Question Convince me not to buy a RTX 3090 Ti

Carfax83

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Nov 1, 2010
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I haven't upgraded in a very long time and I now have the itch. I will be doing a full platform upgrade later this year with either Zen 4 or Raptor Lake. Ideally I would love to pair an RTX 4000 series card with my new platform, but I'm guessing the scalpers and miners will suck up all the initial inventory and I will probably have to wait till next year to get the GPU I want.

Also full disclosure, I've always had a strong preference for "full fat" GPUs and not the scaled down versions.

That said, the mark downs on the elite RTX 3090 Ti cards are becoming very tempting. An aftermarket model will play every game I want with maximum detail and high performance. Only a few upcoming games interest me, like Baldurs Gate 3, Jedi Survivor, Diablo IV, Stalker and several others and I don't foresee any of them being problematic at 1440p, though I'm thinking about upgrading to a 4K ips monitor as well to be honest.

Would I be making a big mistake if I bought an RTX 3090 Ti for $1200?
 

Tech Junky

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Jan 27, 2022
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I would check them against a 3060 / 6GB @ $500 or less. The higher end cards with higher prices don't make much sense to me. There's a big enough jump between the 3060 and 3050 it makes it worthwhile but, the boost you see from anything higher just doesn't make financial sense to me at least, I use this on my laptop though and the desktop cards have up to 12GB @ $380 for an MSI.


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Comparing 2 lowest priced cards shows the only real difference is 12GB vs 24GB / higher power 170W vs 450W.
core clock is only 200mhz difference with the same boost and gddr6 vs gddr6x.

$400 vs $1200.... I would save the cash and spend it on cooling since you'll need that more either way if you plan on using it for extended periods of time. The heat soak from GPU's is ridiculous and the only instance I would consider water cooling for that specific device so it's not blasting heat onto the other components.
 
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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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3090Ti? YIKES!! Those are USUALLY rated for a MINIMUM of 850 watt PSU, and with the issue of transient power spikes...maybe 1000 watts or more.



Do you NEED a 3090 TI or even a 3090? From what I've read, definitely NOT for gaming. If you do lots of photo or video work...or high end graphic work, then maybe. Odds are, if you're a gamer, a 3080 (not Ti) will do everything you want or need.

(but what the heck...if you have a big PSU and lots of money...go for it!)
 
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moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
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I haven't upgraded in a very long time and I now have the itch. I will be doing a full platform upgrade later this year with either Zen 4 or Raptor Lake. Ideally I would love to pair an RTX 4000 series card with my new platform, but I'm guessing the scalpers and miners will suck up all the initial inventory and I will probably have to wait till next year to get the GPU I want.

Also full disclosure, I've always had a strong preference for "full fat" GPUs and not the scaled down versions.

That said, the mark downs on the elite RTX 3090 Ti cards are becoming very tempting. An aftermarket model will play every game I want with maximum detail and high performance. Only a few upcoming games interest me, like Baldurs Gate 3, Jedi Survivor, Diablo IV, Stalker and several others and I don't foresee any of them being problematic at 1440p, though I'm thinking about upgrading to a 4K ips monitor as well to be honest.

Would I be making a big mistake if I bought an RTX 3090 Ti for $1200?

If you don't mind a 4070Ti beating it for around $600 in a few months, sure go ahead. A 4070 for $500 might even get close to it because there is little different in gaming performance among 3080/3080ti/3090/3090ti. Compared to next gen, all those cards will look basically the same on performance graphs and in real world gaming experiences. Buying basically anything new right now is a no go for me. None of them are worth it. I'd buy a 3090Ti right now for $500 max.
 
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If you are going to use it undervolted so it consumes about a 100W less than what it usually does for less than a 10% loss in performance, I think it's fine, provided you don't mind spending the money. The only issue is being so close to the 4000 series launch. Their big cache may have a pretty huge impact on some games and especially RT effects. If the 4080 costs the same and delivers better performance, you may feel sorry for pulling the trigger early.
 
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Carfax83

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Nov 1, 2010
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I would check them against a 3060 / 6GB @ $500 or less. The higher end cards with higher prices don't make much sense to me. There's a big enough jump between the 3060 and 3050 it makes it worthwhile but, the boost you see from anything higher just doesn't make financial sense to me at least, I use this on my laptop though and the desktop cards have up to 12GB @ $380 for an MSI.

