Nvidia RTX 50-Series GPU Issues: Performance Problems and Fire Hazards

02/24/2025 Technology

Nvidia's RTX 50-series graphics cards, specifically the RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 Ti, are facing a significant problem impacting performance. A "rare issue" affecting a small percentage of cards is causing them to operate at suboptimal levels, with some users reporting drastically reduced performance, and in one extreme case, a card catching fire. The root cause lies within the GPU's components themselves, specifically a deficiency in Render Output Units (ROPs).

Reports indicate that some RTX 5090 cards possess fewer ROPs than specified, leading to a noticeable performance decrease – up to 4%, according to Nvidia. This issue extends to the RTX 5070 Ti, with some cards shipping with fewer ROPs than intended, potentially resulting in a 10% performance drop. The impact varies depending on the task; anti-aliasing and texture rendering are notably affected.

Nvidia has acknowledged the problem, attributing it to a manufacturing flaw in the Blackwell GB202 chips and promising replacements for affected cards. However, determining if a card is affected requires users to utilize tools like GPU-Z to check the number of functional ROPs. This process adds another layer of complexity to an already frustrating situation.

The situation is further complicated by reports of catastrophic failures, including a reported case of an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 catching fire. While the exact cause of this incident is still under investigation, it highlights broader concerns about the quality control and stability of the RTX 50-series. Other issues, such as black screen occurrences after booting or waking from sleep, have also been reported and seemingly addressed by a recent driver update, though user complaints persist.

This launch has been marked by more than the usual growing pains, adding to the already existing concerns with the previous 12VHPWR connector issues. The situation underscores the need for more rigorous quality control and assurance measures in the manufacturing process. Nvidia's response, while promising replacements, falls short of addressing the systemic issues that led to these problems in the first place. The current situation leaves users frustrated and highlights the challenges of navigating the high-end GPU market.