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GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce Review | 118 Data compared

Avg. price:~£1,900VRAM:24 GBMemory bus width:384 bitThermal Design Power (TDP):450 W

GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce Review: Compare 118 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Graphics cards category and whether it is worth buying.

GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce

8.4/10

▲Better than 72% of graphics cards

6.2

▼Worse than 87%

8.5

▲Better than 74%

7.1

▼Worse than 95%

9.0
Gaming
Gaming
9.0/ 10
✕
What it is
Evaluates core hardware and software specifications for gaming performance.
When it matters
When you want to play demanding mobile games, 3D titles, or run graphics-intensive apps smoothly.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components
45.0%
8.1
Floating-point performance
25.0%
10
VRAM
20.0%
10
Ray tracing cores / units
10.0%
8.8
PCI Express (PCIe) version
8.4
Video editing
Video editing
8.4/ 10
✕
What it is
Evaluates core hardware and software specifications for video editing performance.
When it matters
When evaluating how effectively this graphics-cards meets your specific video editing needs.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components
35.0%
7.0
AV1 encode
30.0%
10
VRAM
20.0%
8.1
Floating-point performance
15.0%
8.8
PCI Express (PCIe) version
8.8
1080p
1080p
8.8/ 10
✕
What it is
Evaluates core hardware and software specifications for 1080p performance.
When it matters
When evaluating how effectively this graphics-cards meets your specific 1080p needs.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components
55.0%
8.1
Floating-point performance
25.0%
10
VRAM
10.0%
10
Ray tracing cores / units
10.0%
8.8
PCI Express (PCIe) version
9.0
1440p
1440p
9.0/ 10
✕
What it is
Evaluates core hardware and software specifications for 1440p performance.
When it matters
When evaluating how effectively this graphics-cards meets your specific 1440p needs.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components
50.0%
8.1
Floating-point performance
30.0%
10
VRAM
15.0%
10
Ray tracing cores / units
5.0%
8.8
PCI Express (PCIe) version
9.2
4K
4K
9.2/ 10
✕
What it is
Evaluates core hardware and software specifications for 4k performance.
When it matters
When evaluating how effectively this graphics-cards meets your specific 4k needs.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components
40.0%
8.1
Floating-point performance
35.0%
10
VRAM
20.0%
10
Ray tracing cores / units
5.0%
8.8
PCI Express (PCIe) version

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Technical Specifications of graphics card GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce

8.4

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Performance

8.4

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3DMark Time Spy benchmark score

3DMark Port Royal score

PassMark (G3D) result

PassMark (DirectCompute) result

Floating-point performance

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Memory

8.8

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VRAM

Memory type

GDDR6X

GDDR version

Memory bus width

Maximum memory bandwidth

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Platform & Features

9.6

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PCI Express (PCIe) version

PCIe lanes

DirectX version

Vulkan version

OpenGL version

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Connectivity & Media

9.1

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Max displays supported

Max digital resolution

DisplayPort outputs

DisplayPort version

DisplayPort link rates

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Power & Cooling

7.0

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Thermal Design Power (TDP)

Power consumption while under peak load

Recommended PSU wattage

Board power limit

PCIe power spec

450 W

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Design

8.5

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Size

238x 141x 40 mm

Length

Height

Slot width

Weight

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GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce vs the average graphics card

Why is GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce better than the average graphics card?

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44 more compute units
This graphics card has more compute units than the average graphics card (84 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
84 vs 40
2.25x higher memory bandwidth
This graphics card has a higher memory bandwidth than the average graphics card (1008 GB/s vs 448 GB/s). The average graphics card has a memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
1,008 GB/s vs 448 GB/s
44 more ray tracing cores
This graphics card has more ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (84 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.
84 vs 40
12 GB more VRAM
This graphics card has more VRAM than the average graphics card (24 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
24 GB vs 12 GB
152 more TMUs
This graphics card has more TMUs than the average graphics card (336 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
336 vs 184
48 more ROPs
This graphics card has more ROPs than the average graphics card (112 vs 64). The average graphics card has 64 ROPs.
112 vs 64
192 more AI cores
This graphics card has more AI cores than the average graphics card (336 vs 144). The average graphics card has 144 AI cores.
336 vs 144
128 bit wider memory bus
This graphics card has a wider memory bus than the average graphics card (384 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
384 bit vs 256 bit

