Graphics Cards

Nvidia RTX 4090 Graphics Card Review

How We Test

We continue to update our testing methods around once per year. As such, we re-test older hardware to reflect changes over time. These can be driver updates, Windows updates, game patches, and more; all of which have an impact on performance figures. Furthermore, we update our test benches to newer and more relevant hardware. This means that our new reviews aren’t always comparable to those of older reviews, so please compare the testing methodology on older reviews should you be trying to compare them with newer ones.

Replicate Our Results

When it comes to our benchmarks in our reviews, the benchmarks are pretty self-explanatory and are kept as simple as possible, although there are a few exceptions. Remember that your choice of a graphics card, CPU, the silicon lottery, and other factors can yield different numbers, and there’s always a margin for error when using any software.

Links are provided below, as well as the settings we use. We encourage you to not just look at how one product compares to any other, but how it compares to your own. If you’re looking to build a new system, you should benchmark your current PC using the benchmarks available to you. You should then look at the percentage improvement from your current hardware to the hardware tested here to give you a ballpark figure of how much of an upgrade this will provide you with.

Processor Test Systems

Test System (GPU)
Motherboard ASUS ROG Z690 Maximus Hero
BIOS Version 1720
  Buy Now
Processor Intel Core i9 12900K Review Buy Now
GPU Changes Per Review    
RAM Patriot Viper Venom 32GB (2x16GB) 6200MHz Review Buy Now
CPU Cooler NZXT Kraken Z73 RGB   Buy Now
Power Supply NZXT C1000 Gold Review Buy Now
Storage Seagate FIRECUDA 530 1TB Review Buy Now
Chassis NZXT H7 Flow Review Buy Now
OS Windows 11 Pro Version 21H2    
Drivers

AMD Graphics: 22.10.1
NVIDIA Graphics: 521.90

   

Additional Hardware

  • Nvidia PCAT (Power Capture Analysis Tool)

Software

We use a variety of software from different developers to assist in our testing and to give us the most consistent results possible. Some applications are specifically used for testing, while others are simply used for monitoring and to aid us in making sure that our results are as accurate as possible.

Software Used

Gaming

To gauge performance levels which are easily reproduced time after time, by both ourselves and our readers, we now stick strictly to games default profiles. Given how powerful most modern cards are getting, we’ve began using more demanding profiles for most games, but will otherwise state on a per game basis if we use other profiles beyond High, Ultra, Maximum or their respective equivalent at all resolutions. V-Sync is always disabled in our testing, and all FPS caps that can be removed are. We also enable XMP and Resizable bar technology across all platforms to keep things as fair as possible.

Games

While we test a lot of games, it’s not possible to display all of the data on the website or in our videos. Instead, we include access to all of our testing data for our Patreon members (link), where members get a ton of other benefits as well.

What we do however, is display charts for averages across all game titles to give a better picture of performance across all titles tested.

  • Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
  • Call Of Duty Warzone
  • Control
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Death Stranding
  • Dying Light 2
  • F1 22
  • Far Cry 6
  • Fortnite
  • Forza Horizon 5
  • Horizon Zero Dawn
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
  • Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
  • Watch Dogs: Legion

Resolutions

  • 1080 (Full HD)
  • 1440
  • 4K

Some tests will also include features such as NVIDIA DLSS and Ray Tracing. However, these will be clearly labelled and may only appear in reviews for graphics cards that support those features.

Power Consumption

Not being content on simply reading total system power draw at both idle, we now have the ability thanks to the ElmorLabs PMD-USB device that allows us to measure power draw directly through the EPS power connectors. We test at idle, during gaming load, of which we measure drawing a run of Cyberpunk 2077 and during Cinebench R23 at load too.

Temperatures

We take temperature readings after 10 minutes of desktop idle with no background programs running, then take the recorded maximum delivered during the same runs as when we measure power consumption, being during our Cyberpunk 2033 run, and during Cinebench R23 at load too.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Peter Donnell

As a child still in my 30's (but not for long), I spend my day combining my love of music and movies with a life-long passion for gaming, from arcade classics and retro consoles to the latest high-end PC and console games. So it's no wonder I write about tech and test the latest hardware while I enjoy my hobbies!

Disqus Comments Loading...

Recent Posts

PlayStation Portal Has Been a Huge Success, Says CEO

In a recent interview celebrating PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, Sony’s PlayStation division CEOs Hermen Hulst and…

1 day ago

Sony ‘Lucky’ to Have Survived PS3 Era, Says Shawn Layden

This week, Sony celebrates 30 years of PlayStation. Reflecting on the PS3 era in a…

1 day ago

Elden Ring 2 Not in Development, But FromSoftware Is Working on Multiple Projects

Elden Ring has been a massive success, with over 25 million copies sold. Its expansion,…

1 day ago

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to Receive Over $10 Million in Severance

Intel and Pat Gelsinger have finalized a retirement and separation agreement, entitling the former CEO…

1 day ago

Microsoft Faces £1 Billion Lawsuit Over Alleged Anti-Competitive Windows Server Fees

Microsoft, which has not faced antitrust investigations in the 21st century, is now under scrutiny…

1 day ago

Intel Unveils New Arc B-Series Graphics Cards and Announces Release Date

Intel has officially unveiled its new generation of desktop PC graphics cards, aiming to continue…

1 day ago