Members of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series have been commercially available for some time, with a fourth variant, the GeForce RTX 5090 D, specifically tailored for the Chinese market. These high-end graphics cards have been notoriously difficult to obtain, with scalpers often driving up prices to exorbitant levels. The NVIDIA team has promised that the situation will improve soon, with increased production expected to have a positive impact on availability and pricing.[2]However, the new video cards are facing issues beyond just supply. Recent revelations indicate that the GeForce RTX 5090, GeForce RTX 5090 D, and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti series contain fewer active ROP (Raster Operation) units than their factory specifications. This has resulted in slower performance compared to their intended counterparts. NVIDIA acknowledged that the affected models, including the GeForce RTX 5090, GeForce RTX 5090 D, and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, account for less than 0.5% of the total production.[3]“The NVIDIA team acknowledged that GeForce RTX 5090, GeForce RTX 5090 D and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti series models can only affect a very small amount of more than 0.5%.”

Interestingly, initial reports only mentioned the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5090 D, but after NVIDIA drew attention to the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti models, similar issues began to surface with these models as well.

The GeForce RTX 5080, initially thought to be unaffected, was also scrutinized by users and testers. It was discovered that these models, codenamed GB203, originally have 114 active ROP units. However, defective instances were found with only 106 ROP units, a reduction of 8 units. This discrepancy results in a performance slowdown, ranging from 4-5% to up to 10%, depending on the workload.

“The difference is due to a decrease of 4.54%, which results in a variable slowdown in performance, depending on how ‘rop-intensive’ the load is. This can range from 4-5% to up to 10%, at least for the above-mentioned models, but for the GeForce RTX 5080, there were no test results available when writing our news.”

NVIDIA

It is important to note that only one GeForce RTX 5080, part of the FOUNDERS Edition series developed and produced by NVIDIA, has been found to have this issue. It is unclear whether this problem extends to other models or if it is isolated to the FOUNDERS Edition. NVIDIA has not yet provided an official statement on the matter, but the discovery has raised concerns about quality control measures.

This incident highlights a significant lapse in quality control, as these defective units passed through multiple checks without detection. The issue has been found in several models from various AIB (Add-In Board) partners, suggesting a systemic problem. For the GeForce RTX 5080, the FOUNDERS Edition might be the only variant affected, but this remains to be confirmed.

In the broader context, this situation underscores the challenges faced by the tech industry in maintaining quality and performance standards amidst high demand and supply chain disruptions. The gaming community, particularly in the U.S., has been eagerly awaiting the release of these high-end GPUs to enhance their gaming experiences. However, the recent issues have raised concerns about the reliability and performance of these products.

Experts suggest that consumers should be vigilant and conduct thorough checks before purchasing new GPUs. This includes verifying the specifications and performance benchmarks to ensure they meet the expected standards. Additionally, manufacturers should invest in more rigorous quality control processes to prevent such issues in the future.