
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition Review: The desktop GPU performance beast that eclipses everything!
AI is the key to success.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 marks the next step in the world of high-end graphics cards. With the latest Blackwell architecture, increased performance and innovative technologies, Nvidia has set new standards for gaming, content creation, and AI applications. In our review, we put the RTX 5090 through its paces. How does it perform in benchmarks, under gaming conditions, and contend with demanding workloads? We reveal whether the RTX 5090 lives up to the hype.Sebastian Bade, 👁 Sebastian Bade, ✓ Vaidyanathan Subramaniam (translated by Andrew Dickson) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 — The most powerful GPU of all time breaks new boundaries!
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition is undoubtedly one of the most impressive graphics cards ever developed. However, it's not the raw performance that makes this graphics card special, but its new cooling system.
We're still amazed how Nvidia managed to build a graphics card with these enormous energy requirements that occupies just 2 slots. Yes, the power consumption is high and tops everything we've seen in recent years, however, in return, you get more performance and access to the new features, thanks to Blackwell.
Gaming performance is outstanding. Current AAA titles run at 4K on maximum settings and active ray tracing. This is combined with multi-frame generation at well over 100 fps, with DLSS 4.0 providing additional image quality optimization. On top of gaming performance, the RTX 5090 also impresses when handling creative workloads, which means that the new flagship will also appeal to content creators.
Note: This article went live yesterday, January 22 for a short time by mistake. Apologies for that.
Nvidia's flagship Blackwell GPU also conveys a tactile premium feel, all of which go hand in hand with the excellent choice of materials. Our criticisms are primarily aimed at the enormous power consumption, which should indeed not be ignored.
In terms of price, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition is hitting new heights and anyone wishing to secure this high-end model will have to dig deep. The RRP is $1,999, and this is likely to rise further in the coming days if you look back at the initial days following the release of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090.
Without any competitive pressure, Nvidia can charge these prices without running the risk of the graphics card sitting on the shelves. Unfortunately, this situation is unlikely to change any time soon, so you'll have to weigh up whether it's worth spending this amount of money on a graphics card.
One thing seems certain, however: anyone who takes the plunge now won't feel the urge to upgrade any time soon...
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
Nvidia's current RRP asking price for the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition is $1,999. At the time of review, the graphics card is listed but unavailable on Amazon and Best Buy.
Table of Contents
- Verdict: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 — The most powerful GPU of all time breaks new boundaries!
- Specifications
- First impressions and build quality
- Performance: For the first time, 32 GB of VRAM and PCIe 5.0
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090's new features
- Synthetic benchmarks
- Gaming performance
- Emissions: 575 W dissipation
- Energy management: Record power consumption levels
- Notebookcheck's overall impressions of the RTX 5090 FE
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 marks yet another major milestone in the development of modern high-end graphics cards. The innovations in the area of AI optimization take centerstage this time because, in terms of manufacturing technology, Blackwell and Ada Lovelace are still sticking with a 4 nm width structure.
This also makes it obvious that the significant efficiency improvements seen with the introduction of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 are not to be expected. Even a mega-corporation such as Nvidia cannot circumvent physical limits, and this is why it is seeking alternative ways of further improving the performance of its pixel accelerators. With the introduction of DLSS in the RTX 2000 series, the first foundation stone for further technological advances was already laid. These enjoyed further improvements in the following generations and expanded with frame generation (FG). Now, Nvidia is going one step further.
With the Blackwell architecture, Nvidia is introducing DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation (MFG), which generates up to three frames and thereby massively increases the frame rate. DLSS 4 relies on the so-called transformer model, which also benefits the previous generations, up to the RTX 2000 series. Slight performance gains and better image quality are to be expected. However, the combination of DLSS and MFG is reserved for the RTX 5000 GPUs.
With today's release of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition, the manufacturer has set the benchmark even higher and, combined with its new features, it manages to outshine the previous top dog from Nvidia itself. Even without the AI helpers, you can expect a realistic performance gain of around 25 to 30 percent.
A glance at the benchmark results makes it clear that you can no longer do without artificial support in many scenarios. With today's launch of the flagship, 75 games support the new technologies, some of which have been implemented natively in the games or can be activated via the Nvidia app. According to Nvidia, there should be no differences in performance between the native integration and the settings via the Nvidia app.
Nvidia has completely overhauled the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Edition's design and is using a multi-PCB design for the first time — certainly a result of the new cooling design. The graphics card only takes up two slots in the system, which means it will be possible to build even smaller form factor (SFF) systems possessing enormous 3D performance.
However, optimum ventilation is crucial since the resulting heat from the 575 W GPU should not be neglected.
