The RTX 3090 Ti is an overclocked 3090 with a ludicrously high power rating of 450 watts, a ~30% increase over the original. Is that dumb? Surely sounds like it, but to be sure let's go over the benchmarks.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Review: Fast and Dumb
- Thread starter Steve
- Start date
Sausagemeat
Posts: 1,597 +1,423
Appreciate your work Steve as always. Obviously I wouldn’t buy a card like this, I’m just a regular guy with a salary and normal earners wouldn’t consider it. But if I won the lottery or something this would be the card I would buy over all others. It’s like the Ferrari of the GPU world. The only thing is, if I were so rich, would I have time for PC gaming? I doubt it in my case, I’d be on a boat somewhere hot!
Personally I’d like to see more ridiculousness from the top end, this thing just looks like a regular card but bigger. I want to see crazy heatsinks, maybe phase change cooling, motorised bits, OLED screens. Diamonds. Whatever, as I said never expect to buy a product like this and have learned to look at a them the same way I might look at a supermodel whom is much younger than myself.
Personally I’d like to see more ridiculousness from the top end, this thing just looks like a regular card but bigger. I want to see crazy heatsinks, maybe phase change cooling, motorised bits, OLED screens. Diamonds. Whatever, as I said never expect to buy a product like this and have learned to look at a them the same way I might look at a supermodel whom is much younger than myself.
QuantumPhysics
Posts: 6,306 +7,258
I stopped by Microcenter nearby to check and see if they had these in stock. They had 20 of them. There was no line. There was no wait. Now that crypto prices have collapsed, and availability has improved, cards in general have seen their prices cut and the demand has decreased.
I paid $1799 for a 3090 FTW3 during Cyberpunk's release week.
Microcenter was asking just $1999 for the 3090Ti Black and the FTW3 was more like $2199.
But in that long gap of time between the 3090 release and now, they were completely unavailable and you were more like to be forced to drop $1899 or $1999 on a 3080Ti.
I paid $1799 for a 3090 FTW3 during Cyberpunk's release week.
Microcenter was asking just $1999 for the 3090Ti Black and the FTW3 was more like $2199.
But in that long gap of time between the 3090 release and now, they were completely unavailable and you were more like to be forced to drop $1899 or $1999 on a 3080Ti.
QuantumPhysics
Posts: 6,306 +7,258
I will never call a product "dumb".
That's for the free market to decide. If the product is good enough, the market will bear it and people will buy it. If it isn't, people won't buy it and the makers will be forced to either reduce prices, discontinue the product, or rethink their strategy (or all of the above).
The people who want it and have the money, will just buy it.
Personally, I think you're better off waiting for the 4000 series, but for those people who need a card and want it now - or specifically saved up in wait for this card, it's here, it's $300 more than I paid for my non-Ti and it's the most powerful card on the market full stop.
I only have one problem with these new RTX cards. They are gigantic. I could care less about power consumption or heat dissipation. My only issue is they require a larger case and you'd have to rebuild your entire system to accommodate them.
Going forward, if you're building a machine, make sure you spring for a 1000W PSU
I will not buy another card this size - I demand there be a 2 slot maximum with an AIO liquid cooler.
At this price, the 3090 Kingpin is the only true competitor
That's for the free market to decide. If the product is good enough, the market will bear it and people will buy it. If it isn't, people won't buy it and the makers will be forced to either reduce prices, discontinue the product, or rethink their strategy (or all of the above).
The people who want it and have the money, will just buy it.
Personally, I think you're better off waiting for the 4000 series, but for those people who need a card and want it now - or specifically saved up in wait for this card, it's here, it's $300 more than I paid for my non-Ti and it's the most powerful card on the market full stop.
I only have one problem with these new RTX cards. They are gigantic. I could care less about power consumption or heat dissipation. My only issue is they require a larger case and you'd have to rebuild your entire system to accommodate them.
Going forward, if you're building a machine, make sure you spring for a 1000W PSU
I will not buy another card this size - I demand there be a 2 slot maximum with an AIO liquid cooler.
At this price, the 3090 Kingpin is the only true competitor
nodfor
Posts: 333 +608
You get better cooling and slightly better perf with these from what I gather from the review, so they are a decent upgrade. It is bad timing though, next gen shouldn't be far enough, so spending 2k on a card right now might not be the best move.
If the 4000 series can use identical cooling solutions, as rumors say, then this is a chance for AIBs to be ready for next gen and spare us from 100 celsius temps on memory modules.
