The RTX 5090 is a hard GPU to review . By the phone number , it ’s undoubtedly thebest graphics cardyou can buy . That ’s what go on when you ’re the only one in town making this family of GPU , and as it stand now , Nvidia is . If you want the best of the best and do n’t mind spending $ 2,000 to get it , you do n’t require to take the rest of this revue — though , I ’d certainly appreciate if you did .
No , the RTX 5090 is about everything else thatRTX 50 - seriesGPUs represent . It delivers that flagship gaming performance , but it also show in an entirely new architecture , DLSS 4 , and the earned run average of neuronic rendering . And on those points , the dissection of the RTX 5090 is far more nuanced .
Nvidia RTX 5090 specs
The RTX 5090 is angled toward microcomputer gamers who want the best of the respectable — regardless of the price — but it ’s also the first taste we ’ve gotten of Nvidia ’s new Blackwell computer architecture in desktops . The big variety is neural rendering . With RTX 50 - series GPUs , Nvidia is introducing neuronic shaders — along with DirectX — though we wo n’t see the fruits of that labor play out for quite some time .
For prompt satisfaction , Nvidia has DLSS 4 . This lineament is coming to all RTX artwork cards , put back the convolutional neural meshing ( CNN ) that DLSS antecedently used with a unexampled transformer model . Nvidia says this leads to a quality encouragement across the board . For the RTX 5090 , the more important addition is DLSS Multi - Frame Generation , which promises up to 4X frame generation in 75 games on sidereal day one . DLSS 4 is coming to all RTX graphics card , but DLSS Multi - Frame Generation is single to RTX 50 - serial GPUs , including the RTX 5090 .
Although it might seem like Nvidia could just interchange a switch and enable DLSS Multi - Frame Generation on all of its GPUs , that ’s not on the button the case . Nvidia say with 4X skeleton propagation and Ray Reconstruction enabled , there are five AI models running on your GPU for each rendered physique . To manage all of that , the RTX 5090 includes an AI direction processor , or AMP , which handles programing of these different workloads across the beam of light tracing , Tensor , and CUDA magnetic core .
Outside of AI hardware , the RTX 5090 brings 32 GB of GDDR7 memory . Nvidia bumped up the capacity from 24 GB on the RTX 4090 , though that does n’t have a gross ton of applications programme in games . The special retention here really helps AI workloads , where civilise large models can easy impregnate 32 GB of store . The bigger boost is GDDR7 , which is twice as efficient as GDDR6 while render twice as high of a information pace .
Nvidia also redesigned its ray tracing and Tensor nucleus for Blackwell , both of which it enounce are built for the newfangled Mega Geometry feature . The bigger standout for me is the metier encryption railway locomotive , however . Nvidia now support 4:2:2 TV encoding , along with DisplayPort 2.1 yield . Those are some pregnant upgrades over the RTX 4090 , regardless of what the benchmarks say .
4K gaming performance
Twice as fast as the RTX 4090 ? Not quite . Based on my results , the RTX 5090 is about 30 % quicker than the RTX 4090 when the new DLSS Multi - Frame Generation feature of speech is n’t brought into the mix . And it ’s a feature you might need to will out of the mix in some titles , as I ’ll dig into later in this reassessment . That sounds like a strong generational jumping , but I went back to myRTX 4090 reviewfor a saneness check . It ’s not nearly as swelled as what we ’ve seen antecedently .
With the RTX 4090 , Nvidia provided over an 80 % generational improvement , which is massive . Here , it ’s actually more of a lateral move . The RTX 5090 is 30 % dissolute than the RTX 4090 , but it ’s also 25 % more expensive , at least at list price . That said , effective luck find an RTX 4090 in descent at $ 2,000 , much less at tilt cost . The RTX 5090 may not be the generational betterment I ask , but the reality for buyers is still that it ’s the estimable pick for flagship performance .
The average is brought down by a smattering of game where the RTX 5090 does n’t show a vast increase . InAssassin ’s Creed Mirage , for representative , there ’s about a 17 % uplift . likewise , inForza Motorsport , the improvement funk to just 14 % . Those are n’t on the nose the margins I was hope for when Nvidia herald a novel flagship GPU , and especially one that come up in at a importantly high Leontyne Price .
