Nvidia Lovelace and AMD RDNA3 performance rumors leave the next-gen rivals evenly matched as leaker signals imminent GPU price drop

It looks like 2022 could be an exciting year for gamers and desktop PC builders in regard to graphics cards. While events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the crypto mining boom have had far-reaching effects on GPU prices and availability, things could be about to change. On top of that, performance estimates for Nvidia “Lovelace” (expected to be the GeForce RTX 40 series) and AMD RDNA3 (Radeon RX 7000 series) show there could be a very tight race looming ahead.

First off, leaker Greymon55 started the ball rolling with a tweet about the current state of the graphics card market, opining “It looks like GPU prices are going to drop dramatically next month. I hope that's true”. While use of the word “hope” implies wishful thinking, it could be argued that there is more substance behind the statement considering recent events. 3DCenter reports that it’s likely increased stock has been shipped from assemblers, and observed store prices have also been falling. So, March could be the month when there is finally a significant correction in board prices.

However, as the discussion thread continued, Greymon55 also had something to say about the expected performance increases that Nvidia Lovelace and AMD RDNA3 should be bringing with them. As for Team Green, the leaker goes with 2-2.5x the performance levels of the GeForce RTX 3090, while Team Red brings in 2.5x the performance capability of the Radeon RX 6900 XT with the upcoming RDNA3-based cards. On the surface, the 2.5x potential for both families looks like a tie, but a further examination has been provided that gives Nvidia a slight edge at the higher end.

Using 4K performance for both the current high-end cards, 3DCenter broke down the alleged generational improvements for Nvidia Lovelace and AMD RDNA3 and compared the results directly with the RTX 3090. While the next-gen AMD card was predicted to offer 2.3x the performance level of the RTX 3090, the Nvidia board remained with the already stated 2-2.5x estimate. If these predictions end up being accurate, it’s going to be a very close and exciting race between the GeForce RTX 40 series and the Radeon RX 7000 range.

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