If the 4000 series can use identical cooling solutions, as rumors say, then this is a chance for AIBs to be ready for next gen and spare us from 100 celsius temps on memory modules.
Geralt
Posts: 1,387 +2,213
It is dumb anyway.
Sausagemeat
Posts: 1,597 +1,423
It’s dumb for most people. But not the excessively rich.
Theinsanegamer
Posts: 5,456 +10,240
The worst part about this card is not the overpriced silicon, nor the posturing by nvidia. It's that every GA102 die used for these is one GA102 that is not going to be a 3080 or 3080ti.
So long as the 3090 exists, paying upwards of $1000 more for a 2% faster version is, frankly, very dumb.
Neither of those justify a $3000 MSRP.
It's still objectively dumb. The rich own Ferraris and flaunt their wealth. The excessively rich own a nice Mercedes SUV and put their wealth into the market to make more wealth.
So long as the 3090 exists, paying upwards of $1000 more for a 2% faster version is, frankly, very dumb.
Asrock did this with the z590 taichi, giving their gear decorations the ability to actually spin. I'd also like to see some creativity with the bells and whistles on these excessively overpriced products.
The slightly better perf can easily be had by upping the power limit on any other 3090, and third party 3090s have better coolers then this one does.
Neither of those justify a $3000 MSRP.
Sausagemeat
Posts: 1,597 +1,423
I work in a marina, there are 300 boats here. A single new sail for a yacht here costs on average $10,000 or more, sometimes considerably more. We charge more than $2000 a month for several vessels. And that’s just the start of it, yachts are outrageously expensive and I wouldn’t state that all their owners are dumb, quite the opposite actually. A rich person like that spending $2000 on a GPU really isn't an objectively stupid decision for that type of personal wealth.
If a $1000 sail is as good as a $10,000 sail then yes the $10,000 sail is dumb and you're a fool if you buy it. Having money to waste doesn't justify the existence of dumb products. In this instance I'd rather buy two RTX 3080's and give one away to a friend or a charity.
You don't have to worry about it, you're not a reviewer
Sausagemeat
Posts: 1,597 +1,423
Actually a $10,000 sail is a cheap sail. You can spend a lot more, usually only competitive sailors spend more and they have to as they have to all use the same sails or be disqualified from a regatta. And that’s just a sail. People will spend the same amount on a set of blocks, ropes, loads of things. Sailing is dam expensive!
I don’t think a $2000 GPU is particularly “dumb” if you’re rich enough. People spend more on that on a meal in London. Or a Luis Vuitton bag. There are far worse things to waste $2000 on.
Yes I know sailing is expensive
My point being just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's dumb, it's only dumb if you can get basically the same quality (and really value) product for a lot less. Sailing is expensive for a number of reasons, same is true of boating in general. It's a pointless and unrelated example.The RTX 3090 Ti is less than 20% faster than the RTX 3080 but costs almost 200% more, therefore it goes well beyond the point of diminishing returns and whether you're rich or not you shouldn't buy it, there are smarter things you could do with that money.
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kiwigraeme
Posts: 2,000 +1,410
Depends what you mean by "excessively" - if you mean super rich - lots of those people are just as practical as us - and don't buy hot and noisy for the sake of a few fps .
If you mean excessive in their purchases - I suppose so
Like those Ferraris you mentioned - I think they have a couple of day car models - not completely sure as not a Carhead - F40 etc definitely not - maybe testerosa is . But yes to own a supercar properly you have to be rich- garage, service, driving lessons, race track time etc .
I live on a street with a school - so judder bars - not Lambo friendly .
I learnt a lesson about 8 or 9 years old - went playing rough scrag like games in playground - kid says - have to take off my watch - so won't get damaged - then a few years later 10 speed bikes were trendy for richer kids - they worried about their bikes -poor kid bikes could carry 3 kids , ride into river , jump off at speed - leave behind - come and get it next day - still there - easy to fix .
The lesson do you own your property or does the property own you - worried about getting your car scratched ?? - even an excessively rich person may worry as = car may be a limited edition .
Saying that if I was rich - I would buy the best camera lenses, best binoculars etc- still wouldn't pay an excessive amount more for little real world advantage - plus must be best to use for me - and that may be a cheaper product .- Plus would I get more contentment helping say local kids sport teams with money
T
torchyear
I think it’s still a contender for creators though. This card is currently AUD$3500, whilst the nearest workstation card with 24GB VRAM is the RTX A5000 at AUD$4000.
