NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a single direct comparison between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. The RTX 4090 D delivers a score of 8587, while the RTX 5080 SUPER records 3075. This translates to a delta of 179.3%, meaning the RTX 4090 D outperforms the RTX 5080 SUPER by nearly three times in this specific workload. The RTX 4090 D wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, with the win count standing at 1 for the RTX 4090 D and 0 for the RTX 5080 SUPER.

The average benchmark score further reinforces this gap. The RTX 4090 D holds an average score of 178050 across all recorded tests, whereas the RTX 5080 SUPER averages 3075. The RTX 4090 D sits at the 98th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the RTX 5080 SUPER sits at the 19th percentile. That percentile gap is enormous, indicating that the RTX 4090 D belongs to the top tier of graphics hardware, while the RTX 5080 SUPER ranks among lower-performing entries in the same database.

When examining nearest rivals, the RTX 4090 D is compared against professional and data center cards. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell averages 182109, which is 2.2% higher than the RTX 4090 D. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB averages 183725, 3.1% higher. The NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation averages 184664, 3.6% higher. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB averages 187147, 4.9% higher. The RTX 4090 D trails these four cards by small margins, all within 5%, which places it in the same performance neighborhood as those professional accelerators. The RTX 5080 SUPER, by contrast, is bracketed by much weaker hardware. The NVIDIA Quadro P1000 averages 3163, 2.8% higher. The Intel Arc Pro B60 averages 3182, 3.4% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce 820A averages 2983, 3.1% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M averages 2967, 3.6% lower. The RTX 5080 SUPER sits between these older and low-end cards, with deltas of only a few percentage points in either direction.

The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4090 D is a high-performance part with scores that rival professional workstation GPUs. The RTX 5080 SUPER, despite being a newer generation product, does not show competitive strength in the recorded data. The 179.3% delta in the head-to-head test is the clearest signal: the RTX 4090 D is the dominant performer in this pairing.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4090 D wins decisively in raw compute and graphics workloads. Its 14592 shading units, 456 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units far exceed the RTX 5080 SUPER's 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The FP32 performance of the RTX 4090 D is 73.54 TFLOPS, compared to 56.28 TFLOPS for the RTX 5080 SUPER. That is a substantial lead in general-purpose shader work. The RTX 4090 D also produces a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,149.1 GTexel/s, while the RTX 5080 SUPER delivers 293.1 GPixel/s and 879.3 GTexel/s. For any workload that stresses fill rate, the RTX 4090 D has the advantage.

The RTX 5080 SUPER wins in specific architectural features that favor newer technology. It uses GDDR7 memory with a 256-bit bus, achieving 1.02 TB/s of bandwidth, which is marginally higher than the RTX 4090 D's 1.01 TB/s from GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus. The RTX 5080 SUPER also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, double the bandwidth of the RTX 4090 D's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. Display outputs differ as well: the RTX 5080 SUPER offers 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the RTX 4090 D has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The newer DisplayPort standard on the RTX 5080 SUPER could matter for high refresh rate monitors.

The RTX 5080 SUPER also has a lower thermal design power at 415 W versus 425 W for the RTX 4090 D, and it is a dual-slot card compared to the triple-slot RTX 4090 D. The RTX 5080 SUPER measures 40 mm in width versus 61 mm for the RTX 4090 D, making it easier to fit in compact cases. Both cards share the same length of 304 mm and height of 137 mm, so the width is the main physical difference.

For memory capacity, both cards offer 24 GB, but the RTX 4090 D uses GDDR6X while the RTX 5080 SUPER uses GDDR7. The RTX 5080 SUPER has a higher effective memory clock of 32 Gbps versus 21 Gbps for the RTX 4090 D, yet the bandwidth ends up nearly identical because the RTX 4090 D has a wider 384-bit bus. The RTX 4090 D has 114 RT cores and 456 tensor cores, while the RTX 5080 SUPER has 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores. For ray tracing and AI workloads, the RTX 4090 D has more dedicated hardware.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 4090 D is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It contains 76,300 million transistors on a die size of 609 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 125.3 million per square millimeter. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB203 chip, also on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but with 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, giving a density of 120.6 million per square millimeter. The RTX 4090 D has a much larger die and more transistors, explaining its higher compute throughput.

The memory subsystem differs significantly. The RTX 4090 D uses 24 GB of GDDR6X with a 384-bit bus and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses 24 GB of GDDR7 with a 256-bit bus and 1.02 TB/s bandwidth. The newer GDDR7 memory operates at a higher effective speed of 32 Gbps, while the GDDR6X on the RTX 4090 D runs at 21 Gbps effective. The net bandwidth is almost the same, but the memory technology generation is different.

