The design of the MSI RTX 40 series graphics cards retains the shape of the previous generation, while the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X graphics card features an upgraded TRI-FROZR 3S heat dissipation design for improved performance and cooling. Additionally, the powerful MSI software enables users to monitor and adjust the graphics card’s performance, making it an ideal choice for gamers who seek high performance.
Here are the specifications for the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X graphics card:
Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
CUDA Cores: 16384
Memory: 16GB GDDR6X
Memory Interface: 384-bit
Core Clock: Boost – 2625 MHz (in overclocking mode)
Memory Clock: 21 Gbps
PCI Express: 4.0 x16
Output Interfaces: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 2 x HDMI 2.1a
HDCP Support: 2.3
Power Supply Interface: 1 x 16-pin
Recommended Power Supply: 1000W (minimum 850W)
Dimensions: 336 x 142 x 78 mm
MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X Unpacking
The design of MSI’s RTX 4090 SUPRIM X series continues to feature diamond and geometric shapes, along with metal materials and diamond-cut trimming for added decoration.
Due to its RTX 4090 specifications and cooling requirements, the RTX 4090 SUPRIM X graphics card is not particularly small in size. However, the card maintains the same length as the previous generation at less than 34 cm. The thickness has increased to almost 8 cm, roughly equivalent to 3.8 card slots. Nonetheless, players will still have a wide range of case options, as the graphics card’s length will not pose many restrictions.
The NVIDIA RTX 4090 features the new Ada Lovelace architecture, with 128 sets of SM units and 512 fourth-generation Tensor cores, and 176 third-generation RT cores. DLSS 3, an exclusive feature for RTX 40 series graphics cards, has been added to the software in addition to updates to the hardware.
In the accessory section, there is also a mouse pad included with the graphics card. Although it is slightly smaller than the previous generation, the mouse pad features stitching and hemming treatment, making it more durable. Additionally, the graphics card weighs up to 2.4 kg, so utilizing the graphics card support bracket included in the accessories can provide adequate support for the graphics card.
All RTX 4090 graphics cards use 12VHPWR 16-Pin connectors. The accessories include four 8-Pin adapter cables for players who have not upgraded to an ATX 3.0-certified power supply to provide power to the graphics card. However, it is important to note that the RTX 4090 SUPRIM X is officially recommended to be used with a power supply of 1000W or more.
TRI-FROZR 3S Thermal Design
The front of the RTX 4090 graphics card still features a metallic, geometric hairline frame, but this generation has added more geometric decorative panels to create a more three-dimensional appearance. The fan is still surrounded by a hexagonal frame with gold drilling and chamfering, and it now features the TORX FAN 5.0 upgrade. Compared to the previous generation, the 9-blade design has been reintroduced, and the ring connection around the fan blades has been changed from two blades to a group of three blades connected to each other. Combined with the surrounding fan cover, the performance of the fans in this generation has been improved.
The side of the graphics card reveals a large space for radiator exhaust due to the increased thickness of the card. The illuminated nameplate does not block this space, improving the card’s cooling performance. It also provides a side view of the interior, which now features a middle frame reinforcement structure.
The new SUPRIM series logo is located on the metal backplate, but the iconic luminous dragon shield is not present in this generation. The backplate now employs various surface treatment techniques to enhance the visual sense of depth, and the tail end of the backplate features openings to allow air to flow through directly.
After disassembling the radiator, a middle frame can be seen on the middle PCB. In addition to enhancing the graphics card’s structure, it can also improve the heat dissipation effect in some areas. The WAVE-CURVED 3.0 wave design and V-shaped cutouts on each fin’s side accelerate the airflow through the physical characteristics. The uniform temperature plate directly dissipates the heat waste from the graphics card’s core. This part is a major component of the RTX 40 series radiator and is factory standard.
In the center of the PCB’s front side is the AD102-300-A1 core chip, which is the code name for the RTX 4090. Surrounding the core chip are 12 Micron memory chips, each with a capacity of 2GB and with the code name D8BZC. The power supply component features HCI high-efficiency plug-in inductors and is also equipped with an SPS high-efficiency smart power stage module, which can provide the necessary power supply to the graphics card even when under heavy load.
MSI Afterbunner and MSI Center
The software utilized by MSI graphics cards is called Afterburner, a familiar tool for gamers. In addition to providing basic manual overclocking settings and fan speed adjustment, the software is predominantly used for hardware monitoring purposes. Users may also choose to install the Rivatuner Statistics Server alongside the software, which enables real-time data to be displayed in an on-screen display (OSD) format, allowing gamers to monitor their hardware status while playing games.
MSI Center is a comprehensive software suite that is designed to work with MSI’s own hardware. Its functions include hardware monitoring, Mystic Light lighting effect customization, fan control, usage scenario configuration, and many more. In fact, there are over 10 different functions available within MSI Center, and it extends beyond just hardware-related features.
Basic performance test
Test System Specifications:
- CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
- Motherboard: ROG STRIX Z690-E GAMING WIFI
- Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 6400Mhz CL30 8GBx2
- Graphics Card: MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
The GPU-Z software shows that the MSI GeForce RTX4090 SUPRIM X graphics card, which I have received, has the AD102 core chip from the Ada Lovelace architecture. This chip is manufactured using the TSMC 4 nm process and has 16,384 CUDA cores. The graphics card is also equipped with 24GB of Micron GDDR6X memory, operating at a clock speed of 1313 MHz (21Gbps) over a 384-bit bus. The core clock speed is 2235 MHz, while the Boost clock speed is 2625 MHz.