Tech Jesus agrees with me in the GN review
Tech Jesus agrees with me in the GN review
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You know you can by a 24GB RTX 3090 for $2700 AUD right?I think it’s still a contender for creators though. This card is currently AUD$3500, whilst the nearest workstation card with 24GB VRAM is the Quadro RTX6000 at AUD$8000.
Tech Jesus agrees with me in the GN review
T
torchyear
Touche
I edited my post after your reply, didn’t realise they replaced the Quadro with the A5000 recently at half the price. I haven’t been keeping up.
pcnthuziast
Posts: 1,517 +1,341
With cards that are 2 slot or bigger, why not manufacture them with some kind of plastic piece that would slot into a pcie slot below the main 1 the card uses. Can't use the slot anyway and it would surely support the weight of the card much better. Sort of like a dummy tab that fits the pcie slot below the functional interface the card will use.
ypsylon
Posts: 525 +548
From my point of view 3090Ti is only 50% dumb.
So let's start what is. Certainly power draw. There is no justification for extra ~200W of power draw for such microscopic performance improvement. Price yeah it hurts. 4 slot coolers. And of course if you buy this card solely for gaming. Then its 1001% dumb, but that's more the user than the card.
What is not dumb. Obviously compute. I love that they moved all the VRAM to one side which they didn't do for ordinary 3090 where backside VRAM cocked itself and card to death. That's the biggest selling point to me IF I didn't already own 3090, which I do. For nominal price 2000 USD/EUR it's great buy for work if you can't source 3090 with backside waterblock.
I don't regret (well it hurts) getting my 3090 when I did for twice MSRP. It puts my old 1080Tis to shame combined and then some on top of it. From perspective, I've paid same amount for one card as for 3 before and I'm using half the power to run it - with undervolt even 50W less. Unless 5090/6090 or whatever can deliver 4x performance of 3090s* for nominal 360W I have card for years.
* - rendering CUDA compute of 3090 is slightly above or at same level as 4x1080Ti - depending on engine.
So let's start what is. Certainly power draw. There is no justification for extra ~200W of power draw for such microscopic performance improvement. Price yeah it hurts. 4 slot coolers. And of course if you buy this card solely for gaming. Then its 1001% dumb, but that's more the user than the card.
What is not dumb. Obviously compute. I love that they moved all the VRAM to one side which they didn't do for ordinary 3090 where backside VRAM cocked itself and card to death. That's the biggest selling point to me IF I didn't already own 3090, which I do. For nominal price 2000 USD/EUR it's great buy for work if you can't source 3090 with backside waterblock.
I don't regret (well it hurts) getting my 3090 when I did for twice MSRP. It puts my old 1080Tis to shame combined and then some on top of it. From perspective, I've paid same amount for one card as for 3 before and I'm using half the power to run it - with undervolt even 50W less. Unless 5090/6090 or whatever can deliver 4x performance of 3090s* for nominal 360W I have card for years.
* - rendering CUDA compute of 3090 is slightly above or at same level as 4x1080Ti - depending on engine.
Nobina
Posts: 4,506 +5,516
If you have two essentially the same products but one costs twice as much and you opt for that one it's a dumb purchase if you're poor or middle class and a smart purchase if you're excessively rich?
NicktheWVAHick
Posts: 492 +919
I think I’ll pass. NEXT………..
Sausagemeat
Posts: 1,597 +1,423
I didn’t say that. You’re putting words in my mouth.
Look I get it, you have an irrational jealousy of people that have more money than others and you want to lash out and call them dumb. But here’s a fact, a rich person who earns $50k a month is spending less of their money on a 3090ti than a normal person who earns say $2000 a month that buys a Nintendo switch. Are they dumb? They could buy an older second hand console for half the money of a Nintendo switch? It still plays games!
Presumably you walk past first class on a plane and think to yourself “must only be stupid people in this compartment”?
alexnode
Posts: 149 +56
Pointless card , pros will appreciate extra memory not marginally faster clocks. It's the bragging rights range of nvidia cards. Who knows we might have a bit of competition from Intel and AMD this year. Ideally we should have this kind of 4K performance for mid tier systems in the next couple of years...
I think you're still missing the point. Doesn't matter how much money you make per month, wasting isn't smart and the 3090 Ti is dumb for all the reasons already outlined.
The first-class airline ticket is yet another really bad example that's completely unrelated. You might not be able to justify the ticket cost, but you are getting a significantly better flight in business or first class opposed to economy. Let me try and provide an example that makes sense and applies to what we're taking about here.
If first class was just an economy ticket which cost 200% more but all you got was 2% more leg room, that would be dumb.
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