Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Series Graphics Cards: Everything You Need to Know

Nvidia is stepping up its game with the launch of the GeForce RTX 50 series, set to arrive at the end of January. These new graphics cards are powered by Nvidia's Blackwell architecture, offering massive performance improvements and cutting-edge features. The event not only revealed four new GPUs but also exciting announcements like the expansion of GeForce NOW to the Steam Deck and updates to the Nvidia Broadcast app. Let’s dive into the specs, prices, and the groundbreaking technologies of the RTX 50 series.

GeForce RTX 50 Series Specs: A Glimpse at the Power

The new RTX 50 cards are built on Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture, featuring ninth-gen NVENC encoders, fifth-gen Tensor cores, and fourth-gen ray-tracing cores. These advancements make the cards a powerhouse for AI-driven gaming, content creation, and other intensive tasks.

At the top of the lineup sits the RTX 5090, which Nvidia claims offers double the AI-powered gaming performance compared to the previous generation’s RTX 4090. The RTX 5090 boasts an impressive 3352 AI TOPS, 21,760 CUDA cores, and 32GB of GDDR7 memory. It draws 575W of power and is capable of performing over 3342 trillion AI operations per second. The RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 round out the series, each bringing notable improvements over their predecessors, such as higher AI TOPS and better memory bandwidth.

GPU Model	AI TOPS	CUDA Cores	NVENC	NVDEC	Memory	Memory Bandwidth	Power (W)
RTX 5090	3352	21760	3x 9th Gen	2x 6th Gen	32GB GDDR7	1792 GB/sec	575W
RTX 5080	1801	10752	2x 9th Gen	2x 6th Gen	16GB GDDR7	960 GB/sec	360W
RTX 5070 Ti	1406	8960	2x 9th Gen	1x 6th Gen	16GB GDDR7	896 GB/sec	300W
RTX 5070	988	6144	1x 9th Gen	1x 6th Gen	12GB GDDR7	672 GB/sec	250W

DLSS 4: The Next Level of Performance

A key feature of the RTX 50 series is the introduction of DLSS 4, Nvidia’s latest upscaling and super-resolution technology. DLSS 4 introduces Multi-Frame Generation, which creates up to three additional frames per rendered frame, drastically improving game performance. It’s designed to be exclusive to the Blackwell GPUs, but general DLSS enhancements will be available to older RTX models as well. According to Nvidia, DLSS 4 is 40% faster than its predecessor and uses 30% less VRAM.

DLSS 4 in Unsupported Games? No Problem!

For gamers who own the new RTX 50 series cards, Nvidia will release an app update that allows you to force DLSS 4's Multi-Frame Generation in games that aren't officially supported. This will come with the new GeForce Game Ready Driver, released alongside the RTX 5090. Owners of older RTX 40 cards can also use this feature, but they won’t get the full benefit of Multi-Frame Generation.

Price and Availability: When Can You Get One?

Here’s a breakdown of the pricing and release dates for the new RTX cards:

RTX 5070 – $549, launching February 2025
RTX 5070 Ti – $749, launching February 2025
RTX 5080 – $999, launching January 30, 2025
RTX 5090 – $1,999, launching January 30, 2025

Nvidia's Vision for the Future

During the announcement, Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, emphasized how the Blackwell architecture is a transformative step for gaming, AI development, and creative tasks. The combination of AI-driven neural rendering and advanced ray tracing represents a major leap in graphical technology. Huang referred to Blackwell as "the most significant computer graphics innovation since programmable shading."

Reflex 2: A Game-Changer for Latency

Nvidia also unveiled Reflex 2, an upgraded version of its latency-reduction technology. Reflex 2 leverages Frame Warp technology to cut down latency by as much as 75%. It will first be seen in popular games like The Finals and Valorant.

Conclusion: The Ultimate GPU for Gamers and Creators

With the launch of the RTX 50 series, Nvidia is pushing the boundaries of performance, bringing enhanced AI capabilities, faster gaming, and reduced latency to a whole new level. The lineup, featuring powerful cards like the RTX 5090 and RTX 5070, promises to redefine how we experience gaming and content creation. Whether you're a hardcore gamer, developer, or creative professional, these GPUs will be the tools of tomorrow’s most demanding tasks.