The launch of Nvidia’s RTX 3080 graphics cards did not go smoothly, but that isn’t stopping PC enthusiasts from looking forward to the release of theNvidia GeForce RTX 3090. After all, the 3090 has been described byNvidiaas the “world’s first 8K gaming GPU.” Expectations are high as a result, which helps explain why recently leaked benchmarks for the 3090 have been met with some disappointment.
A video published, and since removed, by Chinese TecLab revealed an early analysis of theNvidia GeForce RTX 3090’s gaming performance. Benchmarks for games includingBorderlands 3,Metro Exodus,Control,Horizon Zero Dawn, andShadow of the Tomb Raiderwere compared to benchmarks for the 3080. While the results were impressive overall, the 3090 saw frame rate improvements of only 4.7 percent to 11.5 percent compared to the 3080.
RELATED:Gigabyte Reveals Upcoming RTX 30 Series Cards With More Memory - Including 20 GB RTX 3080
One example shown during the video isDeath Strandingwith DLSS on and RTX off, which led to an 11.5 percent average increase in frame rate performance. The worst example wasForza Horizon 4, which saw a 4.7 percent increase in frames. The average performance increase of all 16 tests was 8.8 percent. All tests were said to run at 4K resolution using what’s assumed to be Nvidia-manufactured Founder’s Editions of both cards.
Frustrations over the performance are largely due to preconceptions regarding the 3090’s power because of its pricing. The 3090 will retail for $1,499 when it releases later this month, while the 3080 retails for $699. The majority of these frustrations are coming fromPC gaming enthusiasts, though others have been quick to point out this is not necessarily the primary intention of the 3090. Rather, they argue it’s intended for budget workstations due to its 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM.
Nvidia will no doubt try to appeal to both groups with the knowledge that even at $1,499, the 3090 is likely to sell out at launch. While PC gaming enthusiasts may wish the 3090 was more powerful, those with cash on hand may still be comfortable taking what performance enhancement the card offers.
To be clear, these are the results from a single outlet whose3090 benchmarkinghas not been officially verified. It’s entirely possible that the information has been falsified or was made in error, and there are also accusations that the card is being power-starved in the review, which could mean the 3090 is more powerful than available benchmarks show. It’s unclear whether there’s a review embargo on the new tech, so PC enthusiasts may have to wait until theNvidia GeForce RTX 3090releases on September 24 for more information.
