NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 vs NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 represent two vastly different eras of GPU design, separated by nearly seven years of architectural evolution. The Quadro RTX 4000 is an end-of-life workstation card built on the 12nm Turing architecture, while the RTX 5090 D V2 is an active, top-tier GeForce card built on the 5nm Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The benchmark data available shows a single head-to-head comparison, but the specification sheets reveal a generational chasm in nearly every measurable category. Here is how the data breaks down for builders deciding between these two very different NVIDIA offerings.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5090 D V2 wins the only direct benchmark comparison in the data, and it does so decisively. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 5090 D V2 scores 16,504 points, while the Quadro RTX 4000 manages just 1,873 points. This represents a delta of -88.7% from the perspective of the Quadro RTX 4000, meaning the newer card is roughly 8.8 times faster in this specific workload. There are no benchmark wins recorded for the Quadro RTX 4000; the winsA field is 0, while winsB is 1.

However, the Quadro RTX 4000 has a broader set of benchmark results in the fact pack, which allows for a more nuanced view of its capabilities. It has an average benchmark score of 17,789 across multiple tests, including Geekbench OpenCL (74,540), Geekbench Vulkan (78,844), and Passmark G3D (15,117). The RTX 5090 D V2 only has a single benchmark entry, which is the 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 16,504. When comparing average scores, the Quadro RTX 4000's 17,789 average is actually 7.8% higher than the RTX 5090 D V2's standalone score, though this is likely due to the different test suites used.

In terms of market positioning, the Quadro RTX 4000 sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5090 D V2 is at the 59th percentile. This is a surprising result given the raw performance disparity in the head-to-head test, but it reflects how the single Steel Nomad result for the RTX 5090 D V2 impacts its percentile ranking. The Quadro RTX 4000's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (0.7% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (0.9% ahead), and the AMD Radeon 780M (1.1% ahead). The RTX 5090 D V2's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA T400 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (0.5% behind), and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (0.6% behind).

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is profound. The Quadro RTX 4000 uses the TU104 chip built on Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12nm process at TSMC. It contains 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 25.0 million transistors per mm². The RTX 5090 D V2 uses the GB202 chip built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5nm process at TSMC. It contains 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 122.9 million transistors per mm². That is roughly 4.9 times the transistor density of the older card, and 6.8 times the total transistor count.

The RTX 5090 D V2 also has a significantly more advanced memory subsystem. The Quadro RTX 4000 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 416.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5090 D V2 features 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth. That is 3 times the memory capacity and 3.2 times the memory bandwidth.

Compute resources follow the same pattern. The Quadro RTX 4000 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, 64 ROPs, 36 RT cores, and 288 tensor cores. The RTX 5090 D V2 has 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. The newer card has 9.4 times the shading units, 4.7 times the TMUs, 2.75 times the ROPs, 4.7 times the RT cores, and 2.4 times the tensor cores.

The FP32 compute throughput tells a similar story: the Quadro RTX 4000 delivers 7.119 TFLOPS, while the RTX 5090 D V2 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS. That is a 14.7-fold increase. FP16 performance also differs dramatically, with the Quadro offering 14.24 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) and the RTX 5090 D V2 offering 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark in the data is the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. The RTX 5090 D V2 scores 16,504, while the Quadro RTX 4000 scores 1,873. This is an 88.7% advantage for the newer card, meaning the RTX 5090 D V2 delivers roughly 8.8 times the performance of the Quadro RTX 4000 in this synthetic DirectX 12 workload.

This single result is stark, but it is worth interpreting within the context of the other data. The Quadro RTX 4000's Geekbench scores are much closer to its Vulkan and OpenCL results, suggesting a more balanced profile across different API types. Its average benchmark score of 17,789 is actually higher than the RTX 5090 D V2's Steel Nomad score, but the RTX 5090 D V2's average is based solely on that one test. If the RTX 5090 D V2 were to run the same Geekbench and Passmark suites as the Quadro RTX 4000, the results would likely be even more lopsided given the massive differences in raw compute resources.

The deltaPct of -88.7% for the Quadro RTX 4000 is the only comparative metric available, and it clearly indicates a generational loss. For perspective, the Quadro RTX 4000's nearest rivals in the overall database are all within 1.4% of its average score, while the RTX 5090 D V2's nearest rivals are within 0.9%. This suggests the RTX 5090 D V2 is competing in a different performance tier entirely, despite its lower percentile ranking.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 scores 16,504 points, which is 88.7% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000's score of 1,873 points. This is the only direct head-to-head benchmark available in the data.

Q: How much memory does each card have and what type?

A: The Quadro RTX 4000 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 416.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 D V2 has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus with 1.34 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each card?

