Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Review – Transmit Whole World

Nvidia launched the primary RTX Ampere GPUs about 18 months in the past, together with the flagship GeForce RTX 3090, a $1,500 graphics card that we mentioned was a boring and fairly pointless launch in our day-one evaluate. At least to avid gamers, the RTX 3090 made little sense since there was no must have a large 24GB VRAM buffer, and regardless of Nvidia’s greatest efforts, 8K gaming simply is not a factor.

Unfortunately although, “boring and fairly pointless” could be a great way to summarize your entire graphics card section over the previous 12 months and a half, and you may most likely embrace the phrase “hopeless” in there as nicely.

Since launch and for months on finish, even pointless merchandise just like the RTX 3090 have been practically unattainable to seek out, except you have been keen to pay scalper costs of ~$3,000 for the quickest GPUs available on the market. Thankfully, pricing has began to drop, although normally it is nonetheless inflated.

You can now get an RTX 3090 beginning at $1,900, which remains to be 30% over MSRP, however nicely down on the $3,000+ costs we have been confronted with not that way back.

The unique RTX 3080 is presently promoting for $1,100 although, which means you are paying over 70% extra for a 3090, for what quantities to 10-15% extra efficiency at 4K.

You could need to argue that the RTX 3090 is not “pointless” contemplating it is essentially the most reasonably priced graphics card with a 24GB VRAM buffer. Again, that is nugatory to avid gamers, however for sure manufacturing workloads, the massive reminiscence buffer could possibly be a godsend, so there’s that.

But what a couple of GeForce RTX 3090 Ti? Would a Ti model packing 2.5% extra cores clocked 10% larger with 8% extra reminiscence bandwidth be helpful to anybody? I assume that depends upon the worth. But, in fact, it is not changing the unique model at $1,500.

This is not a refresh the place you get a small enhance on the identical value level earlier than the following era arrives, fairly that is what we might name a “milking.” A small efficiency bump for an enormous value hike, a hike that sees the MSRP hit $2,000.

Apart from a couple of further cores, the 3090 Ti is simply an overclocked 3090 with a ludicrously excessive energy score of 450 watts, practically a 30% enhance over the unique 3090. Is that dumb? Surely sounds prefer it, however to make sure let’s first check out the three RTX 3090 Ti boards we have now readily available after which on to the benchmarks.

The Cards: Asus, MSI and Gainward

Starting with the Asus TUF Gaming OC, the RTX 3090 model was already very massive, however the 3090 Ti is even larger, weighing 1677 grams which is not that loopy, however the dimensions are fairly one thing measuring 325mm lengthy, 150mm tall, and a whopping 63mm extensive making this a 3-slot graphics card.

Externally, it appears to be like like another 30-series TUF Gaming graphics card. There are three 100mm followers wrapped in an aluminium shroud and on the bottom you get a full dimension aluminium backplate. The stainless-steel I/O bracket options three DisplayPort outputs and two HDMI outputs.

Getting right down to the PCB we discover a PCIe 5.0 16-pin energy connector and since no energy provides assist this connector (not less than none you should buy proper now), the 3090 Ti playing cards include an adapter that feeds three 8-pin PCIe cables into the PCIe 5.0 16-pin energy connector.

This is mainly the identical 12-pin connector featured on the Nvidia Founders Edition fashions, simply with 4 further ‘sense’ pins.

The largest improve for all 3090 Ti graphics playing cards is arguably the reminiscence. Capacity has not modified from the unique, so it is nonetheless 24GB, however reminiscence density and frequency has improved, upgrading the reminiscence modules capability from 1GB to 2GB, which means there are simply 12 modules and so they’re all on the entrance facet of the PCB. This will considerably enhance reminiscence cooling efficiency.

That additionally means the backplate is simply extracting warmth from the rear PCB, and never a dozen GDDR6X chips. Asus has nonetheless included loads of thermal pads on the backplate although, utilizing it as a warmth spreader.

The heatsink is huge as you’d anticipate and Asus has gone with a nickel plated copper base for extracting warmth from the GPU and a few of GDDR6X reminiscence, which is a little bit of an odd alternative for the reminiscence.

Instead many of the reminiscence chips are related to an aluminum plate which will not be as environment friendly at extracting warmth. Overall an excellent trying card with a wonderful mounting methodology for connecting with the PCB.

When put to the check, put in contained in the Corsair Obsidian 500D in a 21C room, the TUF Gaming peaked at 79C for the new spot with a peak reminiscence temperature of 78C. The followers spun at 2400 RPM and the cores usually clocked at 1.99 GHz out of the field.

We additionally examined the MSI RTX 3090 Ti Suprim X and this factor is a beast. It’s with out query the most important graphics card we have ever come throughout taking on 4 slots with a weight of 2145 grams. It measures 305mm lengthy and stands 140mm tall, however at 71mm extensive, it takes up 4 slots which is full insanity.

