Nvidia RTX 5090 Founders Edition: Performance Reviewed

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Every few years, Nvidia makes a splash with a new flagship graphics card that ushers in a fresh era of PC gaming performance. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is exactly that—a powerhouse designed to push boundaries. However, the way it achieves next-gen performance isn’t entirely traditional. In many games, the performance jump over the previous-gen RTX 4090 might not seem as dramatic as expected—especially when you take DLSS Frame Generation out of the equation.

With the latest iteration of DLSS, which now includes advanced upscaling and multi-frame generation, the real leap lies in both image quality and frame rate improvements. These enhancements feel even more impactful than what we’ve come to expect from typical generational GPU upgrades.

So, how much of an upgrade the RTX 5090 truly is for you will depend on several factors: the types of games you play, your display resolution, and whether or not you're comfortable with AI-generated frames. For those gaming on sub-4K displays or below a 240Hz refresh rate, this upgrade may not offer enough value. But if you’re rocking a high-end 4K monitor, the AI-driven frame generation could give you a glimpse into the future of PC gaming.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Product Images

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RTX 5090 – Specifications & Features

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell architecture, the same cutting-edge tech already fueling data centers and AI supercomputers. This gives you a strong hint at where its strengths lie—but rest assured, Nvidia hasn’t overlooked the fundamentals of gaming performance.

One major improvement is in the Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs). By packing more SMs into the same number of Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), Nvidia has increased the total CUDA core count to 21,760, up from 16,384 on the RTX 4090. That’s a 32% increase in shader cores, forming the backbone of raw gaming power.

Each SM also comes equipped with four Tensor Cores and one RT Core—just like the last generation—but in greater numbers. The RTX 5090 offers 680 Tensor Cores and 170 RT Cores, compared to 512 and 128 respectively on the RTX 4090. These upgraded 5th-generation Tensor Cores are specifically engineered for improved AI performance, including support for FP4 operations, reducing reliance on VRAM during intensive AI workloads.

All of this hardware muscle is paired with 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM, marking a generational shift from the GDDR6X memory found on the RTX 4090. While GDDR7 is faster and more power-efficient, the RTX 5090's power draw jumps significantly to 575W, far surpassing the 450W of its predecessor. Clearly, raw performance was the priority here.

A major change under the hood is the transition of the entire DLSS algorithm to run on a Transformer Neural Network (TNN) instead of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). While this doesn't directly boost frame rates, Nvidia claims it enhances image clarity and reduces visual artifacts like ghosting.

In addition, DLSS 4 introduces Multi-Frame Generation, an evolution of the Frame Generation feature first introduced with the RTX 4090. This enhanced system generates multiple AI-powered frames per rendered image, resulting in massive frame rate boosts. However, just like before, it works best when you already have a decent baseline framerate.

Purchasing Guide

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 launches on January 30, starting at a steep $1,999 for the Founders Edition. Third-party models from brands like Asus, MSI, and EVGA are expected to command even higher prices.

Founders Edition Overview

At 575W, the RTX 5090 demands serious power—far more than the 450W RTX 4090. Naturally, that means managing heat becomes a challenge. Previous top-tier Founders Edition cards were bulky triple-slot behemoths that often didn’t fit well in smaller cases.

Surprisingly, the RTX 5090 Founders Edition is actually smaller than the RTX 4090 despite its power needs. It fits neatly into a dual-slot chassis with a dual-fan setup, and still manages effective cooling.

During testing, temperatures peaked at 86°C, slightly higher than the RTX 4090’s 80°C, but not enough to cause thermal throttling.

This compact design was achieved by shrinking the PCB and placing it centrally within the card. The fans pull air in from the bottom and expel it through the top, eliminating the need for rear exhaust vents. The familiar silver X motif and gunmetal-gray finish remain, along with the glowing GeForce RTX logo on the side.

The power connector has also been updated to a new 12V-2x6 design, replacing the controversial 12VHPWR connector used previously. An adapter is included in the box, requiring four PCIe 8-pin connectors. The angled rear-facing orientation makes cable management easier and improves stability.

This design allows the RTX 5090 to fit into smaller builds, unlike its predecessors. Still, third-party models from other manufacturers will likely be much larger.

DLSS 4: Are These "Fake Frames"?

When Nvidia announced the RTX 5090, they claimed it could deliver up to an 8x performance boost. While that number isn’t quite accurate in practice, the RTX 5090 can achieve extremely high framerates in demanding titles—though not always through traditional rendering methods.

DLSS 4 introduces Multi-Frame Generation, a refined version of the original Frame Gen technology. With the help of the new AI Management Processor (AMP) inside the RTX 5090, the GPU can offload tasks internally rather than relying on the CPU.

This results in a model that runs 40% faster and uses 30% less memory. Instead of generating one extra frame per rendered image, the new system can now generate three AI-generated frames per frame rendered.

To prevent latency issues, the AMP runs a Flip Metering algorithm that paces out the frames intelligently. Unlike the previous generation, this process is handled entirely on the GPU, avoiding CPU bottlenecks.

That said, this feature is best used when you already have a solid base frame rate (around 60 fps or higher). When combined with DLSS upscaling, it delivers a smooth and immersive experience.

By launch date, DLSS 4 will be supported in over 75 games, though I only had access to beta versions of Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws. Both showed impressive results.

In Cyberpunk 2077, at 4K Ultra settings with ray tracing enabled, the RTX 5090 hit 94 fps with DLSS Performance mode. Turning on 2x Frame Gen pushed it to 162 fps, and cranking it up to 4x Frame Gen brought it all the way to 286 fps—exceeding my monitor’s capabilities.

Similarly, in Star Wars Outlaws, enabling DLSS 4 boosted performance from 120 fps to nearly 300 fps. And despite expectations, the experience was remarkably smooth, with only minor graphical anomalies observed.

While some may dismiss these results as “fake frames,” the reality is that this technology opens the door to a new level of performance—especially for users with high-refresh, high-resolution displays.

RTX 5090 – Gaming Performance Benchmarks

Make no mistake—the RTX 5090 is a beast of a graphics card. However, benchmarking it revealed some surprising limitations.

In synthetic benchmarks like **3DMark