3DMark is a performance testing software that simulates the graphics processing workload of AAA-level games. The Fire Strike benchmark within the software is designed to simulate the performance of DirectX 11 games. In the Fire Strike test with FHD (1920×1080) resolution, the MSI GeForce RTX4090 SUPRIM X graphics card scored 80,356 points. At 2K (2560×1440) resolution, the graphics card scored 47,484 points in the Fire Strike Extreme test, and at 4K (3840×2160) resolution, it scored 25,861 points in the Fire Strike Ultra test.
3DMark also includes a DX12 API test, which is designed to evaluate the performance of graphics cards under DirectX 12. The Time Spy benchmark within this test primarily focuses on game performance under DX12, with a default resolution of 2K. The MSI GeForce RTX4090 SUPRIM X graphics card scored 36,165 points in the Time Spy test, while in the Time Spy Extreme test with 4K resolution, it scored 19,765 points.
Port Royal is a game simulation test that utilizes ray tracing technology to evaluate graphics card performance. The test is conducted at a default resolution of 1440p. The MSI GeForce RTX4090 SUPRIM X passed the test and scored 26,391 points in the graphics card benchmark. The newly introduced Speed Way test is conducted at a resolution of 1440p and is developed with the DirectX 12 Ultimate API. The test incorporates many new technologies in its design and the MSI GeForce RTX4090 SUPRIM X scored 10,140 points in the graphics card benchmark.
In addition, the NVIDIA DLSS feature test project includes a DLSS 3 test, which is designed to evaluate the performance of the DLSS 3 technology. The test also includes DLSS 2 and DLSS 3, and measures performance mode at both 1440p and 2160p resolutions, as well as ultra-high performance mode at 4320p resolution. DLSS 2 provides a performance improvement of around 2 to 3 times, while DLSS 3 offers slightly better performance improvement than DLSS 2. However, under the new version of the test, the performance improvement is not as pronounced as in the first RTX 4090 test.
Game performance test
In the game test section, the following games were selected: “Cyberpunk 2077”, “Watch Dogs: Legion”, “Far Cry 6”, “Forza Horizon 5”, “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla”, “PUBG: Battlegrounds”, and “Rainbow Six Siege”. The test was conducted using resolutions of 1440p and 2160p. The newly added “PUBG: Battlegrounds” test is a battle royale multiplayer online shooting game that supports DLSS 3 technology.
In terms of performance, the current generation of RTX 4090 graphics cards can deliver a smooth gaming experience with more than 100 frames per second under AAA game titles at 2160p resolution and maximum graphics settings. For competitive games, achieving 144 frames per second at 2160p resolution is generally not a problem, and even more, than 240 frames per second can be achieved at 1440p resolution.
With ray tracing turned on, the demanding games “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Watch Dogs: Legion” achieve an average of 43 and 66 frames per second respectively under 2160p resolution with full graphics settings. However, after turning on DLSS, the average frame rate can be increased to over 100 frames per second. Similarly, “Far Cry 6” and “Forza Horizon 5” achieve an average of over 100 frames per second under 2160p resolution when only ray tracing is turned on. In practical tests at 2160p resolution, DLSS 3 can increase the average frame rate of “Cyberpunk 2077” by about 3.5 times, while the average frame rate of “PUBG: Battlegrounds” can also be increased by about 1 time.
Creation software test
For the productivity test, Blender was used as the cross-platform 3D creation software. The Blender Benchmark 3.3 was utilized, and the results showed that the number of samples per minute was 6,676 for the monster scene, 3,045 for the junk shop, and 3,134 for the classroom.
Chaos Group, the developer of the V-Ray 5 ray-tracing rendering software, has released the V-Ray 5 Benchmark to enable users to test the performance of their CPU and GPU in ray-tracing rendering. In the V-Ray GPU CUDA test, the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X graphics card achieved 4341 vpaths. In the V-Ray GPU RTX test, it obtained 5851 vrays.
Temperature
The temperature and power consumption tests are conducted under high load conditions on the entire test platform, which includes the i9-12900k processor. To simulate high load, FurMark, Time Spy Stress Test, and GPU-Z are used to measure the temperature and power consumption during DX12 games and standby. During standby, the MSI GeForce RTX4090 SUPRIM X graphics card maintains a temperature of 32 degrees, and the power consumption of the entire platform is 92 W. Under the Time Spy Stress Test, the graphics card temperature reaches 69 degrees, and the power consumption of the entire platform is 530 W. When running FurMark 4xMSAA, the graphics card temperature reaches 67 degrees, and the power consumption of the entire platform is 519W.
MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X Summary
The overall appearance of the MSI SUPRIM X series graphics card in this generation has remained largely unchanged from the previous generation, with only minor modifications. However, the new SUPRIM logo features an embossed effect, which enhances the overall texture and appearance of the graphics card.
In terms of performance, the RTX 4090 graphics card offers more than 2 times the performance improvement compared to the previous generation, whether it’s for gaming or professional creative software. The gaming performance is boosted by the new DLSS 3 technology, while the professional creative software benefits from the dual NVENC encoder, which also supports AV1 encoding. For gamers or professional creators who are seeking the ultimate performance, the RTX 4090 graphics card is an excellent choice provided they have a sufficient budget.
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Title: The MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X graphics card is characterized by a subtle, understated elegance and minimalism
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