44 more compute units
This graphics card has more compute units than the average graphics card (84 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
84 vs 40
44 more ray tracing cores
This graphics card has more ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (84 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.
84 vs 40
152 more TMUs
This graphics card has more TMUs than the average graphics card (336 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
336 vs 184
48 more ROPs
This graphics card has more ROPs than the average graphics card (112 vs 64). The average graphics card has 64 ROPs.
112 vs 64
192 more AI cores
This graphics card has more AI cores than the average graphics card (336 vs 144). The average graphics card has 144 AI cores.
336 vs 144
64% higher texture rate
This graphics card has a higher texture rate than the average graphics card (625 GTexel/s vs 381.2 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 381.2 GTexel/s.
625 GTexel/s vs 381.2 GTexel/s
84.4% higher FP32 performance
This graphics card has a higher FP32 performance than the average graphics card (41.6 TFLOPS vs 22.57 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP32 performance of 22.57 TFLOPS.
41.61 TFLOPS vs 22.57 TFLOPS
32.8% higher pixel rate
This graphics card has a higher pixel rate than the average graphics card (216.7 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 163.2 GPixel/s.
216.7 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s
9.01x higher BF16 performance
This graphics card has a higher BF16 performance than the average graphics card (320 TFLOPS vs 35.5 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has BF16 performance of 35.5 TFLOPS.
320 TFLOPS vs 35.5 TFLOPS
32% higher PassMark score
This graphics card has a higher PassMark score than the average graphics card (29907 points vs 22653 points). The average graphics card has a PassMark score of 22653 points.
29,907 points vs 22,653 points
58.4% higher ray tracing score
This graphics card has a higher ray tracing score than the average graphics card (14523 points vs 9166 points). The average graphics card has a ray tracing score of 9166 points.
14,523 points vs 9,166 points
6,400 more FP32 units
This graphics card has more FP32 units than the average graphics card (10,752 vs 4,352). The average graphics card has 4,352 FP32 units.
10,752 vs 4,352
36.3% higher gaming score
This graphics card has a higher gaming score than the average graphics card (20000 points vs 14678.5 points). The average graphics card has a gaming score of 14678.5 points.
20,000 points vs 14,678.5 points

2.25x higher memory bandwidth
This graphics card has a higher memory bandwidth than the average graphics card (1008 GB/s vs 448 GB/s). The average graphics card has a memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
1,008 GB/s vs 448 GB/s
12 GB more VRAM
This graphics card has more VRAM than the average graphics card (24 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
24 GB vs 12 GB
128 bit wider memory bus
This graphics card has a wider memory bus than the average graphics card (384 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
384 bit vs 256 bit
Supports ECC memory
This graphics card supports ECC memory, the average graphics card does not.
10.5% faster memory speed
This graphics card has a higher effective memory speed than the average graphics card (21000 MHz vs 19000 MHz). The average graphics card reaches an effective memory speed of 19000 MHz.
21,000 MHz vs 19,000 MHz

2 more GPUs supported
This graphics card supports more GPUs in multi-GPU mode than the average graphics card (2 vs 0). The average graphics card supports 0 GPUs in multi-GPU mode.
2 vs 0
Supports multi-GPU linking
This graphics card supports multi-GPU linking, the average graphics card does not.
Supports NVLink
This graphics card supports NVLink, the average graphics card does not.

9 °C lower idle temperature
This graphics card has a lower idle temperature than the average graphics card (28 °C vs 37 °C). The average graphics card has an idle temperature of 37 °C.
28 °C vs 37 °C
9 °C lower load temperature
This graphics card has a lower load temperature than the average graphics card (58 °C vs 67 °C). The average graphics card has a load temperature of 67 °C.
58 °C vs 67 °C

47 mm shorter card length
This graphics card is shorter than the average graphics card (238 mm vs 285 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 285 mm.
238 mm vs 285 mm
0.5 slot/s slimmer design
This graphics card occupies fewer slots than the average graphics card (2 slot/s vs 2.5 slot/s). The average graphics card occupies 2.5 slot/s.
2 slot/s vs 2.5 slot/s

Why is GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce worse than the average graphics card?

