better value.
Although the RX 7900 XTX offers far better value, it still trades blows with the RTX 4080. In some games, e.g. Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2, AMD’s card actually delivers better performance than the RTX 4080 — and for less money. In titles like Forza Horizon 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn, however, Nvidia leads by a solid margin.
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Going down to 1440p, the dynamic between the RX 7900 XTX and the RTX 4080 remains the same, but with different circumstances. Where the RX 7900 XTX leads, it pushes further ahead, and where the RTX 4080 leads in 4K, the difference is smaller at 1440p.
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AMD scores another victory Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and jumps with an advantage of 6%. Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K up to a 14% advantage at 1440p. On the other hand, a lead of about 12% for the RTX 4080 in Horizon Zero Dawn it drops to 8% at 1440p.
In terms of raw gaming performance, the RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XTX are evenly matched, with both cards having a slight lead depending on the game you’re playing. This puts all the emphasis on price, and on that front AMD is the clear winner.
Ray tracking and DLSS could make a difference
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The RX 7900 XTX and RTX 4080 start to differ when you factor in ray tracing. Nvidia has cornered the market with ray tracing, and AMD’s RX 7900 XTX doesn’t change that. In the table above, you can see that the RTX 4080 consistently delivers better ray tracing performance in 4K.
AMD is much more competitive this generation than it has been in previous generations, but Nvidia has the lead in overall ray tracing performance. This may be important to some, but the more important feature that separates the RTX 4080 is Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS).
DLSS allows for upscaling, and AMD has its own FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) feature that is just a bit below what DLSS offers. However, the RTX 4080 also supports DLSS Frame Generation. This generates new frames to increase the frame count in demanding games such as Portal RTX and cyberpunk 2077, and allows the RTX 4080 to deliver many higher performance than the RX 7900 XTX can achieve in supported games.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
AMD is working on FSR 3, which also includes a frame generation feature, but we don’t know much about it at this point. It’s best not to base your purchasing decision on FSR 3 as we are still probably many months away from its release and have no idea how it works or looks.
DLSS Frame Generation and ray tracing justify the higher price of the RTX 4080. However, these additions are not important to everyone. If you don’t care about ray tracing and are looking for the best raw performance for the best value, AMD’s RX 7900 XTX still wins.
RX 7900 XTX for most, RTX 4080 for some
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
AMD’s RX 7900 XTX is the better GPU for most people. It offers performance similar to the RTX 4080 and costs less, and that’s hard to argue with. You get much better value without sacrificing performance — or, at the very least, those sacrifices are balanced by the performance gaps seen with the RTX 4080.
Some gamers want top technology, and for that group the RTX 4080 is still the best choice. It’s expensive, but AMD doesn’t currently have a compelling answer for DLSS Frame Generation or high performance ray tracing. The RX 7900 XTX is capable of ray tracing, but if you want to run all the ray tracing sliders just to say you are, Nvidia is the way to go.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn