The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, priced at $1,999, arrives with high expectations as the successor to the powerful RTX 4090. While the $400 price increase over the RTX 4090’s launch price is substantial, the RTX 5090 offers notable improvements. These include 32GB of VRAM, a slimmer two-slot design that fits small form factor PCs, and, most importantly, access to DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. This software breakthrough promises significant frame rate increases, potentially quadrupling or even exceeding 8x gains in certain scenarios. The RTX 5090 targets those seeking the ultimate 4K gaming experience, AI developers, and content creators requiring accelerated video editing. However, its performance improvement over the RTX 4090 is less dramatic than the leap from the RTX 3090 to the 4090, especially in games lacking DLSS 4 support. The ultimate impact of the RTX 5090 hinges on the widespread adoption of DLSS 4 by developers, which could potentially overshadow the hardware advancements themselves.
The RTX 5090 Founders Edition boasts a remarkably compact two-slot design compared to its bulky predecessor, the RTX 4090. While maintaining similar length and width, the slim profile allows for compatibility with small form factor PCs. Nvidia has implemented a new cooling system featuring double flowthrough fans that draw cool air from below and exhaust it upwards, optimizing airflow within the case. The GPU’s power connector is angled for easier installation, and a bundled adapter supports four standard PCIe eight-pin power connectors. While compatible with existing 12VHPWR connectors, the RTX 5090’s substantial 575W power draw, a 125W increase over the RTX 4090, necessitates a 1,000W power supply and raises concerns about future power requirements.
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation is the cornerstone of the RTX 5090’s performance advancements. This technology leverages AI models similar to those used in ChatGPT to generate up to three additional frames for each rendered frame, dramatically increasing frame rates. This approach addresses the limitations of traditional GPU rendering and promises to unlock smooth gameplay at high resolutions with advanced ray tracing effects. However, the “fake frames” debate surrounding DLSS Frame Generation persists, with some questioning the true performance reflection. The RTX 5090 largely relies on this technology, and its success depends on wider developer adoption of DLSS 4.
Testing reveals the significant impact of DLSS 4, particularly in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 with full ray tracing enabled. The RTX 5090 achieves remarkable frame rate increases when combined with DLSS Super Resolution and Multi Frame Generation, showcasing the transformative potential of software enhancements in modern gaming. While latency and image quality concerns associated with Frame Generation have been mitigated with the new transformer model in DLSS 4, the overall experience differs from native high frame rates due to the separate input latency reduction benefits. In 4K gaming without DLSS 4, the RTX 5090 demonstrates an average 28 percent performance increase over the RTX 4090, although this gain is less substantial than the intergenerational leap between the RTX 3090 and 4090. Performance improvements vary across titles, with Cyberpunk 2077 showing the most significant gains.
At 1440p resolution, the RTX 5090’s performance advantage over the RTX 4090 diminishes. While exceeding 100fps in most tested games without upscaling, the average improvement is around 18 percent, less than the over 40 percent uplift observed in the previous generation. While DLSS 4 Multi Frame Gen will benefit 1440p gaming, the limited availability of supporting titles at launch makes it difficult to assess its full impact at this resolution. Given the RTX 5090’s $1,999 price point, 1440p gaming may not be its primary focus, and those considering it may want to evaluate the upcoming RTX 5080 for this resolution.
The RTX 5090’s high power draw is a notable drawback. Reaching peak power consumption of 578W, it significantly surpasses the RTX 4090’s power requirements, raising concerns about efficiency and electricity costs. While the card’s cooling system performs adequately, the increased power draw necessitates a powerful PSU and may impact energy bills. Minor software issues, such as game crashes with pre-release drivers, are also observed. While the RTX 5090 reigns supreme in 4K gaming, its pure performance gains over the RTX 4090 are less pronounced than those seen in the previous generation. The ultimate success of the RTX 5090 and its transformative DLSS 4 technology hinges on developer adoption and software optimization. While a powerful card in its own right, its $1,999 price tag must be weighed against the potential of DLSS 4 to reshape the PC gaming landscape through software enhancements.
