There are a lot of components inside all computers where; the CPU, RAM, and GPU are considered the major ones in terms of how they affect performance. And in case you use your computer for things like gaming, 3D rendering, video editing, or any other similar workflow, then it is quite essential to ensure that you have a powerful GPU for the same.
For the same, you can either go with an Nvidia GPU or an AMD one. And out of all the various options offered by AMD and Nvidia, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT are some of the most powerful ones. To help you pick the better one out of these, we are here with a detailed comparison of Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs AMD Radeon RX 6950XT so that you can go with the best possible graphics card for your computer.
Which GPU is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090?
Starting with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 this graphics card is a part of Nvidia’s latest 4000 series of GPU. And out of all the graphics card options among the 4000 series, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is the highest-end model. In other words, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is the latest and most powerful graphics card offered by Nvidia.
Which GPU is the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT?
Moving over to the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT, it is slightly different from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. This is because, unlike the RTX 4090, the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT is a graphics card from the previous AMD 6000 series of graphics cards. Even though it is a graphics card of the previous generation, it is still the flagship model of that generation, which means that it is still going to be quite powerful despite being 1 generation older.
Specifications of Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs AMD Radeon RX 6950XT
While we have already covered the basics of both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 as well as the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT up above, that only tells you about the GPU series and the model.
To get a better and a more detailed idea of both these GPUs, you should check the specifications and features of Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT. For the same, here is a detailed list and comparison table of all the major specifications and features of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT:
| Specification | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 | AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT |
| Architecture Name | Ada Lovelace | RDNA 2 |
| Architecture Process Size | 5nm TSMC | 7nm TSMC |
| GPU Code | AD102-300-A1 | Navi |
| PCIe Gen 4.0 Support | Yes | Yes |
| CUDA Core Count | 16,384 cores | 5,120 cores |
| RT & Tensor Core Count | 191 RT cores | 80 ray accelerators |
| Base Clock Speed | 2235 MHz | 1925 MHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2520 MHz | 2324 MHz |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Capacity | 24 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 256 bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 1,008 GBps | 576 GBps |
| Memory Clock Speed | 21000 MHz | 18000 MHz |
| Slot Width | 3 slot GPU | 3 slot GPU |
| HDMI Output Ports | 1 x HDMI 2.1 | 1 x HDMI 2.1 |
| DisplayPort Output Ports | 2 x DisplayPort 1.4a | 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a |
| Thermal Design Power | 450 watts | 335 watts |
| Supplementary Power Connector | 1 x 16 pin | 2 x 8 pin |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs AMD Radeon RX 6950XT: A Detailed Comparison
By checking all these specifications and features regarding the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and AMD Radeon RX 6950XT mentioned above, you must have a pretty good idea about their differences. However, the difference between their real-world performance is going to be much different. Even if two graphics cards have similar specifications, they can perform much differently because of architectural differences. Hence, here is a detailed comparison between Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs. AMD Radeon RX 6950XT based on their real-world performance comparison:
1. Performance
Before checking any other kind of real-world numbers, you should first check the raw performance numbers. And while graphics cards can be used for all kinds of 3D applications, gaming is still the primary usage for graphics cards. Thus, we will go through the gaming performance difference between Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and AMD Radeon RX 6950XT at the different resolution options available out there:
- 4K UHD Gaming: If you have a high-end gaming computer setup, then it is most likely that you also have a high-end gaming monitor. And if that is the case, then you might be using a 4K UHD monitor along with your gaming PC. Thankfully, both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and AMD Radeon RX 6950XT are powerful enough to handle 4K gaming with ease. And to understand their performance difference, there are better FPS in games, here is an FPS comparison between these GPUs in different games:
| Game at 4K UHD Ultra Preset | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 FPS | AMD Radeon RX 6950XT FPS |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 120 FPS | 55-60 FPS |
| Battlefield 5 | 130-140 FPS | 100-105 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 78 FPS | 46 FPS |
| Far Cry New Dawn | 145 FPS | 118 FPS |
| Forza Horizon 4 | 160-170 FPS | 120-130 FPS |
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 114 FPS | 65 FPS |
- 1440p Gaming: While 1440p or QHD might not be the highest resolution available out there, it still offers amazing detail at a fraction of the cost of 4K both in terms of the monitor as well as the GPU needed for running it. As a result, if you are planning to pair your Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 or AMD Radeon RX 6950XT with a 1440p Display, then you should check the following gaming performance differences.
