Key Takeaways
1. Some GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards were shipped with 168 ROPs instead of the expected 178 ROPs, leading to a performance drop of over 5%.
2. The issue affects not only the GeForce RTX 5090 but also the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5090D, with Nvidia confirming it is not limited to one manufacturer.
3. Only about 0.5% of the affected GPU units were shipped with fewer ROPs, and Nvidia has fixed the production issue.
4. Nvidia advises customers who receive a card with fewer ROPs to contact their board manufacturer for a replacement.
5. The problem has no impact on AI and Compute workloads, only affecting average graphical performance.
Earlier this week, multiple sources discovered that some GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards were being shipped with fewer Raster Output Pipelines (ROPs) than what was originally advertised. ROPs play a vital role in the performance of the GeForce RTX 5090 and other Nvidia graphics cards, especially for tasks like anti-aliasing and other critical GPU operations.
Performance Impact
According to GPU-Z, the affected GeForce RTX 5090 models showed 168 ROPs, which is 8 ROPs less than the expected reference specification. This decrease represents a 4.5% drop, but TechPowerUp found that the actual performance loss during testing was over 5% when comparing an impacted card to those that had the full 178 ROPs.
Broader Implications
Initially, it appeared that only a specific Zotac model was impacted. However, Nvidia has since stated that the issue isn’t limited to one board partner. Additionally, this problem also affects the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the GeForce RTX 5090D, which is only available in China. Notably, the GeForce RTX 5080, currently priced at $2,299.99 on Amazon, is not affected by this issue.
Resolution and Advice
It has been reported that only about 0.5% of the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, GeForce RTX 5090D, and GeForce RTX 5090 units shipped with fewer ROPs than they were supposed to have. Although Nvidia claims to have fixed the “production anomaly,” there is still a possibility that affected cards may remain in circulation at retailers for a while. Currently, Nvidia advises customers who have received a card with fewer ROPs to “get in touch with the board manufacturer for a replacement.” Here’s Nvidia’s complete statement:
“We have identified a rare issue affecting less than 0.5% (half a percent) of GeForce RTX 5090 / 5090D and 5070 Ti GPUs which have one fewer ROP than specified. The average graphical performance impact is 4%, with no effect on AI and Compute workloads. Affected consumers can contact the board manufacturer for a replacement. The production anomaly has been corrected.”
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