Launch MSRPs, release cycles and deals windows as of November 9, 2026.
This is a cross-brand comparison between the AMD RX 9070 GRE (RX 9000, High-end, current generation) and the NVIDIA RTX 4090 (RTX 4000, Enthusiast, superseded by the NVIDIA RTX 5090), released 3 years 7 months apart. Against the RTX 4090, the RX 9070 GRE costs $1,050 less at launch MSRP ($549 vs $1,599, 66% cheaper), has 12 GB less VRAM (12 GB vs 24 GB) and draws 230W less at rated TDP (220W vs 450W).
Early in cycle — strong buy, no urgency to wait
Best for: 1440p gamers who want RDNA 4 and FSR 4 and can find the GRE meaningfully cheaper than the 16GB RX 9070.
Full details →This GPU is no longer the current generation. It has been replaced by the NVIDIA RTX 5090.
Superseded by RTX 5090
Best for: 4K enthusiasts who can find a well-priced used RTX 4090 and don't need DLSS 4 or Blackwell's efficiency improvements.
Full details →| AMD RX 9070 GRE | NVIDIA RTX 4090 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | High-end | Enthusiast |
| Generation | RX 9000 | RTX 4000 |
| VRAM | 12 GB | 24 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6X |
| TDP | 220W | 450W |
| Upscaling | FSR4 | DLSS3 |
| Ray Tracing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Launch MSRP | $549 | $1599 |
| Editor score | 7.8/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Released | Jun 2, 2026 | Oct 12, 2022 |
| Cycle length | ~367 days | ~840 days |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Superseded |
| Deals advice | Caution | Clearance |
| Successor | — | RTX 5090 |
Full access to AMD's ML-based FSR 4 upscaling and RDNA 4's improved ray tracing.
AMD claims up to 22% higher performance than the 16GB RTX 5060 Ti across 40+ games.
Enough VRAM for 1440p today, though less headroom than the 16GB RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT.
More VRAM than the RTX 5080 (16GB), relevant for AI workloads and 4K texture packs even in the Blackwell era.
New retail units are scarce and priced above MSRP. The used market (eBay, local classifieds) is the only viable path to value.
Over 3 years of driver optimizations make this one of the most stable GPUs available.
Released Jun 2, 2026, the RX 9070 GRE has been on the market for 5 months. The previous cycle for this line ran about 367 days, so it is roughly 44% of the way through a typical cycle, with around 207 days to go before a replacement would be due on past form. Our model rates it Buy.
Released Oct 12, 2022, the RTX 4090 has been on the market for 4 years. It has been superseded by the NVIDIA RTX 5090, which launched Jan 30, 2025, so it's no longer a current-generation buy — new stock is clearance, and the rest of the market is second-hand.
On timing, the RX 9070 GRE is the only current-generation option of the two (Buy), while the RTX 4090 is a clearance or used purchase.
At launch MSRP the RX 9070 GRE is $1,050 cheaper than the RTX 4090 ($549 vs $1,599, 66% less). Per gigabyte of VRAM that's $45.8 for the RX 9070 GRE and $66.6 for the RTX 4090 — the RX 9070 GRE gives more memory for the money. Launch MSRP is only a reference point for a superseded card; its real price is whatever clearance or used stock sells for today.
RX 9070 GRE (deals window to Dec 5, 2026, rated Caution): Black Friday / Cyber Monday 2026 — another AMD price increase was reported for November, so deep discounts are unlikely. Only buy well below the RX 9070's street price.
RTX 4090 (deals window to Jun 30, 2027, rated Wait): New units are listed above $4,400 as of October 2026 and used units sell around $2,500–$3,000 — far above the $1,599 MSRP. Only consider a used unit if it comes well below current RTX 5090 street prices. Otherwise, the RTX 5090 at MSRP is better value.
Next on the deals calendar: for the RX 9070 GRE, New Year clearance 2027, from Jan 2, 2027 to Jan 20, 2027.
Our pick: AMD RX 9070 GRE
Our pick is the RX 9070 GRE: it's the current-generation card here, while the RTX 4090 has been superseded by the NVIDIA RTX 5090, and it also costs $1,050 less at launch MSRP ($549 vs $1,599) and draws 230W less at rated TDP (220W vs 450W).
Go for the RTX 4090 instead if you want more VRAM: 24 GB vs 12 GB, or if you want newer GDDR6X memory rather than GDDR6.
Buy/Wait and deals ratings come from release-cycle and pricing data, not benchmarks. How we rate →