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MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X specifications and in-depth review

MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X

Manufacturer: MSI

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X is a high-performance graphics card designed for demanding tasks. Featuring 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM, it delivers impressive speed and memory capacity for intensive gaming and professional workloads.

With a base GPU clock speed of 2017 MHz and a turbo boost of 2565 MHz, it offers outstanding graphical performance. The card also supports cutting-edge technologies such as ray tracing, DirectX 12 Ultimate, and Intel Resizable BAR, making it well-suited for modern applications and multi-display setups.

Pros
  • Supports up to four displays, making it suitable for multi-display setups.
  • Equipped with 32GB of VRAM, offering ample memory for demanding tasks.
  • Features ray tracing support, delivering realistic lighting and shadow effects.
  • Includes RGB lighting for customization, adding a personalized touch to your setup.
  • Built with PCIe 5.0 support, ensuring fast data transfer speeds for modern applications.
Cons
  • Does not support air-water cooling, limiting cooling flexibility.
  • Lacks DVI and mini DisplayPort outputs, restricting compatibility with certain older monitors.
  • Has a very high TDP of 1000W, requiring a robust power supply for optimal performance.
Who is this for?

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X is ideal for users who require high computational power and advanced graphics capabilities. Its 32GB of VRAM and support for ray tracing make it a great choice for demanding gaming, 3D rendering, and professional workloads. The card's ability to handle multi-display setups with up to four supported displays further makes it suitable for users who need extensive visual workspaces, such as content creators or multi-tasking professionals.

Who is this NOT for?

This graphics card may not be suitable for users seeking a more compact, energy-efficient solution. With a 1000W TDP and the lack of air-water cooling, it requires significant power and cooling resources. Additionally, its size and power requirements might make it impractical for users with smaller PC cases or those focused on portability. It also lacks compatibility with older display types, such as DVI and mini DisplayPort, limiting its appeal for users with older monitor setups.

Performance:

GPU clock speed 2017 MHz
GPU turbo 2565 MHz
pixel rate 451.4 GPixel/s
floating-point performance 111.6 TFLOPS
texture rate 1744.2 GTexels/s
GPU memory speed 1750 MHz
shading units 21760
texture mapping units (TMUs) 680
render output units (ROPs) 176
Has Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP) ✓

The performance of the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X is driven by a GPU clock speed of 2017 MHz, which can boost up to 2565 MHz in turbo mode. This, combined with a floating-point performance of 111.6 TFLOPS, ensures exceptional computational power. The card also supports a pixel rate of 451.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1744.2 GTexels/s, making it ideal for demanding graphical tasks. With 21760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units (TMUs), it is equipped to handle complex rendering processes. Additionally, the GPU memory operates at 1750 MHz, further enhancing its efficiency. This model also features Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP) support, ensuring high precision in computations.

Memory:

effective memory speed 28000 MHz
maximum memory bandwidth 1790 GB/s
VRAM 32GB
GDDR version GDDR7
memory bus width 512-bit
Supports ECC memory ✓

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X is equipped with a substantial 32GB of VRAM, leveraging the latest GDDR7 memory for enhanced performance. It achieves an impressive effective memory speed of 28000 MHz and offers a high memory bandwidth of 1790 GB/s, enabling rapid data processing. The memory system operates over a 512-bit memory bus, providing ample bandwidth for demanding workloads, and supports ECC memory for added reliability.

Features:

DirectX version DirectX 12 Ultimate
OpenGL version 4.6
OpenCL version 3
Supports multi-display technology ✓
supports ray tracing ✓
Supports 3D ✓
supports DLSS ✓
has XeSS (XMX) ✕
AMD SAM / Intel Resizable BAR Intel Resizable BAR
has LHR ✕
has RGB lighting ✓
supported displays 4

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X supports a range of advanced features for modern gaming and multimedia applications. It is equipped with DirectX 12 Ultimate and OpenGL 4.6, ensuring compatibility with the latest software. The card also supports ray tracing, delivering realistic lighting and shadow effects, and features DLSS for enhanced performance. Additionally, it can handle multi-display setups with support for up to four displays and includes RGB lighting for customization.

Ports:

has an HDMI output ✓
HDMI ports 1
HDMI version HDMI 2.1b
DisplayPort outputs 3
USB-C ports 1
DVI outputs 0
mini DisplayPort outputs 0

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X provides versatile connectivity options, including one HDMI 2.1b port and three DisplayPort outputs, making it suitable for a range of display setups. Additionally, it features a USB-C port for modern devices, while it lacks DVI and mini DisplayPort outputs, streamlining its connections for contemporary needs.

General info:

GPU architecture Blackwell
release date January 2026
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 1000W
PCI Express (PCIe) version 5
semiconductor size 5 nm
number of transistors 92200 million
Has air-water cooling ✕
width 260 mm
height 151 mm

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X is built on the advanced Blackwell GPU architecture, featuring a 5 nm semiconductor size for enhanced efficiency. It has a high thermal design power (TDP) of 1000W, indicating its power requirements for optimal performance. This graphics card also supports PCIe 5.0 for fast data transfer, and it contains 92 billion transistors to support complex computations. With a compact size of 260 mm in width and 151 mm in height, it offers a balanced form factor without air-water cooling support.

Final Verdict

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning X is a powerful graphics card designed for demanding tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, and professional workloads. Its 32GB of VRAM and support for advanced features like ray tracing and multi-display setups make it a strong performer for high-end applications. While its substantial power requirements and lack of older display port options may limit its compatibility in some setups, it remains an excellent choice for users seeking top-tier graphical performance and reliability.