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22.8% lower boost clock speed
This graphics card has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (1935 MHz vs 2505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2505 MHz.
1,935 MHz vs 2,505 MHz
2.09x higher TDP
This graphics card has a higher TDP than the average graphics card (450 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
450 W vs 215 W
60% larger process node
This graphics card has a higher process node than the average graphics card (8 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
8 nm vs 5 nm
18.8% lower base clock speed
This graphics card has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (1560 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
1,560 MHz vs 1,920 MHz
No AV1 encoding
This graphics card does not support AV1 encoding, the average graphics card does.
No vs yes
30.8% higher PSU requirement
This graphics card has a higher PSU requirement than the average graphics card (850 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.
850 W vs 650 W
2.13x higher board power limit
This graphics card has a higher board power limit than the average graphics card (480 W vs 225 W). The average graphics card has a board power limit of 225 W.
480 W vs 225 W
16 mm higher card profile
This graphics card is taller than the average graphics card (141 mm vs 125 mm). The average graphics card has a height of 125 mm.
141 mm vs 125 mm

3.58x more expensive
GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce is more expensive than the average graphics card (£1,900 vs £530).
£1,900 vs £530
17% worse value for money
GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce has worse value for money than the average graphics card (6.15 vs 7.2).
6.15 vs 7.2
12% lower user score
User score
7.1/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.
When it matters
When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.
Score distribution
▼▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce
the average graphics card
GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce has a lower user score than the average graphics card (7.14 vs 8.000).
7.14 vs 8

22.8% lower boost clock speed
This graphics card has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (1935 MHz vs 2505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2505 MHz.
1,935 MHz vs 2,505 MHz
18.8% lower base clock speed
This graphics card has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (1560 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
1,560 MHz vs 1,920 MHz

25% slower VRAM clock
This graphics card has a lower VRAM clock than the average graphics card (1313 MHz vs 1750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1750 MHz.
1,313 MHz vs 1,750 MHz
75% smaller L2 cache
This graphics card has fewer L2 cache than the average graphics card (6 MB vs 24 MB). The average graphics card has 24 MB L2 cache.
6 MB vs 24 MB

60% larger process node
This graphics card has a higher process node than the average graphics card (8 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
8 nm vs 5 nm
2.13x larger GPU die
This graphics card has a higher GPU die size than the average graphics card (628 mm² vs 295 mm²). The average graphics card has a GPU die size of 295 mm².
628 mm² vs 295 mm²
Older encoder generation
This graphics card uses an older encoder generation than the average graphics card (7 vs 8). The average graphics card uses encoder generation 8.
7 vs 8
1 older
This graphics card was released earlier than the average graphics card (2022 vs 2023).
March 2022
2,022 vs 2,023

No AV1 encoding
This graphics card does not support AV1 encoding, the average graphics card does.
No vs yes
Narrower encode codec support
This graphics card supports narrower hardware encode codec support than the average graphics card (H.264/H.265 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9).
H.264/H.265 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9
2 fewer monitors per output type
This graphics card supports fewer monitors per output type than the average graphics card (1 vs 3). The average graphics card supports 3 monitors per output type.
1 vs 3
Older NVDEC generation
This graphics card has a lower NVDEC generation than the average graphics card (5 vs 6). The average graphics card offers NVDEC generation 6.
5 vs 6

2.09x higher TDP
This graphics card has a higher TDP than the average graphics card (450 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
450 W vs 215 W
30.8% higher PSU requirement
This graphics card has a higher PSU requirement than the average graphics card (850 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.
850 W vs 650 W
2.13x higher board power limit
This graphics card has a higher board power limit than the average graphics card (480 W vs 225 W). The average graphics card has a board power limit of 225 W.
480 W vs 225 W
10 °C lower thermal ceiling
This graphics card has a lower thermal ceiling than the average graphics card (105 °C vs 95 °C). The average graphics card has a thermal ceiling of 95 °C.
105 °C vs 95 °C
2.18x higher peak power draw
This graphics card has a higher peak power draw than the average graphics card (480 W vs 220 W). The average graphics card has a peak power draw of 220 W.
480 W vs 220 W
30 dB noisier at idle
This graphics card has a higher idle noise level than the average graphics card (30 dB vs 0 dB). The average graphics card has an idle noise level of 0 dB.
30 dB vs 0 dB
2.5x higher idle power draw
This graphics card has a higher idle power draw than the average graphics card (30 W vs 12 W). The average graphics card has an idle power draw of 12 W.
30 W vs 12 W

16 mm higher card profile
This graphics card is taller than the average graphics card (141 mm vs 125 mm). The average graphics card has a height of 125 mm.
141 mm vs 125 mm
3.18x heavier card weight
This graphics card is heavier than the average graphics card (3250 g vs 1021 g). The average graphics card weighs 1021 g.
3,250 g vs 1,021 g

