Get ready – the graphics card scene is changing big time. NVIDIA’s new top-tier GPU is here, and both enthusiasts and pros are keen to see what tech it packs. Today, we’re covering key details about this powerhouse, from its steep price to its performance numbers. The RTX 5090 is making waves.
RTX 5090 First Impressions
When you first lay eyes on the NVIDIA RTX 5090 Founders Edition, the most striking thing is its sleek 2-slot design. This is a refreshing departure from the bulky 3-4 slot behemoths we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years. NVIDIA has accomplished something truly remarkable here, managing to pack extraordinary power into a more compact form factor.
The card features a dual flow-through cooling configuration that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. NVIDIA has essentially sandwiched the PCB between cooling elements, offset the PCIe slot, and included a separate PCB for the I/O that connects via a flex cable. It’s an engineering marvel that shows NVIDIA isn’t just pushing raw performance—they’re rethinking the entire approach to GPU design.
What’s perhaps most impressive is how they’ve managed to handle the thermal demands of such a powerful GPU. The implementation of liquid metal with a triple-walled gasket represents a bold step forward in consumer graphics card cooling. This approach contains the liquid metal while preventing exposure that could compromise its consistency and effectiveness.
Nvidia RTX 5090 Price
The 5090 price point is not for the faint of heart. Coming in at a suggested retail price of 2,000,this is definitely an investment that demands serious consideration. The RTX 5090 price represents a $400 increase over the previous generation’s RTX 4090, which launched at $1,600.
| Model | Suggested Retail Price | Price Increase from Previous Gen |
| RTX 5090 Founders Edition | $2,000 | +25% |
| RTX 4090 Founders Edition | $1,600 | +7% |
| RTX 3090 Founders Edition | $1,499 | +43% |
| RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition | $1,049 | +76% |
| RTX 5080 Founders Edition | $1,000 | +11% |
| RTX 4080 Founders Edition | $899 | -10% |
It’s worth noting that the 5090 RTX release date is set for January 30, 2025, which gives potential buyers some time to save up. The RTX 5080 will launch alongside it at the $1,000 price point, while the 5070 Ti and 5070 are expected to follow in February at $750 and $550 respectively.
What makes this pricing situation particularly interesting is the current market landscape. The RTX 4090 has been difficult to find at MSRP, often selling for 2,000−2,500 due to supply constraints. Meanwhile, AMD’s closest competitor, the RX 7900 XTX, sits around $870−900—less than half the price of the 5090.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Technical Specifications
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 introduces NVIDIA’s new Blackwell architecture, succeeding the Ada Lovelace architecture of the RTX 40 series. One of the most significant upgrades is the move to 32GB of GDDR7 memory, which will be particularly beneficial for content creators, AI workloads, and future-proofing for games with increasingly large texture files.
| Specification | RTX 5090 | RTX 4090 | AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
| Architecture | Blackwell | Ada Lovelace | RDNA 3 |
| Memory | 32GB GDDR7 | 24GB GDDR6X | 24GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 2.01 GHz | 2.23 GHz | 1.9 GHz |
| Boost Clock | 2.41 GHz | 2.52 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | Higher | 1,008 GB/s | 960 GB/s |
| Power Consumption | ~575W | ~450W | ~355W |
| Ray Tracing | 3rd Gen | 3rd Gen | 2nd Gen |
| PCIe Interface | Gen 5 | Gen 4 | Gen 4 |
| Manufacturing Process | Advanced | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 5nm |
The RTX 5090 specs represent a generational leap in certain areas. While the base and boost clocks might appear lower on paper compared to the 4090, the architectural improvements and increased 5090 VRAM capacity deliver substantial performance gains. The card is also the first consumer GPU to fully support PCIe Gen5, potentially offering additional bandwidth for future applications.
Design and Features of the RTX 5090 Founders Edition
This NVIDIA RTX 5090 graphics card shows off some smart engineering, especially its cooling. That slim 2-slot size is really something, considering the power inside. Past top cards often needed 3 or 4 slots, so this is great news if your case is tight.
Air comes in from both sides thanks to a dual flow-through design, then exits through special vents. This stops hot air from swirling back inside packed systems. Angled covers help push air exactly where it needs to go.
One clever bit is the sandwich setup. The main board sits right between cooling parts. To make this work, NVIDIA moved the slot connection and used a separate board for the ports, linked with a flexible cable. It’s different, but seems to work well for keeping things cool.
Using liquid metal to transfer heat is another bold step. NVIDIA handles the risks with a triple-walled gasket system that keeps the liquid metal contained and prevents leaks. This setup moves heat away from the core chip very effectively.
Even with all this smart design, the continued use of the 12VHPWR power plug is a point to note. The card draws a lot of power, pushing near what that connector is rated for. Something to keep in mind when you build your PC.
RTX 5090 Performance Tests: Gaming and Benchmarks
The GeForce RTX 5090 delivers impressive performance gains across the board, particularly at 4K resolution where it has room to flex its muscles. Testing reveals a performance increase over the RTX 4090 ranging from 20% to 50%, depending on the game and settings.
