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Hey everyone!

I'm in the market for a new high-end GPU and I'm torn between the NVIDIA RTX 4080 and the AMD RX 7900 XTX. My primary goal is to play games at 1440p with very high refresh rates (144Hz+). I mostly play titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, and Call of Duty, but I also dabble in some competitive FPS games where every frame counts.

I've been reading reviews, but the real-world performance differences, especially with ray tracing enabled, are a bit confusing. My current setup is a Ryzen 7 5800X with 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a 850W PSU, so I think the platform can handle either. My monitor is a 1440p 165Hz IPS panel.

What are your experiences with these cards in this specific scenario? Is the 4080's DLSS 3 worth the extra cost, or is the 7900 XTX's raw power and VRAM more beneficial at 1440p?

Any advice or benchmarks would be greatly appreciated!

Original post by UserXYZ

I'm in the market for a new high-end GPU and I'm torn between the NVIDIA RTX 4080 and the AMD RX 7900 XTX.

I was in a similar boat a few months back! I ended up going with the 7900 XTX for my 1440p 165Hz build. Honestly, for pure rasterization at 1440p, the 7900 XTX is incredibly strong. You'll easily hit high frame rates in most games without needing upscaling.

When it comes to ray tracing, the 4080 is definitely superior. If RT is a top priority and you plan to enable it heavily, the 4080 will provide a smoother experience, especially with DLSS 3 Frame Generation. However, the 7900 XTX is no slouch, and with FSR 3 improving, it's getting more competitive.

For competitive FPS games, I find the 7900 XTX consistently delivers. The extra VRAM on the 7900 XTX (24GB vs 16GB on 4080) might also be a benefit for future-proofing or if you play heavily modded games.

My recommendation: If raw performance and VRAM are key, and you're okay with slightly less impressive RT, go 7900 XTX. If you want the absolute best RT experience and DLSS 3 is a deciding factor, the 4080 is the way to go, but be prepared for the higher price.

Great question, UserXYZ! This is a common dilemma for many PC builders.

From a performance perspective at 1440p:

• Rasterization: The RX 7900 XTX generally trades blows with the RTX 4080, sometimes winning by a small margin, especially at higher resolutions. For 1440p, you'll find both cards are incredibly capable of pushing high frame rates.
• Ray Tracing: NVIDIA historically has a lead in ray tracing performance, and the RTX 4080 is no exception. If you plan to crank up RT settings in demanding titles, the 4080 will offer a smoother and more visually impressive experience.
• Upscaling Technologies:
  • DLSS (NVIDIA): DLSS 3, with its AI-powered Frame Generation, can significantly boost FPS in supported titles on the 4080. This is a major advantage for high refresh rate gaming, especially in games that struggle to hit those targets natively.
  • FSR (AMD): AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution is also improving, with FSR 3 now including frame generation. While it's closing the gap, DLSS 3 is still generally considered more mature and produces better visual fidelity in many cases.
• Power Consumption & Efficiency: The RTX 4080 is often more power-efficient under load compared to the 7900 XTX.
• VRAM: The 7900 XTX has 24GB of VRAM, while the 4080 has 16GB. For current 1440p gaming, 16GB is usually sufficient, but 24GB offers more headroom for future titles and higher texture settings.

Recommendation Summary:

• Choose the RTX 4080 if: Your priority is top-tier ray tracing, you want the benefits of DLSS 3 Frame Generation, and power efficiency is important.
• Choose the RX 7900 XTX if: You prioritize raw rasterization performance, more VRAM for future-proofing, and are looking for a potentially better price-to-performance ratio without heavy RT focus.

Given your setup and goals, both are excellent choices. I'd recommend checking specific game benchmarks for the titles you play most often with RT enabled and see how DLSS 3 and FSR 3 perform in them.

Just wanted to add my two cents. I have a 7900 XT (not XTX, but close enough for comparison sometimes) and a 4080. At 1440p, the 7900 XT is great, but the 4080 with DLSS 3 on Cyberpunk was a revelation. The frame generation made the game feel so much smoother, even with RT cranked up.

If you can find a 4080 close to the price of a 7900 XTX, the DLSS 3 features are definitely worth considering for those high refresh rate goals.