Make no error ; there are still self-aggrandizing wins . As you could see above , I measure a massive 54 % improvement inCyberpunk 2077,which is really impressive . In the previous propagation , the RTX 4090 was the only GPU that could run this biz at 4 kilobyte Ultra without upscaling and still achieve 60 frames per second ( Federal Protective Service ) . Now , the RTX 5090 is comfortably strive into the treble digits . This is the kind of improvement I await to see across the board .
Cyberpunk 2077isn’t a one - off thankfully . Although the improvements are n’t quite as large across the gameboard , I saw likewise impressive uplifts inHorizon Zero Dawn Remastered , Returnal , andDying brightness level 2.The betterment may not be above 80 % like we saw in the previous genesis , but there ’s still a clean betterment . If you want the upright of the salutary , Nvidia is claiming that throne with the RTX 5090 .
It ’s just the expectations that are important . Despite some expectant wins , I suspect most game will look likeBlack Myth : Wukong , Red Dead Redemption 2,andCall of Duty Modern Warfare 2.You’re getting a nice ball of extra performance , no doubt , but that lift does n’t fundamentally transfer the gameplay experience in quite the same way that the RTX 4090 did .
Looking over my 4 K datum , it became clear that the RTX 5090 establish somewhat of a new normal . The RTX 4090 had an oversized generational improvement , as Nvidia keep on to navigate the amnionic fluid of how it wanted to market its flagships moving forward . The RTX 5090 is disappointing by equivalence , and I ’m not sure there ’s much reason for RTX 4090 owners to run out and buy Nvidia ’s latest . But for those that want the best , it ’s hard arguing with the numbers the RTX 5090 puts up .
It ’s well-to-do to argue , however , with Nvidia ’s misleading claims . We ’re nowhere near twice the performance of an RTX 4090 , and the company corroborate to me that it ’s see a 30 % average upheaval internally , as well . That ’s the variety of melioration I ’d look to see out of an 80 - socio-economic class bill , but it look like thedeath of Moore ’s Law has to hit everyoneat some point .
1440p gaming performance
Even at 1440p , it ’s very well-off to run intoa CPU bottleneckwith the RTX 5090 . you could see that just from looking at the averages above ; the RTX 5090 shrinks down to just a 22 % lead over the RTX 4090 . All of my datum here is fresh , and run with a top - of - the - lineRyzen 9 9950X. In short , if you plan to habituate the RTX 5090 at 1440p , you ’re give up a serious chunk of its performance potential , and you ’re in all probability full off with a used RTX 4090 .
Forza Motorsportand especiallyRed Dead Redemption 2show the problem here . The RTX 5090 is still able to squeeze out a winnings across game at 1440p , but the margin are much lean . That ’s not a critique of the graphics bill , but it is the realness of taste to run this grievous GPU at any resolution below 4K.
There are still some hearty profits for Nvidia ’s up-to-the-minute , particularly in game that scale well on your CPU.Cyberpunk 2077is once again a standout triumph , but you could see likewise large improvements inDying Light 2andReturnal .
One plot that ’s deserving zooming in on isBlack Myth : Wukong . This is the only game in my trial suite that I run with upscaling enable by default option , and it shows what can occur when forcing upscaling on at a humbled firmness of purpose . The RTX 5090 is bring home the bacon a 20 % improvement , but as you extend to push down the internal resolving power , that lead will continue to flatline .
Regardless , the RTX 5090 really is n’t built for 1440p . you’re able to use it at this solvent , but you ’re giving up a chunk of what the RTX 5090 is truly capable of .
1080p gaming performance
The estimate of using an RTX 5090 at 1080p is a niggling silly , but I still ran the card through all of the games I test at this resolution . Here , the CPU bottleneck becomes more uttermost , campaign the RTX 5090 down to just a 15 % lead over the RTX 4090 . You could see that as disappointing , but candidly , I see this resolution as unrealistic for a $ 2,000 graphics card .
However , look at 1080p data is still worthful , at least at a high point . It ’s important to call back that DLSS Super Resolution renders the game at a low internal result , so the advantage of the RTX 5090 slips a turn with DLSS upscaling sprain on . The RTX 5090 can easily make up that gap with DLSS Multi - Frame Generation — and even push much further — but these results are a good reminder of chokepoint you may run into when using flagship computer hardware with upscaling .
