RTX 5090 price shock on cards as monstrous GB202 chip is allegedly 22% bigger vs AD102 GPU of RTX 4090

As we get closer to the launch of the RTX 50 “Blackwell” GPUs, it is expected that more and more details pertaining to Nvidia’s next-gen GPUs will leak out. We've already seen details such as Team Green’s plans for the RTX 50 laptops GPUs as well as the release date of the RTX 5070 and others. 

Thanks to MEGAsizeGPU on X, we may now know the exact die size of the RTX 5090, and it’s monstrous.

The RTX 5090 is expected to utilize the GB202 GPU which, per MEGAsizeGPU, measures a massive 744 mm2. This is a whopping 22.2% increase in die size over the 609 mm2 AD102 chip found inside the RTX 4090. Such a bump in die space has a few very important implications for the RTX 5090.

A big increase in die size can be indicative of a huge increase in core count, meaning the RTX 5090 can enjoy a considerably more CUDA cores vs the RTX 4090. So far, leaks have put the RTX 5090’s CUDA core count at an enormous 21,760. If true, this will be a 33% increase over the RTX 4090 (16,384 CUDA cores).

Another implication of a considerably bigger die, the associated increase in CUDA cores, and the proposed 600 W TDP is the heat output. The RTX 4090 cards currently on the market have a large footprint. With a 600 W TDP to take care of, it won’t be surprising to see the coolers on the RTX 5090 cards be even bigger.

Finally, a massive die means more silicon and more silicon means a higher price. The RTX 5090’s GB202 GPU is expected to use the same TSMC 4NP as the Blackwell B200 datacenter chips. While the TSMC 4NP is not an entirely new process and should therefore be cheaper than the company’s 3 nm N3, TSMC is reportedly increasing the prices of the 4 nm process node next year by as much as 10%. The price hike of the process node, coupled with the significant bump in die size, could end up in a huge increase in the RTX 5090 price over the RTX 4090.

While we won’t know the exact MSRP of the RTX 5090 until Nvidia officially announces so, recent leaks have alleged that the RTX 5090 price could fall between $1,800 and $1,900. The $1,900 price is “only” $300 more than the $1,600 launch MSRP of the RTX 4090. However, when you consider that, since its launch, the RTX 4090 has become increasingly hard to find at $1,600, things become a little concerning.

Amidst the RTX 40 stock shortages, the RTX 4090 is quite difficult to find under $2,000 in the US, at the time of writing. The pent-up demand for a 4090-class card will undoubtedly push buyers towards the new RTX 5090 as AMD won’t have an answer. So, while we can expect the RTX 5090 to retail at its base MSRP at launch, it wouldn’t surprise us to see most AIB models retailing for considerably more.

Long story short, the RTX 5090 is shaping up to be a beastly GPU that will be a 4K gaming powerhouse. However, fans who are eyeing the card should prepare to drop a pretty penny as Nvidia will likely pass the increase in cost to consumers.

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