Replacing a 4090 with a 5090 - would it be worth it?

User Support Hub Virtual Reality (VR)
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I have a 13900K with a 4090 and my headset is the Varjo Aero.

With the Nvidia 5090 around the corner, I was thinking what performance increase I might see if I was to replace my 4090 with the 5090. However, in order to see any increase in performance, I suppose my current GPU needs to be what is holding me back.

Today, I did a quick test by showing the FPS counter in MSFS2020 which told me I’m limited by the “MainThread PC D3D12” as seen below which I suppose means I’m primarily limited by my CPU more than my GPU. Meaning I would probably not see much of an increase in performance by replacing my 4090 with a 5090.

Correct?

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Correct. You would not see an increase from the 5090.

With your headset, you want to aim for being GPU bound, ie limited by GPU. The easiest way is to increase the resolution. I prefer fpsVR on Steam for tracking performance. Use the TAA slider to increase resolution until you get GPU bound. You can switch back to DLSS after that. I find setting the resolution in the headset is best, so if TAA tells me 140% is best, I set my Valve Index to 140%, and the game back to 100%.
I’m usually getting 20ms GPU frames and 10ms CPU frames.

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I have an i9-14900KF / RTX 4090 myself and the only way I see myself upgrading to an RTX 5090 is if I picked up a higher resolution monitor. Running at 2560x1440p I have horsepower for years to come.

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I’m going to buy a 5090 if I can because it’s my birthday soon and I’m really old.
However I don’t expect it to make a lot if any difference to vr.
I currently have a 4090 which I am very happy with.

Funny old world

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Is the screen from 2d or when in VR?

Running Varjo Aero at render resolution of 2560x1440 and upscaled to 3840x2160 does not sound right :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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Get some! Grrr…

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That’s the rub for VR, too much resolution. :sweat_smile:

I wonder what typical gaming, non-VR uses are for **90 cards.

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5 monitors, the sim pit of all sim pits

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I’m curious if a switch to 5090 would require getting the latest gen CPU and chipset as well. On a 7950X3D I’m GPU bound with the 4090. So there should be a little improvement.

I’d be thrilled to run a solid 45 FPS with TAA in 2024. :sweat_smile:

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We must wait for the tests in MSFS2024 in VR. I would expect small to moderate raw performance increase (4090->5090) ~25%. If this will actually happen the upgrade form 4090 to 5090 would only make sense if:

  • the novelty of 5090 dissipates and stock will be available (I would estimate mid 2025) so the price will drop,
  • the prices for selling 4090 will remain high despite 5080 entering the market.

So I don’t have big hopes when it comes to upgrading.

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Waste of money.

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The cost of 4090 + 5090 is approximately half of what it cost me to obtain my PPL 14 years ago (on a C172).

I encourage you to think twice before spending that much money on a card.

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I have a CPU I9 10900K and a 3080 GPU. I’m planning to move to 5080. I would like opinions about if I will have performance improvement in both, FS2020 and FS2024, as I have both. I play in 4K (3840x2160). Thanks by any comments.

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And don´t forget that it is winter in the north hemisphere, and 600w believe or not, helps, and inside the case helps also, that direct hot air to and close to the 13900-14900 CPU (Rams, M2s etc. also) coolers, to maintain high their low temperatures to avoid CPU throttling for frozen temps, if GPU have not its own separated/ventilated compartment.

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Yes you will see a notable improvement in FPS in GPU bound scenarios, especially with 2024 as it more GPU dependent, of at least 50%. However, your CPU will then be out of balance and you will still experience the lowest FPS you currently get in CPU bound scenarios, especially in 2020, like at complex airports with heavy traffic. I’d strongly consider a CPU upgrade too, to something like a 9800X3D (which I know means RAM and motherboard upgrade too), to keep everything in balance.

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Be aware that this is VR subforum, the hi-res VR headsets require the resolutions several times higher than 4K 2d display, so advice provided by VR users may not apply to you.

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Understood, anyway thanks.

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My comments re CPU and GPU bound are equally applicable to VR and 2D, even if the balance of when they occur is different. If you are ALWAYS GPU bound, which is very unlikely in MSFS 2020 in VR or not, then a GPU only upgrade will be sufficient.

You can always do the GPU upgrade first then upgrade your CPU/RAM/Mobo later if you find you are now mostly CPU limited in the scenarios you commonly fly where you get the lowest FPS.

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Thanks for all the great input guys, much appreciated!

After I read your comments, I decided to start playing around with all the settings a bit. In the past, I used TAA and DX11 but then switched to DLSS and got used to that. Even if some of the digits in the cockpit became a bit blurry and especially when it was dark, I liked the increased and overall smoothness over using TAA.

Now I’ve been using DX12 for some time and what’s funny is when switching to TAA tonight when doing my testing and increasing the resolution in MSFS from 80% (which seems to be default) → 100%, the smoothness is still there and the visual clarity is quite amazing! Almost like I got myself and new VR headset or cleaned the lenses :wink:

I did the testing in the iFly MAX8 and tried loading in at complex payware airports such as Fly Tampa EHAM, Aerosoft EBBR to mention some of them and with Vatsim traffic. Not that much traffic this time of day of course but still some 5-10 aircraft.

Very much looking forward to a proper flight tomorrow using these new settings and if it feels as good when flying as it did when sitting on the ground, I guess I won’t need to upgrade anything and still it will feel like I did an upgrade of some sorts. Based on the amazing visual clarity combined with the smoothness.

Someone asked about the screenshot in my first post and whether it was in 2D or VR mode. I’m pretty sure it was in VR mode where I suppose the screen resolution is my 4K TV used as a monitor where the render resolution is the Varjo Aero and the resolution it apparently renders when being in DLSS Quality mode in MSFS.

Below is what it looks like now using TAA with the resolution set to 100% in MSFS and with 39 PPD in Varjo Base. Back to my initial question, with these settings, it seems to be like 50/50 between being CPU/GPU bound. Because I see how it switches very rapidly between those two. Which I suppose is a good thing since that as I understand it means you’re getting as much as you possibly can both from your CPU and GPU.

Sorry for the wall of text but to end this post, I also saw in one of the comments above how someone said the best upgrade of course would be to upgrade both the GPU and the CPU. Where the 9800X3D (I think it’s called) seems to be a true rocket. However, since that means I would also need to get a new motherboard, memory etc, that upgrade and especially if paired with a 5090 will be a quite pricy upgrade. Then when I combine that with the MeganeX Superlight 8K which I’m also quite interested in…then it starts getting really pricy…

Let’s see what happens down the road. For now though, I’m very happy for what I already have and even more so now after switching to TAA at 100% resolution. Can’t wait trying out a flight tomorrow!!

Here’s my MSFS FPS counter using these new settings. Still in the iFly MAX8 at gate 8 at MK-Studios LEZL.

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We will have to wait a few days for reviews, but some new leaks seem to strengthen the view that without frame generation etc, the performance lift over a 4090 is around 27% (and quite possibly less, depending on the game).

Compared to the 96% uplift from a 3090 to the 4090, that makes the 5090 more like a 4090 Ti.

So for FS2024 in VR, I’m likely not going to buy a 5090. Right now I’m more interested to see how the new DLSS 4 upscaling improves image quality on my 4090.

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