Nvidia’s bold claims about the RTX 50-series GPUs, particularly the RTX 5070 rivaling the RTX 4090’s performance, have sparked considerable debate. While the RTX 5090 promises double the performance of its predecessor, the assertion that the RTX 5070 can match the previous generation’s flagship, the RTX 4090, seems audacious. Let’s delve into a comparative analysis of the RTX 5070 and 4090 to assess the validity of these claims.
The RTX 5070 in a graphic.
Price and Availability
The RTX 4090 launched in October 2022 with a $1,600 price tag, which fluctuated and even exceeded $2,000 due to shortages. As of late January 2025, finding a new RTX 4090 is challenging, with inflated prices around $2,500. Used models hover around $1,600.
The RTX 5070 is expected to launch in February 2025 with an MSRP of $550, notably $50 less than the RTX 4070 Super’s launch price. However, initial demand and stock availability might influence real-world pricing.
Specifications
A hand grabbing MSI
| Feature | Nvidia RTX 5070 | Nvidia RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 6,144 | 16,384 |
| RT Cores | Unknown (4th Gen) | 128 (3rd Gen) |
| Tensor Cores | Unknown (5th Gen) | 512 (4th Gen) |
| Max Clock Speed | 2.51 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Memory Size | 12GB GDDR7 | 24GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit | 384-bit |
| Memory Speed | 28 Gbps | 21 Gbps |
| Memory Bandwidth | 672 GBps | 1,008 GBps |
| TBP | 250W | 450W |
Comparing specifications, the RTX 5070 appears significantly less powerful than the RTX 4090. It has considerably fewer CUDA cores, less memory, and lower memory bandwidth. Nvidia’s performance claims hinge on the enhanced AI upscaling capabilities of the new 5th-generation Tensor cores and multi-frame generation, which constructs up to three AI-generated frames for every GPU-rendered frame. This contrasts with the RTX 4090’s DLSS 3, limited to a single AI frame. While this multi-frame generation could boost frame rates, its practical impact and potential visual artifacts remain to be seen. A significant advantage of the RTX 5070 is its lower power consumption and reduced heat output, making it potentially ideal for small form-factor PCs.
Performance Expectations
Nvidia benchmarks for the RTX 5070.
Nvidia’s performance graphs, while highlighting impressive gains, rely heavily on DLSS. Focusing on Horizon Forbidden West (DLSS 3) and Resident Evil (no DLSS), the generational performance improvement appears closer to 20%. This suggests that achieving RTX 4090-level performance would require a substantial boost from DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation.
Conclusion
While the RTX 5070 promises advancements, especially in AI-powered upscaling, it’s unlikely to consistently match the RTX 4090’s raw performance in most games. The significant differences in core counts, memory, and bandwidth suggest that even with DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation, the RTX 4090 likely retains a performance edge. Real-world testing is crucial to determine the true capabilities of the RTX 5070 and the impact of multi-frame generation on latency and visual fidelity. RTX 4090 owners shouldn’t feel pressured to upgrade immediately, as their card likely remains a top performer.
