Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Unveiled in Latest Review

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: A Leap Forward, But For Whom?

Nvidia's latest flagship, the RTX 5090, promises a new generation of PC gaming, but its performance gains are surprisingly nuanced. While raw power surpasses its predecessor, the RTX 4090, the real revolution lies in its AI-powered features, specifically DLSS 4.

The performance uplift over the RTX 4090 is less dramatic than expected in many games, especially without DLSS Frame Generation. However, DLSS 4, with its enhanced upscaling and Multi-Frame Generation, delivers significant improvements in image quality and frame rates, exceeding typical generational leaps.

RTX 5090: Under the Hood

Built on Blackwell architecture, the RTX 5090 boasts 21,760 CUDA cores (a 32% increase over the RTX 4090), 680 Tensor Cores, and 170 RT cores. The 5th-generation Tensor Cores support FP4 operations, improving AI workload efficiency. 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM offers a generational speed and efficiency boost, although the card's 575W power consumption is substantial.

DLSS 4's shift to a Transformer Neural Network (TNN) aims for improved image quality and artifact reduction. Multi-Frame Generation, a refined version of DLSS 3's Frame Generation, generates multiple frames from a single rendered image, drastically increasing frame rates, but ideally only when baseline performance is already good.

Founders Edition: Design and Cooling

Despite its 575W power draw, the RTX 5090 Founders Edition is surprisingly compact, fitting a dual-slot chassis with a dual-fan cooler. Temperatures remain manageable (maxing around 86°C during testing), even at peak power consumption. The new 12V-2x6 power connector is supposedly more efficient and easier to connect than its predecessor.

DLSS 4: Real or "Fake" Frames?

DLSS 4's Multi-Frame Generation, powered by a new AI Management Processor (AMP) core, is remarkably effective in supported games, significantly boosting frame rates with minimal artifacts. However, it requires a strong baseline frame rate to avoid latency issues. While currently limited in game support, Nvidia promises compatibility with 75 games at launch.

Performance Benchmarks: A Mixed Bag

The RTX 5090 demonstrates significant generational improvements in synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark. However, real-world gaming performance reveals a CPU bottleneck in many titles, limiting the performance gains over the RTX 4090, especially at 4K. The advantage becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions, and in games that heavily utilize ray tracing.

Conclusion: Future-Proofing or Overkill?

The RTX 5090 is undeniably powerful, but its impact depends heavily on the games played and the display used. While not a massive upgrade for existing high-end GPU owners, its DLSS 4 capabilities offer a glimpse into the future of AI-enhanced gaming. For those with high-refresh-rate 4K displays and a willingness to embrace AI-generated frames, the RTX 5090 is a compelling choice. Otherwise, the RTX 4090 remains a potent option for several more years.

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