At 4K resolution, the card consistently outperforms its predecessor by around 30-35% in most titles. The performance uplift is particularly noticeable in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, where the 5090 delivers up to 50% better framerates than the 4090.
Ray tracing performance shows similar improvements, with gains typically in the 27-35% range at 4K resolution. This makes the RTX 5090 the definitive choice for those who want to experience ray-traced games at their best.
| Game (4K Resolution) | RTX 5090 | RTX 4090 | RX 7900 XTX | Performance Gain (vs 4090) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 95 FPS | 64 FPS | 48 FPS | +50% |
| Final Fantasy XIV | 182 FPS | 139 FPS | 104 FPS | +31% |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 86 FPS | 67 FPS | 49 FPS | +28% |
| Dragon’s Dogma 2 | 133 FPS | 99 FPS | 77 FPS | +35% |
| Resident Evil 4 | 207 FPS | 151 FPS | 126 FPS | +37% |
| Dying Light 2 | 93 FPS | 67 FPS | 53 FPS | +38% |
| Starfield | 108 FPS | 92 FPS | 77 FPS | +17% |
Performance gains get smaller at 1440p and 1080p. This makes the card’s strengths clearer for 4K gaming and above. Compared to the 4090, gains at 1440p typically drop to about 20-25%. At 1080p, it falls further to roughly 10-15%.
The GeForce 5090 also adds support for DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation (MFG). These features can give a big performance lift in games that use them. Just keep in mind these technologies create artificial frames, not native ones. So it’s not quite the same as traditional performance measures.
Power Consumption and Thermal Characteristics
The 5090 specs come with impressive performance, but also significant power demands. The card draws approximately 575W or more under load, a substantial increase over the RTX 4090’s already considerable power consumption of around 450W.
| Card | Power Consumption (Gaming) | Power Consumption (Idle) | GPU Temperature | Memory Temperature |
| RTX 5090 FE | ~575W | 46W | 72°C | 89-90°C |
| RTX 4090 FE | ~450W | 29W | 65°C | 80°C |
| RTX 3090 Ti | ~450W | 30W | 70°C | 85°C |
| RTX 3090 | ~350W | 25W | 72°C | 88°C |
| RX 7900 XTX | ~355W | 23W | 68°C | 82°C |
Even with its high power use, the Founders Edition card cools well. Under load, the GPU hits about 72°C. That’s solid for a 2-slot design managing this much power. Memory runs warmer, around 89-90°C. That’s higher than ideal, but still within GDDR7 specs.
Noise levels are good too. The card measures roughly 32.5 dBA from one meter away. Fan sound is uniform, without annoying peaks, so it blends into background noise while gaming.
For efficiency, the 5090 RTX doesn’t show big gains over its predecessor. Higher power consumption means performance per watt stays about the same as the 4090 in most cases, despite architectural progress.
Advantages / Disadvantages
Advantages:
- Exceptional 4K gaming performance, up to 50% faster than RTX 4090
- Impressive ray tracing capabilities
- 32GB of GDDR7 memory is future-proof and great for content creation
- Remarkable thermal solution in a compact 2-slot design
- Full PCIe Gen5 support
- DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation support
Disadvantages:
- Extremely high price point at $2,000
- Very high power consumption (575W+)
- Memory temperatures run hot (89-90°C)
- Continued use of 12VHPWR connector despite high power requirements
- Diminishing returns at resolutions below 4K
- Relatively high idle power consumption
Who is the Nvidia RTX 5090 For?
Okay, the NVIDIA 5090 isn’t really meant for most gamers. At $2,000, it’s a high-end card targeting specific users.
Professional creators get real benefits, especially those in 3D rendering, video editing, or AI work. Having 32GB of GDDR7 memory means handling big projects is easier. Raw power also slashes rendering wait times.
Hardcore gamers wanting top performance, especially at 4K or with ray tracing on, will like what this card offers. If you use a high-end 4K monitor or maybe even 8K, circle January 30, 2025 – that’s the 5090 RTX release date.
Streamers juggling gaming and video encoding might see smoother operation too, especially with demanding settings turned up.
But for most gamers, especially at 1440p or 1080p, the RTX 5090 is simply too much. Paying that premium price feels tough to justify when the performance gains shrink at these resolutions. Cards like the upcoming RTX 5080 or even last gen’s RTX 4080 Super deliver great results for less money.
In short, those RTX 5090 specs show serious tech muscle. NVIDIA pushed consumer graphics forward again. Still, the high cost and power demands keep it niche – perfect for certain needs and budgets. For everyone else, it offers a cool peek at future graphics, even if buying one doesn’t make sense right now.
To avoid bottlenecks, especially in demanding tasks like high-res rendering or AI workloads that feed the GPU, you’ll want fast system RAM. For builders pairing this card, choosing the right DDR5 memory is key to letting the rtx 5090 truly stretch its legs. Learn how to pick the best DDR5 for your next-gen build in our dedicated guide.
