How Nvidia plans to squeeze all that performance into two slots is still questionable
The Founders Edition of the RTX 5090 is said to be only two slots in size – and would thus literally address a major criticism of its predecessor. That’s why this is important: While most of the rumors revolve around the performance increase that the RTX 5090 is supposed to bring, one question has hardly been considered so far. How big does the cooler and therefore the dimensions of the Nvidia graphics card need to be to get everything under one roof?
In detail:Apparently not that huge – at least according to the well-known leaker kopite7kimi, who comments on the appearance of the Nvidia “Founders Edition” of the RTX 5090.
- The RTX 5090 FE will only have a 2-slot design and will be cooled by a dual-fan solution, which should nevertheless offer more efficient cooling
- Thus kopite7kimi contradicts a report by the portal Overclock3D, which assigned a 4-slot size to the graphics card.
- The Founders Edition is the reference design of the RTX graphics cards, which is produced by Nvidia itself.
Recent leaks suggest that Nvidia’s RTX 5090 may feature this HUGE Founders Edition cooler. Ready for more 4-slot GPUs?https://t.co/wxqB7jWyLJ
– OC3D (@OC3D) May 27, 2024
For comparison:This would make the RTX 5090 Founders Edition even slimmer than the previous RTX 4090 FE, which occupies three slots.
- Custom designs of the RTX 4090 often even estimate 3.5 to 4 slots; accordingly, size and weight were a frequently mentioned point of criticism.
- Graphics card mounts – whether dedicated or self-made – have almost become a necessary evil.
However, a 2-slot design was not completely ruled out for the RTX 4090.Afox, for example, released such a model around a year ago.
The dimensions remain exciting:Nowthe first leaks about the arrangement of the memory modules for the RTX 5090 are already public, showing, among other things, how the expected 32 GB of GDDR7 VRAM should fit on the board:
In this context, a “three-part configuration” of PCBs was also mentioned.
- The design is intended to ensure that the RTX 5090 can be “blown through on both sides”.
- It is therefore conceivable that such a design can be realized using a dual-fan solution and a size of two slots, thus cooling the RTX 5090 appropriately.
How the actual dimensions of the new Nvidia GPU will turn out in this case remains to be seen. After all, not only the number of slots, but also the length and width are decisive for a suitable installation
- One of the most monstrous GPUs (in this sense) is theGigabyte Aorus RTX 4090 Masterfor example.
- It measures a whopping 358.5 millimeters in length and 162.8 millimeters in width. The manufacturer doesn’t even mention the weight.
- As a result, the choice of housings that can accommodate such a graphics card is limited – we can only hope that the RTX 5090 can remain within the limits here.
