Best RTX 4090 GPU 2024 – our top 4090 graphics card models
New flagship, new selection, so which RTX 4090 GPU will you pick?
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As the new generation of cards with the RTX 4000 series comes out we look at the flagship with the best Nvidia RTX 4090 cards. With a great increase in performance from the new architecture, there is a lot of power in these. And that doesn’t come cheap in terms of both price and power. As it comes with a hefty price tag and upgrading its power connector. Which is the 12VHPWR new spec, part of the ATX 3.0 spec it increases the possible power from one cable to 600W.
So looking to get the most out of it, you will need a good power supply to go alongside it. Alongside good cooling and GPU support with its large power comes an even bigger cooling solution. This means heftier cards with a lot more heat coming from them. Yet this card has shown some of the best value of the generation. Both the RTX 4080 and 4070 Ti have not had as much success.
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01Best overall
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
- 02Runner up
MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 4090
- 03All-in-one
MSI Suprim Liquid X RTX 4090
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Best RTX 4090s
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
Core Clock Speed
2,640 MHz boost
CUDA Cores
16,384
Memory Size
24GB GDDR6X
Dimensions
357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm
PSU Required
1000W
TDP
450W
- Excellent air cooling solution
- Pushes performance above the rest of the selection
- Updated design cooling and aesthetically focused
- A more expensive choice over the rest of the picks and will cost a lot to run
One of the usual favorites takes the top spot on our list. It is the ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC. With an updated design it further improves upon its previous releases.
The design has become more rectangular and boxed off. But this will likely be down to rigidity. The shroud, frame, and backplate are diecast. Meaning as one structure it is stronger and is vented for airflow and heat dissipation. So it will help to prolong the life of the card long-term both with thermals and bending.
ROG has also improved the cooling of the card with an upgraded system. A new vapor chamber and milled heat spreader on the card to improve the solution. This aims to improve heat transfer and movement so it can dissipate quickly. This is from the three standard axial fans with improved airflow.
All of this does add up to a 3.5-slot size. The whole card comes with a 357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm sizing. However, it does accommodate its overclocked high TDP that will push it above the competition. While also recommending the use of a 1000W PSU to ensure the best performance.
You can read our full ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC review for a full evaluation.
MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 4090
MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 4090
Core Clock Speed
TBD
CUDA Cores
16,384
Memory Size
24GB GDDR6X
Dimensions
337 x 140 x 77 mm
PSU Required
850W
TDP
450W
- Updated cooling to adapt to the higher power rating
- Comes with a GPU support to help with the heavier build and prevent bending
- Strong design with a light feature
- A bit more of a dated design
Another proven card is our runner up the MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 4090. Although it may look the same overall, it does improve upon its previous designs as well. As the focus on cooling becomes more important. The now thicker card comes in measuring 337 x 140 x 77mm. But all for accommodations it’s Tri Frozr 3 thermal design. Starting off with the new Torx 5 fans to improve the air pressure through the heatsink.
Along with nickel-plated copper, it transfers the heat out of the die much more efficiently. As this is then transferred to the multitude of heat pipes in full contact. But even for all the extra cooling, there are acoustics in mind. The Wave Curved 2.0 deflectors and Air Antegrade fins optimize airflow and quieter acoustics.
For that, you also get the utilization of a dual BIOS so you can pick between performance or noise. It also features a rigid plate to minimize bending, along with plenty of thermal pads to improve the cooling of any extra components.
MSI Suprim Liquid X RTX 4090
MSI Suprim Liquid X RTX 4090
Core Clock Speed
TBD
CUDA Cores
16,384
Memory Size
24GB GDDR6X
Dimensions
Card: 280 x 140 x 43 mm, Rad: 274 x 121 x 55 mm
PSU Required
850W
TDP
450W
- Excellent cooling to give the card plenty of overhead
- Minimizes the card size to just 2 slots instead of usual 3.5
- A more premium design
- Have to consider where to mount radiator
- More moving parts that could fail
Now with such a higher power rating, we’d expect to see more liquid-cooled options. These have a much better time moving all that heat and can offer a bit of flexibility and size choices. With that, the best all-in-one RTX 4090 is the MSI Suprim Liquid X.
The Suprim line offers a more premium offering with higher quality materials and a bolder style. And one of its advantages is the much smaller card itself. Only measuring 280 x 140 x 43mm down to two slots. So you can fit the card in a much smaller case and motherboard. As long as you can fit the 240mm radiator in with the 470mm length tubes.
The card itself also has a Torx 5 fan on it to cool the extra components you may find in there not covered by the block. Whilst the fans on the radiator are more silence-orientated with gaskets on the corners. Then it also offers a strong stylish backplate for its more styled design. As well as durable PVC tubing that aims to improve the retention of its cooling liquid. Also, the micro-fin copper base transfers the heat of its components.
Zotac GeForce RTX 4090 Trinity
Zotac GeForce RTX 4090 Trinity
Core Clock Speed
Boost: 2,520 MHz
CUDA Cores
16,384
Memory Size
24GB GDDR6X
Dimensions
356.1 x 165.4 x 71.4 mm
PSU Required
1000W
TDP
450W
- Closest to MSRP for basic performance of the 4090
- Updated air cooled design with 360° cutouts to move air out
- More flowy and colorful design than others
- A more budget orientated product so will lack behind in performance
For a more budget-orientated product, we turn to Zotac. The Zotac Trinity offers the best budget option with the lowest price in mind. It gets you the most performance tier without anything extra on top so you can enjoy it for the best price. Another evolving design, the AIRO optimizes for improved airflow. This comes with its Icestorm 3 cooling system. Starting with its three 110mm channels for airflow, moving more air down to its heatsink.
