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AMD RX 7800 XT vs AMD RX 6800 XT & NVIDIA RTX 4070 Comparison

By Gaming
RX 6800 XT vs RX 7800 XT

The highly anticipated 7800 XT has finally been released and we’re eager to share its specs with you! In order to give you a better understanding of its performance, we’ll be comparing it to it’s predecessor, the RX 6800 XT, and its NVIDIA equivalent, the RTX 4070. How will it compare? Follow along in our article and find out if it stacks up against its predecessor and competition!

RX 6800 XT
Specifications and Performance

The RX 6800 XT was launched on October 28th, 2020 with a price tag of $650. It was a strong competitor to NVIDIA’s high-end GPUs, particularity in the mid-range and high-end gaming market and received generally positive reviews. The 6800 XT is known for excellent performance, capable of delivering high frame rates at 1440p and 4K resolutions, as well as significant ray tracing performance improvement over AMD’s previous generation. This makes it an excellent option for those who want to experience smooth, high-quality graphics and lightning-fast performance while gaming on their computers. There’s a reason why the RX 6800 XT is known to provide the bang for your buck!

Clock Speeds

Base Clock: 1825 MHz

Game Clock: 2015 MHz

Boost Clock: 2250 MHz

Memory Clock: 2000 MHz

Memory

Memory Size: 16 GB

Memory Type: GDDR6

Memory Bus: 256 bit

Bandwidth: 512.0 GB/s

Board Design

Slot Width: Dual-slot

Dimensions: 10.5in L x 4.7in W x 2in H

TDP: 300 W

Suggested PSU: 700 W

Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, & 1x USB Type-C

Power Connectors: 2x 8-pin

Specifications and Perfomance

The RX 7800 XT is one of AMD’s two newest graphics cards on the market. Released on August 6th, 2023 with a starting price of $500, this GPU is a great option for those looking for a high-performance graphics card without breaking the bank. According to AMD, this 1440p GPU is capable of delivering over 60 FPS in the latest games, with the highest settings enabled. However, it may struggle with ray tracing-heavy games, and reaching triple FPS digits may be challenging. To summarize, the RX 7800 XT is a powerful mid-range budget graphics card that can handle most modern games on the highest settings. It offers a solid gaming experience without spending a fortune.

Clock Speeds

Base Clock: 1295 MHz

Game Clock: 2124 MHz

Boost Clock: 2430 MHz

Memory Clock: 2425 MHz

Memory

Memory Size: 16 GB

Memory Type: GDDR6

Memory Bus: 256 bit

Bandwidth: 620.8 GB/s

Board Design

Slot Width: Dual-slot

Dimensions: 10.5in L x 4.4in W x 2in H

TDP: 263 W

Suggested PSU: 600 W

Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1a & 3x DisplayPort 2.1

Power Connectors: 2x 8-pin

RX 7800 XT
RTX 4070
Specifications and Perfomance

The RTX 4070 was released on April 23rd, 2023 with a launch price of $600. Although the pricing of the 40 series as a whole disappointed many, the RTX 4070 stands out as a mid-performance card at a reasonable price, particularly for 1440p gaming. It performs similarly to the 10 GB RTX 3080, with frame rates of about 100fps at 1440p gaming and 60fps at 4k gaming. This card has solid ray tracing abilities at 1440p, but it may struggle to maintain a high frame rate for ray tracing-heavy games at 4k, such as Cyberpunk 2077. In addition, the RTX 4070 boasts NVIDIA’s latest features, including RTX Video Super Resolution, DLSS 3 Frame Generation, and NVIDIA Reflex.

Clock Speeds

Base Clock: 1920 MHz

Boost Clock: 2475 MHz

Memory Clock: 1313 MHz

Memory

Memory Size: 12 GB

Memory Type: GDDR6X

Memory Bus: 192 bit

Bandwidth: 504.2 GB/s

Board Design

Slot Width: Dual-slot

Dimensions: 9.4in L x 4.3in W x 1.6in H

TDP: 200 W

Suggested PSU: 550 W

Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1 & 3x DisplayPort 1.4a

Power Connectors: 1x 16-pin

Conclusion:

When looking over the specs, you can see that the RX 7800 XT is not that much of an improvement over the RX 6800 XT. While the 7800 XT has a higher boost clock speed and increased memory bandwidth, it has 768 less cores than the RX 6800. The 6800 XT also has a higher base clock speed, although the difference between these two cards is marginal. In terms of performance, both cards are pretty similar. Likewise, the RTX 4070 also performs similarly to the RX 7800 XT. Where the RTX 4070 excels at ray tracing, the RX 7800 XT shines in its rasterization performance.  Therefore, if you’re currently using a GPU from the previous RTX 30 series or RX 6000 series and considering an upgrade, it might be best to skip the RX 7000 generation.

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The Top Ten Most Graphically Demanding Games of All Time vs The RTX 4000 Series

By Gaming
Introduction

As technology has advanced, the gaming industry has witnessed a remarkable evolution in graphics, enabling developers to create stunning and immersive gaming experiences. Over the years, several games have pushed the boundaries of graphical fidelity, demanding powerful hardware to run at their full potential. This essay will delve into the ten most graphically demanding games of all time, highlighting their significance and impact on the gaming world.

1. Crysis (2007)

Released in 2007, Crysis took the gaming community by storm with its breathtaking visuals and cutting-edge graphics. Developed by Crytek, the game showcased lush environments, realistic lighting, and impressive physics, setting new benchmarks for gaming graphics. Crysis was infamous for its high hardware requirements, and even the most powerful PCs at the time struggled to run the game at maximum settings. The “Can it run Crysis?” became a popular phrase among gamers to test their rigs’ capabilities.

2. Metro Exodus (2019)

The third installment in the Metro series, Metro Exodus, brought the desolate post-apocalyptic world of Russia to life with its exceptional graphics. Developed by 4A Games, the game featured stunning landscapes, detailed character models, and dynamic weather effects. The game’s combination of survival horror and open-world elements created an immersive experience, demanding significant graphical prowess to render its atmospheric environments and lifelike lighting.

3. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

Developed by Rockstar Games, Red Dead Redemption 2 is renowned for its attention to detail and massive open world. The game pushed the boundaries of realism in gaming with its lifelike character animations, vast landscapes, and intricate weather systems. Capturing the essence of the Wild West, RDR2’s graphical demands challenged even high-end gaming systems, but the payoff was an unparalleled visual experience.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

CD Projekt Red’s masterpiece, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, brought the fantasy world of Geralt of Rivia to life with its jaw-dropping graphics. The game featured a vast and visually stunning open world, filled with lush forests, sprawling cities, and detailed character designs. The complex lighting and weather systems, along with the dynamic day-night cycle, contributed to the game’s intense graphical demands.

5. Battlefield 5 (2018)

Battlefield 5, developed by DICE, is known for its visually impressive depiction of large-scale battles during World War II. The game’s realistic environments, destructible structures, and high-quality textures pushed gaming hardware to its limits. Battlefield 5’s emphasis on realism and authenticity made it one of the most graphically demanding multiplayer games of its time.

6. Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020)

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla combined historical accuracy with mythical elements, offering players a visually captivating experience. Set in the Viking age, the game showcased lush landscapes, detailed character models, and intricate architecture. The combination of the game’s massive open world and stunning graphics created a demanding title for gaming rigs.

7. Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Grand Theft Auto V, developed by Rockstar North, redefined open-world gaming with its vast and dynamic portrayal of Los Santos. The game featured highly detailed cityscapes, diverse environments, and impressive weather effects. GTA V’s demanding graphics, especially at higher settings, required powerful hardware to explore the criminal underworld of Los Santos seamlessly.

8. Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

Developed by Guerrilla Games, Horizon Zero Dawn introduced players to a post-apocalyptic world dominated by robotic creatures. The game’s stunning visuals and art design brought the wilderness to life with vibrant landscapes and futuristic technology. The combination of detailed environments, intricate character models, and advanced particle effects made Horizon Zero Dawn a graphically demanding title.

9. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019)

Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order immersed players in the Star Wars universe with its realistic graphics and attention to detail. The game featured visually stunning planets, intricate lightsaber combat, and lifelike character animations. To render the authentic Star Wars experience, the game required considerable graphical power.

10. Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)

Developed by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 garnered much attention for its ambitious open-world design and futuristic aesthetics. The game’s sprawling Night City, filled with neon lights and high-tech visuals, demanded a top-tier gaming rig to experience the game in its full graphical glory. Despite the initial technical issues, Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most visually demanding titles.

RTX 4000 Series is the Perfect Platform to Experience these Titles

The high-end graphics cards available at Cutting Edge Gamer have great benefits for graphically demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Battlefield 5:

Improved Performance: High-end graphics cards are designed to deliver superior performance in rendering complex graphics, high-resolution textures, and advanced visual effects. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Battlefield 5, which feature detailed open-world environments, realistic lighting, and particle effects, can benefit from the extra horsepower provided by a high-end GPU. An RTX 4090 offers significant improvements over previous generations, and can enhance the performance and visual fidelity of these games.

Ray Tracing: Games like Cyberpunk 2077 leverage ray tracing technology to achieve more realistic lighting and reflections, adding depth and immersion to the game world. High-end RTX GPUs are equipped with specialized hardware for real-time ray tracing, which can significantly improve the visual quality of supported games. With the RTX 4090 featuring even more advanced ray tracing capabilities, it further enhances the visual experience in ray-traced games

High Resolution and Refresh Rates: Gamers who play at high resolutions (4K or higher) or aim for high refresh rates (such as 144Hz or 240Hz) require substantial GPU power to maintain smooth gameplay. A high-end GPU like the RTX 4090 handles these demanding scenarios more efficiently, delivering better frame rates and overall gameplay experience.

Conclusion

The gaming industry has witnessed a continuous evolution of graphics, with developers striving to create ever more immersive and visually stunning experiences. The ten games discussed in this essay represent the pinnacle of graphical demands in gaming history. Each title challenged gaming hardware and set new standards for graphical fidelity, solidifying their place in the gaming world as some of the most graphically demanding games of all time.

The RTX 40 Series Master Guide

By Gaming

The RTX 40 series has now been out for 8 months – oh how time flies! Starting with the first released card, the RTX 4090, we’ve now got a variety of cards to choose from this series. In this article, we’ll be looking at the cards in this series and what specs they have in store.

Nvidia RTX 4090

Real quick, before we get into the RTX 4090, I’d like to share an article we did a few months back on RTX 4090 Ti rumors so if you’re curious, take a look!

The NVIDIA RTX 4090 Ti Rumors and Expected Release Date

The RTX 4090 was launched on September 20th 2022 with a starting price of $1,599. It’s currently the highest performing card on the market, show a large increase of performance compared to the 3090ti. If you’re looking for the best of the best, this card is for you.

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 2235 MHz
Boost Clock: 2520 MHz
Memory Clock: 1313 MHz, 21 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 24 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6X
Memory Bus: 384 bit
Bandwidth: 1008 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Triple-slot
Dimensions: 12″ L x 5.4″ W x 2.4″ H
TDP: 450 W
Suggested PSU: 850 W
Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 16-pin

Render Config
Shading Units: 16384
TMUs: 512
ROPs: 176
SM Count: 128
L1 Cache: 128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 72 MB

Nvidia RTX 4080

The RTX 4080 was also released on September 20, 2022 with a launch price of $1,199. The RTX 4080 performs outstandingly, often coming in a few FPS short of the RX 4090. The gap in performance does widen when Ray Tracing is taken into account. It provides the best value for higher end cards.

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 2205 MHz
Boost Clock: 2505 MHz
Memory Clock: 1400 MHz, 22.4 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 164 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6X
Memory Bus: 256 bit
Bandwidth: 716.8 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Triple-slot
Dimensions: 12.2″ L x 5.5″ W x 2.4″ H
TDP: 320 W
Suggested PSU: 700 W
Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 16-pin

Render Config
Shading Units: 9728
TMUs: 304
ROPs: 112
SM Count: 76
L1 Cache: 128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 64 MB

Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti

Released on January 3rd  2023 with a launch price of $799, the RTX 4070 Ti is probably the best bang for your buck. Its FPS often hit triple digits and never dip below 60FPS.

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 2310 MHz
Boost Clock: 2610 MHz
Memory Clock: 1313 MHz, 21 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 12 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6X
Memory Bus: 192 bit
Bandwidth: 504.2 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Dual-slot
Dimensions: 11.2″ L x 4.4″ W x 1.7″ H
TDP: 285 W
Suggested PSU: 600 W
Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 16-pin

Render Config
Shading Units: 7680
TMUs: 240
ROPs: 80
SM Count: 60
L1 Cache: 128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 78 MB

Nvidia RTX 4070

The RTX 4070 launched on April 12 2023 with a price tag of $599. Advertised as reaching 100+ FPS at 1440p, this card does exactly that. The RTX 4070 does perform on average about 20% less than the RTX 4070 Ti, but it is a solid graphics card for those who don’t need the highest performing card on the market.

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 1920 MHz
Boost Clock: 2475 MHz
Memory Clock: 1313 MHz, 21 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 12 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6X
Memory Bus: 192 bit
Bandwidth: 504.2 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Dual-slot
Dimensions: 9.4″ L x 4.3″ W x 1.6″ H
TDP: 200 W
Suggested PSU: 550 W
Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 16-pin

Render Config
Shading Units: 5888
TMUs: 184
ROPs: 64
SM Count: 46
L1 Cache: 128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 36 MB

Nvidia RTX 4060

The RTX 4060 is not yet released so not all information is known and this information is subject to change in the future. It’s rumored to be set for release in early June with a price tag of $299.

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 1830 MHz
Boost Clock: 2535 MHz
Memory Clock: 2250 MHz, 18 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 8 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6X
Memory Bus: 128 bit
Bandwidth: 288 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Dual-slot
Dimensions: Unknown
TDP: 200 W
Suggested PSU: 550 W
Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 12-pin

Render Config
Shading Units: 3840
TMUs: 120
ROPs: 48
SM Count: 30
L1 Cache: 128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 24 MB

The RTX 40 series boasts a large increase in performance from the 30 series and is perfect for consumers who want top of the line performance. However, these cards, especially the RTX 4090, are not only physically large but consume a lot of power and are pricey. Many people have decided to skip the 40 series generation due to these issues, but there are also a lot of gamers who appreciate what the 40 series has to offer.

