NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti vs NVIDIA RTX A4500 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti and NVIDIA RTX A4500 are both built on the Ampere architecture, but they target different segments of the market. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, with the RTX 3090 Ti holding a decisive lead across all recorded benchmarks. This analysis compares their raw compute capabilities, architectural configurations, and benchmark scores to determine which GPU is appropriate for specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a consistent and substantial victory for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti across all three tests. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 3090 Ti scores 5741, while the RTX A4500 scores 3196. This represents a delta of 79.6% in favor of the RTX 3090 Ti, making it the most significant single-test gap between the two cards.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a similar pattern, with the RTX 3090 Ti posting a score of 215633 against the RTX A4500’s 129980. The delta here is 65.9%, indicating that the RTX 3090 Ti’s advantage is not limited to a single API or workload type. The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the narrowest margin, but the RTX 3090 Ti still wins by 23%, scoring 174441 versus 141837.

When examining the average benchmark score, the RTX 3090 Ti achieves 131938, while the RTX A4500 manages 91671. The RTX 3090 Ti’s average score places it in the 95th percentile of all GPUs, whereas the RTX A4500 sits in the 93rd percentile. This percentile difference, while seemingly small, reflects a substantial gap in absolute performance.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 3090 Ti include the NVIDIA L4 with an average score of 131072 (0.7% lower), and the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation with a score of 135218 (2.4% higher). For the RTX A4500, its closest competitor is the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile with a score of 91134 (0.6% lower), followed by the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 at 92466 (0.9% higher). These rival relationships show that the RTX 3090 Ti competes with higher-end professional cards, while the RTX A4500 sits closer to mobile and mid-range workstation parts.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture, with the GA102 chip and an 8 nm process node from Samsung. They also have identical transistor counts of 28,300 million and the same die size of 628 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². However, the RTX 3090 Ti has been configured with significantly more enabled hardware.

The RTX 3090 Ti features 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. In comparison, the RTX A4500 has 7168 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. This represents a 50% increase in shading units and a 50% increase in TMUs for the RTX 3090 Ti, while the ROP count is 16.7% higher. The ray tracing core count is 84 for the RTX 3090 Ti versus 56 for the RTX A4500, and the tensor core count is 336 versus 224, maintaining the same proportional difference.

The clock speeds differ substantially. The RTX 3090 Ti runs at a base clock of 1560 MHz and a boost clock of 1860 MHz. The RTX A4500 operates at a much lower 1050 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost. This clock speed advantage, combined with the higher core counts, explains the large performance delta. The memory configuration also differs significantly. The RTX 3090 Ti uses 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, achieving a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The RTX A4500 uses 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus, providing 640.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) for the RTX 3090 Ti, versus 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) for the RTX A4500.

These architectural differences translate directly to compute throughput. The RTX 3090 Ti delivers 40.00 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RTX A4500 delivers 23.65 TFLOPS. Both cards support FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with their FP32 rates. The pixel rate is 208.3 GPixel/s for the RTX 3090 Ti and 158.4 GPixel/s for the RTX A4500, while the texture rate is 625.0 GTexel/s versus 369.6 GTexel/s.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has an average benchmark score of 131938, which is substantially higher than the RTX A4500’s average of 91671. The RTX 3090 Ti also ranks in the 95th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX A4500 ranks in the 93rd percentile.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3090 Ti in 3DMark Steel Nomad?

A: The RTX 3090 Ti scores 5741 in this test, compared to 3196 for the RTX A4500. This gives the RTX 3090 Ti a 79.6% performance advantage in this specific DX12 workload.

Q: What are the memory differences between the two cards?

A: The RTX 3090 Ti uses 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX A4500 has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, offering 640.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Are both cards based on the same chip?

A: Yes, both the RTX 3090 Ti and RTX A4500 use the GA102 chip, built on the Ampere architecture using an 8 nm process from Samsung. They share the same 28,300 million transistor count and 628 mm² die size.

Q: What is the FP32 compute performance of each card?

A: The RTX 3090 Ti achieves 40.00 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RTX A4500 achieves 23.65 TFLOPS. Both cards have FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio with their respective FP32 figures.

Q: Which GPU requires a more powerful power supply?

A: The RTX 3090 Ti has a TDP of 450 W and a suggested PSU of 850 W, requiring a single 16-pin power connector. The RTX A4500 has a TDP of 200 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, using a single 8-pin connector.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is the superior performer in every benchmark recorded. Its 79.6% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad and 65.9% lead in Geekbench Vulkan demonstrate a massive advantage in both synthetic and API-specific workloads. The RTX 3090 Ti offers more than double the FP32 compute of the RTX A4500 in terms of raw TFLOPS, and its memory subsystem provides 58% more bandwidth.

The RTX A4500, however, presents a more balanced profile for specific professional environments. Its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory is still substantial, and its 200 W TDP allows for a dual-slot form factor with a single 8-pin connector, making it far easier to integrate into dense workstation builds. The RTX 3090 Ti, by contrast, is a triple-slot card with a 450 W TDP and requires a 16-pin connector, which demands more physical space and cooling headroom.

For users prioritizing maximum raw performance, the RTX 3090 Ti is the obvious choice based on the benchmark data. It wins all three head-to-head tests and maintains a higher percentile ranking. For those constrained by power or physical space, the RTX A4500 offers a compelling alternative with 93rd percentile performance and lower system requirements. The RTX 3090 Ti’s average score of 131938 places it near the NVIDIA L4 and RTX 4000 Ada Generation, while the RTX A4500’s 91671 average aligns it with the RTX A4500 Mobile and AMD Radeon Instinct MI60.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specification fields. The RTX 3090 Ti has a base clock of 1560 MHz and a boost clock of 1860 MHz, while the RTX A4500 runs at 1050 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost. Memory type differs, with GDDR6X on the RTX 3090 Ti versus GDDR6 on the RTX A4500. Memory size is 24 GB versus 20 GB, and the bus width is 384 bit versus 320 bit. Memory bandwidth is 1.01 TB/s versus 640.0 GB/s.

The shading unit count is 10752 for the RTX 3090 Ti and 7168 for the RTX A4500. TMUs are 336 versus 224, and ROPs are 112 versus 96. Ray tracing cores are 84 versus 56, and tensor cores are 336 versus 224. The pixel rate is 208.3 GPixel/s versus 158.4 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 625.0 GTexel/s versus 369.6 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 40.00 TFLOPS versus 23.65 TFLOPS.

The TDP is 450 W for the RTX 3090 Ti and 200 W for the RTX A4500. Slot width is triple-slot versus dual-slot. Power connectors are 1x 16-pin versus 1x 8-pin, with suggested PSUs of 850 W and 550 W respectively. The RTX 3090 Ti measures 336 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width, while the RTX A4500 is 267 mm long and 112 mm high with no width specified. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for the RTX 3090 Ti, versus 4x DisplayPort 1.4a for the RTX A4500. The release date is January 2022 for the RTX 3090 Ti and November 2021 for the RTX A4500.