Ray tracing
Nvidia overtop when it comes to ray trace , so it ’s no surprise that the RTX 5090 love a top slot among the games I tested . However , the improvements are n’t as large as I expect . Nvidia has “ solved , ” for lack of a practiced word , substantial - sentence beam of light tracing . biz that are n’t pushing full - onpath tracingare seeing less of an improvement , largely due to the fact that lighter forms of shaft of light tracing are fair plot for GPUs as weak as theIntel Arc B580 .
Dying Light 2is a good illustration of this dynamic . When this game release a few years back , it was one of the most demanding titles you could toy on PC . But even at 4 kilobyte with the highest graphics preset and no helper from upscaling , the RTX 5090 makesDying Light 2look like child ’s sport with a comfortable 90 Federal Protective Service average .
InReturnal , the situation is even more extreme . This is one of those lightsome beam trace games uncommitted , and sure enough , the RTX 5090 crosses triple digits without breaking a sweat , even at 4K.
thing get interesting when see at those more demanding shaft of light tracing game , though . Cyberpunk 2077,once again , wait on as a mile mark for the RTX 5090 . It ’s the first GPU to get tight to 60 fps at 4 K with the RT Ultra preset , which is quite the achievement . Of naturally , it ’s potential to campaign the RT Overdrive preset , as well — more on that in the next section — but looking at crude carrying out , Nvidia is push to fresh heights .
The next frontier is path trace , and for that , I usedBlack Myth : Wukong . The RTX 5090 provides a swell experience , even at the Cinematic graphics preset in the game . But gage likeBlack Myth — such asAlan awaken 2andCyberpunk 2077 — that have a path trace mode still need to recur to upscaling , introduce the C.P.U. more into the mix and limiting the execution uplift . perchance in the next few contemporaries we ’ll see a native 60 fps in this rubric from an Nvidia flagship .
There really is n’t much to talk about when it comes to ray decipher on the RTX 5090 , and that ’s exactly how Nvidia wants it . In the immense majority of games , you ’re looking at rasterize performance that comfortably clear 60 fps at aboriginal 4 K and can well rise into the three-fold digit . Ray tracing still hale some upscaling wizardry in titles likeBlack Myth : Wukong , but for the most part , you’re able to riffle on light beam tracing without a second idea . That ’s the way it should be .
A closer look at DLSS 4
The chart above is the story Nvidia wants to distinguish about DLSS 4 . Nvidia did n’t make this chart , nor did it recite me to make it , but there ’s a readable narrative that come forth from the information here . Even factoring in PC latency , which is themain issue with build generation engineering , DLSS 4 is doing some magical thing . You ’re going from an unplayable frame pace to something that can fully saturate a 4 K , 240Hz monitor like theMSI MPG 321URX . And you ’re doing so with around one-half of the average PC rotational latency as aboriginal rendering .
The devil is in the inside information here , however , and Nvidia has a few little devils to contest with .
Here ’s a different side of the chronicle . Above , you may see a short section of gameplay — I ’m going for five stars here — inCyberpunk 2077with the RT Overdrive preset . I ’m using DLAA for a small cost increase to image quality , and I ’m using the 4X figure generation mode . give that I ’m playing on a 4 K display with a 138Hz refresh pace , these seem like ideal configurations for my setup . observe the telecasting , and you state me if it looks like an ideal experience .
I can point out a lot of problems here , pick out individual form with various optical artefact between each swipe of the mouse , but you do n’t demand to pixel peek to see the issue . There ’s an unnatural movement fuzz over everything , and the edges of objects are mere suggestions rather than being locked in place . You do n’t ask a trained eye to see that this is a bad experience . You do n’t need a pointedness of comparison , even . you could keep an eye on this TV in a vacuum and see that DLSS 4 has some clear limitations . That ’s not a damning criticism of DLSS 4 . It ’s a wonderful pecker , but you need to use it correctly .