Battle of the Titans: MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X vs. ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC

By Gaming
Introduction:

In the realm of high-performance graphics cards, two giants stand tall: the MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X and the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC. These flagship offerings from leading manufacturers are the epitome of cutting-edge technology, delivering unprecedented power and capabilities. As gamers and professionals eagerly await the arrival of these behemoths, let’s dive deep into the features and specifications of each card to see how they stack up against each other. From raw performance to cooling solutions and overclocking potential, this comparison aims to provide insights into which card reigns supreme.

ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 STRIX OC

Available for lease here!

MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim X

Available for lease here!

Performance:

When it comes to performance, both the MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X and the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC are powerhouses designed to push the boundaries of gaming and professional workloads. Built on the latest Ampere architecture, these cards offer an impressive number of CUDA cores, tensor cores, and ray-tracing cores to handle even the most demanding tasks.

The ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC has a slightly higher base clock speed than the MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X, which can provide a marginal advantage in certain scenarios. . The ASUS card also has a slightly higher boost clock speed of 2010 MHz, with the same number of CUDA cores, Tensor Cores, and RT Cores as the MSI card. It also features 24GB of GDDR6X memory running at a slightly higher clock speed of 19.9 Gbps.

Meanwhile the MSI card features a boost clock speed of 1920 MHz, with 8192 CUDA cores, 328 Tensor Cores, and 112 RT Cores. It also comes with 24GB of GDDR6X memory running at a clock speed of 19.5 Gbps

In terms of real-world performance, both cards are capable of delivering exceptional frame rates in games and high-performance applications. However, the ASUS card seems to perform slightly better in benchmarks, particularly in games with ray tracing enabled. This can be attributed to the higher clock speed of the ASUS card, which gives it a slight edge over the MSI card. However, the difference in performance between the two cards is relatively minor, and both cards are more than capable of handling the most demanding games and applications with ease.

Cooling and Design:

The cooling systems of the MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X and the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC are both engineered for exceptional thermal management. The MSI card utilizes the Tri Frozr 2S cooling solution, which features three fans and an innovative heat pipe design to efficiently dissipate heat. It also incorporates a graphene backplate for additional heat dissipation.

On the other hand, ASUS equips the RTX 4090 STRIX OC with its renowned DirectCU cooling technology, featuring three Axial-tech fans and a massive heatsink array with copper heat pipes. The card also boasts a reinforced metal backplate for added structural rigidity.

Both cards employ intelligent fan control mechanisms and offer customizable RGB lighting to enhance the aesthetics of your build. While both cooling systems are top-tier, ASUS’s DirectCU cooling solution is known for its exceptional performance and whisper-quiet operation, giving it a slight edge in this category.

The MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X and the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC have similar designs, with three large fans and a metal shroud covering the heatsink. However, the MSI card has a more aggressive and angular look, while the ASUS card has a more streamlined and modern design. Both cards are very well-built and feel sturdy, with high-quality materials used throughout.

The MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X is slightly larger than the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC, measuring 336mm in length compared to the latter’s 319mm. This means that the MSI card may not fit into some smaller PC cases, whereas the ASUS card is more likely to fit into most builds.

Overclocking and Power Efficiency:

For enthusiasts seeking to squeeze every ounce of performance from their graphics card, overclocking capabilities are crucial. The MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X and the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC come equipped with robust power delivery systems and comprehensive overclocking utilities.

The MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X boasts an advanced 24-phase power design, offering impressive stability and headroom for overclocking. It also includes MSI’s Afterburner software, allowing users to fine-tune clock speeds, voltage, and fan settings with ease.

The ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC, on the other hand, features a 22+2 phase power delivery system and ASUS’s GPU Tweak II software for overclocking. The software provides an intuitive interface and advanced options to optimize performance.

Power efficiency is another important factor to consider, especially with flagship graphics cards. Although power consumption is expected to be high due to the immense performance capabilities, both MSI and ASUS have implemented power-saving technologies to mitigate excessive power draw.

Features and Software:

MSI and ASUS both offer feature-rich software suites to complement their graphics cards. MSI’s Dragon Center provides users with comprehensive control over various aspects of the GPU, including overclocking, fan profiles, and RGB lighting customization. It also includes a system monitoring tool and allows for firmware updates.

ASUS’s GPU Tweak software, on the other hand, offers similar functionality, enabling users to monitor and fine-tune their graphics card settings. Additionally, ASUS integrates its Aura Sync software, which allows for seamless synchronization of RGB lighting across compatible devices.

Both manufacturers prioritize software support and regularly release updates to address bugs and improve performance. The choice between these software suites ultimately comes down to personal preference, as they offer similar functionalities.

Price and Availability:

It is important to note that high-end graphics cards like these are generally quite expensive due to their advanced features and cutting-edge technology.

Graphics card prices can vary significantly depending on factors such as availability, market demand, and any additional features or enhancements offered by the manufacturer. It is always recommended to check the current prices from reliable sources such as official manufacturer websites, authorized retailers, or reputable online marketplaces to get accurate and up-to-date pricing information.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that graphics card prices can be subject to fluctuations in the market, especially due to supply and demand dynamics, cryptocurrency mining trends, and other external factors. So, it’s essential to stay updated with the current market conditions to make an informed purchasing decision.

Conclusion:

In the battle between the MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X and the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC, it is evident that both cards offer exceptional performance and cutting-edge features. The decision between the two ultimately depends on personal preferences and priorities. Personally I prefer the streamlined and modern look of the ASUS card which, when matched with top of the line performance, makes the ASUS RTX 4090 STRIX OC our favorite RTX 4090 card available at the moment.

#TornadoNation: CEG Interviews CTX Austin Esports Director and Athletes

By Gaming

As a proud sponsor of Concordia University Texas’s esports team, we’re excited to have the chance to interview their director, Marc Valdoria, as well as some of the student athletes about their experiences.

 

Team updates can be viewed on their Twitter and streams can be watched on their Twitch channel.

Interview with Concordia Esports Coordinator/Director Marc Valdoria

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us on your collegiate esports program. How long has your university had a varsity esports program and how long have you been the director of the program?

I have been Concordia’s esports coordinator/director since the program started.Concordia launched the esports program in Fall 2019, and we were the first varsity esports program in Central Texas.

 

Is it fair to say you are also the program’s coach? Or do you have paid coaches at your school too?

That is fair to say that I’m the program’s “head coach.” In the future, as we expand, the goal is to have paid coaches per team. As of now, I can coach/manage some of the teams. However, I rely a lot on our players, who have a lot of knowledge of the game and have exemplified leadership characteristics. It has been working for the past couple of years as it helps me manage my workload by giving our students opportunities to earn experience in a leadership position within their teams.

 

How did you get involved with the esports program? Were you already at the university in a different role when you became the director and helped develop the program?

I got involved with the esports program while working in the marketing department at Concordia. Our Athletic Director looked for help starting the program within our university, and I stepped up to the plate because I love esports and I am extremely passionate about it.

 

Which games do you compete in, about how many athletes do you have per team and how many athletes do you have overall?

We compete in Apex, League of Legends, Valorant, Overwatch 2, Rocket League, Super Smash Ultimate, and Chess. Overall, we have over 40+ student athletes in the program.

