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Now that its specs have been confirmed we’re sizing up how the new GPU on the block performs with the RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080.
The RTX 4070 Ti has now launched and we have all the relevant information on where to buy the new graphics card, and where to find stock, meaning we can invest our focus on how the card shapes up against others in the RTX range including the RTX 3090.
It’s a logical match up to investigate. When the RTX 3090 was released it was the most powerful graphics card in the RTX 3000 series, making it, at the time, the most powerful consumer card available. The 4070 Ti meanwhile is the least powerful card currently on offer from the more recent RTX 4000 series. So how do they compare?
We’ll be breaking down and comparing the specs of both, factoring in everything from clock speed to core count. We think it’s important to make the most informed purchase possible, especially when it comes to high-end graphics cards. You help you achieve this we’ve also broken down the RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080, as well as the RTX 4080 vs the RTX 3090.
The RTX 4070 Ti is out now at selected retailers:
RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3090 – specs and performance
Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the technical differences between the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 3090.
| Specs | RTX 4070 Ti | RTX 3090 |
| Architecture | Lovelace | Ampere |
| Stream Processors / CUDA Cores | 7680 | 1,0496 |
| Boost Clock (GHz) | 2.61 | 1.70 |
| Base Clock (GHz) | 2.31 | 1.40 |
| GDDR6X Memory | 12GB | 24GB |
| Memory interface | 192-bit | 384-bit |
| Maximum Resolution | 7680 x 4320 | 7680 x 4320 |
| Connectivity | HDMI 2.1a 3 x Display Port | HDMI 2.1a, 3 x DP 1.4a |
| Dimensions | 285 x 112 x 42 mm | 313 x 138mm |
| Recommended Power Supply | 750W | 750W |
The most pivotal difference between the two is the architecture. The RTX 4070 Ti comes with NVIDIA’s latest cutting edge architecture called Ada Lovelace. This means 3rd generation ray tracing cores and 4th generation Tensor cores. As a result, the RTX 4070 Ti is able to compute ray tracing and make use of use of its neural graphics more efficiently, giving you more computing power for less electricity. It’s this difference that helps make the RTX 4070 Ti one of the best GPUs for World of Warcraft.
The upshot of this is that the RTX 4070 Ti is the more powerful card despite its smaller bus width and memory size. In fact, as you can see in the table above, the RTX 4070 Ti is even more powerful than the 3090 Ti, an incredible statistic that is a testament to the breakthroughs the Lovelace architecture made.
You can also see the huge increase in performance that the new RT Overdrive brings. As you might suspect this mode overdrives ray tracing, allowing for an incredible step up in graphics quality. Though it is only available for compatible games.
RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3090 – price
One of the most important factors is of course price. The RTX 3090 retailed for a hefty sum, one often far above its MSRP. Meanwhile, as revealed at their CES presentation, the 4070 Ti had an MSRP of $799, marking the first time NVIDIA’s next generation of cards has really competed with Radeon’s RX 7000 series in price.
We have seen the 4070 Ti selling for as high as $1,500 since its release, making the deal far from sweet, but in general, the price hasn’t ventured too far above its starting price.
Read now: RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080
It is worth adding that with the increased efficiency built into its architecture, the 4070 Ti uses far less power than its sibling the 3090, on average around 41% less according to NVIDIA themselves. This further saves you money as you won’t be using as much electricity to power your card, as well as likely reducing noise.
The RTX 3090 meanwhile is consistently over $1600, going as high as $2400. While you are getting some higher specs for this price it’s hard to argue they justify this massive price discrepancy.
Final word
Thanks to its increased power offered at a lower price and with more efficiency, the RTX 4070 Ti comes out on top as the more sensible investment. The real test will be whether you can get your hands on one, as they are likely to sell like hotcakes. If you want to have the best bet of doing so, keep up with our coverage of the RTX 4070 Ti’s release. You can find out about where to buy RTX 4070 Ti & expected retailers here.
Read more: RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080 Ti
With all that said the RTX 3090 is still a card with incredible prowess and has been tried and tested throughout the last two years, meaning you can make a slightly more informed purchase. We’ve listed some of the best RTX 3090s below. Alternatively, you can check our WePC’s articles on the best RTX 3090 graphics card in 2023.
Best RTX 3090
Frequently asked questions
There are a few questions about the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 3090 that come up more often than others. We’ve answered a few of them here.
Is the RTX 4070 Ti overkill?
The RTX 4070 Ti is an unbelievably powerful graphics card, capable of 4K gaming and even 8K. This also means you can get some of the highest frame rates possible at lower resolutions making it perfect for competitive gaming. Overall, for a serious gamer, the RTX 4070 Ti is not overkill, provided you have the monitor and gaming built necessary to make use of its power.
Is the RTX 3090 good for 4K gaming?
The RTX 3090 excels at 4K gaming, boasting respectable framerates and even the ability to render graphics in 8K. That said this power doesn’t come cheap and is a level below the 4K gaming abilities of the RTX 4000 range.
