Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4090, which may soon become one of the best graphics cards, goes on sale on October 12. As a result, retailers from around the country have started to list the next-generation GeForce RTX 40-series flagship in preparation for its looming launch.
Unlike Ampere, which launched at insane prices in dark times, the GeForce RTX 4090 appears to maintain the $1,599 MSRP. The GeForce RTX 4090 still costs a small fortune, but it’s encouraging to finally see a modern graphics card debut at MSRP since we’ve grown accustomed to seeing Ampere at scalper prices. Best Buy (via momomo_us (opens in new tab)) has listed four custom GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards with price tags spanning from $1,599 to $1,749. Nonetheless, we recommend you approach the pricing cautiously as the listings could be placeholders, which we hope not.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim Liquid X 24G sells for $1,749 (opens in new tab) and is the most svelte model out of the four graphics cards. However, unlike the other triple-slot monsters, this model only occupies two PCI slots. The reason is that the graphics card has a hybrid cooling system and outsources some of its thermal responsibilities to an external 240mm radiator.
Gigabyte’s GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming OC 24G checks in at $1,699 (opens in new tab) with a thick 3x WindForce cooler. The cooling setup revolves around a vapor chamber with ten composite cooper heat pipes and three 110mm cooling fans. Although Gigabyte didn’t reveal the clock speeds, the model name insinuates it comes with a large factory overclock to justify the $100 premium in the price tag.
| Graphics Card | Price | SKU |
|---|---|---|
| MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim Liquid X 24G | $1,799.99 | 6522334 |
| Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming OC 24G | $1,699.99 | GV-N4090GAMING OC-24GD |
| MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio 24G | $1,599.99 | 6522371 |
| Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 WindForce 24G | $1,599.99 | GV-N4090WF3-24GD |
Meanwhile, the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 WindForce 24G (opens in new tab) and MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio 24G (opens in new tab) stick to Nvidia’s MSRP. Both graphics cards rely on a robust cooler with a triple-fan setup. Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition will also sell for $1,599 for fans of the reference design.
MSI and Gigabyte have in common that neither vendor has announced the clock speeds for their respective GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards. In addition, regardless of the model, the custom graphics cards come with a single 16-pin PCIe power connector (12VHPWR). Rated for 450W, the GeForce RTX 4090 pulls a significant amount of power, which the 12VHPWR connector can provide. MSI and Gigabyte recommend an 850W power supply as the minimum, while the latter suggests a 1,000W unit for the overclocked models.
The GeForce RTX 4090 isn’t the only graphics card to hit the retail market on October 12. Whether you believe in coincidences, Intel will finally launch the much-awaited Arc A770 for $329 on the same day. Arc Alchemist can’t compete with the GeForce RTX 40-series, not with the GeForce RTX 4090, at least. However, if you trust Intel’s benchmarks, the Arc A770 performs like a GeForce RTX 3060, so it’s an entirely different market segment.