The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, codenamed GN21-X11, emerges as a high-end graphics solution within the laptop space. Built upon the AD103 chip and adopting the Ada Lovelace architecture, this GPU closely mirrors its desktop counterpart, the RTX 4080. The AD103 chip boasts a maximum of 10,752 shaders, of which 9,728 are actively utilized (mirroring the RTX 4080 Desktop), and features a 256-bit memory bus.
Equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 dedicated graphics memory clocked at an effective speed of 20 Gbps, the RTX 4090 mobile offers a configurable TGP (Total Graphics Power) ranging from 80 to 150 Watts, with an additional 15 Watts through Dynamic Boost from the CPU. This flexibility in TGP allows for varying performance levels, whereas the desktop RTX 4080 operates at a higher 320 Watts for comparison.
The performance of the RTX 4090 mobile is intricately tied to TGP settings, determining the maximum boost clock. At the upper limit of 150 Watts, its performance is expected to rival that of the desktop RTX 4080, making it well-suited for demanding tasks such as 4k gaming at 60 fps or 2k gaming at 120 fps. However, optimal performance for ray tracing may require lower resolutions or the implementation of DLSS.
In reviews, the RTX 4090 consistently emerges as the fastest mobile GPU, surpassing the RTX 4080 Laptop GPU and mobile RTX 3080 Ti. It’s important to note that models with lower power limits, such as the 4090M GPUs, may experience up to a 20% performance reduction.
Fast RTX 4090 models excel in 4k gaming with maximum details, though the addition of ray tracing may lead to frame rates below 60 fps in certain titles like F1 23. In such cases, the use of DLSS or adjusted settings is recommended.
The AD103 chip of the RTX 4090 mobile is manufactured using an improved 5 nm process at TSMC (4N), showcasing advancements in efficiency and performance.
| Graphics Processor | |
|---|---|
| Chip (AD103) |  |
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace |
| Foundry | TSMC |
| Process Size | 5 nm |
| Transistor Count | 76.3 Billion |
| Density | 121.1M / mm² |
| Die Size | 379 mm² |
| Memory | |
|---|---|
| Memory Size | 16 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256 bit |
| Bandwidth | 576.0 GB/s |
| Graphics Config | |
|---|---|
| Shading Units | 9728 |
| Base Clock/Boost Clock | 1335 MHz/1695 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 2250 MHz = 18 Gbps effective |
| TMUs/ROPs | 304/112 |
| SM Count | 76 |
| RT Cores/Tensor Cores | 76/304 |
| L1 Cache/L2 Cache | 128 KB (per SM)/64 MB |
| DirectX/OpenGL | 12 Ultimate (12_2)/4.6 |
| Theoretical Performance | |
|---|---|
| FP32 (float) | 32.98 TFLOPS |
| Pixel Rate | 189.8 GPixel/s |
| Texture Rate | 515.3 GTexel/s |
| Card Notes | |
|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 120W | 1335-1695 MHz |
| GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 130W | 1425-1815 MHz |
| GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 140W | 1500-1950 MHz |
| GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 150W | 1620-2040 MHz |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics | 21316 |
|---|---|
| 3DM11 Performance GPU | 64848 |
| Score | 86,263 |