As one of the most vital components in any PC build, and a pricy one at that, picking a new GPU can be a daunting task, but with our 4080 Super vs 7900 XTX guide, you'll know which one is for you.
With the RTX 4080 and 4070 Super release date coming up, and the leaked 4000 Super prices meaning that the 4080 Super is in direct competition with the 7900 XTX, you may be wondering which GPU is the right fit for you.
4080 Super vs 7900 XTX - specs breakdown
Here's a breakdown of the 4080 Super and the 7900 XTX at a basic specs level:
RTX 4080 Super | RX 7900 XTX | |
|---|---|---|
Architecture | Ada Lovelace | RDNA 3 |
VRAM / Memory | 16GB GDDR6X | 24GB GDDR6 |
Memory clock | 23Gbps | 21Gbps |
Memory bus | 256-Bit | 384-Bit |
AI accelerators | N/A | 192 |
Raytracing accelerators | N/A | 96 |
Raytracing cores | 3rd Gen, 121 | N/A |
Tensor cores | 4th Gen, 836 | N/A |
Base clock | 2295 MHz | 1855 MHz |
Boost clock | 2550 MHz | 2500 MHz |
The biggest advantage on AMD's side is the VRAM, with the 7900 XTX offering 24GB of memory over the 4080 Super's 16GB. However, the 4080 Super has seen a 3Gbps memory clock increase over the non-Super, putting it in a faster position. That being said, for gaming, you likely won't see a huge difference in both cards, but 7900 XTX users will see a benefit in VRAM-heavy apps or software.
The early announcement of the 4080 Super doesn't include what DisplayPort the card will use, but we imagine it would be DisplayPort 1.4 like it's non-Super version, whereas the 7900 XTX uses DisplayPort 2.1.
Originally, the pricing was a huge factor of the fierce debate between the RX 7900 XTX and the RTX 4080, with the latter costing around $200 or more depending on the manufacturer. However, the MSRP of the 4080 Super is now the same as the 7900 XTX, putting them in direct competition with each other.
4080 Super vs 7900 XTX - benchmarks
Unfortunately, until we get our hands on the 4080 Super, we can't see the comparison between the cards during testing. However, with the 4080 Super seeing a small performance boost, we expect Nvidia's card to actually be superior, albeit only slightly, compared to the 7900 XTX.
The benchmarks for the 7900 XTX and the 4080 saw both cards take or throw blows at the other, leading to them both having fairly comparable performance. We'll have to see how well the 4080 Super fairs when it finally releases.
4080 Super vs 7900 XTX - raytracing and DLSS or FSR
The biggest advantage that Nvidia has over AMD is its raytracing capabilities. While the tech is still a gimmick to most PC gamers, Nvidia's introduction of DLSS 3, including DLSS Frame Generation, puts it in first place compared to AMD's FSR.
Considering that the original 4080 offers much higher performance than the 7900 XTX when it comes to raytracing, we'll likely see the 4080 Super keep the lead with DLSS 3 once it releases.
Verdict
Unfortunately, we can't reach a full verdict until we can finally test the 4080 Super in gaming sessions or in other software. That being said, the main selling point of the 7900 XTX was 4080-like performance while saving money, which won't be the case anymore (unless AMD cuts its prices).
As it currently stands though, the 4080 Super is seemingly a better purchase, at least on paper. DLSS 3 is absolutely incredible, increasing performance for plenty of games that require extremely high-end hardware to run, like Cyberpunk 2077's Overdrive settings. It's going to be interesting to see how AMD will react to Nvidia's 40-series Super cards in the coming months.
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