RTX 5090 Laptop GPU has just been launched by NVIDIA, but it seems it does not bring significant performance improvements over its predecessor. According to benchmark results from hardware expert Jarrod Farncomb, who conducted a performance comparison between these two high-end laptop GPUs, the difference in gaming capability is negligible.
If you are planning to buy a new gaming laptop equipped with RTX 5090, you might want to consider more carefully. Performance tests show that this new GPU only provides minor improvements over the RTX 4090 in most popular games today.
Specifically, a laptop equipped with RTX 5090 achieved an average of about 66 frames per second (FPS) at 4K resolution across 25 popular titles, while an RTX 4090 laptop with an older CPU and slower DDR5 RAM still achieved 65 FPS. This difference is almost negligible for the actual gaming experience.
Performance falls short of expectations at different resolutions
The situation is even less favorable at 1080p resolution, where the RTX 4090 laptop actually outperformed the newer device, achieving 133 FPS compared to 132 FPS for the RTX 5090. At 1440p resolution, the two laptops achieved 106 and 107 FPS, respectively. The difference in each case is insignificant, but tests show that the new GPU does not provide any real-world performance benefits over the previous generation model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpG4SBJRx7k
Farncomb noted that RTX 5090 struggles not only with older games but also with new titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Alan Wake 2, and Stalker 2, where the RTX 4090 is up to 12.5% faster than its successor.
However, RTX 5090 also has its standout moments, when it is faster than the RTX 4090 in some popular games. For example, it has a 20% advantage over the RTX 4090 mobile in Cyberpunk 2077 and leads by 18% in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
Power Efficiency – The main advantage of the new generation
The main difference between the two GPUs is power efficiency, with the RTX 5090 laptop providing significantly longer battery life compared to the RTX 4090 laptop. However, Farncomb suggests this may be partly due to the newer Arrow Lake-HX CPU, which is specifically designed to be more power-efficient than the older Raptor Lake Refresh chips.
Both laptops used in this comparison are XMG Neo 16s, but with very different hardware. The older XMG Neo 16 (2024) is equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900HX paired with 32 GB DDR5-5600 RAM and an RTX 4090, while the newer XMG Neo 16 (2025) is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX with 32 GB DDR5-6400 RAM and an RTX 5090.
Notably, the differences in RAM and CPU could also affect the benchmark results, but the insignificant performance gap between the two GPU generations remains disappointing for many users expecting a leap in performance from the RTX 50-series line.
For those who already own an RTX 4090 gaming laptop, there seems to be little compelling reason to upgrade to the RTX 5090 if considering pure gaming performance alone. However, if battery life and power efficiency are your top priorities, the RTX 5090 might be a choice worth considering.
Summary: RTX 5090 Laptop GPU does not bring significant performance improvements over the RTX 4090 in most popular games. With negligible FPS differences at various resolutions, current RTX 4090 laptop owners may not need to rush to upgrade. The main advantage of the RTX 5090 lies in better power efficiency, providing longer battery life for gaming laptops. For those considering buying a new gaming laptop, the choice between these two GPU generations should be based on your specific needs and budget, rather than simply chasing the latest generation.
