I know, I Know... Another GPU question #$%@*

[RobUSMC]

I currently have an Alienware desktop with a GeForce RTX 3090.  I need to get another PC for new designer. She would get mine and I would get a new one.  Looking for thoughts on the RTX 3090 which I have now or move up to the RTX 4090?  Is there a huge differences?      As with anything. the day I buy it, the next day they will announce a new card coming out next month.  Ive always bought Dells since I have a $100K credit line with them and Ive always bought the Alienware models because I know they are great with graphics and renderings. As far as the CPU, it is the same Intel 13th gen I-9. 13900KF 24 core which is the same as in my current PC thats 2 years old.   Thanks

[DrawingABlank]

Reading GPU / CPU clocking charts and then translating into their practical benefits is beyond my understanding.

Member comments were a helpful guide for me and I am sure some will offer some input.

I wonder if there was a way to test compare in real life how a setup performs. Like sharing a plan with a particular saved camera. Ask other members who have different pc's to perform task(s) like a render or walk-through and see how long it took and the resource use. Of course, I have no idea if too many other variables would remain to actually provide results of value.

 

 

[Kbird1]

You really don't need either of those GPUs for Chief, not that I wouldn't mind either in my machine ,  so for a "work" only machine you could consider a model with a 4070 or even a 3070Ti to save some money, there are a number of people here even using 3060's with no problems.

 

Intel is releasing New CPUs later this Month , 17th I think? , the 14th Gen "Refresh" models, that I plan to get myself after reading a few real world Reviews next month, so an option is to wait for one of those with a lesser GPU like the 4070 or 4080 to save some money, or even a lower spec GPU and swap the 3090 into it for yourself.

 

However if budget is not an Issue ? 

 

M.

 

[winterdd]

I'm going be spying on this thread because come December I am upgrading to a new Alienware as well. Does the higher the number on the graphics card really mean it is better? I have been too busy recently to download and try twin motion but I plan on it in 2024 so I want the best machine out there for it. 

[VHampton]

With GPUs, the model number indicates some basic information about the cards. Here's the simple way to read them.

 

- For Nvidia, their naming scheme is based on numbers. Let's take an RTX 3080ti for example.

• The "RTX" Letters at the beginning indicate the type of card that it is. Nvidia makes RTX, GTX, and GT type cards. RTX cards offer hardware-accelerated ray-tracing and AI processing features. GTX cards lack these features, but are otherwise fully-capable Nvidia GPUs. GT cards are typically marketed as display adapters and are not intended for gaming, generally speaking.

• The first number (30) indicates the series (generation) of card. Newer generations offer better efficiency and more features. Nvidia's last five generations were 9, 10, 16, 20, and 30.

• The second number (80) indicates the performance tier of the card.

  • 10-40: Budget tier-- usually a GT card.

  • 50-60: Mainstream tier -- good performance for most people.

  • 70-80: Performance tier -- high-end cards.

  • 80-90: Enthusiast tier -- Flagship, top-of-the-line cards.

• Finally the suffix Ti or SUPER refers to a "boost" in performance over the "standard" model of whatever card it is.

 

For example-- a GTX 1080ti is a 10-series Flagship card. It's several generations older than the RTX 3060ti, but manages to match or beat its performance in many games. "80" places it in a higher tier.  

 

Back to the OP... Will a 4090 be fast? Absolutely. The question is, does the work require that kind of horsepower.  Unless one might be making movies in Ray Trace mode, Chief runs quite well with a 3090. Everyday drawings and an occasional render may rarely result in GPU overclocking on a 3090. If renderings however are the primary output one's day to day work, then the 4090 makes sense. 

 

This from a 2020 tech article may shed some light on the 3090 vs. the 4090:  

 

"When fps are not CPU bottlenecked at all, such as during GPU benchmarks, the 4090 is around 75% faster than the 3090 and 60% faster than the 3090-Ti, these figures are approximate upper bounds for in-game fps improvements. The fact that the 4090 is currently the fastest performing graphics card available is reflected in its jaw-dropping MSRP of $1,600. Since PC gamers rarely buy AMD GPUs, Nvidia only have themselves to compete with. Surprisingly, $1,600 is actually reasonable value for money, when compared to previous gen. flagship cards. Prospective buyers will need a top of the line system to extract maximum performance from the 4090 and because of its monstrous dimensions, many will also need a new PC case. Consumers that demand value for money, should wait a few more months for the 4060 / 4070 models by which time AMD's 7900 series will also probably be heavily discounted. Alternatively, shoppers looking to buy in the near term should consider the last gen. 3060-Ti, which offers excellent real-world (1080p) performance at a fraction of the price ($400 USD)."