Overview of RTX 50 Series ROP Unit Issues
- Reports indicate that certain RTX 5090, 5090D, and 5070 Ti graphics cards lack essential ROP units, potentially hindering gaming performance.
- Users affected by this issue are advised to reach out to the respective manufacturers for replacement options.
- Nvidia estimates that fewer than 0.5% of RTX 50 graphics cards exhibit this ROP deficiency and assured customers that future shipments will not have this problem.
Recently, Nvidia acknowledged that a subset of its popular GeForce RTX 50 series—including the RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti—has been found to be missing critical raster operating pipeline (ROP) units. This defect could negatively impact gaming performance, a crucial aspect for many gamers and PC enthusiasts. Nvidia has urged users experiencing issues with these GPUs to contact their card manufacturers for replacement assistance.
The GeForce RTX 5090 stands as the flagship model in Nvidia’s Blackwell GPU lineup. This model comes with a redesigned Founder’s Edition that is more compact than its predecessors and incorporates advanced gaming technologies such as DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation to enhance performance in supported titles. Despite its high demand, the RTX 5090 and its counterpart, the RTX 5080, quickly sold out at retailers worldwide soon after their launch on January 30. Unfortunately, scalpers took advantage of the shortage, reselling these graphics cards at inflated prices, some exceeding $3, 000, far above their recommended retail price (MSRP).
While many consumers successfully purchased the RTX 5090, some may have received units affected by this defect. As initially reported by TechPowerUp, certain RTX 5090 GPUs from manufacturers such as Zotac, MSI, Gigabyte, and Inno3D are lacking eight out of the standard 176 ROPs. The reduction in ROPs may result in performance drops across various gaming titles, particularly those benefiting from ray tracing. Users can leverage software like GPU-Z to verify the number of ROPs in their graphics cards, allowing them to confirm whether they possess a defective unit.
Nvidia’s Confirmation of RTX 5090 Defects
- Nvidia has confirmed that certain RTX 5090, 5090D, and 5070 Ti graphics cards are experiencing issues related to missing ROP units.
- This anomaly could lead to diminished gaming performance compared to unaffected counterparts.
- The affected models are primarily from MSI, Zotac, Inno3D, and Gigabyte.
- Nvidia advises impacted users to initiate a return merchandise authorization (RMA) with their board manufacturers for a replacement.
If the actual count of ROPs does not correspond with the expected specifications, users should be aware their unit may be defective. The absence of eight ROPs could cause performance deficits ranging from 4% to 8%, significantly affecting gameplay experience. Notably, the Founders Edition models of the GeForce RTX 5090 from Nvidia are not impacted by this ROP shortfall, as the issue strictly pertains to units produced by Add-in-Board (AIB) partners.
Nvidia has attributed this ROP deficiency to a production irregularity, stressing that it affected a minimal fraction—less than half a percent—of both RTX 5090 and 5090D cards, along with certain RTX 5070 Ti models that were recently launched on February 20. Although ROPs do not influence workloads relying on artificial intelligence, Nvidia has strongly recommended that customers affected by this issue proceed with contacting their board manufacturers for proper RMA procedures. Moreover, the company has reassured its customers that updates have been made to prevent such occurrences in future shipments of the RTX 50 series.
Amidst ongoing demand for well-priced RTX 50 graphics cards, Nvidia has introduced the Verified Priority Access program. This initiative is designed for registered users eyeing the purchase of an RTX 5090 or 5080, although it remains to be seen how effective this program will be in curbing scalper activities.
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