NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 in 2025: Power for Gamers and Professionals
Updated review of the flagship graphics card
Ampere Architecture: Innovations and Technologies
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, released in 2020, remains relevant even in 2025 due to its Ampere architecture. It is built on Samsung's 8nm process technology, which, despite the emergence of thinner nodes (such as 5nm in the RTX 40 series), provides a high transistor density of 28 billion.
Key Features:
- 2nd Generation RT Cores for ray tracing, accelerating lighting and shadow calculations in real-time.
- 3rd Generation Tensor Cores, enhancing the performance of DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and other AI-based algorithms.
- Support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, including technologies like Variable Rate Shading (VRS) and Mesh Shading.
- PCIe 4.0 interface, offering bandwidth up to 64 GB/s (though by 2025, PCIe 5.0 is already dominant).
DLSS 3.0 is the RTX 3090’s key advantage. Even five years post-release, this technology allows for gaming in 4K with high FPS, boosting performance by 40-70% through frame generation via neural networks.
24 GB GDDR6X: Memory for Any Task
The RTX 3090 is equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with a bandwidth of 936 GB/s. This solution continues to impress:
- For Gaming: Allows for working with 8K textures and complex scenes without data loading. For instance, in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 at max settings, the card has no issues even at 4K.
- For Professionals: 24 GB serves as a safety buffer for rendering, 3D modeling, and neural network applications. In Blender, rendering a scene with 10 million polygons takes 20% less time than competitors with 16 GB.
Con: GDDR6X heats up significantly, so effective cooling is a must.
4K Gaming and Beyond: Performance in 2025
Despite its age, the RTX 3090 handles modern titles effectively. Here are some examples of FPS (Ultra settings, without DLSS):
- Cyberpunk 2077 (2023):
- 4K + RT Ultra: 45-50 FPS → with DLSS 3.0 Quality: 65-70 FPS.
- 1440p + RT Ultra: 75-80 FPS.
- Starfield (2025):
- 4K: 60 FPS (with DLSS 3.0).
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare V:
- 4K: 90-100 FPS.
Ray tracing still reduces FPS by 30-40%, but DLSS helps compensate for the losses. In games that support FidelityFX Super Resolution (AMD), the RTX 3090 shows commendable results, though it falls behind the Radeon RX 7900 XTX in some scenarios.
Not Just Gaming: Professional Tasks
The RTX 3090 is a hybrid of gaming and professional-grade graphics card.
- Video Editing: In Adobe Premiere Pro, rendering an 8K video lasting 10 minutes takes about 8-9 minutes thanks to its 10,496 CUDA cores.
- 3D Rendering: In Blender (Cycles engine), the card performs at the level of the NVIDIA RTX A5000 but costs 2-3 times less (by 2025, a new RTX 3090 is priced around $1000-1200).
- Scientific Calculations: Support for CUDA and OpenCL makes it popular for machine learning and simulations. For example, training a neural network based on TensorFlow is accelerated 3-4 times compared to CPU.
Limitation: For specific tasks (like rendering in AutoCAD), certified Quadro cards are more suitable.
Power Consumption and Cooling: What You Need to Know
The TDP of the RTX 3090 is 350 W, which requires a thoughtful power supply and cooling system:
- Power Supply: Minimum 750 W (850 W recommended) with an 80+ Gold certification.
- Cooling:
- An optimal option is a case with good ventilation (3-4 fans).
- For compact builds, hybrid liquid cooling systems (e.g., from EVGA or ASUS ROG Strix LC) work well.
- Operating temperature under load: 70-80°C (with good airflow).
Advice: Avoid cases shorter than 320 mm — the card takes 3 slots and is 313 mm long.
Competitors in 2025: Who is the RTX 3090 Compared To?
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24 GB GDDR6):
- Cheaper ($900-1000) but weaker in ray tracing and lacks an equivalent to DLSS 3.0.
- Better at handling 4K gaming without RT (e.g., +10% in Horizon Forbidden West).
- NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti (16 GB GDDR6X):
- New Ada Lovelace architecture, DLSS 3.5, but only has 16 GB of memory. Price — $800-900.
- Lags behind the RTX 3090 in professional tasks.
Conclusion: The RTX 3090 wins against competitors due to its memory capacity and versatility.
Practical Tips for Owners
1. Power Supply: Don’t skimp — Corsair RM850x or Be Quiet! Straight Power 11.
2. Compatibility:
- Motherboard with PCIe 4.0 (although the card works with PCIe 3.0 with minimal losses).
- Update BIOS to support Resizable BAR (increases performance by 5-10%).
3. Drivers: Regularly update via GeForce Experience. For professional tasks, use Studio Drivers.
Pros and Cons of the RTX 3090 in 2025
Pros:
- 24 GB of memory for gaming and work.
- Excellent 4K performance and with RT.
- Support for DLSS 3.0.
- Versatility (gaming + professional use).
Cons:
- High power consumption.
- Size (won't fit in small cases).
- Price: $1000-1200 compared to $900 for the RX 7900 XTX.
Final Verdict: Who Is the RTX 3090 For?
This graphics card is the choice for those who are not willing to compromise:
- Gamers wanting to play in 4K with maximum quality and RT.
- Professionals needing a versatile tool for rendering, editing, and ML.
- Enthusiasts building PCs with future-proof capability.
If you’re seeking a card for "all occasions" and are willing to tolerate its power appetite — the RTX 3090 is still relevant. However, for pure gaming in 2025, there are newer and more energy-efficient options available (like the RTX 4070 Ti or RX 7900 XTX).