Nvidia RTX 3090 vs Nvidia RTX 5090
Nvidia RTX 5090 is the more capable pick; Nvidia RTX 3090 is the cheaper one - which wins comes down to the job below.
The verdict
- Local AI
- Nvidia RTX 5090 has more VRAM (32GB vs 24GB) - up to ~33B (Q4).
Which wins for each job
| Job | Nvidia RTX 3090 | Nvidia RTX 5090 |
|---|---|---|
| Plex transcode | ~12 streams | ~12 streams |
| Frigate NVR | ~25 cameras | ~25 cameras |
| Local LLM | 24GB VRAM | 32GB VRAM win |
| Fits a mini-PC | full-size PCIe, DIY build | full-size PCIe, DIY build |
Approximate - capacity estimates from curated specs, the same logic as the recommender. Verify against your exact setup. Prices move; check the retailer.
Full specs
| Spec | Nvidia RTX 3090 | Nvidia RTX 5090 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $800 | $1,999 |
| Type | gpu | gpu |
| Interface | pcie | pcie |
| Transcode | H.264/HEVC (NVENC Ampere) | H.264/HEVC/AV1 (NVENC Blackwell 4:2:2) |
| Frigate detector | TensorRT | TensorRT |
| TOPS | - | - |
| VRAM (GB) | 24 | 32 |
| Low profile | no | no |
| GPU sharing | - | - |
| Power (W) | 350 | 575 |