A: The Quadro RTX 4000 has an average benchmark score of 17,789 across multiple tests, including Geekbench OpenCL (74,540) and Passmark G3D (15,117). The RTX 5090 D V2 has an average benchmark score of 16,504, based solely on its Steel Nomad result.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 5090 D V2 has a transistor density of 122.9 million transistors per mm² on a 5nm process, while the Quadro RTX 4000 has 25.0 million transistors per mm² on a 12nm process. The newer card packs 92,200 million transistors versus 13,600 million for the older card.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Quadro RTX 4000 has a TDP of 160 W and requires a 450 W power supply, using a single 8-pin connector. The RTX 5090 D V2 has a TDP of 575 W and requires a 950 W power supply, using a single 16-pin connector.

Q: Which card has better API support?

A: Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. However, the RTX 5090 D V2 uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the Quadro RTX 4000 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every specification field. The Quadro RTX 4000 uses a 12nm process node with a 545 mm² die size, while the RTX 5090 D V2 uses a 5nm process node with a 750 mm² die size. Transistor counts are 13,600 million versus 92,200 million, respectively.

Clock speeds differ significantly: the Quadro RTX 4000 has a base clock of 1005 MHz and a boost clock of 1545 MHz, while the RTX 5090 D V2 has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. Memory clocks are 1625 MHz (13 Gbps effective) for the Quadro and 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) for the RTX 5090 D V2.

The memory configuration is another major differentiator: the Quadro RTX 4000 has 8 GB GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus and 416.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 5090 D V2 has 24 GB GDDR7 with a 384-bit bus and 1.34 TB/s bandwidth. Shading units are 2,304 versus 21,760; TMUs are 144 versus 680; ROPs are 64 versus 176; RT cores are 36 versus 170; tensor cores are 288 versus 680.

Pixel rate is 98.88 GPixel/s for the Quadro and 423.6 GPixel/s for the RTX 5090 D V2. Texture rate is 222.5 GTexel/s versus 1,636.8 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 7.119 TFLOPS versus 104.8 TFLOPS. FP16 compute is 14.24 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1).

TDP is 160 W versus 575 W, and slot width is single-slot versus dual-slot. Power connectors are 1x 8-pin versus 1x 16-pin, and suggested PSU is 450 W versus 950 W. Bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are 3x DisplayPort 1.4a plus 1x USB Type-C for the Quadro, versus 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 3x DisplayPort 2.1b for the RTX 5090 D V2.

Dimensions also differ: the Quadro is 241 mm (9.5 inches) long and 111 mm (4.4 inches) high, while the RTX 5090 D V2 is 304 mm (12 inches) long, 137 mm (5.4 inches) high, and 48 mm (1.9 inches) wide. The Quadro was released on 2018-11-12, while the RTX 5090 D V2 was released on 2025-08-14. The Quadro is end-of-life, while the RTX 5090 D V2 is active.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion for most builders: the RTX 5090 D V2 is the superior performer in the only head-to-head test available, with an 88.7% advantage in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute, 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, and 1.34 TB/s bandwidth dwarf the Quadro RTX 4000's 7.119 TFLOPS, 8 GB of GDDR6, and 416.0 GB/s bandwidth. If raw performance is the primary criterion, the RTX 5090 D V2 is the clear choice.

However, the Quadro RTX 4000 has its own advantages that the data supports. Its TDP of 160 W is significantly lower than the RTX 5090 D V2's 575 W, making it far easier to cool and power with a 450 W PSU. It is a single-slot card that fits in tighter spaces, with a length of 241 mm versus 304 mm for the RTX 5090 D V2. For builders with existing PCIe 3.0 systems, the Quadro RTX 4000's bus interface is compatible without requiring a platform upgrade, whereas the RTX 5090 D V2's PCIe 5.0 interface may be bottlenecked on older motherboards.

The Quadro RTX 4000 also offers a more diverse benchmark profile, with results across Geekbench and Passmark suites that show a balanced workload capability. Its average benchmark score of 17,789 is actually higher than the RTX 5090 D V2's single-test average of 16,504, though this is likely an artifact of test selection. The Quadro RTX 4000's nearest rivals are all within 1.4% of its average score, placing it in a competitive mid-range tier, while the RTX 5090 D V2's nearest rivals are within 0.9%, indicating a tighter performance cluster.

The verdict depends on your use case. If you need maximum compute, memory capacity, and bandwidth for modern workloads, the RTX 5090 D V2 is the data-backed winner. If you need a low-power, single-slot workstation card with a proven multi-benchmark track record, the Quadro RTX 4000 remains a viable option despite its end-of-life status. The percentile rankings—61st for the Quadro, 59th for the RTX 5090 D V2—suggest the older card still holds its own in the broader GPU landscape, but the head-to-head result leaves no ambiguity about which one wins in a direct contest.