ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 TUF Gaming 24GB GDDR6X

The TUF RTX 3090 brings 24GB of GDDR6X and 35.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, landing in the 94th percentile for VRAM and 83rd for compute. Owners love the cool temps and 4K performance, rating it 4.3 out of 5 stars. But at $1,975 to $2,900, it's in the 9th percentile for affordability, so you're paying a serious premium for that memory capacity.

Let's talk numbers. The RTX 3090 packs 10,496 CUDA cores, 328 Tensor cores, and 82 RT cores, with a boost clock of 1,725MHz. That's enough to push 35.58 FP32 TFLOPS, which lands in the 83rd percentile for compute. The 24GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus delivers 936 GB/s of memory bandwidth, putting it in the 94th percentile for VRAM. That's the kind of headroom that makes 8K video editing and large language model inference actually feasible on a consumer card.

For ray tracing, the 2nd gen RT cores score 81.3 out of 100 in our testing, good for the 80th percentile. It's not the absolute best right now, but it's a standout. DLSS support helps a lot here, and the 3rd gen Tensor cores give AI workloads an 80.9 out of 100 score. The triple-fan Axial-tech design keeps thermals in the 92nd percentile, which is impressive for a 350W card. Owners confirm it runs cool under load, though a few note it gets loud at 100% fan speed. That's the trade-off for keeping 350 watts from turning your case into an oven.

Against the current crop of cards, the TUF 3090 is in a weird spot. The MSI Ventus RTX 5070 Ti 16G offers newer architecture and better efficiency, but only 16GB of VRAM. The Gigabyte AORUS RTX 5080 and ZOTAC APOCALYPSE RTX 5080 both beat the 3090 on raw gaming performance and ray tracing, but again, they cap out at 16GB. The Sapphire NITRO+ is an AMD card that trades blows on rasterization but falls behind on AI and ray tracing. If you need 24GB of VRAM for AI or 8K video work, the 3090 is still the budget option compared to an RTX 4090 or 5090. If you're gaming at 1440p or even 4K, the newer 16GB cards are faster and more efficient.

The value story here is complicated. The RTX 3090 sits in the 9th percentile for affordability, which is about as bad as it gets. US listings range from $1,975 to $2,900, a $925 spread that makes no sense for the same card. If you're shopping in the US, the $1,975 listing is the one to look at, but even that is a lot of money for a card that's been superseded by the RTX 40 and 50 series. The 24GB of VRAM is the saving grace here. For AI workloads and professional rendering, that memory capacity is still hard to find at this price point. But for pure gaming, you're paying a huge premium for VRAM you probably won't use.

The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 3090 is a 24GB GDDR6X monster that still holds its own in 2025, landing in the 94th percentile for VRAM and AI workloads in our database. That 936 GB/s memory bandwidth and 10,496 CUDA cores translate to a PassMark G3D score of 26,521, which puts it well above average for raw compute. Owners rate it 4.3 out of 5 stars, and the sentiment summary backs that up with an 82/100 score driven by praise for 4K gaming, cool temps, and build quality.

But here's the thing: this card launched at a time when scalpers were having a field day, and the pricing data still reflects that chaos. US listings range from $1,975 to $2,900, which is a wild spread for a card that's now two generations old. The TUF cooler does excellent work keeping the 350W TDP in check, but you're paying a premium for that thermal headroom. If you need 24GB of VRAM for AI or professional work, this is still a compelling option. If you just want to game at 1440p, there are much smarter ways to spend your money.

Skip this card if you're gaming at 1440p or 1080p. The 70th percentile rasterization score means it's solid, but you're paying for 24GB of VRAM you'll never touch at those resolutions. The 32nd percentile efficiency rating also means you'll be paying more on your power bill for performance that a newer 16GB card can match or beat. And if you're on a budget, the 9th percentile affordability score should be a giant red flag. This is a card for people who need memory capacity for AI, rendering, or 8K video work, not for someone looking to play Fortnite at 240fps.

The ASUS TUF RTX 3090 is a card that aged better than expected, mostly because of its 24GB of VRAM. The 94th percentile VRAM score and 92nd percentile thermals make it a legitimate option for AI enthusiasts and professionals who need memory capacity without paying RTX 4090 or 5090 prices. The 4.3-star owner rating and 82/100 sentiment score confirm that people who bought this card are happy with it. But the 9th percentile affordability score is a real problem. At $1,975 to $2,900, you're paying a lot for a card that's two generations old. If you can find it at the low end of that range and you need the VRAM, it's a solid buy. Otherwise, look elsewhere.