There are three 95mm followers encased in a bonkers-looking fan shroud and on the rear is an good trying backplate that has quite a bit happening. There’s brushed aluminium, LED backlit logos, vents and a neat little black skirt a the tip. Oddly although regardless of the huge I/O bracket which takes up 3-slots, MSI has solely included three DisplayPort and a single HDMI output, so one much less HDMI port that you simply get with the Asus mannequin.

Where the Suprim X seems to be in a league of its personal is cooling. Whereas the TUF Gaming was a mix of heatsink fins and aluminium brackets, the Suprim X is just about all fins. There’s 8 nickel-plated heatpipes that stretch by means of the fin stacks. Then connecting the GPU and GDDR6X reminiscence to the heatsink is a big nickel-plated base, making contact with all 12 reminiscence modules.

When put to the check put in contained in the Corsair Obsidian 500D in a 21C room, the Suprim X peaked at 88C for the new spot with a peak reminiscence temperature of 82C. It’s price noting that the followers spun at simply 1700 RPM, so the Suprim X was just about silent. The cores additionally usually clocked at 1.99 GHz out of the field.

We solely obtained the Gainward RTX 3090 Ti Phantom GS the day earlier than our evaluate was going dwell, which is why we did not embrace any ends in our graphs. But we did have time to put in it and run it for an hour for a temperature evaluation.

This is one other triple-slot design with three 90mm followers embedded in a plastic shroud. It’s a cool trying design with some black anodized pipes that run finish to finish. Around the again is a full-size backplate with some air vents minimize outs in direction of the tip. This is sort of a big part of the backplate because the PCB may be very brief.

Gainward has managed to cram their premium RTX 3090 Ti graphics card onto a 205mm lengthy PCB which is spectacular given the cardboard itself is 310mm lengthy. This means there’s fairly a big part of the cardboard that enables air to go by means of it and this could assist rather a lot with cooling efficiency.

Like MSI, Gainward has gone with a single HDMI output and three DisplayPort outputs and naturally there’s a single 16-pin PCIe 5.0 energy connector. Now, the Phantom GS is sort of heavy at 1837 grams because of a big triple-slot cooler packing eight heatpipes and a big copper base. Gainward has been beneficiant with the thermal pads and there is a good quantity of them additionally discovered on the backplate, so general a strong trying 3090 Ti.

When put to the check contained in the Obsidian 500D case in a 21C room, the Phantom GS peaked at 84C for the new spot with a peak reminiscence temperature of 76C. These temperatures have been achieved with a fan velocity of 1850 RPM, so when it comes to cooling efficiency the Phantom GS is much like the huge MSI mannequin. The cores additionally usually clocked at 2 GHz.

Gaming Benchmarks

For this evaluate we have examined 12 video games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K. We’ll principally concentrate on the 4K information, however you may see the efficiency abstract for all resolutions additional down beneath.

All benchmarks have been run utilizing our Ryzen 9 5950X check system configured with 32GB of dual-rank, dual-channel DDR4-3200 CL14 reminiscence. Resizable Bar was not enabled as we see this as extra of a platform characteristic that is not appropriate for particular person GPU exams, or not less than proper now it would not precisely signify how Radeon and GeForce GPUs examine on older techniques.

Starting with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, we see that each the Asus and MSI 3090 Ti fashions we have now readily available have been good for 69 fps on common, making them simply 3% quicker than the unique RTX 3090, in addition to the Radeon RX 6900 XT.

Next we have now Far Cry 6 and right here the brand new 3090 Ti fashions are simply 5% quicker than the RTX 3090 Founders Edition, or simply 2.5% quicker than the Suprim X model of the usual 3090. So we’re nonetheless mid to low single digit beneficial properties for the brand new Ti mannequin.

Watch Dogs Legion additionally exhibits a minor 5% enhance over a inventory 3090, or 3% over the Suprim X model as each the MSI and Asus 3090 Ti playing cards rendered 66 fps on common, a powerful 4K consequence for positive, however hardly earth shattering.

The margins develop a bit in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Here the 3090 Ti Suprim X was 11% quicker than the 3090 FE card, and eight% quicker than the Suprim X model. As far because the apples to apples comparisons go, the 3090 Ti is as much as 8% quicker than the 3090. Pretty uninspiring beneficial properties up to now.

At face worth, the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege outcomes look extra promising with bigger margins, however that is principally right down to the truth that we’re enjoying with a lot bigger numbers right here.

Still, the Suprim X 3090 Ti was 3.5% quicker than the Asus TUF Gaming OC mannequin, although it was solely 9% quicker than the older Suprim X model of the unique 3090.

F1 2021 sees an 8% margin from the 3090 Suprim X to the 3090 Ti model, and that appears nearly as good because it will get for the 3090 Ti. I also needs to notice that the Radeon GPUs look fairly weak right here as ray tracing is enabled by default and subsequently we check with this characteristic enabled.

No surprises present in Horizon Zero Dawn, the 3090 Ti was 5% quicker than comparable 3090 fashions, rendering 98 fps on common.

