China’s MTT S90 GPU Challenges NVIDIA RTX 4060

The MTT S90 GPU by China’s Moore Threads is turning heads in the graphics card world. With new benchmark results, the card is reportedly outperforming NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4060 across various tests. This marks a significant leap for China’s GPU industry, which has long struggled to compete with established Western brands.

Moore Threads Breaks New Ground

Chinese GPU makers have historically lagged behind due to weak hardware, lackluster driver support, and low interest in the gaming segment. But the surge in AI development has pushed companies like Moore Threads, Huawei, and Lisuan to innovate aggressively. Moore Threads, known for pioneering PCIe Gen 5.0 support in GPUs, now presents the MTT S90—a consumer GPU showing true potential.

Recent benchmark tests suggest that the MTT S90 is not just a modest step forward but a major leap. It delivers competitive performance in both synthetic benchmarks and real-world gaming, directly challenging NVIDIA’s mid-range RTX 4060.

Synthetic Benchmarks Tell the Story

In a range of synthetic tests, the MTT S90 performs neck-and-neck—or better—than the RTX 4060. Let’s break down the numbers:

3DMark Steel Nomad Scores:

MTT S90: 2567
RTX 4060: 2340

3DMark Fire Strike Ultra Scores:

MTT S90: 5210
RTX 4060: 5863

Unigine Valley Benchmark:

MTT S90: 1467
RTX 4060: 1111

Entertainment Master Benchmark (娱乐大师):

MTT S90: 42
RTX 4060: 40

Although the RTX 4060 edges ahead in Fire Strike Ultra, the MTT S90 wins in other categories, particularly in Unigine Valley and Steel Nomad.

Gaming Test Under 4K Ultra Settings

The MTT S90 was tested on Naraka: Bladepoint, a popular game in China. Under 4K ultra-high settings, it reached an average of 43 frames per second (FPS), slightly outperforming the RTX 4060, which averaged 42 FPS. This one-frame difference may seem small, but it’s symbolic of the strides Moore Threads has made.

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Major Driver Improvements Behind the Boost

A key factor in the MTT S90’s strong showing is improved software support. Earlier Moore Threads GPUs, like the MTT S80, were heavily criticized for poor driver performance. In fact, previous models struggled to keep up with even NVIDIA’s GTX 1050 Ti.

Now, however, Moore Threads has reportedly delivered a dramatic 80% performance improvement across generations—mostly thanks to optimized drivers. These improvements bring the S90 to a competitive level for both gaming and general graphics workloads.

Built on PCIe 5.0 Platform

While specific hardware specifications of the MTT S90 remain unclear, it is expected to support PCIe 5.0, just like Moore Threads’ earlier workstation GPU, the MTT S4000. This feature alone gives it a modern edge, especially as more systems adopt the faster PCIe Gen 5 standard.

Interestingly, many of the benchmark comparisons were made using the MTT S4000, a workstation-focused card built on the same architecture as the MTT S90. The similarities in design allow experts to reasonably infer that the S90 delivers comparable, if not identical, performance.

Early Days, but Strong Signals

It’s worth noting that these benchmarks were reported by a Chinese blogger and haven’t yet been independently verified by international reviewers. Because Chinese GPUs have rarely undergone global scrutiny, skepticism remains. However, the numbers look promising and suggest Moore Threads may soon be a name to watch in gaming graphics.

The S90’s performance doesn’t just reflect a technical breakthrough—it signals China’s growing confidence in developing high-end consumer hardware.

The Competitive Landscape Shifts

The emergence of the MTT S90 changes the dynamic in the mid-range GPU market. If Moore Threads can continue optimizing its software, expand availability, and prove stability, the company may pose a real challenge to NVIDIA and AMD in future generations.

With China’s tech industry pushing forward at full speed, the MTT S90 GPU could be just the beginning of a new era of global GPU competition.