
The Bottom Line
Pros
- 4K 240 FPS gaming performance
- Impressive Path Tracing gains
- DLSS 4 is a game-changer for fidelity and performance
- Next-gen AI performance and creator features
- Amazing two-slot Founders Edition design
Cons
- Yeah, 575W for a GPU is a lot of juice
- The 30% gen-on-gen uplift is not as mind-blowing as, say, 50%
- Expensive
Should you buy it?
AvoidConsiderShortlistBuyIntroduction
As one generation ends, a new one begins. NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series, powered by its new Blackwell architecture, has arrived - and in flagship GeForce RTX 5090 form, it's something to behold. 92.2 billion transistors on a 750mm die built using a custom TSMC 4N process. 32GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit interface with an overall bandwidth of 1792 GB/sec. An impressive 21760 CUDA Cores with the latest generation of Tensor and RT Cores capable of rendering incredible real-time path traced visuals as well as pushing 3352 AI TOPS of performance - which is more than double the GeForce RTX 4090.
The GeForce RTX 5090 also sees the arrival of DLSS 4, which brings significant improvements to all GeForce RTX gamers (including those rocking a GeForce RTX 2060) thanks to the new 'Transformer' model that can make DLSS 'Performance' mode in 4K look better than the DLSS 3 'Quality.' Multi Frame Generation, which upgrades the previous Frame Generation with a new VRAM and performance-optimized model, has a new 4X option exclusive to the RTX 50 Series that pushes performance or smoothness into the 300 FPS realm or even up to 400 FPS in 4K.
Blackwell fundamentally changes the idea of a GeForce GPU by integrating AI into all aspects of its design and makeup like never before, from cutting-edge ray tracing upgrades to Neural Shaders and Neural Rendering, stuff that will pave the way for a new era of visuals and AI-enhanced gaming.

The GeForce RTX 5090 is undoubtedly the most powerful and advanced gaming GPU ever built; it's a gaming beast. The GeForce RTX 4090 is still up there as a 4K powerhouse, but this is something else. Looking at raw performance numbers, without DLSS or Frame Generation - covering a range of games, including competitive shooters and ray-traced cinematic adventures, the gen-on-gen uplift across all the games we tested is 27%. Now, you could focus on this number, add that the GeForce RTX 5090 uses about 28% more power than the RTX 4090, and conclude that it's a pretty straightforward improvement with a price increase to match.
However, that 27% number doesn't tell the whole story - not even close to it. There are games where the GeForce RTX 5090 doesn't even get close to 100% GPU usage in 4K - pointing to it being too powerful for its own good. In Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, GPU usage was around 60%. With DLSS 4's new 'Transformer' model for Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction and RTX Mega Geometry rendering more detailed scenes and improving performance, Remedy's Alan Wake 2 with its new 'Ultra' setting for its Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing mode looks infinitely better running at 100 FPS in 4K with DLSS and no Frame Generation than it does running natively at 42 FPS.

You could say that the GeForce RTX 5090 is ahead of its time. It offers exceptional raw performance, DLSS 4 levels up AI Super Resolution to the point where it doesn't make any sense not to turn it on, and Neural Shaders bring a new level of cinematic realism that would be impossible in 2025 without AI.
Yes, the GeForce RTX 5090 is absolutely a luxury item, the most advanced gaming hardware on the planet - with a price tag to match. $1,999 is an eye-watering number for a single component that goes into a PC, and consequently, it sits outside the realm of consideration for most gamers. However, for those seriously interested in picking one up - you won't be disappointed.

RTX Blackwell - NVIDIA's Gaming Architecture for the AI Era
Below is a summary of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell architecture, applicable to all models.
NVIDIA describes 'Neural Rendering,' which includes all previous versions of DLSS and the brand-new DLSS 4, as the 'next era for computer graphics.' They're not alone; the Lead System Architect for the PlayStation 5 Pro console, Mark Cerny, recently said that ray-tracing is the future of games and that AI will play an integral role in making that happen. DOOM: The Dark Ages developer id Software shared a similar sentiment, adding that the arrival of DLSS was an 'inflection point' for PC game visuals and performance and on par with the arrival of dedicated GPUs and programmable shaders.
With the arrival of the Blackwell generation and the GeForce RTX 50 Series, AI is now being used to accelerate programmable shaders with the brand-new RTX Neural Shaders. Yes, these are actual neural networks that use live game data, and the power of Tensor Cores to do everything from compress textures, render lifelike materials with a level of detail impossible to match using traditional rendering methods, and even use AI to partially trace rays and then infer "an infinite amount
of rays and bounces for a more accurate representation of indirect lighting in the game scene."

RTX Mega Geometry is incredible in its own right; it essentially increases a scene's geometry detail and complexity (triangles or polygons) by up to 100x. 100 times the detail, it's hard to wrap your head around - but the added benefit in a game like Alan Wake 2 is dramatically improving the performance of the game's Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing mode. With DLSS 4 and RTX Neural Shaders, NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell architecture (which includes the same AI optimizations as data center Blackwell) is the turning point - the moment when game development and rendering a scene or frame includes AI enhancements, big or small.
DLSS 4 is also much more than simply adding the new Multi Frame Generation technology to its list of features. DLSS 3's version of Frame Generation has evolved with DLSS 4, powered by Blackwell hardware and software, and an innovative use of AI to generate frames 40% faster while using 30% less VRAM. Switching to a new model also means that Frame Generation and Multi Frame Generation could come to GeForce RTX 30 and RTX 40 Series owners.
However, with the 5th Generation of Tensor Cores in the GeForce RTX 50 Series delivering 2.5X more AI performance, NVIDIA's latest GPUs can execute five complex AI models - covering Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and Multi Frame Generation in a couple of milliseconds. Part of the reason it happens so quickly is the addition of hardware Flip Metering, which shifts frame pacing to the Blackwell display engine - the result is frame rates of up to 4K 240 FPS and higher without stuttering issues. With up to 15 of every 16 pixels generated by AI, the result is up to 8X the performance when compared to native rendering or rasterized performance.

DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction are also switching to a new 'Transformer' model, with over double the parameters and four times the compute requirement. This is one of the most exciting aspects of the GeForce RTX 50 Series, as it pushes DLSS into a new realm of image quality and performance. The best part is that it will work on all GeForce RTX GPUs; however, there will be a slight performance hit compared to running it on an RTX 50 Series GPU. Even better, DLSS 4 is being integrated into the NVIDIA App with a new 'DLSS Override' feature that allows the latest tech to be experienced without waiting for a path or game update. DLSS 4 is built to be backward compatible, and on day one, 75 games and apps will be supported.
It doesn't stop there, as the new AI Management Processor (AMP) allows AI models to share the GPU with graphics workloads. As a result, expect to see digital humans in games alongside AI assistants like NVIDIA's Project G-Assist become more prevalent in the coming years.
Specs and Test System
Specifications
Here's a look at the specs for the flagship GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080, compared to the previous Ada generation.
GPU Specs | GeForce RTX 5090 | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 5080 | GeForce RTX 4080 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Architecture | Blackwell | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell | Ada Lovelace |
Process | TSMC 4N | TSMC 4N | TSMC 4N | TSMC 4N |
CUDA Cores | 21760 | 16384 | 10752 | 9728 |
Tensor Cores (AI) | 680 (5th Gen) | 512 (4th Gen) | 336 (5th Gen) | 304 (4th Gen) |
AI TOPS | 3352 | 1321 | 1801 | 780 |
Ray Tracing Cores | 170 (4th Gen) | 128 (3rd Gen) | 84 (4th Gen) | 76 (3rd Gen) |
GPU Boost Clock | 2407 MHz | 2520 MHz | 2617 MHz | 2505 MHz |
Memory | 32GB GDDR7 | 24GB GDDR6X | 16GB GDDR7 | 16GB GDDR6X |
Memory Interface | 512 Bit | 384 Bit | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
Bandwidth | 1792 GB/sec | 1008 GB/sec | 960 GB/sec | 716.8 GB/sec |
TGP | 575W | 450W | 360W | 320W |
You might notice that the custom TSMC 4N process node has remained the same for the new generation. At a glance, the Blackwell generation looks like more with more power required to drive it all. After the Ada Lovelace generation's exceptional power efficiency, Blackwell feels like a step back, especially with the 575W power rating of the GeForce RTX 5090. The good news is that adding new MaxQ technologies and power management means that the RTX 5090 rarely hits that 575W ceiling, with average power usage being much lower when gaming.
With 33% more CUDA Cores and VRAM capacity than the GeForce RTX 5090, which includes a shift to cutting-edge high-speed GDDR7 and more Tensor Cores and RT Cores, the 'more' still looks impressive. Of course, the Blackwell architecture significantly changes the SM for Neural Rendering and RTX Neural Shaders alongside native FP4 support that delivers double the AI performance compared to the GeForce RTX 4090.
Like the GeForce RTX 4090 before it, the GeForce RTX 5090 is tailor-made for 4K gaming - as you'll see in the benchmark results below, the RTX 5090 is wasted in 1440p. The good news is that Blackwell also sees NVIDIA upgrade its display engine with the arrival of DisplayPort 2.1, which can handle 4K 12-bit HDR at 480Hz and up to 8K 12-bit HDR at 165Hz. With DLSS 4, you'll be able to hit these numbers too.
And finally, for creators, Blackwell adds 4:2:2 chroma-sampled video encoding and decoding. The ninth-generation NVENC encoder also improves AV1 and HEVC quality, and the GeForce RTX 5090 supports up to three encoders and two decoders to deliver a 50% gen-over-gen improvement in speed compared to the GeForce RTX 4090. For creators and editors, the GeForce RTX 5090 is a game changer.
Item | Details |
---|---|
GPU | GeForce RTX 5090 |
GPU Codename | GB202 |
Model | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition |
Interface | PCI Express Gen 5 |
SMs | 170 |
CUDA Cores | 21760 |
Tensor Cores (AI) | 3352 AI TOPS (5th Gen) |
Ray Tracing Cores | 318 TFLOPS (4th Gen) |
Base Clock | 2017 MHz |
Boost Speed | 2407 MHz |
Memory | 32GB GDDR7 |
Memory Interface | 512-bit |
Memory Speed | 28 Gbps |
Memory Bandwidth | 1792 GB/sec |
L2 Cache Size | 98304 KB |
TGP | 575W |
Display | 3 x DisplayPort 2.1b with UHBR20, 1 x HDMI 2.1b |
Display Output | Up to 4K 12-bit HDR at 480Hz, Up to 8K 12-bit HDR at 165Hz |
Power Input | 16-pin PCIe (4 x 8-pin to 1 x 16-pin adaptor included) |
Dimensions | 304 (L) x 137 (W) mm, 2-Slot |
Kosta's Test System
Item | Details |
---|---|
Motherboard | ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X |
GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition |
Display | MSI MAG 321UPX QD-OLED 4K 240 Hz |
Cooler | ASUS ROG RYUO III 360 ARGB |
RAM | 32GB DDR5-6000 Corsair DOMINATOR TITANIUM RGB |
SSD | Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB |
Power Supply | ASUS TUF Gaming 1000W Gold |
Case | Corsair 5000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case |
OS | Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit |
Physical Design and Cooling
The GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition is beautiful. It evolves the impressive and unique GPU designs from previous generations into a cutting-edge and sleek GPU that is also compact and SFF-Ready. Somehow, NVIDIA managed to get the massive GeForce RTX 5090 specs, memory, and power in a two-slot form factor. That 'somehow' involved creating a custom and small PCB, an impressive engineering feat in its own right, and placing it in a new GPU with a Double Flow Through layout, which means you can see through the fin stacks behind each fan.

This new design means that the Founders Edition model is very different from other GeForce RTX 5090 models from NVIDIA's partners, which all arrive with more traditional PCBs and cooling structures. Smaller, thinner, and more powerful - it's hard not to be impressed. The design includes a 3D Vapor Chamber to dissipate heat from the high-density PCB (which houses the GPU and VRAM) to heat pipes connected to two heatsinks on each side of the GPU. A third heatsink is also situated underneath the PCB.

From there, the dual axial fans direct air through the fin stacks on either side of the GPU, cooling it down. According to NVIDIA, the design can handle up to 600W with a noise output of around 30dBA - which is not silent but relatively quiet in a close case. Across several benchmarks and gaming sessions over multiple days, there were moments when we heard the fans kick into high gear, but overall, it's an incredible achievement. Granted, it does run warmer than the GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition, but that was an almost quad-slot beast of a unit. NVIDIA is set to use this Double Flow Through layout for all GeForce RTX 50 Series Founders Edition models, and in slim GeForce RTX 5090 form, it's easily one of the best-looking and most impressive GPU designs we've ever seen.
The Games and Tests
PC gaming not only covers a wide range of genres and styles, from indie games with simple 2D graphics to massive 3D worlds lit by cutting-edge real-time ray tracing technology. With that, the needs and requirements of each gamer vary. High refresh rates and latency reduction become more important than flashy visuals or playing at the highest resolution possible for those who live and breathe fast-paced competitive games. For those who want to live in a cinematic world and become a key player in an expansive narrative, ray-tracing, and high-fidelity visuals are a stepping stone toward immersion.

