NVIDIA
GeForce RTX 3090 vs GeForce 8600 GS
Full comparison of specs, performance and benchmarks
NVIDIA
8600 GS
Aggregate performance score
We've compared RTX 3090 and 8600 GS across specs and all relevant benchmarks.
↗RTX 3090 outperforms 8600 GS by 48% based on our aggregate benchmark results.+48%
Scores are normalized on the Head to Head scale. Higher is better.GeForce RTX 3090 vs GeForce 8600 GS: key takeaway
The comparison of RTX 3090 and 8600 GS shows a 48% advantage for RTX 3090 in gaming performance, while 8600 GS may still be stronger in value for money. Use the sections below to check whether that lead comes from real FPS, specifications, efficiency, price or platform features.
SUMMARY PROFILE
Verified-metrics radar
Axes with missing data are hidden; every value uses a fixed scale.
NVIDIAPerformance
Efficiency
Price / performance
Memory capacity
6846
65100
74100
10013
COMPARISON RESULT
RTX 3090 is the best overall choice
RTX 3090 leads in combined game performance. 8600 GS offers the better price per frame, while the final choice depends on the required features, memory, and games.
RTX 3090 leads in the combined performance index
8600 GS costs less
CATALOG POSITION
Full ranking →Graphics card ranking
Positions 36–41of 317
COMPARISON VERDICT
Which should you choose?
Two practical conclusions based on community votes and gaming value.
GeForce RTX 3090
180 likesHead to Head visitors currently choose this model more often.
GeForce 8600 GS
100/100 · Price $79The choice is based on the price-to-performance index and launch price.
OVERALL SCORE
Overview
Scores are calculated from specifications, performance, and efficiency.
The Summary score section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
GamesDirectX, OpenCL, and Vulkan performance
68Better
46
Professional applications3D modeling, video editing, and rendering
55Better
40
AI and machine learningMachine-learning and AI capabilities
53Better
37
Power efficiencyPower consumption across workloads
65
100Better
Head to Head scoreOverall catalog score
69Better
67
FULL COMPARISON
Specifications
The better numeric value is highlighted in green, taking the metric direction into account.
The Specifications section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
DisplayPortDisplayPort 1.4a—
HDMIHDMI 2.1—
Device classDesktopDesktop
UpscalingDLSS 2—
DirectX12.210.0
Vulkan1.4—
OpenGL4.63.3
TFLOPS35.58Better0.038
Power consumption350 W47 WBetter
Memory typeGDDR6XDDR2
Power connector16 pinNone
Release date20202007
ArchitectureAmpereTesla
ThicknessTriple-slotSingle-slot
Compute APIOpenCL 3.0, CUDA 8.6OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1
Launch price$1499$79Better
Shader units / cores10496Better16
Length336 mmVaries by board
Clock speed1395 - 1695 MHzBetter540 MHz
Base clock1395 MHzBetter540 MHz
Boost clock1695 MHzBetter540 MHz
VRAM24 GB GDDR6X512 MB DDR2Better
Memory frequency19,5 GHz800 MHzBetter
Memory bus384 bitBetter128 bit
Memory bandwidth936 GB/s12800 GB/sBetter
InterfacePCIe 4x16PCIe 1x16
Power consumption350 W47 WBetter
Process node8 nmBetter80 nm
Recommended PSU750 W200 WBetter
Die size628 mm²169 mm²Better
Memory cacheL1 128 KB, L2 6 MBL2 0.03 MBBetter
Transistor count28300 millionBetter289 million
Max monitors43
Max resolution7680 × 43202560 × 1600
USB Type-CNoNo
GAME TEST BENCH
Gaming FPS
Available results are shown separately; missing data is not treated as zero.
The Gaming FPS section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS across curated H2H Lab game presets. The useful signal is not only average FPS, but also how each device behaves at 1440p and 4K, how memory capacity and bus width affect heavy textures, and whether the game engine favors raster performance, ray tracing, or driver maturity.
RTX 30908600 GS
Verified H2HCommunity VerifiedEstimatedPredicted
Black Myth: Wukong
1080p High
33 FPSEstimated 66%
26 FPSEstimated 65%
1080p Ultra
28 FPSEstimated 66%
22 FPSEstimated 65%
1440p Ultra
21 FPSEstimated 66%
14 FPSEstimated 61%
4K Ultra
12 FPSEstimated 66%
6 FPSEstimated 57%
Black Myth: WukongRTX 309033 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS26 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309028 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS22 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309021 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS14 FPSEstimated 61%RTX 309012 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS6 FPSEstimated 57%
Call of Duty: WarzoneRTX 309033 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS26 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309028 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS22 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309021 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS14 FPSEstimated 61%RTX 309012 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS6 FPSEstimated 57%
Counter-Strike 2RTX 3090281 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS220 FPSEstimated 73%RTX 3090197 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS154 FPSEstimated 73%RTX 3090153 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS98 FPSEstimated 69%RTX 309076 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS37 FPSEstimated 65%
Cyberpunk 2077RTX 3090181 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS142 FPSEstimated 73%RTX 3090156 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS122 FPSEstimated 73%RTX 3090111 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS71 FPSEstimated 69%RTX 309051 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS25 FPSEstimated 65%
Forza Horizon 5RTX 3090229 FPSEstimated 80%8600 GS179 FPSEstimated 79%RTX 3090148 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS116 FPSEstimated 73%RTX 3090138 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS88 FPSEstimated 69%RTX 3090112 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS54 FPSEstimated 65%
God of War RagnarökRTX 309033 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS26 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309028 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS22 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309021 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS14 FPSEstimated 61%RTX 309012 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS6 FPSEstimated 57%
Hogwarts LegacyRTX 3090148 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS116 FPSEstimated 73%RTX 3090124 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS97 FPSEstimated 73%RTX 3090100 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS64 FPSEstimated 69%RTX 309052 FPSEstimated 74%8600 GS25 FPSEstimated 65%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024RTX 309033 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS26 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309028 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS22 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309021 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS14 FPSEstimated 61%RTX 309012 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS6 FPSEstimated 57%
Monster Hunter WildsRTX 309033 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS26 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309028 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS22 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309021 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS14 FPSEstimated 61%RTX 309012 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS6 FPSEstimated 57%
StarfieldRTX 309033 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS26 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309028 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS22 FPSEstimated 65%RTX 309021 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS14 FPSEstimated 61%RTX 309012 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GS6 FPSEstimated 57%
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX
H2H workload indices
Comparable internal indices on a fixed 0–100 scale.
