Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition Review

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: A Next-Gen Leap, But For Whom?

Nvidia's RTX 5090, a high-end graphics card, promises a new generation of PC gaming. However, its performance gains over the RTX 4090 are less dramatic than expected in many games, especially without DLSS Frame Generation. The real leap comes from Nvidia's next-gen DLSS, significantly boosting image quality and performance, surpassing typical generational improvements.

The RTX 5090's value depends on your gaming setup and tolerance for AI-generated frames. For those with less than a 4K, 240Hz monitor, the upgrade is unlikely to justify the cost. But high-end display owners will experience a significant performance boost thanks to AI-generated frames.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Image Gallery

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RTX 5090 – Specifications and Features

Built on Blackwell architecture (powering AI models in data centers and supercomputers), the RTX 5090 excels in AI-related tasks. However, Nvidia also enhanced non-AI aspects. More Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) within the same Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs) result in 21,760 CUDA cores (a 32% increase over the RTX 4090), boosting raw gaming performance.

Each SM retains four Tensor Cores and one RT Core, leading to 680 Tensor Cores and 170 RT cores (compared to 512 and 128 in the RTX 4090). 5th-generation Tensor Cores enhance AI performance with FP4 operations, reducing VRAM dependence.

The card features 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM, offering speed and efficiency improvements over GDDR6X. Despite this, the 575W power consumption (a significant jump from the RTX 4090's 450W) prioritizes performance over power efficiency.

The enhanced Tensor Cores enable a shift to a Transformer Neural Network (TNN) for the DLSS algorithm instead of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). While frame rates aren't necessarily improved, Nvidia claims enhanced image quality and reduced artifacts.

Multi-Frame Generation, an evolution of RTX 4090's Frame Gen, generates multiple frames from each rendered image, dramatically increasing frame rates. However, like its predecessor, it's best used with already decent frame rates to avoid latency issues.

Purchasing Guide

The RTX 5090 launched January 30th, starting at $1,999 (Founders Edition). Third-party cards are likely to be more expensive.

The Founders Edition

Despite its 575W power requirement, the RTX 5090 Founders Edition is surprisingly compact, fitting in a dual-slot chassis with dual fans. Temperatures reach approximately 86°C under peak load (578W), which is high but doesn't cause throttling.

Nvidia achieved this by centrally positioning the PCB and using a heatsink spanning the card's width, with fans drawing air from the bottom and expelling it through the top. This design eliminates rear exhaust vents.

The design language resembles previous generations, featuring a silver 'X' design and a 'GeForce RTX' logo with white LEDs. The angled 12V-2x6 power connector (claimed to be more efficient) is located at the back for easier cable connection. An included adapter converts four 8-pin PCIe connectors to the 12V-2x6.

This compact design allows compatibility with smaller PC builds, unlike previous generations. However, third-party versions will likely be larger.

DLSS 4: AI-Generated Frames

Nvidia initially claimed up to 8x performance boosts, though the actual increase is lower. The RTX 5090 achieves high frame rates primarily through frame generation. While raw rasterization performance improves, the significant advantage lies in AI-generated frames.

DLSS 4's Multi-Frame Generation is superior to DLSS 3's Frame Generation. A new AI Management Processor (AMP) core efficiently distributes tasks across the GPU, improving efficiency.

The AMP and 5th-gen Tensor Cores enable a 40% faster frame generation model using 30% less memory, generating 3 AI frames per rendered frame. A Flip Metering algorithm minimizes input lag. This is why Multi-Frame Generation doesn't work on RTX 4000 cards; their CPU-based frame pacing introduces more latency.

Frame generation is most effective with already acceptable frame rates (around 60fps). Lower frame rates may introduce significant latency. It pairs best with DLSS upscaling.

At launch, DLSS 4 supported several games (75 claimed by Nvidia), but testing was limited to beta builds of Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws. Results were impressive, with significant frame rate increases at 4K with ray tracing enabled. Multi-Frame Generation proved effective, with minimal artifacts observed.

RTX 5090 – Performance Benchmarks

The RTX 5090 is incredibly powerful, but testing revealed CPU bottlenecks in many games, even at 4K with a high-end CPU (Ryzen 7 9800X3D). For those with high-end GPUs, the upgrade may not be significant. It's more of an investment in future-proof gaming. Benchmarks were conducted without DLSS 4, using public drivers.

3DMark showed a 42% performance improvement over the RTX 4090. Game benchmarks, however, showed less dramatic improvements, often in the single digits, due to CPU limitations. Exceptions included Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition and Total War: Warhammer 3, where larger performance gains were observed. Assassin's Creed Mirage showed unusually poor performance, likely a driver issue.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Benchmark Charts

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Conclusion

The RTX 5090 is currently the fastest consumer graphics card, but its performance gains over the RTX 4090 are limited in many current games due to CPU bottlenecks. Its true potential lies in its AI capabilities and DLSS 4's Multi-Frame Generation, offering significant frame rate increases for high-end displays. While a powerful card, it's primarily for those seeking cutting-edge AI-powered gaming and willing to invest in a future-proof setup. For most others, the RTX 4090 remains a powerful option.