The final word:
So, what do we think of this RTX 5090 Founders Edition?
One thing’s for sure, there’s a lot to say. Ever since NVIDIA announced its new range of RTX 5000 graphics cards at CES 2025, there’s been a lot of tension on social networks between fans of the Greens and those who are not at all keen on this new architecture. We’re going to take a point-by-point look at the strengths and weaknesses of this NVIDIA RTX 5090 Founders Edition.
Performance:
We’d like to stress once again that the etching process remains identical to that used on the RTX 4000, and therefore the RTX 4090, so we shouldn’t have expected astronomical differences in pure rasterisation, as was the case between ADA Lovelace and Ampere. We found a 28% gain in rasterisation for our RTX 5090 compared to the RTX 4090 in 4K (2160p). This seems pretty decent to us and will enable this model to enjoy many games without the need for NVIDIA upscaling.
On the other hand, if you want to opt for ray tracing or path tracing, you’ll have to go through the DLSS box and take advantage of DLSS 4. Remember that DLSS 4 is only supported by the RTX 5000, but NVIDIA is announcing an improvement in Frame Generation for the RTX 4000, which could result in a gain of 5 to 10% according to NVIDIA.
DLSS 4 :
Highlighted by NVIDIA, DLSS 4 is the big new feature of this Blackwell architecture. Here again, some people, like myself, activate DLSS in certain games and others will never do so, oh God, never, not wanting to use ‘fake’ FPS. It’s true that these are additional images created by the AI, but as the name suggests, anything created by Artificial Intelligence will always have this ‘artificial’ side. Now we have to admit that it works well, even better than before. We would have liked to have been able to spend more time ‘playing’ with this NVIDIA RTX 5090, but the numerous tests to be carried out reduced our gaming time. As far as games with DLSS 4 are concerned, visually it’s very difficult to see any difference in quality when DLSS 4 is activated.
If you want to take advantage of ray tracing and path tracing, you can activate them while still enjoying 4K definition (2160p) and retaining a more than sufficient number of FPS. You also have the option of choosing the number of additional frames with DLSS 4. We’ll be coming back to the fluidity of the game once we’ve received a 240Hz 4K screen to see what impact it has.
A word about NVIDIA’s new DLSS Override application. This will allow games that have not yet been updated to the latest DLSS models and features to activate support via a DLSS override. We’ve tested this with Dragon Age: The Veilguard and it’s very effective!
Consumption :
As we expected, with a TDP of 575 watts compared to 450 watts for the RTX 4090, it explodes! No choice, NVIDIA also had to increase the TDP to support performance, a situation we’ve already encountered with CPUs. Despite this, NVIDIA has managed to come up with an RTX 5090 Founders Edition SFF-Ready, and it’s quite simply a technical feat. We invite you to take a look at this video from NVIDIA, which explains the design of this new cooling system. Temperatures are contained, as are noise levels. You will, however, need to design a configuration with good air circulation inside your case.
Price :
NVIDIA has announced an MSRP of 2349 euros for its Founders Edition model, compared with 1959 euros for the RTX 4090 FE when it was launched. This is a considerable budget, and one that is likely to have serious consequences for custom models. As was already the case with the RTX 4090, if you can indeed play with this RTX 5090, you shouldn’t forget its PRO side. It will also find its place perfectly in the configuration of a designer using AI tools. Remember that this model benefits from three 9th-generation encoders and a new 6th-generation decoder, all combined with 32 GB of GDDR7. NVIDIA is also continuing to develop Broadcast, including new AI-powered effects.
This Founders Edition is (again) likely to be one of the most interesting models to buy. The design is very good, the price will be the most affordable of the RTX 5090s and, for a few hundred euros, you can buy a waterblock if you want to integrate it into your liquid cooling loop. You’ll also benefit from FP4 support to facilitate the execution of generative AI.
Should you sell your RTX 4000?
Of course not! The RTX 4000 still has a lot of good days ahead of it. Since NVIDIA’s announcement of the RTX 5000, we’ve seen a lot of RTX 4090/4080 sales. Of course, you’re perfectly free to opt for an RTX 5090, as long as you want to buy the best available and enjoy the best performance on the market. This NVIDIA RTX 5090 remains a showcase and the flagship of the Blackwell range, but don’t forget that other models have also been announced. The RTX 5080 will arrive at the end of the month with an MSRP of €1190, as will the RTX 5070 Ti at €884 and finally the RTX 5070 at €649. These models could prove much more interesting for users with a slightly ageing configuration who want to take advantage of all the NVIDIA technologies. We are also preparing a series of new articles based on older graphics cards.
What should we learn from this new generation? It’s far too early to draw any initial conclusions, especially on the basis of the RTX 5090, which we don’t think is likely to attract the most gamers. The RTX 5080 seems to us to benefit from a number of advantages that we’ll be revealing to you at the end of the month. Thanks to NVIDIA France for making this Founders Edition copy of the RTX 5090 available.