Unexpected Performance: KitGuru Tests Predator RTX 4090 graphics card

Last year, Acer launched the Predator series, introducing the strikingly designed Arc A770 graphics card, which many gamers hailed as the “most beautiful Arc graphics card.” This year, Acer has entered the AMD graphics card market with the Radeon RX7600, featuring a custom Predator cooling system. Reports previously indicated that Acer was also diligently working on flagship graphics cards for both NVIDIA and AMD, including the Predator RTX 4090 card with an integrated water-cooling design.

Recently, KitGuru conducted an exclusive initial test of the Predator RTX 4090 graphics card, yielding somewhat unexpected results.

The Predator RTX 4090 graphics card boasts a three-slot thickness and features a minimalist, angular design that exudes a certain robustness. Its distinctiveness lies in the two 100mm axial fans under which resides an integrated water-cooling system. The radiator measures 270 x 116 x 29 mm and includes a copper base covering the GPU, memory, and power supply module, employing a 14+4 phase power design. This means that the complete water-cooling system is concealed within the radiator, unlike typical market offerings that externalize the cold plate and connect it with liquid conduits, thus showcasing a higher degree of integration in the Predator RTX 4090’s design.

Despite its innovative cooling design, the peak frequency of the Predator RTX 4090 is only 2644MHz, which is over 100MHz lower than other water-cooled counterparts. The temperature control also presents significant issues. The GPU temperature is about 10°C higher than other air-cooled designs, with the GDDR6X memory exceeding 90°C, peaking at 96°C, which is 12°C higher than the Founders Edition. Moreover, the Predator RTX 4090 is the noisiest among its comparative products.

Such test results are undoubtedly disappointing, which might explain why Acer previewed this graphics card quite early but delayed its release.