Every few years, Nvidia releases a groundbreaking graphics card that pushes PC gaming into a new era. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is that card, but it introduces next-generation performance in an unconventional way. While the performance increase over the RTX 4090 might not be as dramatic as expected in many games without considering DLSS Frame Generation, the introduction of the next generation of Nvidia's DLSS for both upscaling and frame generation offers significant leaps in both image quality and performance, surpassing what we typically see in a new graphics generation.

The Nvidia RTX 5090's impact as an upgrade largely depends on the types of games you play, the resolution at which you play them, and your comfort level with AI-generated frames. For those not using a 4K monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, the upgrade might not be worth it. However, if you have a high-end display, the AI-generated frames provided by DLSS 4 can offer a glimpse into the future of gaming.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

5 ImagesRTX 5090 – Specs and Features

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell architecture, which is already powering advanced data centers and supercomputers used for popular AI models. This gives a hint of the RTX 5090's prowess in AI tasks, yet Nvidia hasn't overlooked the traditional gaming aspects of the card.

With the RTX 5090, Nvidia managed to increase the number of Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) within the same Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), resulting in 21,760 CUDA cores, up from 16,384 in the RTX 4090. This represents a 32% increase in shader cores, significantly boosting raw gaming performance.

Each SM includes four Tensor Cores and one RT Core, similar to its predecessor, with a total of 680 Tensor Cores and 170 RT Cores, compared to 512 and 128 in the RTX 4090. The 5th-generation Tensor Cores enhance AI performance, now supporting FP4 operations, which reduces dependency on VRAM for AI workloads.

Accompanying this silicon is 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM, a step up from the GDDR6X in the RTX 4090, promising faster and more power-efficient memory. However, the RTX 5090 demands a substantial 575W of power, a significant jump from the RTX 4090, indicating that power efficiency was not Nvidia's primary focus.

The new Tensor Cores are more efficient, prompting Nvidia to shift the entire DLSS algorithm to a Transformer Neural Network (TNN) from a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). This change aims to improve image quality and reduce issues like ghosting and other artifacts, although it may not directly boost frame rates.

Nvidia also introduced Multi-Frame Generation with the RTX 5090, an advanced version of the Frame Generation technology from the RTX 4090. This feature improves frame rates by generating multiple frames from each rendered image, but it's recommended to use it only when you're already achieving a decent frame rate.

Purchasing Guide

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 will be available starting January 30, with a starting price of $1,999 for the Founders Edition. Keep in mind that third-party cards may be priced significantly higher.

The Founders Edition

Despite requiring 575W of power, which is more than the 450W of the RTX 4090, the RTX 5090 Founders Edition is surprisingly compact. It fits into a dual-slot chassis with a dual-fan configuration, a significant reduction in size compared to the triple-slot designs of previous generations.

During testing, the RTX 5090 maintained temperatures up to 86°C, higher than the RTX 4090's 80°C, but still within safe limits without throttling. This was achieved by shrinking the PCB and optimizing the cooling system, with fans drawing air in from the bottom and expelling it through the top.

The RTX 5090 follows a design language similar to recent generations, featuring a silver 'X' design on a gunmetal-gray chassis with black heatsinks. It includes a 'GeForce RTX' logo with white LEDs and a new 12V-2x6 power connector, which is slightly more efficient than its predecessor. The connector is angled and more secure, making it easier to install, and it comes with an adapter that uses four 8-pin PCIe power connectors.

This compact design allows the RTX 5090 to fit into smaller PC builds, unlike the larger RTX 4090 and 3090. However, third-party designs from manufacturers like Asus and MSI are likely to be larger.

DLSS 4: Fake Frames?

Nvidia claimed the RTX 5090 could boost performance by up to 8x, but the actual increase is less dramatic. The RTX 5090 excels in generating extra frames to enhance frame rates, thanks to DLSS 4 and its 'Multi-Frame Generation' feature, which builds on the Frame Generation introduced with DLSS 3 and the RTX 4090.

