NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single direct comparison between these two cards, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. In that benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 scores 18,355 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 SUPER scores 2,690 points. The delta is stark: the RTX 5090 leads by 85.3 percent. This is not a marginal gap but a full tier of separation in raw graphics throughput.

The RTX 5090 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute against the RTX 5070 SUPER's 32.15 TFLOPS. That is more than a threefold advantage in raw shader math. The pixel rate follows a similar trajectory: 423.6 GPixel/s for the RTX 5090 versus 201.0 GPixel/s for the RTX 5070 SUPER. Texture rate shows an even wider chasm, 1,636.8 GTexel/s versus 502.4 GTexel/s, which translates directly to the fill-rate pressure each card can sustain at high resolutions.

The RTX 5090 also holds a commanding lead in memory bandwidth, 1.79 TB/s against 672.0 GB/s. Combined with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory versus 18 GB, the RTX 5090 can feed its substantially larger shader array without bottlenecking. The RTX 5070 SUPER's narrower 192-bit bus and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for its 6,400 shading units, but the RTX 5090's 512-bit bus and 1.79 TB/s are in another class entirely.

Interestingly, the RTX 5070 SUPER runs at a higher boost clock, 2512 MHz versus 2407 MHz for the RTX 5090. It also has a higher base clock at 2325 MHz versus 2017 MHz. Yet clock speed alone cannot compensate for the RTX 5090's raw resource advantage: 21,760 shading units versus 6,400, 680 texture mapping units versus 200, 176 ROPs versus 80, 170 ray tracing cores versus 50, and 680 tensor cores versus 200. The RTX 5070 SUPER's higher clocks are a sign of efficiency, but the RTX 5090's sheer scale dominates in every measured workload.

The RTX 5090's average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 79,842, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs in the database. The RTX 5070 SUPER's average is 2,690, which lands in the 18th percentile. That percentile gap of 74 points is a direct reflection of the performance chasm visible in the Steel Nomad result.

The Verdict

From the data, the RTX 5090 is the unambiguous performance leader. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and its broader benchmark suite confirms consistency: Geekbench OpenCL at 334,370, Vulkan at 376,728, Passmark G3D at 39,650, and Passmark GPU Compute at 26,756. The RTX 5070 SUPER has no recorded wins in any category. The RTX 5090 sits at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5070 SUPER sits at the 18th percentile. In terms of raw capability, these are not adjacent products; they are separated by several performance classes.

However, the RTX 5090 is also a much larger physical and power envelope. It draws 575 W TDP versus 275 W for the RTX 5070 SUPER, requires a 950 W suggested PSU, and measures 304 mm in length versus 245 mm. The RTX 5090 launched at 1,999 USD (launch MSRP), while the RTX 5070 SUPER has no recorded launch price. The RTX 5070 SUPER's lower TDP and shorter length make it a more flexible fit for constrained chassis, but the data does not show any performance scenario where it overtakes the RTX 5090.

The verdict is straightforward for anyone prioritizing raw performance: the RTX 5090 is the only choice based on the recorded benchmarks. For those who need less absolute performance but a smaller footprint and lower power draw, the RTX 5070 SUPER presents a viable alternative, yet its 18th percentile standing means it will struggle in the same high-end workloads where the RTX 5090 excels.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5090 wins every recorded benchmark category where both cards have data. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it is 85.3 percent ahead. Its compute scores across Geekbench and Passmark are uniformly high, with no single weak point visible in the records. The RTX 5090 also has a massive memory advantage: 32 GB versus 18 GB, and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth versus 672.0 GB/s. That combination matters for large datasets, high-resolution textures, and compute workloads that exceed 18 GB of video memory.

The RTX 5070 SUPER has no benchmark wins in the database. Its advantage, if any, lies in operational characteristics rather than measured performance. It runs at a higher boost clock (2512 MHz versus 2407 MHz) and a higher base clock (2325 MHz versus 2017 MHz), which suggests better clock-for-clock efficiency on the smaller GB205 chip. It also consumes 275 W versus 575 W, making it a more power-efficient design per watt. Its 263 mm² die size versus 750 mm² and 31,100 million transistors versus 92,200 million indicate a much smaller and cheaper silicon footprint.