Thanks for your advice but I've always had high end GPUs as long as I've been into PC hardware, and I won't be stopping anytime soon provided I can afford to buy them and I still love uninhibited PC gaming where I can crank up the settings and not care.

Even now I have a Titan Xp in my system.
 
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Carfax83

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3090Ti? YIKES!! Those are USUALLY rated for a MINIMUM of 850 watt PSU, and with the issue of transient power spikes...maybe 1000 watts or more.

I recently bought a 1600w platinum rated power supply.

Do you NEED a 3090 TI or even a 3090? From what I've read, definitely NOT for gaming. If you do lots of photo or video work...or high end graphic work, then maybe. Odds are, if you're a gamer, a 3080 (not Ti) will do everything you want or need.

Good question. As I mentioned in my OP, I have a strong preference for "full fat" GPUs, and by that I mean the GPU is in it's complete form with no down scaling. The RTX 3090 Ti fulfills that requirement as it's essentially the full die GA102.

Second, the RTX 3080 Ti isn't much less than a RTX 3090 Ti believe it or not. Have you guys checked the prices, they are way down!

Also, the extra VRAM might be useful for games that use Direct Storage technology.
 
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Ranulf

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Jul 18, 2001
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Would I be making a big mistake if I bought an RTX 3090 Ti for $1200?

Yes.

If you must buy find the cheapest price for a 3090 or even better a 3080ti for 4k. I don't see how anything more than a 3070 is worth the risk (of a possible $500+ price drop in 6months) for 1440p. Maybe a good deal on a 3080 12GB card that you will ride out till the end of its life for 3-5+ years at 1440p.

Check out techpowerup's gpu database and other site for the performance of those 4 cards at the top end. They are all so close to each other. 10% or less performance difference between a 3080ti and 3090ti. For gaming I don't see 24GB of ram being needed even at 4k.
 
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Carfax83

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If you don't mind a 4070Ti beating it for around $600 in a few months, sure go ahead. A 4070 for $500 might even get close to it because there is little different in gaming performance among 3080/3080ti/3090/3090ti. Compared to next gen, all those cards will look basically the same on performance graphs and in real world gaming experiences. Buying basically anything new right now is a no go for me. None of them are worth it. I'd buy a 3090Ti right now for $500 max.

My fear is that I try to buy a RTX 4080 or something and they are all out of stock everywhere, a repeat of the fiasco with the RTX 3000 series. I'm not one of those types that constantly monitor websites for stock inventory.

If I want to buy something, I expect it to be in stock! But this is still a powerful argument. I already know the RTX 4000 series will be much better, the difficulty will be getting my hands on one of them..... especially the one that I want.
 
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Carfax83

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The only issue is being so close to the 4000 series launch. Their big cache may have a pretty huge impact on some games and especially RT effects. If the 4080 costs the same and delivers better performance, you may feel sorry for pulling the trigger early.

Yes this is the biggest reason why I haven't done it yet. I really want to experience using RT in games, so it's been grating on me for a while. I actually wanted to get an RTX 30 series card shortly after they were available, but the lack of availability and sky high scalper prices turned me off completely and I abstained.

Another reason I'm strongly looking at an RTX 3090 Ti right now is because the good aftermarket RTX 40 series cards won't be available till next year anyway.

What are the chances that the RTX 40 series will have the same problems that the RTX 30 series had when they first launched?
 
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Here's an idea: https://www.amazon.com/PowerColor-Graphics-Powered-Raytracing-Infinity/dp/B08P2C8XXH/

You can push it to its limits. Enjoy the DX12 Ultimate-ness of this card which your current card is unable to provide. You save money this way and it's pretty powerful for a lot of games. If you miss out on getting an RTX 4000 at launch, at least you will have this card to keep you occupied. If you spend $1200 on a 3090 Ti, you might end up feeling dissatisfied when you compare it to an RTX 4000 and then have to sell off the 3090 Ti for probably a significant loss to get the RTX 4000.
 
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Another reason I'm strongly looking at an RTX 3090 Ti right now is because the good aftermarket RTX 40 series cards won't be available till next year anyway.
You are using a Titan XP (kind of an FE card) right now and I'm guessing that you are pretty satisfied with it. What's wrong with getting a Founder's Edition card?
 

Carfax83

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Nov 1, 2010
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Yes.