 

How’s the season going by the way?

Our Spring season has come to a wrap, and I couldn’t have been more proud of how hard our athletes played this year. We got back from our SCAC Conference Showdown in San Antonio last week where our program took 2nd overall.

 

As director, I’m sure recruiting is a big part of what you do as you have so many different games you compete in. I’m sure our audience would want to know what is involved in recruiting. How do you find your athletes and about how many do you recruit per year?

We find our athletes in various ways, such as social media, online/LAN high school esports tournaments, Discord, Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), and in-person events.

 

Is there a good high school esports ecosystem that you can draw from? Or do the athletes actively reach out to you with their game play portfolio or do you reach out to them?

Some student-athletes reach out to me directly, which is typically a rare case. However, there are some ecosystems that I can think of, such as the Discord servers like High School Esports League (HSEL), eFuse, SPIN Collegiate, etc., which are great because they have a lot of high school students who are looking for collegiate teams. At the same time, there are organizations such as Texas Scholastic Esports Federation (TexSEF) that put on recruiting events, which there is one that is about to happen at the end of the month (April 28-29th) at the Esports Stadium Arlington.

 

Is there anything in particular that you look for in their game play?

When we recruit students, we look at a variety of things, such as their rank and history of the game. However, we also gauge their approach to the game and their attitude. We want players who are motivated to improve, willing to listen, and ready to adapt to the team. If they have those qualities, they have a high potential to be a high-impact player in our program. A player could be a highly skilled/ranked player, but if they have a bad attitude and are toxic, they would not fit in well with our program.

 

Another aspect that I’m sure our audience will be interested to know: Do your athletes receive partial or full scholarships or any other benefits from the university?

We currently have partial scholarships for our program. Our esports student-athletes could qualify for the esports scholarship ($2,000/year). This scholarship can also stack with our other scholarship offerings at Concordia. The additional benefit they have is exclusive access to our esports facility, which only esports players and members can use.

 

What are some of the bigger challenges confronting your esports program today? What about esports in general?

One of the biggest challenges confronting our esports program (and a lot of esports programs across the nation) is that budget is limited. We would love to be able to send teams across the state/country to compete with other collegiate teams, but we simply do not have the budget to do so. At the same time, having a constraint on budget means that upgrades and arena expansion would also be affected, which in turn can affect recruitment down the line.

 

That’s about it for our questions and thank you for your time. Final thoughts: Do you have anything else to add that you would like for our gaming audience to know about your program and or collegiate esports?

Esports is a lot more accessible than people think! Collegiate esports has gained significant popularity, with more colleges and universities offering programs and scholarships for athletes. This is a great opportunity for students who are passionate about gaming to pursue their interests while also earning a degree.

Interview with Rocket League Captain Bradley Wadas

Hi there and thank you for taking the time out of your busy school and esports schedule to talk to us about your collegiate esports experience. What year are you and in which games do you compete?

I am a junior and I play Rocket League.

 

How has the esports athletic experience been so far?

The experience has been great, I like winning and we win a lot so it’s enjoyable.

 

Be honest: How many hours a week do you say you practice and compete?

3-5 hours, mostly solo training because I am weird like that.

 

What are your training methods and how do you get ready for tournaments? Do you study streams of your competition?

I play a few casual or comp games or sit in solo training, whatever I feel like. No I don’t like to review footage because I review the game in my head.

 

When’s the competition season, is it in the spring or fall or both?

For SCAC (“Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference”), spring, but NACE (“National Association of Collegiate Esports“) Starleague is both fall and spring.

 

How are you doing so far this year?

We finished 2nd in SCAC and went to playoffs in NACE.

 

Let’s go back to before you started your collegiate athletic career. When did you first start gaming?

I started gaming when I was as young as I can remember, but I didn’t start playing Rocket League until 2015, when it came out of course.

 

At what point did you realize “hey I can do this in college”?

After playing a few matches with the team during tryouts.

 

What was the recruiting process like at your university? Did the director reach out to you or did you actively approach them?

I saw a flyer in my school email and I decided to give it a shot.

 

Has doing esports changed the way you play games in your free time?

Esports has made me play rocket league more, but that’s about the only change.

 

That’s about it and let’s wrap it up with one final question: Think back to when you were gaming before college and compare that to what you know now after being a college esports athlete. What words of advice or tips would you give high schoolers to help them land a spot on a collegiate esports team?

I would say to just keep playing your game in the highest rank possible so you can get better every game you play, and research + practice just as much time as you play

Interview with Valorant Captain Kevin Early

Hi there and thank you for taking the time out of your busy school and esports schedule to talk to us about your collegiate esports experience. What year are you and in which games do you compete?

I am a Junior at Concordia (TX) and compete in Valorant. The Valorant team is new as it was created and started to compete this semester.

 

How has the esports athletic experience been so far?

The start of the season was unpredictable with a rotating starting lineup. However, it felt great when the team was solidified and we melded together.

 

Be honest: How many hours a week do you say you practice and compete?

Valorant practices twice a week for a total of eight hours. With games, the time committed is about 10 hours a week. On top of this, I play outside of practice and stack competitive queues with my teammates. I usually play Valorant in my free time when I finish everything else I have on my schedule.

 

What are your training methods and how do you get ready for tournaments? Do you study streams of your competition?

I play the tournaments the same as I would during practice. I take it seriously and compete to the best of my abilities. I do not scout the competition; however, a vital aspect of improving video games is VOD reviews. Instead of going over the competition and finding mistakes, I focus on self-improvement.

 

When’s the competition season, is it in the spring or fall or both?

Concordia’s main Valorant competition is an in-person tournament held every spring. There are other tournaments we take part in but competing in SCAC is our main goal as a team.

 

How are you doing so far this year?

I am doing great so far! I started playing Valorant 9 months ago and I am currently ascendant three, just 2 games away from immortal.

 

Let’s go back to before you started your collegiate athletic career. When did you first start gaming?

I first started playing competitive fps after I graduated from middle school. The first game I started playing was Overwatch. I have hit top 500 on support, dps, and tank.

 

At what point did you realize “hey I can do this in college”?

I realized I could play esports in college when I came to Concordia. I found out that the esports college scene was bigger than I imagine. There are multiple schools around the U.S. that offer huge scholarships for esports.

 

What was the recruiting process like at your university? Did the director reach out to you or did you actively approach them?

I did not go through the traditional recruiting process at my university. I was already admitted and found out that Concordia had an esports team when I was on a campus tour. After the tour, I reached out to the program director and was offered a scholarship to play esports.

 

Has doing esports changed the way you play games in your free time?

Esports has changed the way I play games in my free time. Before joining the esports program I used to play video games when I had free time. Now, I have to plan my schedule with dedicated time slots to practice Valorant

That’s about it and let’s wrap it up with one final question: Think back to when you were gaming before college and compare that to what you know now after being a college esports athlete. What words of advice or tips would you give high schoolers to help them land a spot on a collegiate esports team?

My advice to high school students would be not to just mindlessly play video games because that leads to burnout. Play for a few hours with a strong mental with a focus on improvement. Joining a team is also something I would recommend experiencing. Team gameplay is very different from ladder. In team gameplay, it is important to work together. In ladder, it is more about punishing mistakes. VOD reviews are important and vital for improvement.

