NVIDIA
GeForce RTX 5090
Blackwell · 32 GB GDDR7 · 575 W
98
/ 100
From $1,999
VS
GeForce RTX 5090 wins by 1
MSI
MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090
Ada · 24 GB GDDR6X · 450 W · Gaming Trio
97
/ 100
From $1,776
Specdex verdict
GeForce RTX 5090 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, GeForce RTX 5090 lands at 98 and MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090 at 97. That puts GeForce RTX 5090 ahead by 1 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick GeForce RTX 5090 if…
- ✓Unrivaled 4K and path-tracing
- ✓DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Gen
- ✓32 GB VRAM for AI
Pick MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090 if…
- ✓NVIDIA driver stack
- ✓DLSS support on RTX
- ✓Strong resale value
GeForce RTX 5090 98
vs 97 MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090
Score breakdown
GeForce RTX 5090
98 raster 100
rt 100
ai 100
efficiency 78
MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090
97 raster 97
rt 92
ai 94
efficiency 73
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | GeForce RTX 5090 | MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Blackwell | Ada |
| CUDA cores | 21,760 | — |
| Tensor cores | 680 (5th gen) | — |
| RT cores | 170 (4th gen) | — |
| VRAM | ▲ 32 GB GDDR7 | 24 GB GDDR6X |
| Memory bus | 512-bit | — |
| Bandwidth | 1792 GB/s | — |
| TBP | 575 W | 450 W |
| PCIe | PCIe 5.0 x16 | — |
| Release year | — | 2022 |
GeForce RTX 5090
Pros
- +Unrivaled 4K and path-tracing
- +DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Gen
- +32 GB VRAM for AI
Cons
- −Enormous power draw
- −Two-slot+ cooler required
- −Scarce MSRP supply
MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090
Pros
- +NVIDIA driver stack
- +DLSS support on RTX
- +Strong resale value
Cons
- −Power draw scales with tier
- −Gen-over-gen price creep
- −VRAM gated per tier
FAQ: GeForce RTX 5090 vs MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090
Which is better, GeForce RTX 5090 or MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090? +
GeForce RTX 5090 scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 1. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is GeForce RTX 5090 worth the price? +
At $1,999, GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in raster.
Is MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090 worth the price? +
At $1,776, MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a Specdex score of 97 — strongest in raster.
Does GeForce RTX 5090 or MSI Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090 last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.