RTX 3090 vs RTX 4070 Super: Which Graphics Card Should You Buy?

For pure gaming at 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 4070 Super is the better buy because it matches or slightly beats the RTX 3090 while drawing about 130 W less and adding DLSS Frame Generation, but the RTX 3090 remains the stronger choice for 4K texture-heavy games, local AI and creative work thanks to its 24 GB of VRAM. Neither card is a clear upgrade over the other: they trade wins depending on resolution and workload, so the right pick depends on what you run and what your power supply and case can handle.

A Former Flagship Against a Mid-Range Refresh

The RTX 3090 was NVIDIA’s $1,499 Ampere flagship in September 2020, built around a massive 384-bit memory system and 10,496 CUDA cores. The RTX 4070 Super arrived in January 2024 at $599 as a refreshed Ada Lovelace card using most of the AD104 chip, with fewer cores but much higher clocks and a 48 MB L2 cache that compensates for its narrower 192-bit bus. Both are now previous-generation cards, having been succeeded by the RTX 50 series, so most buyers will be weighing used or remaining new stock.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition Graphics Card (Renewed)

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ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3090 OC Edition 24GB GDDR6X Gaming Graphics Card with Axial-tech Fans & Central Static Pressure Fan ROG-STRIX-RTX3090-O24G-GAMING (Renewed)

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GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super WINDFORCE OC 12G Graphics Card, 3X WINDFORCE Fans, 12GB 192-bit GDDR6X, GV-N407SWF3OC-12GD Video Card

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NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB GDDR6X Graphics Card - Titanium/Black

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Specs at a Glance

Performance: Resolution Decides the Winner

TechPowerUp’s RTX 4070 Super review positions the card for maxed-out 1440p gaming, and its relative performance data, along with most other benchmark compilations, places it in the same performance tier as the RTX 3090. Across published results the pattern is consistent:

• 1080p and 1440p: the RTX 4070 Super is usually level with or a few percent faster than the RTX 3090, with individual games swinging roughly 0-10% either way. Ada’s large L2 cache and high clocks shine at these resolutions.
• 4K: the gap closes or reverses. The RTX 3090’s 936 GB/s bandwidth and 24 GB buffer help it hold up better, and several comparisons show it ahead on 1% lows in demanding 4K scenes even where the 4070 Super posts a similar average.

As a rough guide, both cards can run most AAA games at 1440p high or ultra in an approximate 70-130 FPS range, and most at 4K with DLSS Quality in roughly a 50-90 FPS band. These figures vary with settings, CPU, driver version and game patch.

Ray tracing

Ada’s third-generation RT cores and Shader Execution Reordering give the 4070 Super a small edge in many ray-traced games, while the 3090’s bandwidth helps in some heavy RT titles at 4K. In practice, ray-traced performance is roughly comparable between the two, and the deciding factor becomes frame generation.

DLSS 4: Where the Generations Split

Both cards receive DLSS 4 Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction with the transformer model, so image quality from upscaling is the same. The difference is Frame Generation: the RTX 4070 Super supports DLSS Frame Generation (2x), while the RTX 3090 does not support any NVIDIA frame generation. Neither supports Multi Frame Generation, which is exclusive to the RTX 50 series. In path-traced games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2, frame generation can make the 4070 Super feel noticeably smoother on a high-refresh display, provided the base frame rate is already reasonable. The 3090 can use FSR 3 frame generation in games that offer it.

VRAM: 12 GB Versus 24 GB

12 GB is enough for nearly every game at 1440p in 2026, but some titles at 4K with maximum textures and ray tracing approach or exceed it. The 24 GB on the 3090 is far more than any game requires today. Where that memory really matters is outside gaming:

• Local AI: running large language models or image generators that need more than 12 GB is only possible on the 3090 without heavy compromises.
• 3D rendering and video: large Blender scenes and high-resolution timelines fit comfortably in 24 GB.
• Heavy mods: texture-modded games can use the extra memory.

Power, Heat and PSU Sizing

Use GPU TDP plus CPU power plus about 150 W of headroom:

• RTX 3090: 350 W + 125 W + 150 W = 625 W, so a quality 750 W power supply is a sensible minimum.
• RTX 4070 Super: 220 W + 125 W + 150 W = 495 W, so a quality 600-650 W unit is plenty.

The 130 W TDP difference also means a cooler, quieter case. Over a year of gaming three hours per day, 130 W adds up to roughly 140 kWh, which at around $0.15 per kWh is about $20 per year. That is not a huge sum, but it adds to the 4070 Super’s case.

The reference 3090 uses a 12-pin connector (many partner cards use two or three 8-pin plugs) and stretches to 336 mm in a three-slot cooler. The 4070 Super Founders Edition is a 267 mm two-slot card with a 16-pin connector; many partner versions use a single 8-pin. Check the case’s GPU clearance before committing to a used 3090.

Value Calculation

At launch, with both cards scored at roughly 100 in 1440p gaming, the RTX 4070 Super cost $5.99 per performance point and the RTX 3090 cost $14.99. In 2026 the comparison happens on the used market: RTX 3090 cards usually sell for about $600-$800, held up by AI demand, while used RTX 4070 Super cards commonly sit in the $450-$550 range. For gamers, that makes the 4070 Super the cheaper path to the same frame rates. For anyone who needs 24 GB, the 3090 remains one of the least expensive ways to get it.

Used-Market Checks

With the 3090, inspect memory junction temperatures under load, since the backside GDDR6X modules run hot and pads often need replacing on older cards. With the 4070 Super, confirm the 16-pin cable is fully seated if the card uses one, and check that any remaining warranty transfers. For both, ask for a stress test and listen for fan bearing noise.

Pick-This-If Table

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RTX 4070 Super faster than the RTX 3090?

At 1080p and 1440p it is usually equal or a few percent faster. At 4K the RTX 3090 often catches up or edges ahead, especially in 1% lows, thanks to its higher memory bandwidth and 24 GB of VRAM.

Should an RTX 3090 owner upgrade to an RTX 4070 Super?

Generally no. The gaming gain is small, and the 3090 owner would lose half the VRAM. The only reasons to switch are lower power draw and DLSS Frame Generation; a larger upgrade would be an RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080.

Does the RTX 3090 support DLSS 4?

It supports DLSS 4 Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction with the transformer model. It does not support DLSS Frame Generation or Multi Frame Generation, which need RTX 40 or RTX 50 cards.

Is 12 GB of VRAM enough for 4K?

For most games with sensible settings and DLSS, yes. A few demanding titles with maximum textures and ray tracing at 4K can push past 12 GB, causing stutter, so lowering texture quality one step is sometimes needed.

Which card is better for local AI models?

The RTX 3090. Its 24 GB of memory lets it load larger models that will not fit in 12 GB, and memory capacity usually matters more than raw compute for these workloads.

Do these cards work well with a high-refresh 1440p monitor?

Yes, both are well matched to 1440p displays at 144-165 Hz in most games with high settings. The RTX 4070 Super can push further toward 240 Hz in demanding titles by enabling DLSS Frame Generation. A fast modern CPU matters at these frame rates, because both cards can become CPU-limited.