Key Points
- NVIDIA revealed its Blackwell RTX 50 series GPUs at CES 2025. Prices range from $549 for the RTX 5070 to $1,999 for the RTX 5090.
- DLSS 4 offers up to three AI-generated frames per traditionally rendered frame.
- The RTX 5090 delivers double the ray-tracing performance of the RTX 4090.
- Power requirements are high, with the RTX 5090 needing a 1,000-watt PSU.
NVIDIA, which briefly became the world’s most valuable company, revealed its highly anticipated Blackwell family of GPUs during CES 2025. CEO Jensen Huang announced that the RTX 50 series will launch in January, with prices ranging from $549 for the RTX 5070 to $1,999 for the flagship RTX 5090. Mid-tier options include the $749 RTX 5070 Ti and $999 RTX 5080, while laptop variants will debut in March, starting at $1,299.
The RTX 5090 Founders Edition boasts groundbreaking specs, including 32GB of GDDR7 RAM and 21,760 CUDA cores. NVIDIA claims to have doubled the performance of its predecessor in ray-tracing-heavy games like Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077.
A demonstration showed the 5090 running Cyberpunk 2077 at an astonishing 242 frames per second, compared to 109 fps on the RTX 4090. These gains are largely attributed to DLSS 4, NVIDIA’s next-generation AI-powered rendering technology, which can generate up to three frames for every traditionally rendered frame. However, multi-frame generation, DLSS 4’s standout feature, will remain exclusive to the 50 series.
NVIDIA claims the RTX 5070, which features 6,144 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR7 memory, can rival the performance of the RTX 4090 when leveraging DLSS 4. Meanwhile, the RTX 5070 Ti is reportedly up to twice as fast as the 4070 Ti. While rasterization performance improvements are modest, DLSS 4 significantly elevates gameplay experiences.
The new GPUs’ power requirements are steep, with the RTX 5090 demanding a 1,000-watt PSU due to its 575-watt power draw. However, all Founders Edition models feature a streamlined two-slot design. NVIDIA showcased the GPUs’ capabilities with a stunning demo of a new Assassin’s Creed game, emphasizing the role of AI in transforming gaming visuals.