Doom Eternal was no problem for the 3090 Ti, although the identical was additionally true of the 3090 and right here the Suprim X fashions are separated by a mere 4% margin.

The 3090 Ti Suprim X was 11% quicker than the 3090 Suprim X, our largest margin but. Clearly, this recreation is having fun with the upper clocked cores and reminiscence. We’re unsure you may discover going from 123 fps to 138 fps at 4K, however you may most likely discover the $500+ lacking out of your pockets.

Moving on, there’s little to see in Death Stranding, right here the Suprim X fashions are separated by only a 6% margin.

Hitman 3 dangers a bit pleasure with a 9% margin favoring the 3090 Ti Suprim X over the 3090 mannequin, nearly double digits there.

Finally, we have now Cyberpunk 2077 with a ten% efficiency enhance over the Suprim X 3090. Sadly, we could not hit 60 fps in our check utilizing the second highest high quality settings. Maybe next-gen {hardware} will obtain that at 4K.

Performance Summary

1080p, 1440p and 4K

Based on the exams we ran, it sounds just like the 3090 Ti is as much as 10% quicker than the unique 3090 at 4K. Let’s now additionally see how the 12 recreation common information appears to be like for 1440p and 1080p gaming efficiency.

Starting at 1080p, you may see that regardless of utilizing the Ryzen 9 5950X with low latency reminiscence, we’re nonetheless largely CPU sure at this decrease decision with common body charges in extra of 200 fps. There’s most likely not a lot level evaluating the 3090 and 3090 Ti right here.

For these of you focusing on 1440p with ultra-like high quality settings, the 3090 Ti seems to be on common 4% quicker than equal 3090 fashions, seen when evaluating the MSI Suprim X playing cards.

Then at 4K we’re a 7% efficiency enchancment when evaluating the MSI Suprim X fashions, which is fairly underwhelming.

The 3090 Ti was 20% quicker than the 6900 XT, however we’re speaking a couple of inventory 6900 XT. You might most likely halve that margin with overclocker. In abstract, the 3090 Ti wasn’t even 10% quicker than the unique 3090, however the MSRP has been jacked up by 33%.

Power Usage

The graphics board energy score was elevated by nearly 30% to 450 watts and that noticed whole system utilization rise by an insane 18% to 702 watts with the Suprim X, up from simply shy of 600 watts with the unique 3090.

That’s a horrible enhance for simply 7% extra efficiency on common.

What We Learned

We can already sense Nvidia followers asking “what about ray tracing & DLSS?, why have not you talked about these?” The purpose is that the 3090 Ti will probably be no completely different than the 3090. Tack on a couple of proportion factors, and you’ve got the 3090 Ti, there’s nothing actually new right here.

And that is the issue with the RTX 3090 Ti in a nutshell. It’s just about the identical GPU that was launched 18 months in the past, however arriving manner later to the get together. Despite that, it prices 33% extra for ~10% extra efficiency on the perfect of situations, whereas sucking down ~30% extra energy. In my opinion, the 3090 Ti defines trendy overclocking for avid gamers: scorching, loud, costly, and finally pointless.

The unique RTX 3090 makes much more sense and it is fairly one thing when a brand new Ti mannequin makes the unique dumb providing look all sensible and wise. But that is precisely what the 3090 Ti has accomplished. It’s made me look again on the 3090 and say, nicely, you were not that unhealthy in spite of everything. But then I keep in mind it is simply 14% quicker than the RTX 3080 with a 114% enhance in MSRP, so I simply get confused with all of the silliness.

Speaking of foolish… the Nvidia evaluate information for the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is actually one thing. Nvidia claims that the purpose of comparability for the 3090 Ti is the Titan RTX. You know, that $2,500 Turing GPU launched in late 2018, nearly 4 years in the past now. Perhaps if the RTX 3090 with 24GB of VRAM did not exist you possibly can make that argument, however it’s been round for nicely over a 12 months now.

Nvidia has additionally doubled down on pushing the 8K gaming angle. But why? No one purchased it the primary time (apart from a couple of paid opinions). 8K gaming shouldn’t be a factor for a couple of causes… beginning with, the place are the 8K gaming displays they’re selling this for?

And I quote… “The RTX 3090 Ti helps you to play, seize, and watch your video games in good 8K HDR with DLSS Ultra Performance mode for 8K gaming.” But, in fact, DLSS Ultra Performance mode is not 8K gaming. 8K gaming could be 8K gaming, not a scaled up model utilizing DLSS.

Putting that apart for a second, the actual fact stays that when utilizing dialed down high quality settings in Cyberpunk 2077, with ray tracing disabled, the 3090 Ti could not obtain 60 fps at 4K, so we do not assume it is 8K prepared with any degree of DLSS assist.

I’ll now quote myself, “when you’re a PC gamer, the RTX 3090 (Ti) would not actually make a lot sense.” Had the brand new RTX 3090 Ti slotted into the unique 3090’s value level maybe it’d have made for an okay launch, not wonderful 18 months down the monitor, however not horrible both.