Our chosen benchmarks cover various games, engines, APIs, and technologies. For the GeForce RTX 5090, all tests are run at 4K and 1440p and include results for performance-boosting Super Resolution technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 4 - including Frame Generation and the new Multi Frame Generation. In many ways, DLSS numbers are more important in 2025 than native rendering - a title with ray tracing isn't meant to be played without Super Resolution. Also, DLSS technologies like Ray Reconstruction and the new RTX Mega Geometry dramatically improve visual fidelity and detail compared to native rendering. However, our benchmark results are still sorted using 'raw performance' or native rendering.
Here's the breakdown of games, settings, and what's being tested.
Games and Settings Benchmarked
Game | Details |
---|---|
Black Myth: Wukong | A high-impact Unreal Engine 5 test showcasing a detailed cinematic world. The in-game benchmark tool with the 'Very High' fidelity setting without ray-tracing and with DLSS and FSR. |
Cyberpunk 2077 | Competitive multiplayer FPS test with DLSS and FSR. The in-game multiplayer benchmark tool is used with 'Ultra' quality settings. |
Counter-Strike 2 | Competitive multiplayer FPS test running on Valve's Source 2 engine. A stress test mod map is used to showcase CS2 at its most demanding. |
Cyberpunk 2077 | Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used with 'Ultra' quality settings without ray-tracing. |
Cyberpunk 2077 (RT) | Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used with the demanding 'Ray Tracing Ultra' quality setting. |
DOOM Eternal (RT) | Fast-paced single-player FPS gaming running on the id Tech and Vulkan with DLSS. The Mars Core campaign mission is used to benchmark. |
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (RT) | Cinematic RPG from veteran studio BioWare, benchmarking the action-packed introduction sequence with Ultra quality settings including ray-tracing with DLSS and FSR. |
F1 24 (RT) | Racing game with hardware-intensive in-race ray-traced visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used, with 'Ultra High' quality settings on a single lap of the Bahrain track. |
Hogwarts Legacy (RT) | Cinematic open-world game set in the iconic Harry Potter universe. The halls and rooms of Hogwarts used to benchmark, with 'Ultra' quality settings, ray-tracing, DLSS and FSR. |
Horizon Forbidden West | Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The opening section is tested using the 'Very High' quality setting. |
Marvel Rivals | Multiplayer hero shooter set in the Marvel universe, in-game Practise Range map used to benchmark with 'Ultra' quality settings, DLSS and FSR. |
Resident Evil 4 (RT) | Capcom's visually impressive remake, Chapter 1 - The Village used to benchmark with 'Max' settings. |
Total War: Warhammer III | Action-packed real-time strategy with hundreds of on-screen characters. The in-game 'Battle' benchmark tool is used with the 'Ultra' quality setting. |
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 | Cinematic third-person action game with impressive visuals. Opening mission tested using 'Ultra' quality setting with DLSS and FSR. |
Path Tracing Games and Settings Benchmarked
Game | Details |
---|---|
Alan Wake 2 | Full Path Tracing tested in 4K using the new 'Ultra' setting with DLSS 4, Frame Generation, and Multi Frame Generation. Bright Falls town used to test. |
Black Myth: Wukong | A high-impact Unreal Engine 5 test with DLSS 'Performance' and Frame Generation. The in-game benchmark tool with the 'Very High' setting and 'Full Ray Tracing.' |
Cyberpunk 2077 | In-game benchmark tool used with the demanding 'RT Overdrive' or full Path Tracing mode, with DLSS 4 Performance, Frame Generation, and Multi Frame Generation. |
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Full Ray Tracing tested in this stunning first-person cinematic game, Marshall College walkthrough used to test with DLSS Performance and Frame Generation. |
Star Wars Outlaws | Open-world Star Wars game with cutting-edge ray-traced visuals and DLSS 4 technologies tested, including Multi Frame Generation on Toshara. |
Gaming Performance Analysis
Average Gaming Performance - 4K Results

