Overclocked RTX 4090 hits an epic 3.825GHz

Not happy with already owning the world's most powerful GPU? Well, how about clocking the twangers off it to the tune of 50% to hit 3.825GHz?

That's what overclocker CENS claims to have achieved (via Videocardz) with a Colorful iGame-branded Nvidia RTX 4090, a GPU that normally boosts up to 2.52GHz.

What's more, the TX 4090 in question didn't just sit idling at 3.825GHz. It completed a full 3D render test, namely the Unigine Superposition running in full 8K. 

If you're an RTX 4090 owner wondering how you can get yourself some of that 3.825GHz goodness and get a full generational leap in performance over a year before Nvidia is expected to launch a replacement for the 4090 based on a new architecture, it's a simple. You just need a little liquid nitrogen to cool the GPU down to -192°C.

If that sounds a touch impractical, well, it does at least show the clock speed headroom of the RTX 4090, which is no doubt in part down to TSMC's 4nm process. 

How much is Nvidia leaving on the table with the RTX 4090 clocked around 2.5GHz? It's hard to say. For sure, AMD hasn't put Nvidia's top GPU under any real pressure with its RX 7900 series GPUs, which are pretty quick but not true competitors for the mighty 4090.

As we've mentioned previously, the RTX 4090 is a little weird in that it's a top-drawer GPU that actually offers among the best performance per dollar of any existing Nvidia graphics card.

With an MSRP of $1,599 it's far from cheap. But it's the only member of the RTX 40-series that's thus far not way more expensive than its RTX 30 predecessor. Heck, you can even get the RTX 4090 for a little below MSRP these days.

Bargain? Not exactly, but if you want the best it does offer a certain kind of value.