Which is also a 3.5-slot behemoth to try to contain the power of the card. It also utilizes 9 precision machined heat pipes to move it all away from the die itself. Pulling it out from the custom vapor chamber. And it has plenty of cutouts for all that heat to escape from the card. Along with that, the rigidity is reinforced with a die-cast metal backplate to help the bending. But will also include a support stand which we are likely to see more of across the board. It also has plenty of RGB around to give you some color and customization.
How much better than the RTX 3090 is the RTX 4090?
The RTX 4090 boasts a significant performance boost over its predecessor. The RTX 4090 also comes with the latest DLSS 3 software, taking advantage of artificial intelligence to increase frame rates. The price difference is huge, however, when you start looking at benchmarks, the newest flagship looks incredibly worth it. It is capable of improving by over 50% at 4k, with the 1080p increasing by nearly 30%.
How do we choose and test the best RTX 4090?
Testing is an important part of the evaluation. As such we have a thorough process to work out how well the card performs and what it can achieve. So we put the cards through rigorous tests to ensure they perform up to snuff. With a load of tests, the performance of the card can be evaluated. But the thermal performance of the card is also seen to make sure it can keep up with what you’re putting it through.
With a good knowledge of the sector, we know what to look for in a card. As well as what to expect from different products and manufacturers. As well as bringing together other reviews so we can provide good recommendations. You can check our how we test GPUs page for a more in-depth explanation.
Best RTX 4090: Buying tips
Picking out one of the many choices can be a difficult task, with so many differences between them. So with that in mind, we outline the key features to look out for when comparing the different cards.
Cooling solutions
One of the biggest differences between AIB cards is the custom cooling solution they will use. As they get the PCBs from Nvidia, they then produce the final cards you see. These can determine the best RTX 4090 for you to get. The new graphics card has a power rating of 450W. Which is similar to the RTX 3090 Ti and that itself was a very large card. And the Founder’s Edition for the 4090 is by default 3-slots big. This then means any other options will most likely be even bigger and different.
So comparing the cards, there will be choices from either air cooling or water cooling. So you have to consider either a chunky fan-filled choice. Or pick a liquid-cooled one that may fail but a much smaller card that is likely to have the best cooling and potential.
Dimensions
Another factor when considering the RTX 4090, is the dimensions of the card. This is an important factor when you’re planning a particular build. Such as if you have a smaller case, a bigger card will have trouble fitting in.
The Founder’s Edition is a 3-slot (61mm) card, also with a length of 304mm and a width of 137mm. And we expect any other air-cooled choice to be even bigger. So then you have to worry about GPU sag and how much weight that card provides. Although you can consider the water-cooled offers which will usually cut the card down to just two slots. But comes with a cumbersome radiator and fans to fit into your build.
Price
Although the RTX 4090 has a set MSRP from Nvidia there can be some variation. It has set with a cost of $1,599USD/£1,679 at launch. So we’d expect to see most of them be priced close to that.
Although there are factors that will likely increase the asking price of some of the cards. Some options will come overclocked and with higher performance so automatically differ and come as a premium. Others have cooling solutions like liquid and quality to add to the card and also make it more premium. So they can add an additional $100-200 on top.
Final word
So there is a list of the best RTX 4090s. There are plenty of different options to pick from depending on which area of the card you’re aiming for. So you have plenty of picks right now but likely more coming for the flagship. With this, you will get to enjoy DLSS 3 and much higher performance across the board.
There are stock issues currently for the 4090, with no stock or scalped prices. So it might be a better pick to look for older gen hardware for better pricing and slightly lower performance. But there are also the options for lower-end cards that might be a better choice as well when they come out.
Other GPU guides
Best RTX 4090 FAQ
Which version of RTX 4090 is best?
In our rankings, we have a few options in terms of the best RTX 4090s. So all round best we have the ASUS ROG Strix OC. For the runner up we have the MSI Gaming X Trio. Whilst the best all-in-one is the MSI Suprim. With INNO3D iChill Frostbite taking the best-waterblocked card that can be added to your loop. Whereas for the best budget we have the ZOTAC Trinity OC.
How much is an RTX 4090?
The MSRP of the RTX 4090 is $1,599 USD/£1,679/€1,949. Although the price of some cards will vary from that.
Which 4090 is the fastest?
The Colorful iGame RTX 4090 Neptune OC boasts the fastest boost clock of the custom RTX 4090 models. With its liquid cooler, it can reach a boost of up to 2,640 MHz, which is 5% higher than the reference model.
Is RTX 4090 loud?
The loudness of the card will depend on which custom model of the card you pick from. Although with the thickness of the 4090, you’re unlikely to see it spin up too high. As just the heatsink will allow a lot of heat away. With the fans moving it away so unless you get coil whine or a poor model you shouldn’t really hear it.
Is the RTX 4090 good for gaming?
The card is in fact the top choice for gaming currently. It is a gaming card and it is at the top of the leaderboard, but it is an expensive choice so might not be worth it to you.
Is the RTX 4090 worth it?
Seeing if the card is worth it to you depends on a lot of factors. But from our RTX 4090 review we have determined for its price and performance it is a good choice. With a large boost over the previous generation, it creates a much better value for performance. Especially compared to the rest of current lineup.