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

kitguru.net

25/04/2022

Summary of the review

Gigabyte Aorus RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce Review

The KitGuru review highlights the Gigabyte Aorus RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce as a flagship graphics card targeted strictly at enthusiast users seeking the ultimate gaming performance. Built on a fully populated GA102 die with 10,752 CUDA cores and 24GB of upgraded 21Gbps GDDR6X memory, it achieves bandwidth exceeding 1TB/s. Equipped with a massive 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler, this card registers an out-of-the-box factory overclock and pushes the power envelope to a massive 480W limit. The primary pros of this GPU include its exceptionally cool and quiet operation, registering peak core temperatures of just 58°C alongside a quiet 37 dB noise profile, making it the fastest and core-coolest 3090 Ti tested by the reviewer. YouTube ·KitGuruTech However, the review outlines several prominent cons regarding its luxury positioning and design choices. For a card retailing at an exorbitant price of £2,100, KitGuru noted that the build quality feels somewhat cheap and plasticky, missing the premium all-aluminium shroud expected at this price point. Additionally, the card inexplicably lacks a dual-BIOS switch and any built-in RGB lighting, resulting in a somewhat plain aesthetic....

hardwarezone.com.sg

18/05/2022

Summary of the review

Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce 24G review

The Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce 24G delivers class-leading performance powered by 10,752 CUDA cores, a factory-overclocked boost clock of 1,935MHz, and 24GB of GDDR6X memory. In real-world benchmarks, it establishes itself as a 4K gaming powerhouse, running up to 14% faster than the RTX 3090 Founders Edition at 4K resolution and maintaining frames well above 60fps even with Ray Tracing enabled. Its standout feature is the pre-assembled Waterforce AIO liquid-cooling system, which utilizes a massive 360mm aluminium radiator and double ball bearing fans. This configuration provides whisper-quiet operation and stellar thermal management, keeping the card at a peak temperature of just 62.6°C—roughly 10°C cooler than its air-cooled counterparts despite an eye-watering 470W power draw. Additional benefits include a slim two-slot profile, a comprehensive copper base plate, and a protective PCB coating resistant to dust and moisture. However, these blistering benchmarks come with significant drawbacks, most notably a premium retail price of S$3,499. Despite this massive financial investment, the card surprisingly features a plain matte black aesthetic that completely lacks RGB lighting. Customization is further limited by...

Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.

Reviews last updated: June 2026 · How we calculate this

What we like about GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce

Excellent thermal performance with the 360mm AIO cooler, maintaining significantly lower GPU temperatures compared to air-cooled models.
Whisper-quiet operation even under heavy load, often staying around 37 decibels.
Industry-leading factory overclock with high stable boost frequencies (averaging 2115 MHz).
Effective 24GB VRAM cooling; 3090 Ti design improvements result in lower memory temperatures than the original 3090.
Professional, 'clean' aesthetic with gold accents and a full-length metal backplate that appeals to those avoiding heavy RGB.
Outstanding performance for high-end VR and 4K/8K gaming, significantly outperforming previous generation flagships.

What we don't like about GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce

Extreme price point with a low price-to-performance ratio compared to newer models like the RTX 4070 Ti or 4080.
Massive power draw (480W limit) requiring a robust power supply and causing high total system heat.
Lack of features typical for its 'Extreme' branding, such as a dual-BIOS switch or integrated RGB lighting on the radiator fans.
Challenging installation due to the 360mm radiator and long 460mm braided tubes which may not fit in many cases.
Build quality concerns regarding the 'plasticky' shroud and reports of GPU sag despite its liquid-cooled nature.
Mixed reputation for customer service and RMA processes from Gigabyte if hardware issues occur.

Verdict

The Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce is a powerhouse graphics card built on NVIDIA's Ampere architecture, featuring 10,752 CUDA cores and 24GB of high-speed GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit interface with a 1TB/s bandwidth. This card is distinguished by its factory overclocked boost clock of 1935 MHz and an advanced AIO cooling solution that utilizes a 360mm radiator paired with three 120mm double ball bearing fans to maintain thermal stability. Main pros include its exceptional 4K and VR performance, quiet operation under heavy loads, and a relatively compact dual-slot design for the card itself. However, notable cons include its extreme power consumption requiring a 16-pin PCIe Gen 5 connector, a lack of dual BIOS and RGB lighting on the card itself, and reported higher-than-average memory temperatures despite the liquid cooling setup.

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