NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Graphics Card

- DLSS 4 Frame Gen
- Excellent Build Quality
- 32 GB VRAM
- Excessively expensive
- Very high power consumption
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is an aspirational product designed for gamers with deep pockets who demand the absolute best in graphics performance. At a price of INR 2,14,000, it is out of reach for most gamers in India.
The RTX 5090’s DLSS with frame generation technology is impressive, delivering more frames with minimal latency. While the latency is noticeable, it doesn’t make games unplayable.
However, in terms of raster performance, the improvement over the previous generation is not as significant. Given its price and limited accessibility, the RTX 5090 may not be the best option for value-conscious gamers.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 was one of the standout announcements at CES 2025 and NVIDIA pretty much reinforced the fact that in the realm of high-performance computing, the pursuit of groundbreaking graphics technology never ceases. Today, we turn our attention to the pinnacle of visual fidelity and the apple of every gamers’ eye, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. This graphics card, a successor to the already impressive RTX 4090, takes it up a notch with the performance and its pricing. Starting at INR 2,14,000, the RTX 5090 costs as much as 3-5 entry-level PCs put together and to figure out whether it’s really worth commanding such a premium, we’re putting it through the paces in this review.
Based on NVIDIA Blackwell, the RTX 5090 is the embodiment of NVIDIA’s unwavering commitment to generate more frames. With that aim in mind, NVIDIA has really cranked up the frame generation capabilities of this generation. The RTX 5090 aims to expand the boundaries of high-end graphics, boasting advancements in neural rendering, AI capabilities, and raw performance. Let’s kick off this review of the RTX 5090 by dissecting its specifications.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Specifications
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 features 21,760 CUDA cores, 170 4th Generation RT cores, and 680 5th Generation Tensor cores. It has a boost clock of 2.41 GHz and a base clock of 2.01 GHz. The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory with a 512-bit interface. It supports 4K resolution at 480 Hz or 8K at 120 Hz with DSC.

Compared to the RTX 4090, the RTX 5090 has more CUDA cores, RT cores, and Tensor cores. It also has a higher boost clock and base clock. The memory capacity is also higher at 32 GB but the RTX 5090 uses GDDR7 memory instead of GDDR6X. The memory interface is also wider on the RTX 5090. And if we compare it to the RTX 3090 then the RTX 5090 has significantly more CUDA cores, RT cores, and Tensor cores. Not to mention that it also has a higher boost clock and base clock. The process node has not changed and it is the same TSMC 4N node as before except for whatever minor fixes TSMC might have made since its inception. As a result, the additional performance is coming from the generational improvements to the individual core types and by squeezing a lot more transistors. This would also mean that power consumption will spike and thermals would require better management.

We’ve already seen the design changes that NVIDIA has made to the Founders Edition cards and the AIC partners are weaving their own little magicks to power this megalodon of GPUs.
Synthetic Performance
We have featured some of the older series cards along with most of the RTX 30 and RTX 40 series cards including the Super cards. A few AMD RX 7000 series cards were also thrown into the mix to see how good the cards perform against the competition. With barely 24 hours on hand, we’ve been putting the card through its paces and this review will be updated as and when we finish more benchmarks. Like always, we have a section for synthetic benchmarks as well as gaming benchmarks with plenty of charts to showcase differences. Coming to the rig, this is what we’re running our benchmarks on.
Processor – AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
CPU-Cooler – Noctua NH-D15
RAM – 2x 32 GB Kingston FURY Beast 6000 MT/s
SSD – Kingston KC3000 2TB
PSU – Cooler Master V1200
3DMark
In 3DMark, we prefer the Fire Strike Ultra benchmark since the Extreme and normal runs have started producing ridiculous scores with newer GPUs. The other benchmark within 3DMark which we use is Time Spy and we run both, the normal run and the extreme run. Here, we’re showcasing Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy Extreme scores. The RTX 5090 scores 32,938 in 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra which puts it leagues ahead of the RTX 3090 and the RTX 4090.
Time Spy Extreme scored 25,592.The Time Spy Extreme benchmark test, a demanding assessment of a system’s graphics processing capabilities, yielded a score of 25,592. This result indicates that the system under test possesses substantial graphical processing power, capable of handling demanding visual workloads, including high-resolution gaming, 3D rendering, and video editing.
Basemark GPU
Basemark GPU is a nice benchmark to compare the performance of different graphics APIs between cards. We can use the same textures with OpenGL, Vulkan and DirectX 12 to see if the graphics card excels at any particular API more than the rest or if the performance is consistent across the board. Using the Vulkan API, the RTX 5090 achieved a score of 52,908, showcasing its prowess in handling demanding graphical workloads. Meanwhile, under the OpenGL API, the card attained a score of 20,167. While notably lower than its Vulkan score, this result still reflects strong performance considering the age and comparative limitations of the OpenGL API. Finally, when tested using the DirectX 12 API, the RTX 5090 delivered its highest score, reaching an impressive 56,957. This result underscores the card’s exceptional capabilities when paired with modern gaming titles and applications that leverage the DirectX 12 API.

Blender
Blender is a great 3D modeling and animation software that’s open-source and it is the preferred tool for folks wanting to get their hands dirty with 3D modeling. We used version 4.3. There are three scenes in Blender – monster, junkroom and classroom – with varying design complexities that provide an array of different textures that can tax the GPU properly. The RTX 5090 scored nearly 7.5K samples per minute in monster, 4K samples per minute in junkroom and 3.7K samples per minute in Classroom.


OpenCL Rendering

Gaming Performance





Power Consumption and Thermals
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, while a powerful graphics card, does exhibit a substantial power draw. In our testing, we observed a peak power consumption of 588 Watts. This is higher than both the RTX 4090 and the RTX 3090, which had Total Graphics Power (TGP) ratings of 450W and 350W, respectively.
The thermals of the RTX 5090 are within expectations for a high-performance graphics card. Under load, the card reached a maximum temperature of 90.88 degrees Celsius. This is comparable to the RTX 4090 and RTX 3090, both of which operated within a similar temperature range under load.
It’s important to note that the power consumption and thermals of the RTX 5090 can vary depending on the specific workload and the efficiency of the cooling solution employed. While the card’s power draw is higher than its predecessors, it’s essential to consider the significant performance gains it offers.
NVIDIA RTX 5090 Availability and Pricing
With a price tag of INR 2,14,000, the card is set to launch on January 30, 2025. However, potential buyers should be aware of several factors that could impact availability and pricing. Reports suggest that the RTX 5090 may be in short supply due to a combination of reasons. These could include manufacturing challenges, component shortages, or logistical issues. Additionally, the timing of the Chinese New Year, which falls close to the launch date, could temporarily disrupt production as factories close for the holiday period.
The high price point of the RTX 5090 is already a significant investment for most consumers. Coupled with the reports of limited availability, there are concerns that opportunistic sellers may try to capitalise on the situation by further inflating prices. This could lead to price spikes in the initial weeks and months following the launch.
Verdict – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is an aspirational product designed for gamers with deep pockets who demand the absolute best in graphics performance. At a price of INR 2,14,000, it is out of reach for most gamers in India.
The RTX 5090’s DLSS with frame generation technology is impressive, delivering more frames with minimal latency. While the latency is noticeable, it doesn’t make games unplayable.
However, in terms of raster performance, the improvement over the previous generation is not as significant. Given its price and limited accessibility, the RTX 5090 may not be the best option for value-conscious gamers.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Graphics Card Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
Release Date: | |
Market Status: | Launched |
Mithun Mohandas
Mithun Mohandas is an Indian technology journalist with 10 years of experience covering consumer technology. He is currently employed at Digit in the capacity of a Managing Editor. Mithun has a background in Computer Engineering and was an active member of the IEEE during his college days. He has a penchant for digging deep into unravelling what makes a device tick. If there's a transistor in it, Mithun's probably going to rip it apart till he finds it. At Digit, he covers processors, graphics cards, storage media, displays and networking devices aside from anything developer related. As an avid PC gamer, he prefers RTS and FPS titles, and can be quite competitive in a race to the finish line. He only gets consoles for the exclusives. He can be seen playing Valorant, World of Tanks, HITMAN and the occasional Age of Empires or being the voice behind hundreds of Digit videos. View Full Profile