Interview with League of Legends Captain Nick Reak

Hi there and thank you for taking the time out of your busy school and esports schedule to talk to us about your collegiate esports experience. What year are you and in which games do you compete

My name is Nick Reak, I compete in League of Legends and Valorant and I am a Junior.

 

How has the esports athletic experience been so far?

I have been playing collegiate for about 3 years now, but this was my first semester at a school where we were able to field a full roster for either of the games I play. I would say the experience was fun, but my hope is that there will be more support from schools in the future as it still feels like we are outcasts rather than athletes.

 

Be honest: How many hours a week do you say you practice and compete?

For team practice and competition it is usually about 15-20 hours with both teams combined, and for individual practice I spend another 15-20 hours a week.

 

What are your training methods and how do you get ready for tournaments? Do you study streams of your competition?

Currently, I don’t spend a lot of time VOD reviewing, most of my preparation comes from watching professional play and videos. Otherwise, I study the drafts of our opponents and attempt to learn their general draft identity to know how to counter or nullify it.

 

When’s the competition season, is it in the spring or fall or both?

Mainly spring, though we do practice in fall and work on group dynamics and practice.

 

How are you doing so far this year?

Alright, wish we could have finished higher in the standings, but I am motivated to keep competing. Financially I am struggling because I want to focus on practice and improving and between the long grind hours and school work, actual work becomes hard to fit in.

 

Let’s go back to before you started your collegiate athletic career. When did you first start gaming?

I started gaming when I was about 5-6, it was casually on PlayStation 1, and over the years I started competing in high school back around 2009 in Halo.

 

At what point did you realize “hey I can do this in college”?

I realized I could compete in college and go back to school when the coach from NMU reached out to recruit me in 2020.

 

What was the recruiting process like at your university? Did the director reach out to you or did you actively approach them?

I reached out to Marc our director, I was already at another school in Kentucky at the time, and I really wanted a school that would compete. After talking to Marc I decided on CTX.

 

Has doing esports changed the way you play games in your free time?

Not really, I am hyper competitive and all it has done is reinforce the drive to compete and win.

 

That’s about it and let’s wrap it up with one final question: Think back to when you were gaming before college and compare that to what you know now after being a college esports athlete. What words of advice or tips would you give high schoolers to help them land a spot on a collegiate esports team?

Start playing team sports, you need to be able to play with others. I was already someone who had a traditional sports background, but the number of players that stunt the competitive nature of a program due to not knowing how to be teammates is massive. So learn to play with teams, and learn to be a active member who strives to improve with those around them.

Mean & Green Esports: CEG Sits Down and Talks with UNT’s Esports Director and Athletes

By Gaming

Cutting Edge Gamer is proud to announce that we are sponsoring UNT esports. Go Mean Green! To kick off our sponsorship, we’ve interviewed Dylan, the UNT esports coach, along with some of the players about their experience in college esports.

You can keep up to date with the team via their Twitter and view their streams on the UNTEsports Twitch channel.

Interview with UNT Athletic Director, Dylan Wray

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us on your collegiate esports program. How long has your university had a varsity esports program and how long have you been the director of the program?

UNT esports has had a varsity program for 5 years. Just about as long as I’ve been working there!

 

Is it fair to say you are also the program’s coach? Or do you have paid coaches at your school too?

I typically explain my role as an athletic director and that is often the easiest way sum it up given the scope of what we have going on our campus with our competitive side as well as our broadcast and marking side of our operations. UNT has three paid coaches that oversee our competitive teams.

 

How did you get involved with the esports program? Were you already at the university in a different role when you became the director and helped develop the program?

A bit of luck, a vision, and an odd collection of skill sets allowed me to walk into this world when UNT posted a job opening to design and then implement a competitive esport program. I had just moved from Colorado after grad school following my now spouse after she got a job down in DFW and was looking for opportunities when this dream job showed up on my radar. Been here ever since.

Which games do you compete in?

UNT esports competes in Rocket League, Overwatch, League of Legends, and soon Women’s Valorant!

 

How’s the season going by the way?

It’s been going swell! Our Rocket League team has qualified for CRL for 5 years in a row, and while we didn’t make playoffs we have been participating in quite a few leagues this spring to keep us busy. Our League team qualified for playoffs for two years in a row. Most of our teams are now in the trial phase as we scout out new students coming to UNT to prep for Fall 2023. Our marketing team has launched a new twitch podcast called the CHØ Show that goes over the weekly matches, replays, and gets a community leader at UNT to talk about what they do in the campus gaming community!

 

As director, I’m sure recruiting is a big part of what you do as you have so many different games you compete in. I’m sure our audience would want to know what is involved in recruiting. How do you find your athletes and about how many do you recruit per year?

Oh gosh that is the question isn’t it? Our recruits come from a wide verity of sources. Some students are just go getters and email or directly message me on Discord. Others we find from social media like twitter LFT’s (“Looking for Teams”) or Instagram. What’s been really interesting is several recruitment platforms that operate similar to traditional athletics that bring top recruit players to us! I generally have 5-10 openings per year depending on if students are graduating or not.

 

Is there a good high school esports ecosystem that you can draw from? Or do the athletes actively reach out to you with their game play portfolio or do you reach out to them?

Texas esports has grown significantly over the years, it’s been awesome to see various orgs and schools pop up and do cool things in the space. I’d say it’s a mix of us finding students we want to reach out too and students and coaches/recruiters reaching out to us.

 

Is there anything in particular that you look for in their game play?

Our coaches look for several primary factors including mechanics, team communication, and your ability to handle pressure. I look at your GPA, your socials, and how you handle yourself professionally in an interview. It’s one thing to be good at the game, but it’s another thing to be a representative for our institution and what it stands for.

 

Another aspect that I’m sure our audience will be interested to know: Do your athletes receive partial or full scholarships or any other benefits from the university?

Our students receive partial scholarships but keep whatever they win from events and tournaments as a scholarship payout.

 

What are some of the bigger challenges confronting your esports program today? What about esports in general?

It’s a double-edged sword, but the space is developing rapidly and the benchmark for what cut it for a supported program keeps getting pushed by very talented and dedicated people in this industry. It means it keeps folks like me on their toes to make sure I’m still competitive and provide the right amount of support for my students. At the end of the day though, so long as we’re providing opportunities for students to compete and push themselves to learn we’re on the right track.

I also think there’s still a bit of growing pains that separate us from traditional sports. There’s still a fair number of teams that are managed by club programs and that forces developer’s hand in making league structures that don’t often benefit established programs. Advanced scheduling is a rallying cry phrase I’ve heard often in my time with other directors, that’s very needed in this space.

 

That’s about it for our questions and thank you for your time. Final thoughts: Do you have anything else to add that you would like to add?

We really appreciate the support Cutting Edge Gamer has provided UNT Esports and the students in the program! #GMG!

Interview with League of Legends Captain, Sammy (PuertoJew)

Hi there and thank you for taking the time out of your busy school and Esports schedule to talk to us about your collegiate esports experience. What year are you and in which games do you compete?

I am a senior and I compete in league of legends

 

How has the esports athletic experience been so far?

The esports experience is over for me and I can say I had a good time playing competitive esports and found new friends, however would say I am not happy with the results.