The GeForce RTX 4090 came into its own when gaming in 4K; the same can be said for the GeForce RTX 5090. However, it's so powerful that we saw it do the GPU equivalent of sitting back, relaxing, and taking it easy - hovering at around 50-70% GPU usage. The two most significant examples include DOOM Eternal (which we didn't realize had a limit), which only saw a 15% performance improvement compared to the GeForce RTX 4090, and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, which only saw a 13% uplift to performance.
This is why the GeForce RTX 5090's overall 4K performance looks good but not mind-blowing, 'Oh boy! 50% faster than the GeForce RTX 4090!' good. Looking at raw performance, most games that actually use the RTX 5090's GPU horsepower run 30-35% faster than on the RTX 4090. We saw the most significant gen-over-gen gains in F1 24 with in-race ray-tracing, which is 38% faster, and Cyberpunk 2077 using the Ray Tracing Ultra preset, which is 36% faster. This improvement can also be seen in Path Tracing performance, which we'll cover in a bit.
Either way, it's still impressive, especially when you factor in that the overall 4K gaming performance on the GeForce RTX 5090 is 73% faster than the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER and a whopping 89% faster than the Radeon RX 7900 XTX - which includes games that hit their performance ceiling.
Interestingly, with DLSS 4's new 'Transformer' model available for several games in our benchmark results, the Quality mode is something you'd enable in 4K. However, the Catch 22 is that rendering at 1440p before upscaling means the performance uplift over the GeForce RTX 4090 in 4K drops to 21%. At face value, it's not an impressive number for a $2,000 GPU - however, it means that the GeForce RTX 5090, like my Barbarian in Diablo 4, is overpowered for the current crop of PC gaming.
Average Gaming Performance - 1440p Results

The GeForce RTX 5090 is the fastest 1440p gaming GPU money can buy. It hits an impressive 413 FPS in Counter-Strike 2 using a stress test map meant to put a GPU in its place. It is the only GPU that can hit 100+ FPS in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 natively, with the detail settings cranked. Marvel Rivals hits 220 FPS with the DLSS Quality preset. So, yes, you could make a case for the GeForce RTX 5090 as a competitive gaming card. However, high performance in competitive games is relatively easy to achieve with most modern GPUs.
Regarding 1440 gaming, on average, the GeForce RTX 5090 is only 11% faster than the RTX 4090 and 35% faster than the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. The reason for this is simple: performance is either limited to the game engine or CPU. Check out the individual 1440p benchmark results below to see this in action, keeping in mind that in games where the RTX 5090 isn't much faster than the RTX 4090, it's hardly using any power and isn't breaking a sweat.
Benchmarks - 3DMark Synthetic Tests
3DMark offers a suite of synthetic benchmarks built to test GPUs in various scenarios. 3DMark Steel Nomad is a cutting-edge DirectX 12 benchmark with newer, modern rendering techniques designed to push GPUs to their limit. The 'Light' version tests at 1440p, while the main Steel Nomad benchmark tests pure native 4K rendering. Port Royal is a benchmark focusing exclusively on real-time ray tracing for lighting effects like reflections, shadows, and more.



The 3DMark results paint a different picture of the overall game averages, showcasing a more significant performance uplift. For example, the Port Royal ray-tracing score is 43% higher than the GeForce RTX 4090, while the Steel Nomad score is 54% higher. These results aren't something to dismiss as heavy ray-tracing workloads and modern DirectX 12 and Unreal Engine 5 games where you'll see the most prominent performance increases.
Benchmarks - 4K Gaming














Benchmarks - 1440p Gaming














DLSS 4, Frame Generation, and the new Multi-Frame Generation
DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation are impressive bits of technology, thanks mainly to the overall improvements to performance and latency on the Frame Generation side and the new 'Transformer' model for Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction.