If you must buy find the cheapest price for a 3090 or even better a 3080ti for 4k. I don't see how anything more than a 3070 is worth the risk (of a possible $500+ price drop in 6months) for 1440p. Maybe a good deal on a 3080 12GB card that you will ride out till the end of its life for 3-5+ years at 1440p.

I'm probably going to get a 4K monitor eventually. The reason why I've held out this long is because I was waiting for DP 2.0 monitors to become available.

Check out techpowerup's gpu database and other site for the performance of those 4 cards at the top end. They are all so close to each other. 10% or less performance difference between a 3080ti and 3090ti. For gaming I don't see 24GB of ram being needed even at 4k.

I think Direct Storage may eventually make use of GPUs with large amounts of VRAM onboard to speed up loading and streaming.
 

OlyAR15

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Oct 23, 2014
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I run a 3090 in my gaming rig, playing at 1440p. Of course, I also use a Reverb G2 VR set for flight sims, and those would bring even a 3090ti to its knees. If you can afford one and want one, then just buy a 3090 or whatever high end card you want. There will always be a faster card in the future, no matter how long you wait.
 
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I'm probably going to get a 4K monitor eventually. The reason why I've held out this long is because I was waiting for DP 2.0 monitors to become available.
Mini-LED 4K monitor to get the best HDR/RT experience. No point in having great lighting and shadows if the blacks look muddy and grayish.
 

Carfax83

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Nov 1, 2010
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You are using a Titan XP (kind of an FE card) right now and I'm guessing that you are pretty satisfied with it. What's wrong with getting a Founder's Edition card?

I actually don't mind F.E cards, they are well built. But as I said previously, I have fears that the entire inventory will be scooped up on launch day by scalpers and bots, basically a replay of the Ampere fiasco which was a supreme turn off. In today's World, I can't take it for granted that I will be able to easily purchase a new in demand graphics card like in the past.
 

Carfax83

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Mini-LED 4K monitor to get the best HDR/RT experience. No point in having great lighting and shadows if the blacks look muddy and grayish.

I just googled that and the prices! o_O

Maybe if I win the lottery or something haha. It seems a lot of people are recommending getting an OLED panel like the LG C2. Monitor shopping is probably the least fun aspect of being a PC hardware enthusiast.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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I actually don't mind F.E cards, they are well built. But as I said previously, I have fears that the entire inventory will be scooped up on launch day by scalpers and bots, basically a replay of the Ampere fiasco which was a supreme turn off. In today's World, I can't take it for granted that I will be able to easily purchase a new in demand graphics card like in the past.

Then get the card you want now...upgrade when the 4000 series come out if you wish...you should be able to recoup most of your money on the 3090Ti.
 

moonbogg

Lifer
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Then get the card you want now...upgrade when the 4000 series come out if you wish...you should be able to recoup most of your money on the 3090Ti.

Not sure about that. 2080tis were worth less than a 3070 msrp. If mining didn't screw everything up, that's how it would have went down. That 3090Ti might be worth the same or less than whatever card equals it next gen, so a 4070/4070Ti. He might only get $500 or so for the used 3090Ti. If he doesn't care about losing the money, then that's one thing. If he does, that's another. I know some people paid the full $2200+ for these things, but I also know that those guys are so rich and so handsome that they simply can't be bothered with the value loss.
 
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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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Not sure about that. 2080tis were worth less than a 3070 msrp. If mining didn't screw everything up, that's how it would have went down. That 3090Ti might be worth the same or less than whatever card equals it next gen, so a 4070/4070Ti. He might only get $500 or so for the used 3090Ti. If he doesn't care about losing the money, then that's one thing. If he does, that's another. I know some people paid the full $2200+ for these things, but I also know that those guys are so rich and so handsome that they simply can't be bothered with the value loss.

Looking at the used marketplace now, 3080 cards are going for $600-$1000...not that much cheaper than EVGA has them on sale for now.
here's an example:

Heck, used RTX 2070 cards are often selling for their MSRP or more.
He might lose a bit on resale, but not that much.
 
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SteveGrabowski

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Oct 20, 2014
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Can't understand spending $1200 for a 3090 Ti for ~10% more performance at 4k than a 3080 12GB which could be had for $750 to $800. Only gamers who should be buying 3090 Ti are those with so much money that they'll also be buying 4090 when it comes out and then 4090 Ti when it comes out and so on.