Nvidia’s launch of the RTX 50-series has faced its share of challenges, with some GPUs potentially lacking in performance, though the extent of the issue remains uncertain. While these graphics cards are praised as the top options currently available, certain RTX 5090 models may not fully meet their advertised specifications, impacting their overall performance.
This issue was brought to light by TechPowerUp, which specifically identified a Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 experiencing these shortcomings. However, it’s possible that cards from other brands could also be implicated. Let’s explore what’s happening.
During their evaluation, TechPowerUp discovered that the Zotac RTX 5090 was underperforming when matched against other variations of the same card. They also compared it to Nvidia’s Founders Edition, expecting it to deliver comparable performance. Typically, the FE serves as a benchmark, with partner brands generally providing at least equivalent, if not superior, performance—especially with overclocking.
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The performance discrepancy was slight, around five percent, but that margin is significant when comparing two RTX 5090s. TechPowerUp attempted to determine the cause of the issue after one reader noted in a forum that their Zotac RTX 5090 Solid had fewer ROPs (raster operations pipeline units) than advertised. The official specification states the RTX 5090 should come with 176 ROPs; however, testing revealed only 168 were enabled in this particular model, according to GPU-Z data.
The user in question tried various solutions to rectify the problem, including reinstalling drivers and experimenting with different BIOS settings, but nothing worked to restore the missing ROPs.
Further investigation by TechPowerUp revealed that their Zotac GPU also had eight fewer ROPs than expected. Upon retesting, they found this model to be 5.6% slower than Nvidia’s Founders Edition and 8.4% slower than the overclocked Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090.
MSI 5090D
https://t.co/Ij48LQ98hD pic.twitter.com/EfHgPcMi2k
— HXL (@9550pro) February 21, 2025
This issue might not be isolated to Zotac, as Nvidia wouldn’t have allowed Zotac to independently configure the number of ROPs on the silicon. However, this oversight should have been identified during the quality assurance process at either Nvidia or Zotac. The company has yet to provide a statement regarding the problem, but it seems they may not be alone. A tweet from HXL revealed that an MSI RTX 5090D, a model exclusive to China, also displayed fewer ROPs than it should have.
Determining the root cause and potential remedies for this issue is complicated, but it’s disappointing to see the RTX 50-series begin its lifecycle beset by problems, including limited availability and inflated prices.
