With the discharge of AMD’s RDNA 3 RX 7900 XTX, Nvidia has some severe competitors!
The GPU panorama has been a troublesome one to navigate the previous few years, with perpetual “out of stock” points and more and more excessive costs.
Seeking to put the final era behind them, Nvidia launched first, with the RTX 4090. Virtually universally praised for its efficiency, its excessive beginning worth nonetheless left many avid gamers out.
The $1,199 RTX 4080 got here subsequent, and hit some bitter notes with its pricing. AMD lastly responded with the $899 RX 7900 XT and $999 RX 7900 XTX, the latter of which is geared to go head-to-head with the RTX 4080.
We’ll focus on pricing, availability, efficiency, and vital issues to concentrate on. Which of those two graphical powerhouses deserve your consideration? Let’s discover out!
Thiago Trevisan
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. AMD 7900 XTX: Value and availability
$1,199 is what it takes to get the most affordable RTX 4080, a worth our very personal Brad Chacos was not very keen on in his evaluation—and he’s proper!
The market has spoken, and the provision of the RTX 4080 is the very best we’ve seen of any not too long ago launched GPU. RTX 4090? Bought out rapidly and stays elusive. The RTX 4080 has been extra persistently out there, however it may possibly typically be sold-out, too, relying on the retailer that you simply’re visiting.
That’s the place AMD hopes to steal a few of Nvidia’s thunder, with the $999 7900 XTX. A financial savings of $200 is nothing to scoff at, particularly if efficiency can be shut. The one drawback is availability, nevertheless. The 7900 XTX has been far more troublesome to seek out than the RTX 4080, because it’s doubtless extra interesting at its worth level and maybe much less had been shipped.
The $899 7900 XT is extra readily discovered, nevertheless – however $100 extra for the XTX is a no brainer with the elevated efficiency.
Who wins this spherical? Up to now, the nod goes to the 7900 XTX – whereas the RTX 4080 isn’t an excellent purchase at $1199, it’s simpler to seek out – even whether it is typically barely greater than that MSRP for some AIB fashions. The $999 7900 XTX is a significantly better worth however stays troublesome to seek out throughout the first few weeks of its launch.
If the state of affairs adjustments and each can be found at their MSRP costs, nevertheless, the clear winner would be the 7900 XTX in case you can snag one.
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. AMD 7900 XTX: Efficiency
Thiago Trevisan
Please ignore the RTX 4090’s lead in (nearly) each graph the place it isn’t CPU bottlenecked. The RTX 4080 and 7900 XTX have fairly the battle happening beneath. a preferred title akin to Name of Responsibility: MW2, the 7900 XTX will get a whopping 121fps at 4K, demolishing the RTX 4080’s 98fps. It even beats that RTX 4090 we instructed you to disregard earlier! The story continues no matter decision, and it’s clear this sport has an apparent liking for the AMD GPUs.
Remember the fact that AMD provides us 24GB of GDDR6 VRAM versus 16GB of GDDR6X (sooner) VRAM within the RTX 4080. Not an enormous deal at present, however ultimately it might begin to matter extra as resolutions enhance.
Thiago Trevisan
With ray tracing off, in Cyberpunk 2077, the 7900 XTX as soon as once more does effectively: 70.4fps versus the RTX 4080’s 59.7fps. Even the RTX 4090 isn’t fully protected right here, both. AMD appears to typically do higher at 1440p, and Nvidia at 4K—however It may possibly shuttle. It’s clear that the 7900 XTX has the chops to each meet, and beat, the RTX 4080 with regards to rasterized gaming prowess.
Brad Chacos
With a time period that AMD in all probability doesn’t like to listen to on the dinner desk—ray tracing—how do these GPUs stack up? Right here is the place the desk turns, and Nvidia pulls forward confidently.
Brad Chacos
As soon as once more taking a look at Cyberpunk 2077—however now with ray tracing on—the RTX 4080 now will get 29.1fps at 4K, and the 7900 XTX an unplayable 20.7fps. Even the RTX 4090 can barely push past 42fps. Solely when turning on DLSS or FSR can we see playable body charges from each GPUs—and the efficiency between each tightens.
When DLSS 3 and body era enter the chat, the Nvidia RTX 4080 pulls forward additional in video games that help this. For instance, in testing Flight Simulator 2020 at Ultrawide 5120x1440p, the RTX 4080 jumped from 69fps to 151fps with DLSS 3. By comparability, the 7900 XTX solely had minimal features and stayed below 100fps even with FSR balanced, exhibiting the advantage of Nvidia’s DLSS 3. We’ll want FSR 3 earlier than making a greater comparability.
Who wins the efficiency spherical? It should go to the AMD 7900 XTX, which on common was capable of greatest the RTX 4080 throughout all kinds of video games, even at 4K. The RTX 4080 remains to be forward in ray-tracing efficiency, particularly with its superior DLSS 3—so in case your video games make heavy use of ray tracing or reap the benefits of DLSS 3, the winner right here stands out as the RTX 4080 for you. Total, particularly at $999, the 7900 XTX places up a successful effort.
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. AMD 7900 XTX: Energy and different issues to know
Nvidia’s RTX 4080 has a TDP of 320W, which general lands it because the extra environment friendly GPU versus the 7900 XTX at 355W. This has some clear advantages—akin to in quieter efficiency and decrease thermals. These large RTX 4080 coolers have it simple in comparison with the RTX 4090!
The RTX 4080 does have the 12VHPWR adapter, and no, we’re not conscious of any points akin to had been skilled on a small variety of RTX 4090s. AMD’s 7900 XTX nonetheless has both twin 8-pin or triple 8-pin commonplace energy, which is usually a plus if you wish to keep away from the adapter.
On common, the RTX 4080 must be bigger by way of its cooler than most 7900 XTX playing cards, particularly when evaluating AMD Reference vs. Nvidia Founders version. The PowerColor 7900 XTX Pink Satan pictured is thicker than the RTX 4080 right here, so be mindful some fashions could be simply as giant!
Nvidia’s drivers are usually very steady and bugs get squashed rapidly—whereas AMD’s new RDNA 3 could have a couple of extra rising pains. Brad Chacos factors out he encountered a lot of (minimal) bugs, which appeared barely increased than regular. It’s a brand new GPU structure, so it’s anticipated—however AMD should do not forget that Nvidia is praised by avid gamers for its drivers, so it higher act rapidly!
Thiago Trevisan
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. AMD 7900 XTX: The Verdict
Who takes dwelling the cake? The AMD 7900 XTX. First, the pricing is a large plus—$999 makes it no less than a significantly better worth than the RTX 4080’s $1,199. To sweeten the deal, the 7900 XTX is quicker on common too—in every part however ray tracing.
AMD additionally has some competing applied sciences akin to FSR that look to convey much more efficiency parity with Nvidia’s DLSS, alongside numerous perks present in AMD’s software program. Nvidia nonetheless maintains the lead on the software program facet and with ray tracing, nevertheless.
The present GPU market isn’t nice proper now, and availability remains to be a difficulty. To not point out that it’s onerous to categorise a $999 GPU as a “good value,” however that’s the place we’re at present. At the least comparatively, it seems like a significantly better buy than the RTX 4080 at this level. Don’t be seduced by the $899 7900 XT, both—that $100 extra for the XTX provides you considerably higher efficiency. That’s our winner: AMD 7900 XTX!