The bus interface also differs. The RTX 4090 D uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RTX 5080 SUPER uses PCIe 5.0 x16. This gives the newer card twice the theoretical bus bandwidth, which can matter for data transfer to and from the CPU in certain workloads. Display outputs are another differentiator: the RTX 4090 D has HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RTX 5080 SUPER has HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 2.1b.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical. The power connectors are the same, with both using a single 16-pin connector. The RTX 4090 D has a suggested PSU of 800 W, while the RTX 5080 SUPER does not have a listed suggested PSU in the database. The RTX 4090 D is triple-slot and end-of-life, having been released in December 2023, while the RTX 5080 SUPER is dual-slot, active in production, and slated for release at the end of 2025. The RTX 4090 D belongs to the GeForce 40 generation with the Ada Lovelace architecture, and its successor is the GeForce 50 generation, which includes the RTX 5080 SUPER.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D has an average benchmark score of 178050, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER has an average score of 3075.

Q: What is the performance difference in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RTX 4090 D scores 8587, and the RTX 5080 SUPER scores 3075, giving the RTX 4090 D a 179.3% advantage.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: Both cards have 24 GB of memory. The RTX 4090 D uses GDDR6X with a 384-bit bus and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 5080 SUPER uses GDDR7 with a 256-bit bus and 1.02 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the core counts for each GPU?

A: The RTX 4090 D has 14592 shading units, 456 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 114 RT cores, and 456 tensor cores. The RTX 5080 SUPER has 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 84 RT cores, and 336 tensor cores.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has a boost clock of 2617 MHz, while the RTX 4090 D has a boost clock of 2520 MHz.

Q: What is the physical size difference?

A: Both cards are 304 mm long and 137 mm tall. The RTX 4090 D is 61 mm wide and triple-slot, while the RTX 5080 SUPER is 40 mm wide and dual-slot.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D for raw performance. Its 179.3% lead in the only head-to-head benchmark, its 98th percentile ranking, and its average score of 178050 versus 3075 for the RTX 5080 SUPER make it the obvious choice for anyone prioritizing compute power. The RTX 4090 D also has more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores, along with higher FP32 throughput of 73.54 TFLOPS versus 56.28 TFLOPS. It delivers higher pixel and texture rates as well.

The RTX 5080 SUPER, however, offers advantages in newer technology. It uses GDDR7 memory, supports PCIe 5.0 x16, has DisplayPort 2.1b outputs, and runs at a lower 415 W TDP with a dual-slot form factor that is 21 mm thinner than the RTX 4090 D. Its boost clock is higher at 2617 MHz versus 2520 MHz. For users who need the latest display connectivity, a smaller physical footprint, or the PCIe 5.0 interface, the RTX 5080 SUPER has specific merits.

The percentile rankings tell the story: the RTX 4090 D sits at the 98th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5080 SUPER sits at the 19th percentile. The nearest rivals for the RTX 4090 D are professional cards like the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell and A100 SXM4, all within 5% of its average score. The nearest rivals for the RTX 5080 SUPER are much weaker, including the Quadro P1000 and GeForce GTX 860M, all within 4% of its score. This places the two cards in entirely different performance tiers.

For high-end gaming, rendering, or compute tasks, the RTX 4090 D is the stronger option based on the recorded data. For users constrained by physical space or seeking the newest interface standards, the RTX 5080 SUPER offers those specific features, but the performance gap is too large to ignore.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs:

• Architecture: Ada Lovelace (RTX 4090 D) versus Blackwell 2.0 (RTX 5080 SUPER)
• Chip: AD102 versus GB203
• Transistors: 76,300 million versus 45,600 million
• Die Size: 609 mm² versus 378 mm²
• Transistor Density: 125.3M / mm² versus 120.6M / mm²
• Base Clock: 2280 MHz versus 2295 MHz
• Boost Clock: 2520 MHz versus 2617 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1313 MHz, 21 Gbps effective versus 2000 MHz, 32 Gbps effective
• Memory Type: GDDR6X versus GDDR7
• Bus Width: 384 bit versus 256 bit
• Bandwidth: 1.01 TB/s versus 1.02 TB/s
• Shading Units: 14592 versus 10752
• TMUs: 456 versus 336
• ROPs: 176 versus 112
• RT Cores: 114 versus 84
• Tensor Cores: 456 versus 336
• Pixel Rate: 443.5 GPixel/s versus 293.1 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 1,149.1 GTexel/s versus 879.3 GTexel/s
• FP32: 73.54 TFLOPS versus 56.28 TFLOPS
• FP16: 73.54 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 56.28 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 425 W versus 415 W
• Slot Width: Triple-slot versus Dual-slot
• Suggested PSU: 800 W versus not listed
• Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x16 versus PCIe 5.0 x16
• Display Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b
• Width: 61 mm versus 40 mm
• Production Status: End-of-life versus Active
• Release Date: 2023-12-27 versus 2025-12-31
• Launch MSRP: 1,599 USD versus 999 USD
• Benchmark Scores: 3DMark Steel Nomad 8587 versus 3075; Geekbench OpenCL 278621 versus not recorded; Geekbench Vulkan 246941 versus not recorded
• Average Benchmark Score: 178050 versus 3075
• Percentile: 98 versus 19