NVIDIA RTX 4090D in China Hits 4090 FE Performance Through Overclocking

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090D, launched in China to cater to high-end gaming while adhering to US export regulations, has shown it can reach the performance levels of the RTX 4090 FE through manual overclocking. Initially, AIBs were prohibited from factory overclocking, setting clock speeds and power limits at NVIDIA's standard specifications.

Despite these limitations, the RTX 4090D manages to deliver up to 95% of the RTX 4090 FE's performance, making it a favorable option given its identical MSRP. HKEPC’s tests revealed that models like the ASUS GeForce RTX 4090D ROG STRIX could unlock TGP from 425W to 600W (+141%), leading to significant performance gains.

With a +200 MHz GPU and +187 MHz memory clock increase, and an unlocked TGP, the ASUS model achieved a 9.3% performance boost in the 3DMark Speedway benchmark, surpassing the RTX 4090 FE. The maximum power recorded was 558.4W (+131.4%), with clock speeds reaching 3045 MHz. An 8.7% improvement was also seen in 3DMark Port Royal benchmarks.

While it's unclear which other models allow similar TGP and overclocking adjustments, this development is a boon for Chinese gamers seeking RTX 4090 FE level performance. However, the ASUS ROG STRIX OC model comes with a hefty price tag of 16,999 RMB in China, about $250 more than the US MSRP.