MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z Overclocking Pushes Limits; GPU Core Cracks from Excessive Voltage

In a bold attempt to set new overclocking records, an enthusiast tragically rendered his MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z inoperable. Here’s a detailed account of how this ambitious overclocking venture led to the GPU’s demise.

MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z GPU Core Failure from Extreme Overclocking: Achieving a Record Geekbench 5 Score Before the Collapse

Alva Jonathan, a dedicated overclocker, documented his experience in a YouTube video. He showcased the incredible journey of his MSI RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z, which is hailed as one of the most powerful graphics cards available today, designed explicitly for record-breaking enthusiasts rather than mere gaming. While the RTX 5090 Lightning Z boasts impressive out-of-the-box performance, it can also be pushed beyond its limits through adventurous overclocking.

This flagship GPU is equipped to handle TDP (Thermal Design Power) settings of 800W and 1000W accordingly. However, for those who dare to overclock further, the GPU’s 2500W XOC BIOS offers a tantalizing opportunity—albeit with a significant risk of hardware failure. Alva, determined to break various records, utilized liquid nitrogen cooling in his attempts to maximize the clock speed of his GPU, necessitating high voltage input to the GPU core.

A setup on a wooden table features multiple MSI Lightning series graphics cards with notes such as 'WORST CARD 2.9' — Image Credit: Alva Jonathan

Running at nearly 1KW and 1.12V, Alva managed to achieve an impressive clock speed of 3.42 GHz, which is significantly higher than the default boost clock for the reference edition of the GPU. Remarkably, even at this peak power consumption and voltage, the GPU maintained a temperature lower than 10°C. However, striving for clock speeds upwards of 3.5 GHz proved challenging; exceeding a temperature of 20°C could not be sustained. He noted difficulties in maintaining high clock speeds at temperatures dipping below 0°C.

The image shows a Geekbench5 result for 'Lucky_n00b, ' scoring 683, 433 points with a GeForce RTX 5090, ranking 1st globally. — Image Credit: Alva Jonathan

Despite the setbacks, Alva succeeded in achieving 3.6 GHz during the GPUPI Benchmark. His peak performance for the highest Geekbench 5 Compute score, recorded at 683, 433 points, was accomplished at 3.5 GHz, a record that is currently listed on the HWBot. However, as Alva aimed to capture further records by utilizing the 2500W XOC BIOS, an alarming issue occurred, resulting in an extreme voltage of nearly 1.2V being sent to the GPU. Unfortunately, this resulted in a catastrophic failure of the GPU core, leading to the irreversible damage of his $5000 investment.

Close-up of an NVIDIA chip labeled 'UGS700. M3T' and 'GB202-300-A1' showing visible surface damage. — Image Credit: Alva Jonathan

As a result of this ambitious overclocking endeavor, Alva’s GPU damage is not eligible for warranty coverage, given that using the 2500W limit voids the warranty policy. This raises a significant concern for users contemplating flashing the 2500W XOC BIOS onto non-MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z models—an action we strongly advise against due to the high risk of hardware damage. Standard RTX 5090 models were not intended for such extreme power requirements, which can exceed 600W.

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