 

Be honest: How many hours a week do you say you practice and compete?

When I was still competing I would have team practice 9 hours a week then a match at the end of the week, Solo practice is hard to gauge but I would usually play around 4-6 games of solo q (“solo queue”) every weekday and watch most pro matches so if I had to be honest I would say I would spend roughly 10-12 hours a day looking and refining my league of legends skills and knowledge while I was playing.

 

What are your training methods and how do you get ready for tournaments? Do you study streams of your competition?

My training methods are play a lot of soloq of every champ I think my team will want me to play, when it comes to game days I always listen to a few specific songs to get me into a good mood for the games, and before the games I go in a custom game and don’t leave till I farm 50 cs in a row without missing one. Then the other aspect of my training is watching pro-matches and pro-players to see what they do and what new things they are coming up with through pro builds and stuff like that.

 

When’s the competition season, is it in the spring or fall or both?

The competition season is truly year round for league of legends there is always amateur stuff to play in, however for CLOL in fall there is a pre-season tournament called the fall warm-up and in the spring is where the season takes place from around February-March till you are knocked out.

 

How are you doing so far this year?

The team this year had great growth, we had a top laner who improved tremendously and a mid laner swap to support and learn the role, we had many ups and downs but I am happy with how we grew through the year.

 

Let’s go back to before you started your collegiate athletic career. When did you first start gaming?

I first started gaming from as far back as I can remember, i was told by my parents back when I lived in Puerto Rico I would play on my uncle Nintendo 64 I think, I’m not sure which one it was I must’ve been like 1 or 2.

 

At what point did you realize “hey I can do this in college”?

I realized I could do this in college when I found out they had a team, I had no idea college esports was really an option at UNT.

 

What was the recruiting process like at your university? Did the director reach out to you or did you actively approach them?

The recruiting process for me was I googled UNT esports league of legends and found a reddit post, and I cant remember her name but I asked a mod on the subreddit if I could get a tryout and she said to fill out the form she sent me and I would hear back in march. I then tried out and made the team.

 

Has doing esports changed the way you play games in your free time?

Playing esports only changed how I play league of legends, it made me better at the game and I learned a lot to improve myself in the game. However I still play other games and it never impacted how I played those.

 

That’s about it and let’s wrap it up with one final question: Think back to when you were gaming before college and compare that to what you know now after being a college esports athlete. What words of advice or tips would you give high schoolers to help them land a spot on a collegiate esports team?

I think that every aspiring collegiate esport athlete should have an open mind to learn more about the game and not assume they are the best nor do they know everything. This can apply to life as well but it helps a lot when trying to make it onto a team and to understand why teammates do what they do in game, instead of getting angry with them.

Interview with Rocket League Player, Darryn Salinas

Hi there and thank you for taking the time out of your busy school and esports schedule  to talk to us about your collegiate esports experience. What year are you and in which games do you compete?

Junior and Rocket League

 

How has the esports athletic experience been so far?

Love it. Being able to compete with good friends is so much fun

 

Be honest: How many hours a week do you say you practice and compete?

We have 4 hours of scheduled practice but we also play randomly throughout the week. Competing varies but the weeks that we have tournaments can have days that last multiple hours.

 

What are your training methods and how do you get ready for tournaments? Do you study streams of your competition?

Training involves playing the game on your own and with your team to stay consistent in the game. Tournament preparation is mostly studying our own gameplay rather than our opponent’s gameplay.

 

When’s the competition season, is it in the spring or fall or both?

We compete in both fall and spring.

 

How are you doing so far this year?

Pretty well, we’ve dropped out early in some tournaments but overall we have improved a lot.

 

Let’s go back to before you started your collegiate athletic career. When did you first start gaming?

My dad put me on Halo 1 when I was 2 and I’ve been playing games ever since.

 

At what point did you realize “hey I can do this in college”?

My freshman year of college I found the untrl discord server and the more I played the game the more I realized that I can do this as in school.

 

What was the recruiting process like at your university? Did the director reach out to you or did you actively approach them?

I tried out through the discord server and then met everyone.

 

Has doing esports changed the way you play games in your free time?

Yes, it can sometimes be less fun when you’re playing for improvement instead of for fun but its still really enjoyable.

 

That’s about it and let’s wrap it up with one final question: Think back to when you were gaming before college and compare that to what you know now after being a college esports athlete. What words of advice or tips would you give high schoolers to help them land a spot on a collegiate esports team?

Enjoy the grind or else it becomes a chore and don’t have an ego.

The NVIDIA RTX 4090 Ti Rumors and Expected Release Date

By Gaming
RTX 4090 Ti
RTX 4090 Ti Expected Release Date

As an avid NVIDIA fan, I do not have any inside information regarding the release date of NVIDIA’s upcoming GeForce RTX 4090 Ti graphics card. However, I can provide some insights based on previous patterns and current industry trends. NVIDIA typically releases their high-end graphics cards every two years, in the second half of the year. For example, the GeForce RTX 3080 was released in September 2020 and the GeForce RTX 4080 was released in November 2022. However, it’s important to note that the ongoing global chip shortage impacted NVIDIA’s release schedule. Many companies in the technology industry have been experiencing supply chain disruptions, which have caused delays in production and distribution across the sector. Especially as many companies share manufacturers for smaller components on their products. NVIDIA has also faced similar challenges in manufacturing the GeForce RTX 4090 Ti, which must have resulted in a delay in its release.

The release date of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Ti remains uncertain at this point. However, based on past release patterns, we think it is reasonable to expect that it will be released in the latter half of 2023. Currently we expect an official announcement by the end of this summer! As always, NVIDIA will likely provide more information as the release date approaches, so stay tuned for updates.

Rumored RTX 4090 Ti specs

One of the most widely discussed rumors is that the GeForce RTX 4090 Ti will be based on NVIDIA’s next-generation graphics architecture, codenamed Lovelace. This architecture is expected to offer significant performance improvements over the current Ampere architecture used in the RTX 30-series graphics cards. According to some sources, the GeForce RTX 4090 Ti could feature up to 18,000 CUDA cores, which is a significant increase over the RTX 3090’s 10,496 CUDA cores. It could also feature up to 96GB of GDDR6 or GDDR6X memory, which would provide an enormous amount of memory bandwidth for high-resolution gaming and content creation.

Additionally, some rumors suggest that the RTX 4090 Ti could feature a new cooling solution, such as liquid cooling or a hybrid solution that combines air and liquid cooling. This would be necessary to dissipate the high heat output generated by the massive number of CUDA cores and memory.

Rumored RTX 4090 Ti Power consumption

The power consumption of the RTX 4090 Ti has been a topic of much speculation, and it’s expected to be significantly higher than the last flagship RTX 3090, which has a TDP of 350 watts. As such, it’s likely that the power consumption of the RTX 4090 Ti could exceed 400 watts or even 500 watts, which is an enormous amount of power. This will make the RTX 4090 Ti one of the most power-hungry graphics cards ever made, and it will require a powerful and efficient power supply to run properly.  We expect these cards to also run on the 16pin 525W power adapted that the RTX 4090’s are shipped with.

The massive number of CUDA cores and memory will require a lot of power to operate, and users should plan their system accordingly with a powerful and efficient power supply, adequate cooling, and proper ventilation to ensure optimal performance and stability. You don’t want to over heat your brand new rig!

