Launch MSRPs, release cycles and deals windows as of November 9, 2026.
The NVIDIA RTX 5090 is the direct successor to the NVIDIA RTX 4090. It arrived 2 years 3 months later (Jan 30, 2025 vs Oct 12, 2022), and the RTX 4090 is now listed as superseded. Against the RTX 4090, the RTX 5090 costs $400 more at launch MSRP ($1,999 vs $1,599, 25% more), has 8 GB more VRAM (32 GB vs 24 GB) and draws 125W more at rated TDP (575W vs 450W).
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 It has been replaced by the NVIDIA RTX 5090.
Superseded by RTX 5090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 →Mid-cycle — next generation may be on the horizon
Best for: Content creators, AI researchers, and enthusiast gamers who want the absolute fastest GPU regardless of price or power consumption.
Full details →| NVIDIA RTX 4090 | NVIDIA RTX 5090 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Enthusiast | Enthusiast |
| Generation | RTX 4000 | RTX 5000 |
| VRAM | 24 GB | 32 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR7 |
| TDP | 450W | 575W |
| Upscaling | DLSS3 | DLSS4 |
| Ray Tracing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Launch MSRP | $1599 | $1999 |
| Editor score | 9.0/10 | 9.4/10 |
| Released | Oct 12, 2022 | Jan 30, 2025 |
| Cycle length | ~840 days | ~850 days |
| Cycle advice | Superseded | Caution |
| Deals advice | Clearance | Caution |
| Successor | RTX 5090 | — |
What you gain: the RTX 5090 has 8 GB more VRAM (32 GB vs 24 GB), moves to GDDR7 memory (from GDDR6X), supports DLSS4 upscaling (vs DLSS3) and carries a higher editor score (9.4 vs 9.0).
What you give up: the RTX 4090 draws 125W less at rated TDP (450W vs 575W).
The replacement also launched $400 higher ($1,999 vs $1,599), so at MSRP the upgrade costs more than the RTX 4090 did at launch.
It's not a clean sweep, so weigh the trade-offs above against what your RTX 4090 is missing today. On timing, the RTX 5090 rates Caution. The next model on its radar is the RTX 6090, expected 2028 (rumoured).
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.
Double the VRAM of the RTX 5080 ensures headroom for 8K textures, AI model training, and multi-monitor setups.
Generates multiple frames per rendered frame, dramatically boosting perceived frame rates in supported games.
New shader cores, enhanced RT cores, and Tensor cores deliver the largest generational leap NVIDIA has shipped.
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.
Released Jan 30, 2025, the RTX 5090 has been on the market for 21 months. The next model on our radar: the RTX 6090, expected 2028 (rumoured) — roughly 418 days out if that date holds. That puts the RTX 5090 about 61% of the way through its current cycle, which our model rates Caution.
On timing, the RTX 5090 is the only current-generation option of the two (Caution), while the RTX 4090 is a clearance or used purchase.
At launch MSRP the RTX 4090 is $400 cheaper than the RTX 5090 ($1,599 vs $1,999, 20% less). Per gigabyte of VRAM that's $66.6 for the RTX 4090 and $62.5 for the RTX 5090 — the RTX 5090 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.
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.
RTX 5090 (deals window to Dec 5, 2026, rated Caution): Black Friday / Cyber Monday 2026 — usually the best annual GPU deals, but analysts do not expect memory supply to normalise before late 2027, so discounts are unlikely to reach the $1,999 MSRP. Only buy at or near MSRP.
Next on the deals calendar: for the RTX 5090, New Year clearance 2027, from Jan 2, 2027 to Jan 20, 2027.
Our pick: NVIDIA RTX 5090
For a new purchase, the RTX 5090 is the one to buy: it's the current replacement for the RTX 4090, and it rates Caution on our buy/wait signal (editor score 9.4 vs 9.0).
The RTX 4090 only makes sense at a clearance or second-hand price clearly below what the RTX 5090 sells for.
Buy/Wait and deals ratings come from release-cycle and pricing data, not benchmarks. How we rate →