After a long wait, Nvidia finally launched the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU for consumers at CES 2025. It’s the most powerful consumer GPU in the market, developed on the latest “Blackwell” architecture. Be it high-end gaming or heavy AI workloads, RTX 5090 can breeze through all. So if you want to learn more about the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU in detail, go through our explainer below.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Specifications
| Specs | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Blackwell (GB202) |
| Fabrication Process | TSMC N4P (4nm) |
| Transistors | 92 Billion |
| CUDA Cores | 21,760 |
| Shader Cores | 125 TFLOPS |
| Tensor Cores | 5th Generation 3,352 AI TOPS |
| Ray Tracing | 4th Generation 318 TFLOPS |
| Clock Speed | 2.01GHz (Base) 2.41GHz (Boost) |
| DLSS | DLSS 4 |
| Memory | 32 GB GDDR7 |
| Memory Bus | 512-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 1,792 GBps (1.8 TBps) |
| TDP | 575W |
| Price | $1,999 |
| Release Date | January 2025 |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Blackwell Architecture
Nvidia announced its latest GPU microarchitecture called “Blackwell” for data centers at the GTC in March 2024. And nearly a year later, Nvidia finally launched the Blackwell-based GeForce RTX 5090 GPU for consumers. It’s the first RTX 50 series GPU based on the Blackwell architecture. The RTX 4090 GPU was based on the Ada Lovelace architecture which was announced in 2022.
So after over two years, Nvidia has released the successor of RTX 4090 with the Blackwell architecture. The RTX 5090 GPU brings several improvements including high-speed GDDR7 memory, a massive 21,760 CUDA cores, 512-bit memory bus, DLSS 4, and more. On top of that, RTX 5090 is manufactured on TSMC’s 4nm (N4P) process node and houses 92 billion transistors.
At the GTC 2024, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the Blackwell architecture is designed for the Generative AI era. So with the RTX 5090, you can expect both high-end gaming and top-notch AI performance.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Performance
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is a powerhouse of a GPU. It has become the first GPU to feature over 20,000 CUDA cores on a consumer GPU. In fact, it has more CUDA cores than Nvidia H100 (16,896 CUDA cores) — a server-class GPU. As for clock speed, RTX 5090’s base frequency is 2.01GHz and can boost the clock speed to 2.41GHz.
As a result, the Shader cores on GeForce RTX 5090 can perform up to 125 TFLOPS; the 5th-gen Tensor cores can process up to 3,352 trillion operations per second (TOPS); and the 4th-gen Ray Tracing cores can deliver graphics performance up to 318 TFLOPS.
As for real-world gaming performance, Nvidia says RTX 5090 delivers 2x better performance than RTX 4090 in gaming titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, and Black Myth: Wukong with DLSS 4 and Full RT. In Generative AI workload, RTX 5090 again delivers twice the performance of RTX 4090.
And DLSS 4 has been significantly improved to improve FPS and reduce latency in games. Nvidia says DLSS 4 comes with features such as Multi Frame Generation, enhanced Ray Reconstruction, and Super Resolution. Aided by 5th-gen Tensor cores on RTX 5090, you are going to have the best gaming experience on RTX 50-series GPU.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: GDDR7 Memory Bandwidth
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU features 32GB of ultra-fast GDDR7 memory from Micron for exceptional performance. It’s aided by a 512-bit memory bus, allowing the memory to operate at a remarkable 1.8 TBps (1,792 GBps), which is 2x faster than RTX 4090. With such high-speed memory, the RTX 5090 GPU can quickly cycle through operations, delivering unmatched gaming and AI performance.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Power Consumption and TDP
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 features 21,760 CUDA cores and has access to high-speed GDDR7 memory, so it’s expected that it will consume more power than its predecessor. Nvidia says RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575W which is 125W more than RTX 4090. For enhanced cooling, RTX 5090 requires a large 3.5-slot cooler that can handle power draw up to 600W.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Price and Release Date
Nvidia launched the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU for consumers on January 7, 2025. RTX 5090 starts at $1,999 and will start shipping in January. So are you impressed with RTX 5090’s performance? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
