The GPU Radar

NVIDIA RTX 4090vsAMD RX 7800 XT

Cross-brand comparison: NVIDIA offers DLSS and CUDA for AI/ML workloads. AMD offers competitive rasterization, often with more VRAM at the same price. Choose based on your ecosystem needs.
NVIDIA RTX 4090
Buy/Wait:Wait

Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest

Superseded by RTX 5090

Best for: 4K enthusiasts who can find the RTX 4090 at a significant discount and don't need DLSS 4 or GDDR7.

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AMD RX 7800 XT
Buy/Wait:Wait

Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest

Superseded by RX 9070

Best for: 1440p gamers seeking the best possible value — clearance RX 7800 XT is one of the strongest price-to-performance options available.

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NVIDIA RTX 4090AMD RX 7800 XT
TierEnthusiastHigh-end
GenerationRTX 4000RX 7000
VRAM24 GB16 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6XGDDR6
TDP450W263W
UpscalingDLSS3FSR3
Ray Tracing
Launch MSRP$1599$499
ReleasedOct 12, 2022Sep 6, 2023
Cycle length~840 days~550 days
Cycle adviceWaitWait
Deals adviceBuyBuy
SuccessorRTX 5090RX 9070

Why buy each?

NVIDIA RTX 4090

24GB GDDR6X — massive VRAM

More VRAM than the RTX 5080 (16GB), making it relevant for AI workloads and 4K texture packs.

Generation-end clearance pricing

Street prices have dropped significantly below $1599 MSRP, offering 5090-adjacent performance for less.

Mature driver ecosystem

Over 2 years of driver optimizations make this one of the most stable GPUs available.

AMD RX 7800 XT

Outstanding clearance value

Superseded but strong value — at clearance pricing, delivers excellent 1440p performance for well under $400.

16GB GDDR6

Same VRAM as its successor — no VRAM compromise.

Mature RDNA 3 drivers

Well-optimized after 18+ months of updates.