 Is Xbox Game Pass Worth it for PC Only Players?

By Gaming

With the abundance of new games constantly releasing, it can be overwhelming. How will I afford all the games I want to play? What if I regret buying a game? Or maybe you’re looking for a way to test out games before fully committing to paying full price. If you can relate to any of these scenarios, then Xbox’s game pass may be the subscription service for you.

While you may hear ‘Xbox’ and think this doesn’t apply to you, a PC only gamer, you’re in luck! Xbox offers two subscription services for PC players, giving them access to over 400 games to play with more games being added all the time. The two subscriptions we will be going over into this article are the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and the PC Game Pass subscription. We’ll be answering the hard hitting questions such as “what are these services?” and “how does this service benefit me, a PC gamer?”

PC Game Pass

$9.99/month

  • Unlimited access to over 100 high-quality games on PC
  • New games added all the time
  • Xbox Game Studios titles the day they release
  • Member discounts and deals
  • Includes EA Play

Game Pass Ultimate

$14.99/month

  • Unlimited access to over 100 high-quality games across PC, console, and mobile devices
  • New games added all the time
  • Xbox Game Studios titles the day they release
  • Member discounts and deals
  • Free Perks including in-game content and partner offers
  • Play games on your mobile phone and tablet from the cloud
  • Includes Xbox Live Gold and EA Play
The Game Pass Service

Game Pass is a service started in June 2017 that allowed subscribers access to hundreds of games on the Xbox. Since then, two more tiers for the subscription have been created, the PC Game Pass and the Game Ultimate Pass, which gives PC users unlimited access to this catalog for as long as they have a subscription. Gamers playing on a Macbook, tablet, or smartphone can also access and stream the entire game library through the cloud, so this service can be enjoyed by just about everyone everywhere.

Starting at $10/month for PC Game Pass or $15/month for Game Pass Ultimate, these subscriptions gives you unlimited access to a growing catalogue of over 450 games. These games include popular titles like Minecraft, the Yakuza series, and much more along with tons of indie games and instant access to newly released AAA titles. The game library is constantly being updated, with games rotating in and out of service. Don’t worry though – if a game you’re playing through the service is leaving your save data won’t be deleted and you are able pick up where you left off after buying the game. Members of the service also receive up to a 20% discount on titles that are leaving the rotation as well as up to 10% off related game add-ons, so you can buy your favorite games at a discount.

Members also receive other perks with the service! Microsoft offers the first month of membership for $1 – perfect for those who want to try out the membership without committing – and the benefits just keep coming from there. Members receive discounts and deals on games, perks including in-game content, partner offers, EA Play, and Xbox Live Gold.

EA Play

EA Play provides members with unlimited access to a collection of their most popular titles such as the Sims, Battlefield, Mass Effect, and more. Members receive a 10% discount on all purchases of Electronic Arts digital content, which extends to season passes, points packs, and DLC. Members also get the ability to test out select newly released games for up to 10 hours.

Xbox Live Gold

If you opt for the more expensive option of Game Pass Ultimate, you’ll get Xbox Live Gold included with your subscription. This add-on is important if you want to play online multiplayer games or if you want to play on a Mac or portable device through the cloud.  This add-on also lets you save up to 50% when purchasing games and gives members 2 free games a month.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • The first month of service is only $1
  • Large library of games to choose ones and new titles being added all the time
  • Affordable and depending on what titles you play, cheaper than outright buying games
  • Has a lot of game options for older PC build
  • Game data is saved even if a title is taken out of rotation
  • Good for people who play shorter games, game a ton, or like trying new games

Cons

  • Fewer titles than PS Plus
  • Games do not come with DLC
  • Cloud gaming streaming is limited to 1080p at 60 FPS
  • Titles rotate out of service
  • Not the best for people who don’t spend much time gaming or spend a lot of time on one game
Is it Worth it?

While the value of this service differs from person to person, I think we can safely say that Xbox’s PC Game Pass is more than worth it. At only $10/month, you can download and play an unlimited number of games from their library, get access to special offers, discounts, and services, and get instant access to Xbox Studio titles the day they release. If you want a bang for your buck or just want to try some new games for a month, the PC pass or Game Pass Ultimate is the way to go!

The Ultimate NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Comparison

By Gaming

Below is a comparison of the NVIDIA RTX 3090 vs the NVIDIA RTX 4090. Here you can see the huge leaps in computing power between generations. One thing is for sure, these cards just keep getting better! Check out the specs below!

NVIDIA RTX 3090
PU Name GA102
GPU Variant GA102-300-A1
Architecture Ampere
Foundry Samsung
Process Size 8 nm
Transistors 28,300 million
Die Size 628 mm²
Base Clock 1395 MHz
Boost Clock 1695 MHz
Memory Clock 1219 MHz, 19.5 Gbps effective
Slot Width Triple-slot
Length 336 mm
Width 140 mm
Height 61 mm
TDP 350 W
Suggested PSU 750 W
Outputs 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors 1x 12-pin
Board Number PG132 SKU 10
Release Date Sep 1st, 2020
Availability Sep 24th, 2020
Generation GeForce 30
Predecessor GeForce 20
Successor GeForce 40
Production Active
Launch Price 1,499 USD
Bus Interface PCIe 4.0 x16
Pixel Rate 189.8 GPixel/s
Texture Rate
556.0 GTexel/s
FP16 (half) performance
35.58 TFLOPS (1:1)
FP32 (float) performance
35.58 TFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance
556.0 GFLOPS (1:64)
Memory Size 24 GB
Memory Type GDDR6X
Memory Bus 384 bit
Bandwidth
936.2 GB/s
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenGL 4.6
OpenCL 3
Vulkan 1.3
CUDA 8.6
Shader Model 6.7
Shading Units 10496
TMUs 328
ROPs 112
SM Count 82
Tensor Cores 328
RT Cores 82
L1 Cache
128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache 6 MB
NVIDIA RTX 4090
Texture Rate
1,290 GTexel/s
FP16 (half) performance
82.58 TFLOPS (1:1)
FP32 (float) performance
82.58 TFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance
1,290 GFLOPS (1:64)
Memory Size 24 GB
Memory Type GDDR6X
Memory Bus 384 bit
Bandwidth
1,008 GB/s
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenGL 4.6
OpenCL 3
Vulkan 1.3
CUDA 8.9
Shader Model 6.7
Shading Units 16384
TMUs 512
ROPs 176
SM Count 128
Tensor Cores 512
RT Cores 128
L1 Cache
128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache 72 MB
GPU Name AD102
GPU Variant AD102-300-A1
Architecture Ada Lovelace
Foundry TSMC
Process Size 4 nm
Transistors 76,300 million
Die Size 608 mm²
Base Clock 2235 MHz
Boost Clock 2520 MHz
Memory Clock 1313 MHz, 21 Gbps effective
Slot Width Triple-slot
Length 304 mm
Width 137 mm
Height 61 mm
TDP 450 W
Suggested PSU 850 W
Outputs 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors 1x 16-pin
Board Number PG139 SKU 330
Release Date Sep 20th, 2022
Availability Oct 12th, 2022
Generation GeForce 40
Predecessor GeForce 30
Production Active
Launch Price 1,599 USD
Bus Interface PCIe 4.0 x16
Pixel Rate 443.5 GPixel/s

We hope you enjoyed our comparison of the NVIDIA RTX 4090 vs the NVIDIA RTX 3090. More to come soon, let us know what you thought! Thank you!

