Nvidia’s latest RTX 5090 series has been making waves, but not everyone is thrilled. Sure, the new GPUs boast AI-driven features like DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) that promise to push gaming visuals to the next level.
But here’s the catch: when you strip away the AI wizardry, the raw performance upgrade over the RTX 4090 feels modest. Recent tests of the RTX 5090D—a special version designed for the Chinese market—give us a clearer look at what’s really going on.
What the tests reveal
Thanks to details shared by Chiphell’s forums, we know the RTX 5090D delivers about a 20% boost in raw gaming performance compared to the RTX 4090. No DLSS, no frame generation—just raw, unassisted performance. That’s not bad by any means, but let’s be honest, it’s not the jaw-dropping leap many gamers were hoping for.
Now, when DLSS 4 and MFG are turned on, the RTX 5090D supposedly hits Nvidia’s promised performance levels, and it’s seriously impressive.
Reports also shed light on the hardware itself. The RTX 5090D was overclocked to 2600 MHz during testing. But the reviewer downclocked the memory to achieve this. That dropped its bandwidth to 896 GB/s, which pretty much cancels out the benefits of Nvidia’s shiny new GDDR7 memory. For comparison, the RTX 4090 was pushed to 2610 MHz, and its memory bandwidth clocked in at 912 GB/s. So, not a huge difference there.
What’s more, the RTX 5090D seems to lack configurable power limits, which is a bummer for anyone who loves to tinker. Overclocking potential? Not looking great.
If you’re all about raw performance, the RTX 5090D feels like an incremental step forward rather than a game-changer. On paper, that 20% boost is fine, but it’s not the leap we’ve come to expect. And while DLSS 4 and MFG are great for squeezing out extra performance, not everyone’s a fan of leaning on AI to make up for hardware gains.
It’s still early days, and there’s more to learn about the full RTX 5090 lineup. But for now, if you’re rocking an RTX 4090, you might not feel the need to upgrade just yet.
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