DLSS 4 includes a new AI Management Processor (AMP) core, allowing the GPU to assign work more efficiently than when handled by the CPU. This, along with the 5th-generation Tensor Cores, enables a new frame generation model that's 40% faster and requires 30% less memory. It can create three AI frames from each rendered frame, with minimal latency thanks to the AMP's Flip Metering algorithm.

At launch, DLSS 4 will be compatible with a wide range of PC games that already support DLSS 3. During testing, it performed impressively in beta builds of Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with Ray Tracing Overdrive and DLSS on Performance mode, the RTX 5090 achieved 94 fps, which increased to 162 fps with 2x frame generation and up to 286 fps with 4x frame generation. Star Wars Outlaws saw similar results, with frame rates reaching 300 fps at 4K with all settings maxed out.

While some might dismiss these gains as 'Fake Frames,' they offer a genuine benefit for users with high-refresh, high-resolution displays. Nvidia claims that 75 games will support DLSS 4 at launch, though performance may vary.

RTX 5090 – Performance

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is undeniably powerful, but its performance in real-world gaming scenarios is complex. In 3DMark, it shows a clear generational improvement over the RTX 4090, with up to a 42% performance increase. However, in actual games, the RTX 5090 often faces CPU bottlenecks, even with a high-end Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor.

For those with existing high-end GPUs, the RTX 5090 may not offer a significant enough upgrade to justify the cost, as many current games can't fully leverage its power. It's more of a future-proofing investment for upcoming titles like The Witcher 4.

Testing was conducted without DLSS 4 on public drivers, ensuring a fair comparison with other Nvidia and AMD cards. Games were tested on their latest public builds.

Test SystemCPUAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DMotherboardAsus ROG Crosshair X870E HeroRAM32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo @ 6,000MHzSSD4TB Samsung 990 ProCPU CoolerAsus ROG Ryujin III 360In 3DMark, the RTX 5090's performance is impressive, scoring 14,399 points in Speed Way and 36,946 points in Port Royal, compared to the RTX 4090's 10,130 and 25,997 points, respectively. This represents a 42% performance uplift in both benchmarks.

However, in games like Call of Duty Black Ops 6, the RTX 5090 shows only a 10% performance increase over the RTX 4090 at 4K Extreme settings with DLSS on performance mode, achieving 161 fps compared to 146 fps. Similarly, in Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with Ray Tracing Ultra and DLSS on performance, the RTX 5090 achieves 125 fps, just 10% higher than the RTX 4090's 112 fps.

In Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition, tested without DLSS, the RTX 5090 achieves 95 fps at 4K with the Extreme preset, a 25% improvement over the RTX 4090's 76 fps. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 5090 gets 167 fps at 4K with all settings maxed out, a modest 6% increase over the RTX 4090's 151 fps.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Benchmarks

14 ImagesIn Total War: Warhammer 3, which lacks ray tracing and upscaling, the RTX 5090 delivers 147 fps, a 35% improvement over the RTX 4090's 107 fps. However, in Assassin's Creed Mirage, the RTX 5090 initially struggled due to a driver issue, but even after resolution, it underperformed compared to the RTX 4090.

In Black Myth: Wukong, the RTX 5090 averaged 104 fps at 4K with the Cinematic Preset and DLSS at 40%, a 20% improvement over the RTX 4090's 84 fps. Forza Horizon 5 showed minimal difference, with the RTX 5090 achieving 216 fps compared to the RTX 4090's 210 fps, highlighting the CPU bottleneck at this resolution.

Nvidia suggests that Moore's Law might be reaching its limits, making significant generational performance leaps rarer. While the RTX 5090 is the fastest consumer graphics card available, its full potential might not be realized in current games. It's best suited for those looking to future-proof their systems and embrace AI-powered gaming, while the RTX 4090 remains sufficient for most gamers for the foreseeable future.