NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents an unusual pairing: the RTX 4010 is an active, shipping product with a measured benchmark score, while the RTX 5090 SE has no benchmark entries and an average score of zero. The database shows the RTX 4010 at the 18th percentile among all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2893, placing it within 1% of several near-neighbor cards. The RTX 5090 SE sits at the 50th percentile placeholder, but with zero recorded measurements, its percentile is not derived from actual performance data.

For users selecting between these two, the data only supports one clear choice: the RTX 4010 is the only card with verified benchmark results. The RTX 5090 SE, despite its larger memory pool and newer architecture, has no recorded performance scores in the database. Any workload requiring immediate, measured performance would rely solely on the RTX 4010’s confirmed results. The RTX 5090 SE’s specifications suggest a far more capable part, but without benchmark data, its real-world standing remains unquantified.

Architecture Differences

The two cards belong to entirely different architectural generations and manufacturing processes. The RTX 4010 uses the GA107 chip based on Ampere architecture, fabricated on Samsung’s 8 nm process. It contains 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm². The RTX 5090 SE uses the GB202 chip based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process. It packs 92,200 million transistors onto a 750 mm² die, with a density of 122.9 million per mm². The density difference, roughly 2.8 times higher on the newer part, reflects the process node advancement.

Clock behavior differs substantially. The RTX 4010 has a base clock of 1417 MHz and a boost clock of 1762 MHz. The RTX 5090 SE runs at 1740 MHz base and 2377 MHz boost. Memory clocks also diverge: the RTX 4010 uses 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective data rate, while the RTX 5090 SE uses 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective. The memory type changes from GDDR6 on the older card to GDDR7 on the newer one.

Core counts scale dramatically. The RTX 4010 has 768 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units. The RTX 5090 SE has 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, and 160 ROPs. Ray tracing cores increase from 6 on the RTX 4010 to 110 on the RTX 5090 SE. Tensor cores jump from 24 to 440. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

Power and physical design differ greatly. The RTX 4010 has a 50 W TDP, is single-slot, and requires no external power connectors. The RTX 5090 SE has a 500 W TDP, is dual-slot, and uses a single 16-pin connector. The suggested power supply scales from 250 W on the older card to 900 W on the newer one. The RTX 4010 measures 163 mm in length and 69 mm in height, while the RTX 5090 SE measures 267 mm by 111 mm with a 40 mm width. The RTX 4010 uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RTX 5090 SE uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the RTX 4010 has four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the RTX 5090 SE has one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Where Each One Wins

Based solely on recorded data, the RTX 4010 wins in every measurable category because it has a benchmark score and the RTX 5090 SE has none. The RTX 4010 delivers a verified 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 2893, while the RTX 5090 SE has zero recorded benchmark scores. This makes the RTX 4010 the only card with proven performance in the database.

However, specification-level comparisons indicate where the RTX 5090 SE would likely dominate if benchmarked. Its FP32 throughput of 66.94 TFLOPS versus 2.706 TFLOPS on the RTX 4010 represents a 24.7 times higher compute ceiling. Texture rate is 1,045.9 GTexel/s versus 42.29 GTexel/s, a 24.7 times difference. Pixel rate is 380.3 GPixel/s versus 28.19 GPixel/s, a 13.5 times difference. Memory bandwidth is 1.34 TB/s versus 96.00 GB/s, a 14 times difference. Memory capacity is 24 GB versus 4 GB, a six times difference.

For workloads like 4K gaming, high-resolution rendering, or large model inference, the RTX 5090 SE’s specifications clearly point to superior capability. For low-power, compact, or passively cooled environments, the RTX 4010’s 50 W TDP and single-slot design with no power connectors present a distinct advantage. The RTX 4010’s 163 mm length fits smaller chassis, while the RTX 5090 SE requires more space and a robust power supply.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher measured benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4010 has a recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2893. The RTX 5090 SE has no recorded benchmark scores in the database.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The RTX 4010 has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 5090 SE has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 5090 SE has a boost clock of 2377 MHz, compared to the RTX 4010’s boost clock of 1762 MHz.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The RTX 4010 has a TDP of 50 W, while the RTX 5090 SE has a TDP of 500 W.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RTX 5090 SE has 110 ray tracing cores, while the RTX 4010 has 6.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark table is empty. No direct comparison tests exist between the RTX 4010 and the RTX 5090 SE. The only benchmark score in the entire dataset belongs to the RTX 4010: 2893 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This score places the RTX 4010 at the 18th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB with an average score of 2907 (0.5% higher), the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF with 2910 (0.6% higher), the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB with 2913 (0.7% higher), and the Quadro P600 with 2923 (1.0% higher). These deltas are all within 1%, indicating the RTX 4010 performs nearly identically to those cards in this specific test.

The RTX 5090 SE has no benchmark entries, no average score, and no nearest rivals listed. Its percentile of 50 appears to be a default or unverified placeholder rather than a measured result. Consequently, the head-to-head comparison yields no wins for either card (winsA: 0, winsB: 0), because no paired tests exist.

Given the specification gap, one could project that the RTX 5090 SE would outperform the RTX 4010 by a wide margin on any compute-heavy benchmark. The FP32 throughput difference alone (66.94 TFLOPS versus 2.706 TFLOPS) suggests a 24.7 times advantage in raw shader compute. Memory bandwidth at 1.34 TB/s versus 96.00 GB/s indicates a 14 times advantage in data throughput. However, these are projections from specifications, not measured results. The database contains no evidence of actual RTX 5090 SE performance.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Ampere | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 8,700 million | 92,200 million |

| Die Size | 200 mm² | 750 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 43.5M / mm² | 122.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1417 MHz | 1740 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1762 MHz | 2377 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz | 1750 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 24 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR7 |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 96.00 GB/s | 1.34 TB/s |

| Shading Units | 768 | 14,080 |

| TMUs | 24 | 440 |

| ROPs | 16 | 160 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 6 | 110 |

| Tensor Cores | 24 | 440 |

| Pixel Rate | 28.19 GPixel/s | 380.3 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 42.29 GTexel/s | 1,045.9 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 2.706 TFLOPS | 66.94 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 2.706 TFLOPS | 66.94 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 50 W | 500 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 16-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | 900 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b |

| Length | 163 mm | 267 mm |

| Height | 69 mm | 111 mm |

| Width | Not specified | 40 mm |

| Release Date | 2024-04-15 | 2025-12-31 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 30 | GeForce 40 |

| Successor | GeForce 50 | GeForce 60 |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | 1,499 USD |

The two cards share identical API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4) and both are marked as Active in production status. The RTX 4010 is the older release by about 20 months. The RTX 5090 SE carries a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD, while the RTX 4010 has no listed launch price. The RTX 4010’s lack of power connectors and 50 W TDP make it suitable for systems with minimal power delivery, while the RTX 5090 SE demands a 900 W power supply and a 16-pin connector. The bus interface difference (PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 5.0 x16) also affects bandwidth to the host system, though no benchmark data quantifies that impact.