Specifications
First impressions and build quality
As soon as you unbox it, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 makes a positive impression with its striking design and extremely high-quality workmanship. The GPU's housing is mainly made of metal, and the extremely well-thought-out design ensures significantly improved heat dissipation. The clean lines, the modern dual-fan design, and the subtle Nvidia logo provide distinct accents that underline the graphics card's premium credentials.
With a length of around 30.4 cm and a weight of 1.8 kg, the RTX 5090 is an impressive graphics card. Compared to its immediate predecessors, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has a much slimmer design.
The first impression is rounded off by well-thought-out details, such as the improved heat sink layout and the optimized airflow channels, both of which are intended to ensure efficient cooling. The RTX 5090 not only looks like a technical powerhouse, but it also has the feel and build quality of a premium product.
Technical details compared
Features | RTX 5090 (FE) | RTX 4090 (FE) | RTX 3090 Ti | RTX 3090 (FE) |
Chip | GB202 | AD102 | GA102 | GA102 |
FinFET process | 4 nm | 4 nm | 8 nm | 8 nm |
CUDA cores | 21,760 | 16,384 | 10,752 | 10,496 |
Texture units | 680 | 512 | 336 | 328 |
Tensor cores | 680 5th gen. | 512 4th gen. | 336 3rd gen. | 328 3rd gen. |
RT cores | 170 | 128 | 84 | 82 |
GPU base clock | 2,010 MHz | 2,235 MHz | 1,560 MHz | 1,395 MHz |
GPU boost clock | 2,407 MHz | 2,520 MHz | 1,860 MHz | 1,695 MHz |
Memory bus | 512 bit | 384 bit | 384 bit | 384 bit |
Memory bandwidth | 1,792 GB/s | 1,008 GB/s | 1,008 GB/s | 936 GB/s |
Video memory | 32 GB GDDR7 | 24 GB GDDR6X | 24 GB GDDR6X | 24 GB GDDR6X |
TGP (total graphics power) | 575 W | 450 W | 450 W | 350 W |
Performance: For the first time, 32 GB of VRAM and PCIe 5.0
With the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, the GPU world has reached a new milestone. For the first time, a consumer desktop graphics card is offering 32 GB of GDDR7 VRAM, which operates at a bandwidth of up to 1.79 TB/s. This massive memory ensures smooth operation in memory-intensive applications such as 8K video editing, AI development and complex 3D rendering. Gamers benefit from this performance, especially in the area of high-resolution textures and extremely demanding open-world titles.
Another technical leap is the support of PCIe 5.0. This interface offers twice the bandwidth compared to PCIe 4.0, which not only optimizes data transfer between the GPU and the CPU but also ensures compatibility with future hardware innovations.
The combination of 32 GB of VRAM and PCIe 5.0 makes the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 a superior tool for creative professionals and ambitious gamers alike. Nvidia is setting new standards when it comes to performance and future viability.
Test conditions
Our test system for this review was the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D based on an Asrock X870E Taichi motherboard.
Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to use our previous GPU test system based on the Intel Core i9-14900K on the Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero mainboard. This system simply refused to play ball with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090.
To complete our test, we were forced to switch to the new system. The AMD system will accompany us on most of our future GPU tests.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090's new features
From a technical point of view, Nvidia has changed a lot when it comes to the Blackwell architecture. This new architecture brings the most significant improvements in the area of AI. This was already apparent, with the TOPS of the GeForce RTX 5090 (3,352 TOPS) having increased significantly compared to a GeForce RTX 4090 (1,321 TOPS). In addition, Nvidia has now subjected the tensor cores to further optimizations in its 5th generation and this results in significantly greater performance.
Among other things, Blackwell RTX offers neural shaders that act as programmable shaders. The RTX Neural Shaders SDK enables developers to train their game data and shader code on an RTX AI PC and accelerate their neural representations and model weights for their duration with NVIDIA Tensor Cores. During training, neural game data is compared with conventional data and improved in several cycles. The neural shaders will also find their way into DirectX and will, therefore, not be an RTX 5000 feature.
The neural shaders will make it possible to display even more realistic skin, hair, and faces. In future, we will probably see and hear the terms RTX Hair or RTX Skin more frequently and they are intended to further improve the gaming experience.
By constantly training the AI with raw data, the results are getting better and more realistic. Another benefit is the low VRAM requirement for these features.
Synthetic benchmarks
Before we focus on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 FE's gaming performance, let's take a look at the performance achieved in the synthetic tests. It's no secret that the new flagship achieves top scores, but users are more interested in how much additional performance they can expect.
In the first comparison, we observed a performance increase of 27 percentage points compared to a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. In individual tests, we can see increases of more than 50%, although older benchmarks are unable to take advantage of the Blackwell GPU's base performance.
However, one trend is clear: the higher the resolution, the greater the lead the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 enjoys over an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. AMD has already surrendered the crown for the previous generation's fastest desktop GPU performance.
AMD's current top model, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, doesn't come close to the performance found in an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. With the now even more powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, the gap is even bigger.