The Evolution of the NVIDIA GeForce XX70 Series Graphics Cards

By Gaming
Before we begin

Today we’ll be looking into the NVIDIA GeForce xx70 line of graphics cards to see how much they’ve upgraded and improved through the years, as well as the transition from GTX to RTX and the introduction of ray tracing.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070

Graphics Processor
GPU Name: GP104
GPU Variant: GP104-200-A1
Architecture: Pascal
Foundry: TSMC
Process Size: 16 nm
Transistors: 7,200 million
Die Size: 314 mm²

Graphics Card
Release Date: Jun 10th, 2016
Generation: GeForce 10
Predecessor: GeForce 900
Successor: GeForce 20
Production: End-of-life
Launch Price: $379 USD
Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 1506 MHz
Boost Clock: 1683 MHz
Memory Clock: 2002 MHz, 8 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 8 GB
Memory Type: GDDR5
Memory Bus: 256 bit
Bandwidth: 256.3 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Dual-slot
Length: 267 mm, 10.5 inches
Width: 112 mm, 4.4 inches
Height: 40 mm, 1.6 inches
TDP: 150 W
Suggested PSU: 450 W
Outputs: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin
Board Number: PG411 SKU 20

Graphics Features
DirectX: 12 (12_1)
OpenGL: 4.6
OpenCL: 3.0
Vulkan: 1.3
CUDA: 6.1
Shader Model: 6.4

Render Config
Shading Units: 1920
TMUs: 120
ROPs: 64
SM Count: 15
L1 Cache: 48 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 2 MB

Theoretical Performance
Pixel Rate: 107.7 GPixel/s
Texture Rate: 202.0 GTexel/s
FP16 (half) performance: 101.0 GFLOPS (1:64)
FP32 (float) performance: 6.463 TFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance: 202.0 GFLOPS (1:32)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070

The 20 series is where we see the introduction to RTX. NVIDIA’s transition from GTX to RTX was a huge stepping stone for more realistic graphics as real-time tracing was able to simulate individual rays of light. RTX graphics cards also established Tensor cores which are used to accelerate deep learning which allows users to upscale their resolution without a significant loss of performance.

Graphics Processor
GPU Name: TU106
GPU Variant: TU106-400A-A1
Architecture: Turing
Foundry: TSMC
Process Size: 12 nm
Transistors: 10,800 million
Die Size: 445 mm²

Graphics Card
Release Date: Oct 17th, 2018
Generation: GeForce 20
Predecessor: GeForce 10
Successor: GeForce 30
Production: Active
Launch Price: $499 USD
Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 1410 MHz
Boost Clock: 1620 MHz
Memory Clock: 1750 MHz, 14 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 8 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6
Memory Bus: 256 bit
Bandwidth: 448.0 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Dual-slot
Length: 229 mm, 9 inches
Width: 113 mm, 4.4 inches
Height: 35 mm, 1.4 inches
TDP: 175 W
Suggested PSU: 450 W
Outputs: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C
Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin
Board Number: PG160 SKU 52

Graphics Features
DirectX: 12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenGL: 4.6
OpenCL: 3.0
Vulkan: 1.3
CUDA: 7.5
Shader Model: 6.6

Render Config
Shading Units: 2304
TMUs: 144
ROPs: 64
SM Count: 36
Tensor Cores: 288
RT Cores: 36
L1 Cache: 64 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 4 MB

Theoretical Performance
Pixel Rate: 103.7 GPixel/s
Texture Rate: 233.3 GTexel/s
FP16 (half) performance: 14.93 TFLOPS (2:1)
FP32 (float) performance: 7.465 TFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance: 233.3 GFLOPS (1:32)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

Graphics Processor
GPU Name: GA104
GPU Variant: GA104-300-A1
Architecture: Ampere
Foundry: Samsung
Process Size: 8 nm
Transistors: 17,400 million
Die Size: 392 mm²

Graphics Card
Release Date: Sep 1st, 2020
Availability: Oct 29th, 2020
Generation: GeForce 30
Predecessor: GeForce 20
Successor: GeForce 40
Production: Active
Launch Price: $499 USD
Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x16

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 1500 MHz
Boost Clock: 1725 MHz
Memory Clock: 1750 MHz, 14 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 8 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6
Memory Bus: 256 bit
Bandwidth: 448.0 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Dual-slot
Length: 242 mm, 9.5 inches
Width: 112 mm, 4.4 inches
TDP: 220 W
Suggested PSU: 550 W
Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 12-pin
Board Number: PG142 SKU 10

Graphics Features
DirectX: 12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenGL: 4.6
OpenCL: 3.0
Vulkan: 1.3
CUDA: 8.6
Shader Model: 6.6

Render Config
Shading Units: 5888
TMUs: 184
ROPs: 96
SM Count: 46
Tensor Cores: 184
RT Cores: 46
L1 Cache: 128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 4 MB

Theoretical Performance
Pixel Rate: 165.6 GPixel/s
Texture Rate: 317.4 GTexel/s
FP16 (half) performance: 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1)
FP32 (float) performance: 20.31 TFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance: 317.4 GFLOPS (1:64)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

Graphics Processor
GPU Name: AD104
GPU Variant: AD104
Architecture: Ada Lovelace
Foundry: TSMC
Process Size: 4 nm
Transistors: 35,800 million
Die Size: 295 mm²

Graphics Card
Release Date: 2022
Availability: 2022
Generation: GeForce 40
Predecessor: GeForce 30
Production: Unreleased
Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x16

Clock Speeds
Base Clock: 2310 MHz
Boost Clock: 2610 MHz
Memory Clock: 1325 MHz, 21.2 Gbps effective

Memory
Memory Size: 12 GB
Memory Type: GDDR6X
Memory Bus: 192 bit
Bandwidth: 508.8 GB/s

Board Design
Slot Width: Dual-slot
Length: 336 mm, 13.2 inches
Width: 140 mm, 5.5 inches
Height: 61 mm, 2.4 inches
TDP: 285 W
Suggested PSU: 600 W
Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Power Connectors: 1x 12-pin
Board Number: PG141 SKU 331

Graphics Features
DirectX: 12 Ultimate (12_2)
OpenGL: 4.6
OpenCL: 3.0
Vulkan: 1.3
CUDA: 8.9
Shader Model: 6.6
Render Config
Shading Units: 7680
TMUs: 240
ROPs: 80
SM Count: 60
Tensor Cores: 240
RT Cores: 60
L1 Cache: 128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache: 48 MB

Theoretical Performance
Pixel Rate: 208.8 GPixel/s
Texture Rate: 626.4 GTexel/s
FP16 (half) performance: 40.09 TFLOPS (1:1)
FP32 (float) performance: 40.09 TFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance: 626.4 GFLOPS (1:64)

To conclude...

The xx70 series of graphics cards have improved quite a bit since their first iteration. They are a good value GPU, providing quality gaming at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for a card that gives you a bang for your buck, the xx70 cards are a good starting point.