For use-case split: the RTX 5090 is the card for 4K and beyond, heavy ray tracing (170 RT cores versus 50), and any workload that can use 32 GB of VRAM. The RTX 5070 SUPER is a card for 1080p or 1440p gaming where its 6,400 shading units and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, and where its 245 mm length fits easily into smaller cases. The RTX 5090's 304 mm length and dual-slot width with a 950 W PSU requirement are real constraints, but the data shows no performance penalty for those requirements.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842 across all recorded tests, while the RTX 5070 SUPER has an average of 2,690 from a single test.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the head-to-head test?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 5090 scores 18,355 versus 2,690 for the RTX 5070 SUPER, a lead of 85.3 percent.

Q: Do the cards use the same architecture?

A: Both use the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and are built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but they use different chips: GB205 for the RTX 5070 SUPER and GB202 for the RTX 5090.

Q: What are the memory differences?

A: The RTX 5070 SUPER has 18 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RTX 5090 has 170 RT cores, while the RTX 5070 SUPER has 50 RT cores.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The RTX 5070 SUPER has a TDP of 275 W, while the RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575 W and a suggested PSU of 950 W.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and the same 5 nm TSMC process node, but they are fundamentally different silicon. The RTX 5070 SUPER uses the GB205 chip with 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 118.3M per mm². The RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, achieving a slightly higher density of 122.9M per mm². The RTX 5090's die is nearly three times larger in area and holds roughly three times the transistors.

The shading array scales proportionally: 6,400 shading units on the RTX 5070 SUPER versus 21,760 on the RTX 5090. Texture mapping units are 200 versus 680, and ROPs are 80 versus 176. Ray tracing cores are 50 versus 170, and tensor cores are 200 versus 680. The RTX 5090 has 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, which is 3.4 times the RTX 5070 SUPER's count in both categories. This makes the RTX 5090 substantially more capable for ray-traced workloads and AI-accelerated compute, assuming the software scales with core count.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and both use a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface. The RTX 5090 lists a predecessor (GeForce 40) and successor (GeForce 60), while the RTX 5070 SUPER has no recorded predecessor or successor. Both cards use dual-slot cooling and a single 16-pin power connector. The RTX 5090's display outputs are listed as "1x HDMI 2.1b3x DisplayPort 2.1b" while the RTX 5070 SUPER has "1x HDMI 2.1b 3x DisplayPort 2.1b", which may indicate a formatting difference rather than a functional one.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every major specification. Clock speeds: the RTX 5070 SUPER has a base clock of 2325 MHz and boost of 2512 MHz, while the RTX 5090 has a base of 2017 MHz and boost of 2407 MHz. The RTX 5070 SUPER runs faster, but the RTX 5090 has far more cores. Memory: 18 GB versus 32 GB, both GDDR7, but the bus width is 192-bit versus 512-bit, and bandwidth is 672.0 GB/s versus 1.79 TB/s.

Compute throughput: FP32 is 32.15 TFLOPS for the RTX 5070 SUPER and 104.8 TFLOPS for the RTX 5090, with FP16 at the same 1:1 ratio for both. Pixel rate is 201.0 GPixel/s versus 423.6 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 502.4 GTexel/s versus 1,636.8 GTexel/s. Power: 275 W TDP versus 575 W TDP, with the RTX 5090 requiring a 950 W suggested PSU while the RTX 5070 SUPER has no recorded PSU suggestion.

Physical dimensions: the RTX 5070 SUPER is 245 mm long, 115 mm tall, and 40 mm wide. The RTX 5090 is 304 mm long, 137 mm tall, and 40 mm wide. Both are dual-slot and use one 16-pin power connector. The RTX 5090's release date is 2025-01-29, while the RTX 5070 SUPER's is 2025-12-31. The RTX 5090 has a launch MSRP of 1,999 USD; the RTX 5070 SUPER has no recorded launch MSRP. The RTX 5090's production status is Active, and the RTX 5070 SUPER's is also Active. The RTX 5090 sits at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, the RTX 5070 SUPER at the 18th percentile.