Performance Rating - Percent | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
3DMark | |
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
Steel Nomad Score | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
2560x1440 Speed Way Score | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Unigine Superposition | |
7680x4320 8k Optimized | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
3840x2160 4k Optimized | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
1920x1080 1080p Extreme | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Unigine Heaven 4.0 | |
Extreme Preset DX11 | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
Extreme Preset OpenGL | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Unigine Valley 1.0 | |
1920x1080 Extreme HD DirectX AA:x8 | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
1920x1080 Extreme HD Preset OpenGL AA:x8 | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Affinity Photo 2 - Combined (Single / Multi GPU) | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
ComputeMark v2.1 | |
1024x600 Normal, Score | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
1024x600 Normal, Fluid 3DTex | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
1024x600 Normal, Fluid 2DTexArr | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
1024x600 Normal, Mandel Vector | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
1024x600 Normal, Mandel Scalar | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
1024x600 Normal, QJuliaRayTrace | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
V-Ray Benchmark Next 4.10 - GPU | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D |
Professional applications
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 impresses in SPECviewperf 2020 with significantly higher performance than an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. Thanks to the new Blackwell architecture, an increased number of CUDA cores and massively higher memory throughput, it delivers 24 to 52% better performance than the former flagship in subtests such as 3dsmax-07 and energy-03.
This discipline has always been one of AMD's strengths, and that can also be seen here. However, the driver-side graphics card optimization that is normally only reserved for workstation graphics cards is not available for consumer models.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 R7 9800X3D | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 R7 9800X3D | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 R7 9800X3D | AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX R7 9800X3D | |
---|---|---|---|---|
SPECviewperf 2020 | -20% | -49% | 26% | |
3840x2160 Medical (medical-03) | 51.2 | 43.3 -15% | 21.1 -59% | 107 109% |
3840x2160 Maya (maya-06) | 697 | 601 -14% | 363 -48% | 565 -19% |
3840x2160 Energy (energy-03) | 196 | 95 -52% | 56.4 -71% | 194 -1% |
3840x2160 Creo (creo-03) | 136 | 134 -1% | 114 -16% | 223 64% |
3840x2160 CATIA (catia-06) | 109 | 92.1 -16% | 59.3 -46% | 149 37% |
3840x2160 3ds Max (3dsmax-07) | 297 | 227 -24% | 139 -53% | 187 -37% |
Gaming performance
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition's native gaming performance sets new standards. However, the increase in performance compared to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is significantly smaller than that seen from an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. Using the same manufacturing process means Nvidia didn't manage to further shrink the size of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090.
At 4K resolution, the GeForce RTX 5090 delivers constant frame rates of over 100 fps in current AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 2.1: Phantom Liberty or Indiana Jones and The Great Circle.
But the truth is that there are games even the new flagship struggles with. In Black Myth: Wukong and Star Wars Outlaws, we didn't even hit 60 fps, and that is in the absence of ray tracing. The comparison models perform even worse in this area and show how demanding some games can be.
Performance Rating - Percent | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
The Witcher 3 - 3840x2160 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Hogwarts Legacy - 3840x2160 Ultra Preset AA:High T | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Baldur's Gate 3 - 3840x2160 Ultra Preset | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 Phantom Liberty - 3840x2160 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Alan Wake 2 - 3840x2160 High Preset | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
F1 24 - 3840x2160 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Black Myth: Wukong - 3840x2160 cinematic TSR 100 | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D |
Star Wars Outlaws - 3840x2160 cinem. ultra | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 - 3840x2160 Extreme Preset | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Stalker 2 - 3840x2160 Epic Preset | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - 3840x2160 Very Ultra Preset | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D |
DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation (MFG)
The DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation features provide a massive performance boost. With DLSS 4, the image quality doesn't suffer in any manner, and this is something we can confirm based on the games we tested.
In a direct duel with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, we initially saw a similar performance gain to the one observed in native game tests. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 only managed to reach its full performance potential when using MGF 4x, with the frame rate being almost doubled. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is miles ahead, unrivalled and unchallenged.
But do average frame rates always guarantee a smooth gaming experience? We say no because the P1 values are also important to enable smooth gameplay.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 values aren't always perfect. When testing Alan Wake 2, we saw a relatively large difference between the average frame rate and the P1 values. Ultimately, the high values still provide a subjectively very smooth gaming experience. Future driver optimizations could improve this situation.
We recorded significantly better values for Star Wars Outlaws, which once again shows that you have to look at each individual game in detail to be able to make an authoritative statement.