| Game at 1440p Ultra Preset | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 FPS | AMD Radeon RX 6950XT FPS |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 173 FPS | 85-90 FPS |
| Battlefield 5 | 190-200 FPS | 140-150 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 150 FPS | 93 FPS |
| Far Cry New Dawn | 152 FPS | 132 FPS |
| Forza Horizon 4 | 230-240 FPS | 170-180 FPS |
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 149 FPS | 103 FPS |
- 1080p Gaming: Even though 1080p or full HD monitors have been around for a very long time, this resolution is still preferred for eSports titles thanks to the extremely high refresh rate options available with the 1080p resolution. And similar to playing games at a high resolution, you also need a powerful graphics card for playing games at a high refresh rate. Thus, here is a comparison between the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT at 1080p resolution:
| Game at 1080p Ultra Preset | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 FPS | AMD Radeon RX 6950XT FPS |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 206 FPS | 120-130 FPS |
| Battlefield 5 | 190-200 FPS | 160-170 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 211 FPS | 122 FPS |
| Far Cry New Dawn | 154 FPS | 132 FPS |
| Forza Horizon 4 | 270-280 FPS | 190-200 FPS |
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 155 FPS | 107 FPS |
2. DLSS & Ray Tracing
Whenever you are playing games on your computer, they are usually rendered using rasterization. However, modern gaming titles like Cyberpunk 2077 also offer the option to enable ray tracing. By enabling this, all the lights, reflections, and shadows are rendered in real-time, making the game look much more realistic. Although, since ray tracing requires a lot of calculations and dedicated hardware components for it, getting a powerful graphics card for the same is quite important.
And this is where the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 leaves the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT in dust thanks to its excellent ray tracing & DLSS performance. To get a better idea of the same, if you run Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p maxed-out settings, you will get around 88.7 FPS with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and only 36.7 FPS with the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT when ray tracing is enabled. This is thanks to the much better ray tracing and DLSS performance offered by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090.
3. Cooling
If you are familiar with computer components, then you must know that all of them generate heat when being used. This is especially true for high-performance GPUs like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT. Hence, you should always check the cooling solutions used by such graphics cards. Starting with the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT, it uses a very traditional triple fan cooler design that offers great cooling performance. And it does so while being fairly compact in comparison to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, which is massive in comparison. On the other hand, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 uses a unique single-fan design that has airflow on both sides. That being said, thanks to its much larger heatsink, both of these graphics cards offer amazing cooling performance.
4. Power Consumption
Even though the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT can offer pretty solid cooling performance, things are much different regarding power consumption. This is because the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is rated for a TDP or a power consumption rating of up to 450 watts, even for its founder’s model. As a result, while Nvidia only recommends an 850-watt power supply for this GPU, real-world usage will require a larger power supply. On the other hand, the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT has a much more manageable power consumption rating of just 335 watts. As a result, you can easily use the recommended 850-watt power supply with this GPU if you want.
5. Overclocking
Since both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT are the flagship GPU models of their respective GPU series; you can expect quite amazing performance from them, as we have even shown earlier in this comparison guide. That being said, you can always get more performance out of your GPU by simply overclocking it.
In case you are not familiar with overclocking, it is simply the process of increasing the clock speeds of your GPU more than the default clock speeds. And this can be done within a few clicks using programs like afterburners. If you are also interested in overclocking, then you will be glad to know that both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 as well as the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT support overclocking, which is great for getting even better performance out of them.
6. Price
Now that all the performance metrics regarding the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT have been covered, you might want to pick one up for your computer. That being said, you should also check the price of these graphics cards since that is also a significant factor to consider. While the actual MSRP of these GPUs can differ depending on the availability, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is priced at $1600, and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT is priced at a much lower $1100.
Which to Pick Between Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs AMD Radeon RX 6950XT?
By now, we have seen all the primary differences between the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT. And as you can most likely guess, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is the perfect graphics card for all those who do not have any budget restrictions and want the best performance possible out of a GPU. That being said, it does have a few issues regarding its size and power consumption.
Thus, the AMD Radeon RX 6050XT also happens to be a great pick for a lot of users. Not only is this GPU much smaller, draws less power, and offers pretty great performance, but it also comes at a comparatively lower price tag. Hence, you can pick either of these GPUs according to your budget and performance needs.
Conclusion
Both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT are amazing GPUs for all those who are looking for high-performance GPU options. Since these are priced quite differently and happen to be GPUs of different generations, both of them are great options for different sets of users. And thus, we have already listed a detailed comparison between the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 vs AMD Radeon RX 6950XT up above. If this comparison guide has helped you pick the better GPU between RTX 4090 vs. RX 6950XT, then make sure to leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section down below.
