RTX 4070 Super vs RTX 3090 – is the mid-range Ada better?

With the RTX Super release kicking off today, it’s worth comparing RTX 4070 Super vs RTX 3090 to see which one is better suited to you before you make a big purchase. Comparing everything from price, performance and specifications, this article should help you choose what GPU is best for you. Want to get your hands on one? Here’s where to buy RTX 4070 Super graphics cards.

RTX 4070 Super vs RTX 3090: price comparison

When first released the RTX 3090 had a launch MSR of $1,499, which was a comparatively higher price than the RTX 3080 ($699) and RTX 3080 Ti ($1,199) when they were first released. The price of the RTX 3090 has remained fairly consistent since its 2022 release, with it currently costing $1,370 on Nvidia’s store. Meanwhile, the RTX 4070 Super is set to hit the market at only $599, substantially less than the RTX 3090 still costs over a year after its release. Nvidia claims that the RTX 4070 Super outperforms the RTX 3090 in a few key areas, but at a much lower cost, making it a decent compromise of decent performance without breaking the bank. 

RTX 4070 Super vs RTX 3090: release date comparison

The RTX 3090 is the far older of the two graphics cards having released back in November 2020 and,  despite its age, the RTX 3090 still proves a great choice of GPU if you’re looking for a sizable amount of VRAM and CUDA Cores. That being said, the RTX 4070 Super has the newest release date as it’s due to hit shelves later on today (January 17, 2024) so if you want a more futureproofed GPU then this one wins out here. 

RTX 4070 Super vs RTX 3090: specs comparison

In terms of architecture, the RTX 3090 uses the Ampere architecture which had a primary focus on GPU acceleration at the time it was released back in 2020, with Nvidia announcing it as the largest 7nm chip ever. Equipped with a Multi-instance GPU, a feature that allows you to utilize your GPU for multiple tasks and workloads at once, without sacrificing efficiency or speed. The release of the RTX 40 series brought a faster architecture, Ada Lovelace, which promised the best performance for gaming, an architecture that the RTX 40 Super series has built on to improve GPU capabilities and efficiency. 

The RTX 3090 came armed with an impressive amount of CUDA Cores, clocking at 10,496, which still remains impressive compared to the 7,168 of the RTX 4070 Super. The RTX 3090 also still comes out on top in regard to its memory size, with a whopping 24GB, double the 12GB that comes with the RTX 4070 Super. That being said, the 4070 Super has an impressively lower power consumption of 220 W, whereas the RTX 3090 had a TDP of 350 W, making the RTX 4070 Super is designed for power efficiency and less power consumption. Additionally, the RTX 4070 Super comes with a higher Base Clock of 1980 MHz (where the RTX 3090 has a Base Clock of 1395 MHz) and a higher Boost Clock of 2475 MHz, compared to the 1695 MHz of the RTX 3090. In favor of the RTX 3090, it does still offer a better bandwidth (936.2 GB/s) compared to the newer model which only has a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which will come in clutch if you want 4K gaming. 

RTX 4070 Super vs RTX 3090: performance comparison

Nvidia claims that the RTX 4070 Super will be 1.5x faster than the RTX 3090 with DLSS 3, and around 0.25x better at relative performance. The RTX 4070 Super also boasts a large leap in fps at 1440p in some of today’s most demanding games; The Last of Us Part 1 saw an improved fps of about 110 with the RTX 4070 Super while its predecessors (the RTX 3070) scored around 70 fps, while Hogwarts Legacy with the RTX 4070 reached nearly 150 fps with Frame Gen. While these are not necessarily game-changing figures, it’s worth noting that the RTX 4070 Super reaches this high quality performance with 47% less power consumption than the RTX 3090, which leads to around 9% less heat produced. 

That being said, there is actually only a small margin between the performance of the 4070 Super and 3090 in terms of frame rates and graphics. When compared playing demanding games, like Horizon Zero Dawn and Alan Wake 2, at 4k by Tech Critter, the RTX 3090 actually scored with slightly higher fps than the RTX 4070 Super, as well as being consistently matched at 1400p. 

Should you buy the RTX 4070 Super or RTX 3090?

Though very closely scored in regard to fps at 4K, the RTX 3090 has a higher power consumption which can result in more heat being produced while in use. As well, the RTX 3090 has a substantially larger price tag than that of the RTX 4070 Super. With an improved architecture and consistently good graphics and frame rates at nearly 50% less power consumption and a much lower price, something that is very important if you don’t want to be spending a fortune, I would suggest the RTX 4070 Super is the better choice. Less power consumption means less risk of overheating, and with it being a newer model, it’s likely your RTX 4070 Super will last longer as well. 

How much will the RTX 4070 Super cost?

Available to buy January 17 2024, the RTX 4070 Super prices start at $599 /£472.16.

Is the RTX 3090 still worth it?

The RTX 3090 may be overkill for casual gaming, but it offers high quality graphics at 4K with substantially higher fps than its predecessor. It is recommended for rendering, animating for video editing.