The Benchmarks section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
H2H Raster IndexH2H Index / 100684639%
H2H Compute IndexH2H Index / 100713763%
H2H Rendering IndexH2H Index / 100773770%
H2H Memory Workload IndexH2H Index / 10010013154%
H2H Efficiency IndexH2H Index / 1006510042%
These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX
H2H AI workload indices
Estimated workload profiles based on available performance and memory data.
The Detailed comparison section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
H2H Image Generation IndexH2H Index / 100823190%
H2H ML Training IndexH2H Index / 100813384%
H2H Inference IndexH2H Index / 100773770%
H2H Local LLM IndexH2H Index / 1008628102%
H2H Computer Vision IndexH2H Index / 100783674%
These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.
Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling
The Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
DirectX12.210.0
Vulkan1.4—
OpenGL4.63.3
UpscalingDLSS 2—
Compute APIOpenCL 3.0, CUDA 8.6OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1
Architecture and release
The Architecture and release section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
ArchitectureAmpereTesla
Process node8 nmBetter80 nm
Release date20202007
Device classDesktopDesktop
GPU cores, die and clocks
The Core layout and clocks section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
Transistor count28300 millionBetter289 million
Die size628 mm²169 mm²Better
Shader units / cores10496Better16
Base clock1395 MHzBetter540 MHz
Boost clock1695 MHzBetter540 MHz
Board size, power and compatibility
The Form factor and compatibility section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
InterfacePCIe 4x16PCIe 1x16
Length336 mmVaries by board
ThicknessTriple-slotSingle-slot
Recommended PSU750 W200 WBetter
Power connector16 pinNone
Display outputs and limits
The Display outputs section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
HDMIHDMI 2.1—
DisplayPortDisplayPort 1.4a—
USB Type-CNoNo
Max monitors43
Max resolution7680 × 43202560 × 1600
Memory and compute throughput
The VRAM capacity and bandwidth section compares RTX 3090 and 8600 GS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
VRAM24 GB GDDR6X512 MB DDR2Better
Memory typeGDDR6XDDR2
Memory bus384 bitBetter128 bit
TFLOPS35.58Better0.038
HEAD TO HEAD · DISCOVER
6Other comparisons
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AI EXPLAIN · HEAD TO HEAD
Explain this comparison
Beyond percentages: causes, relevant specifications, and practical impact behind every chart.
What AI will explain
Overall score, radar, FPS, synthetic tests, specifications, efficiency, and value.
REAL CONFIGURATIONS
Owner experiences
Real builds, results, and community feedback.
♢Moderator reviewed☆Helpful to the community🏅Expert badges
Frequently asked comparison questions
Short recommendations based on performance, memory, power consumption, and intended use.
01Which is better for gaming: RTX 3090 or 8600 GS?+
RTX 3090 has the higher overall gaming score, while 8600 GS offers the better price-to-performance ratio. The final choice depends on resolution and settings.
02Which is better for streaming?+
RTX 3090 is the stronger streaming choice thanks to performance, hardware encoding, and application support. Check AV1, H.264, and HEVC support before buying.
03Which is better for Blender?+
RTX 3090 is generally the better option for Blender and GPU rendering. Rendering-engine support and available VRAM also matter.
04Which is better for video editing?+
RTX 3090 offers more overall performance, while RTX 3090 offers more memory headroom. Codecs, hardware encoders, and editor optimization can change the result.
05Which is better for neural networks and AI?+
RTX 3090 is the more practical option for local AI workloads. VRAM capacity, compute libraries, and framework compatibility are especially important.
06Which is better for 1080p?+
8600 GS is the most rational 1080p choice, where high frame rates and cost per frame matter most.
07Which is better for 1440p?+
RTX 3090 leads in combined 1440p performance. RTX 3090 can be preferable for heavy textures and games with high VRAM usage.
08Which is better for 4K?+
RTX 3090 is preferable for 4K, where total performance, memory bandwidth, and VRAM capacity have the greatest impact.
09Which is better for a quiet PC?+
8600 GS is easier to use in a quiet build because of its lower estimated power and thermal load. Actual noise depends on the specific cooler.
10Which is better without replacing the power supply?+
8600 GS is the safer candidate because its stated power consumption is lower. Verify PSU wattage, age, and power connectors.
11Is it worth upgrading from the previous generation?+
Consider upgrading to RTX 3090 if your current device no longer delivers the required FPS, memory capacity, or feature support. A gain below 15–20% is usually worth waiting for a price cut.