Like any frame propagation tech , your experience will rapidly devolve when you feed the skeleton coevals algorithm with a abject foundation chassis pace like I did inCyberpunk 2077.Nvidia require you to use Super Resolution to get to a playable base frame charge per unit of near 60 fps , and then chatter on Multi - Frame Generation to saturate a high refresh rate presentation . Using Multi - Frame Generation alone , especially if you ’re hover around 30 fps , will give you a bad experience .
Cyberpunk 2077shows the defective of what DLSS 4 has to provide , butMarvel Rivalsshows the expert . This is one of various games that uses Nvidia ’s young DLSS Override lineament , allowing you to sum up up to 4X Multi - Frame Generation to games with DLSS Frame Generation through the Nvidia app . Not only is the base human body pace high enough here — well over 60 fps , even with DLAA turned on — but you also have a third - person camera . There are some minor artefact , but nothing that ruin the experience and nothing you ’d even notice during gameplay .
Similarly , the artifacting is n’t nearly as bad inAlan backwash 2as it is inCyberpunk 2077.Here , once again , I ’m starting with a base inning rate of around 30 Federal Protective Service and using Multi - Frame Generation to make up the difference . There are some artifacts , and I ’d recommend using a combination of Super Resolution and Frame Generation or else . But the experience is at least well compare toCyberpunk 2077due to the television camera slant .
You do n’t desire to just crank DLSS 4 to 4X mode and call it a day . It needs to be fed with a basal physique rate of ideally 60 Federal Protective Service . Although the latency does n’t significantly increase up to three engender build — something that Nvidia should be applauded for on its own — the number of ocular artifacts does . Realistically , I mistrust DLSS 4 will more often run in 2X or 3X mode alongside Super Resolution . That , in a lot of games , will provide a much good experience than relying on Multi - Frame Generation alone .
Over the past few generation , Nvidia hasincreasingly relied on DLSS to marketits graphics cards , and that same playbook is at work here . It ’s just not the same selling distributor point that it once was . Super Resolution is still pulling a lot of the weight , and even a single generated frame is enough to saturate most play varan , even as refresh rate rise . There ’s still a use for 4X Multi - Frame Generation , and with the right circumstances , it works extremely well . But when it comes time to spend $ 2,000 on a graphics card , I would seriously believe how much DLSS Multi - Frame Generation is proffer overa $ 7 utility program like Lossless Scaling .
For my money , it is n’t providing much of an vantage .
This is where you need to cautiously consider your setup . You need to be using Multi - Frame Generation alongside Super Resolution in those prestigiousness games likeCyberpunk 2077andAlan Wake 2,and if you do n’t have a varan capable of producing that high school of a refresh charge per unit , that 2d or third generated frame break to waste . Unlike DLSS 3 , Multi - Frame Generation is n’t a characteristic that just works on its own ; it needs to sour as part of the rest of your gaming rig .
Great — for those in the market
Nvidia ’s chief operating officer attain the nail on the psyche whendefending the toll of the RTX 5090 : “ When someone would like to have the best , they just go for the best . ” If there ’s one thing I can say with infrangible certainly , especially deliberate thelack of flagship competition from AMD , it ’s that the RTX 5090 is the best . It does n’t matter if it ’s $ 1,500 , $ 2,000 , or $ 2,500 — Nvidia ’s CEO is right when he suppose that the appetite for this type of product does n’t factor in price nearly as much as more inexpensive options .
The interrogative is n’t if the RTX 5090 is the best ; it is . The question is if you need the undecomposed , and there ’s a routine more word there . The generational improvements are here , but they do n’t touch what we saw with the RTX 4090 . DLSS 4 is incredible , but it falls apart when it ’s not fed with the correct selective information . And 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is welcome , but it ’s only delivering a welfare in AI workload , not in games .
If you ’re sitting on an RTX 4090 , there ’s not much ground to kick upstairs here . There ’s a performance boost , but the real value lies in DLSS 4 , and that ’s something that ’s very easy to get around without spending $ 2,000 . The RTX 5090 really glint for everyone else .
Maybe you had to skip the RTX 40 - serial due to piteous availability , or maybe the RTX 2080 Ti you have just is n’t provide the grunt that it used to . In those situations , the RTX 5090 is with child . But if you ’re in the market to expend $ 2,000 on a graphics posting , you probably do n’t need me to convince you .