However, one thing is certain. In the future, you won't be able to look past the AI upscalers if you wish to enjoy games in full-detail splendor with ray tracing enabled.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 Phantom Liberty | |
3840x2160 Ray Tracing Overdrive Preset + DLSS 4 Transformer Quality (no FG) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
3840x2160 Ray Tracing Overdrive Preset + DLSS 4 Transformer Quality + Frame Generation (M)FG 2x | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
3840x2160 Ray Tracing Overdrive Preset + DLSS 4 Transformer Quality + Frame Generation MFG 4x | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D |
Star Wars Outlaws | |
3840x2160 cinem. ultra, RT ultra, DLSS, FG RR | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
3840x2160 cinem. ultra, RT ultra, DLSS, FG 4x, RR | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D |
Alan Wake 2 | |
3840x2160 High Preset + Ultra Ray Tracing + Quality DLSS | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, R7 9800X3D | |
3840x2160 High Preset + Ultra Ray Tracing + Quality DLSS + FG 2x | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, R7 9800X3D | |
3840x2160 High Preset + Ultra Ray Tracing + Quality DLSS + FG 4x | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, R7 9800X3D |
An overview of the games tested with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 FE
low | med. | high | ultra | QHD DLSS | QHD | 4K DLSS | 4K | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F1 24 (2024) | 286 | 215 | 187.2 | 123.2 | ||||
Black Myth: Wukong (2024) | 102 | 107 | 85 | 85 | 57 | |||
Star Wars Outlaws (2024) | 113.6 | 120.2 | 80.8 | 75.4 | 44.5 | |||
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (2024) | 218 | 204 | 196 | 148 | 145 | |||
Stalker 2 (2024) | 127.9 | 214 | 112.7 | 158.8 | 79.5 | |||
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (2024) | 211 | 178.6 | 128 |
Emissions: 575 W dissipation
Noise emissions
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090's noise emissions are surprisingly in check despite its enormous power consumption of up to 575 W. Thanks to an improved cooling system and the multi-PCB design, Nvidia uses the front and rear areas of the reference design to force air directly through the fins.
In this open design, we measured a sound pressure level of up to 45 dB(A), which is really low in relation to the power consumption. With intensive loads, such as 4K gaming or professional workloads, the fan noise increased to around 45 dB(A). In 2D mode without stress, the graphics card operated silently thanks to the fan stop mode.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 27.1 / 27.1 / 27.1 dB(A) |
Load |
| 39.5 / 45 dB(A) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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Temperature
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition's cooling design has been extensively revised and does justice to the card's high performance. The cooling concept is therefore the real highlight of the new Blackwell graphics card.
Although the power consumption has increased to 575 W, Nvidia has made the graphics card smaller relying on a 2-slot design. A large vapor chamber conducts the heat from the centrally placed circuit board to the sides.
When installed horizontally, the graphics chip in our closed system heats up to just over 80 °C, although the VRAM reads 92 °C. We were not able to read the hot spot temperature directly. For the best possible heat transfer from the chip to the vapor chamber, as before, Nvidia uses liquid metal instead of thermal paste.
Despite the enormous power consumption, which can be kept stable under sustained load, the temperatures remain within a reasonable range. The enormous waste heat, which is also due to the new cooler design of the Founders Edition, heats the entire PC, and this should be taken into account when planning your system.
If, as in our case, the AiO is installed in the upper area, this leads to significantly increased CPU temperatures.
Energy management: Record power consumption levels
As we have often previously mentioned, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 sets new records in terms of performance. But we also saw new records set regarding the power consumption — an extremely high figure of 575 W. Our synthetic performance tests showed a performance increase of 27%. This is also the exact value we recorded in the stress test using FurMark, and our test system drew a whopping 725 watts from the wall.
Since Nvidia has not introduced a new manufacturing process with the Blackwell architecture, we have not observed any noticeable progress in terms of increased efficiency in native performance. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 would only cut a better figure when combined with the new features such as multi-frame generation.
Anyone wishing to install an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition in their PC system should follow Nvidia's power supply recommendation and use, at minimum a 1,000 W power supply.
If possible, a 12V 2x6 power cable should be used directly to avoid tangled cables with the provided adapter. This is also an area Nvidia has taken to completely redesign the cables. They are now much more flexible and a little longer, which should make the installation more straightforward.
Power Consumption / FurMark 1.19 GPU Stress Test (external Monitor) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
Power Consumption / The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
Power Consumption / Cyberpunk 2077 FHD ultra no FSR (external Monitor) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
Power Consumption / Witcher 3 ultra Efficiency (external Monitor) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption with an external monitor
Notebookcheck's overall impressions of the RTX 5090 FE
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition sets new standards in the high-end GPU sector. With enormous power based on the new Blackwell architecture, more CUDA cores, DLSS 4.0 and multi-frame generation, it's ideal for 4K and 8K gaming as well as professional workloads.
The completely redesigned cooling design ensures efficient heat dissipation that comes with acceptable noise levels without the graphics card's performance having to be throttled under sustained load. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition has a fit and finish that matches its premium product status.
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The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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