NVIDIA Admits to Shipping RTX 5090 Units With Degraded Performance
Faulty units are eligible for a replacement.
Several NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPUs were reportedly shipped with hardware specifications that did not match the advertised numbers. A member of the TechPowerUp forums discovered discrepancies in the ROP (Raster Operating Units) count for the GPU, sparking concerns among users.
The issue first surfaced with the ZOTAC 5090 SOLID model, but further investigation revealed that the problem stemmed from the GPU chip itself, not the specific AIB (Add-in Board) partner. While there are no confirmed reports yet, it’s possible that NVIDIA’s own Founders Edition (FE) cards may also be affected by the same defect in the Blackwell GB202 chip.
The missing ROPs—reduced to 168 from the advertised 176—resulted in a performance loss of approximately 4-5%. TechPowerUp confirmed the issue, and users later found that not only the RTX 5090 but also some RTX 5090D and RTX 5070 Ti units could be impacted.
Initially, the discrepancy was thought to be caused by a BIOS misconfiguration, which could have led to incorrect ROP count readings. However, NVIDIA has since acknowledged the issue and confirmed that it stems from a production anomaly. The company has advised affected users to contact their respective manufacturers for a replacement.
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 impact on AI and Compute workloads. Affected consumers can contact the board manufacturer for a replacement. The production anomaly has been corrected.
– via Wccftech
Some users have speculated that the missing ROPs could be linked to a driver issue. Interestingly, the incorrect ROP count only appears when NVIDIA drivers are installed. When the drivers are removed using tools like DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller), GPU-Z displays the correct, marketed ROP numbers.
NVIDIA has offered full replacements for affected units, so users are advised to check their GPU models for discrepancies and report the issue to their manufacturers. However, given the ongoing supply constraints for the RTX 5090 and related models, users may face delays in receiving replacements.