Looking at the DLSS Super Resolution 4K results, you're not only seeing performance faster than native rendering but also noticeably better image quality. Here, the native or rasterized performance should only be seen as a data point and not a real-world scenario. With 100+ FPS in most games, it also serves as an excellent foundation for Frame Generation to dramatically improve the smoothness and perceived performance (with the help of NVIDIA Reflex and the new AI model).
All of the above figures are using the DLSS 'Quality' preset, which is stunning in 4K, and with Multi Frame Generation, sees Cyberpunk 2077, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Hogwarts Legacy, and Marvel Rival hit insane levels of performance. So much so that with the GeForce RTX 5090, you're better off using the Frame Generation 3X preset at most.
The good news is that Frame Generation latency increases only minimally, no matter the X factor, and in all-out testing, the responsiveness felt smooth. As for the image quality, it's hard to notice issues when gaming; however, you can pick up on artifacts when spinning the camera around quickly.
Path Tracing Performance
Path Tracing, or Full Ray Tracing, arrived with the GeForce RTX 40 Series and DLSS 3 and is leveling up with the GeForce RTX 50 Series and DLSS 4. It is the realm of high-end GPUs like the GeForce RTX 5090, a glimpse at what games might look like on the PlayStation 7 - we'd be surprised if the PS6 hits the level of fidelity we're seeing here.

For those who love being immersed in a digital world, it's hard to describe playing a game like Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, or Indiana Jones and the Great Circle with Full Ray Tracing. Screenshots and videos can show you, but the effect is akin to being there. It's not realism for the sake of realism; it's realistic lighting for immersion and believability.


Currently, the only GPUs on the market capable of delivering a great Path Tracing experience are all GeForce RTX cards, and it's a definite selling point. Path Tracing is where we also see the most significant gen-on-gen gains for the GeForce RTX 5090, roughly 36% faster than the GeForce RTX 4090. The GeForce RTX 5090 can run Indiana Jones and the Great Circle with Full Ray Tracing natively at 73 FPS, which jumps up to 153 FPS with DLSS Super Resolution and no Frame Generation.


Of course, Multi Frame Generation is a game changer in its own right - Cyberpunk 2077 maxes out our 4K 240 Hz testbench display. Likewise, Alan Wake 2 looks stunning with DLSS 4 and RTX Neural Shaders.
Temperature and Power Efficiency

Even for a flagship GPU, the 575W power rating of the GeForce RTX 5090 can be hard to swallow. On the flip side, you could see it as a throwback to getting the best performance by linking up two GPUs and connecting them to a massive 1000W PSU. Yes, you'll need at least 1000W GPU for the GeForce RTX 5090, but the good news is that when we went through all the capture data of our 4K gaming benchmarks, the average power usage was 470W. And NVIDIA's idle power usage is still impressive with Blackwell, with the GeForce RTX 5050 sitting on around 20W.
That said, fire up a game with Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing in 4K, and you'll see the RTX 5090 pull 500-550W pretty consistently. As for the new Founders Edition design, it's a definite winner, with temperatures hovering at around 72 degrees under load (this can increase depending on the workload) and idle temperatures sitting at a GPU-chilling 30 degrees with both fans stopped.
Final Thoughts
The transition has begun, but the GeForce RTX 5090 solidifies a shift to Neural Rendering for performance and image fidelity. The raw performance capabilities of a gaming GPU will always be vital because you can't have one without the other - but after spending an entire week with the GeForce RTX 5090, it's safe to say that DLSS 4 is not only a selling point but a set of AI models and features that improve PC gaming as a whole.
When looking closely at gaming workloads across native rendering, DLSS Super Resolution, ray tracing, and even Path Tracing with Frame Generation that pushes the RTX 5090 - the results are impressive and, more importantly, jaw-dropping. Looking at every conceivable metric, from raw performance to AI-generated frames, it's the most powerful GPU on the planet right now - and in Founders Edition form, it looks like something from the future.

Which, weirdly, it is. With the GeForce RTX 5090, we're starting to see 4K gaming performance hit a wall. So, for those focusing on a single result that is only 20% faster than the previous generation or an average uplift below 30%, there's more to the story - much more. Some of which, hopefully, we covered in this review.
We fully expect the GeForce RTX 5090 to only improve throughout 2025 as more games integrate the latest DLSS 4 updates and Neural Shaders arrive in more titles. Still, 75 games on Day One makes it a real reason to pick up a new GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU. Of course, the RTX 5090's content creation side is next-level, too, from its video encoding capabilities to AI-powered tools for streamers to running AI models and rendering complex 3D scenes.
And we didn't even touch on the RTX 5090's 2X AI performance, mainly because we ran out of time running 20 individual benchmarks on a single game like Cyberpunk 2077. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the Blackwell lineup stacks up, but either way, the GeForce RTX 5090 is an impressive start to a new generation.
4K 240 FPS with Full Ray Tracing. Maybe it's time to start looking for an 8K display.