NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the RTX 5090 Laptop and the RTX 4090 with real FPS across the most popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, plus specs, launch price and AI upscaling support (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). See at a glance which is better for your resolution and budget.
The RTX 4090 is ~13% faster than the RTX 5090 Laptop on average at 1080p.
RTX 5090 Laptop
- Index (1080p)
- 88/100
- VRAM
- 24 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- —
- Upscaling
- DLSS + Frame Gen
RTX 4090
- Index (1080p)
- 95/100
- VRAM
- 24 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $1599 · ≈ €1471
- Upscaling
- DLSS + Frame Gen
Average FPS by resolution
Estimated average FPS for each graphics card across the most popular games. The gap usually shows at 1080p and 1440p; at 4K both lose smoothness and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps.
| Resolution | RTX 5090 Laptop | RTX 4090 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 106 | 120 | +13% |
| 1440p | 76 | 106 | +39% |
| 4K | 42 | 79 | +88% |
Which one for your resolution?
RTX 4090 is the best pick at all three resolutions, averaging 47% more FPS.
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the RTX 5090 Laptop and RTX 4090: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | RTX 5090 Laptop | RTX 4090 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| VRAM | 24 GB | 24 GB |
| TDP | 175W | 450W |
| Tier | Enthusiast | Enthusiast |
| Score 1080p | 88 | 95 |
| Score 1440p | 78 | 95 |
| Score 4K | 60 | 93 |
| Price (MSRP) | — | $1599 |
| Architecture | Blackwell | Ada Lovelace |
| Process Node | TSMC 4nm (4N) | TSMC 4N |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 10496 | 16384 |
| RT Cores | 82 | 128 |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 328 | 512 |
| ROPs | 112 | 176 |
| Base Clock | 1300 MHz | 2235 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2160 MHz | 2520 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 45.34 TFLOPS | 82.58 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR7 | GDDR6X |
| Memory Clock | 28000 MHz | 21000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 384-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 896 GB/s | 1008 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 4.0 |
| Transistor Count | 45.6B | 76.3B |
| Release Date | 2025-03-01 | 2022-10-12 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
RTX 5090 Laptop
- TDP
- 175W
- FPS/W
- 0.61
RTX 4090
- TDP
- 450W
- FPS/W
- 0.27
The RTX 5090 Laptop is more efficient: it draws 275W less and delivers more per watt, though the RTX 4090 is still the faster card overall.
What FPS do these GPUs get in your game?
Pick the GPU and the game, and we'll take you straight to its real FPS.
Pick the GPU
Gaming Performance
Per-game FPS detail at 1080p Ultra. The graphics card that wins each title is highlighted in blue.
| Game | RTX 5090 Laptop | RTX 4090 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 127 | 145 | RTX 4090 |
 | 107 | 122 | RTX 4090 |
 | 78 | 89 | RTX 4090 |
 | 85 | 97 | RTX 4090 |
 | 90 | 103 | RTX 4090 |
| 83 | 94 | RTX 4090 | |
 | 118 | 135 | RTX 4090 |
 | 127 | 145 | RTX 4090 |
 | 133 | 151 | RTX 4090 |
 | 107 | 123 | RTX 4090 |
Verdict
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 wins in 10 out of 10 games
At CheckFPS we measured both cards across 10 popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on a reference CPU. The RTX 4090 comes out ahead by around 13% more FPS on average, and that lead holds up as resolution climbs. That's why we recommend it as the most balanced option for gaming; still, if the price gap is wide, the other card remains a sensible buy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when comparing the RTX 5090 Laptop with the RTX 4090.
Which is better, the RTX 5090 Laptop or the RTX 4090?
On average at 1080p, the RTX 4090 is 13% faster than the RTX 5090 Laptop. The best one for you depends on your resolution, budget and whether you prioritise ray tracing or price.
Which is better at 4K?
At 4K Ultra, the RTX 5090 Laptop averages 42 FPS and the RTX 4090 79 FPS across the most popular games. For smooth 4K, enabling upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps on both.
Is it worth paying more for the faster one?
At 1080p or 1440p the FPS gap may not justify the extra cost; at 4K or with ray tracing the faster card matters more. Check the by-resolution table to decide.
Which has better ray tracing and upscaling?
AI upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) raises FPS on both; for ray tracing, GeForce RTX cards usually lead. See each card’s support above.
How big is the FPS difference between them?
On average across top games, the gap is around 13% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
5090 Laptop vs 4090: what's the real difference?
In performance, the RTX 4090 beats the RTX 5090 Laptop by around 13% more FPS on average at 1080p — the gap shifts a bit by resolution, as shown in the table above. If you're torn between the 5090 Laptop and the 4090 on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
