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GeForce RTX 50 Series: The 2024 Rumor, Launch Date and RTX 5090 Performance Claims

NVIDIA’s desktop RTX 50 series arrived in 2025, not 2024. Here’s what the launch timeline and RTX 5090 performance claims actually say.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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No: NVIDIA’s desktop GeForce RTX 50 series did not launch in 2024. NVIDIA announced the Blackwell-based GPUs on January 6, 2025, with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 becoming available on January 30, followed by the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 in February. The headline’s performance claim also needs context: NVIDIA said the RTX 5090 could reach up to twice the RTX 4090’s performance, citing Blackwell and DLSS 4—not a universal doubling of native-rendering frame rates.

Did GeForce RTX 5000 GPUs come out in 2024?

No. The desktop cards arrived in 2025. NVIDIA announced the GeForce RTX 50 series on January 6, 2025, and said the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 would be available starting January 30. In its January 30 launch update, NVIDIA reported that both cards were out. The RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 were scheduled to start in February. These dates describe the historical launch schedule, not current retailer stock or availability. NVIDIA’s announcement and launch update establish the timeline.

RTX 5000 expectations were being discussed during 2024, but the origin of the specific claim that these desktop GPUs would release that year is not established here. An October 7, 2024 XDA video is evidence of the rumor-era conversation, not confirmation of specifications or launch plans: XDA’s October 2024 coverage.

How much faster did NVIDIA say the RTX 5090 would be?

NVIDIA claimed the RTX 5090 could deliver up to 2x the performance of the RTX 4090, attributing the comparison to Blackwell innovations and DLSS 4. “Up to” is important: this is NVIDIA’s qualified company comparison, not an independent benchmark or a promise that every game will run at twice the frame rate. The announcement does not make that figure a general claim about native rendering with frame-generation features disabled. NVIDIA’s announcement is the source for the comparison.

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#1 Best Overall
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 32GB GDDR7 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card
  • AI Performance: 772 AI TOPS
  • OC mode: 2580 MHz Default mode: 2550 MHz(Boost clock)
  • Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
  • SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Card
  • Axial-tech fans feature a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure

NVIDIA also published headline specifications for the RTX 5090: 92 billion transistors and 3,352 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS). Those are company-published product figures, not gaming benchmark results. TOPS describes AI processing capacity; by itself, it does not tell you how many frames a game will render.

What does DLSS 4’s “up to 8x” claim mean?

DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation can generate up to three additional frames for each traditionally rendered frame. NVIDIA’s “up to 8x” figure compares performance with traditional rendering and is tied to this frame-generation feature. It should not be read as an 8x increase in conventionally rendered frames: generated frames are additional output, not the same thing as frames rendered directly by the GPU. NVIDIA describes the feature and comparison in its announcement.

Rank #2
ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition Quad Fan Graphics Card, 32GB GDDR7, 3352 AI Tops, 512-bit, DLSS 4, AI Content Creation, Local LLM Inference, DP 2.1b x3, HDMI 2.1b x2, with GPU Holder
  • [3352 AI TOPS, 5th Gen Tensor Cores, AI Content Creation] Built for AI-assisted photo and video workflows including upscaling, denoise, background removal, masking, and generative AI creation for faster creator productivity.
  • [32GB GDDR7 VRAM, Local LLM Inference, Larger Models] Run local LLM inference and on-device AI tools with massive VRAM headroom for larger models, longer context, and heavier multitasking across AI and creator apps.
  • [28 Gbps, 512-bit, 21760 CUDA Cores] High-throughput next-gen memory and core resources for demanding creator projects, complex timelines, large assets, and GPU-accelerated ML experimentation and inference pipelines.
  • [Quad-Fan Force, Vapor Chamber, Phase-Change Thermal Pad] Designed for sustained performance under heavy loads with quad-fan cooling, a patented vapor chamber, and a phase-change GPU thermal pad to help lower temps and reduce hotspots.
  • [DP 2.1b x3, HDMI 2.1b x2, Bundle GPU Holder] Multi-display ready with up to 4 displays and up to 7680 x 4320 max digital resolution, plus an included GPU Holder to help reduce GPU sag and improve long-term build stability.

What were the announced prices and launch dates?

Desktop model Announced US starting price Announced availability
GeForce RTX 5090 $1,999 at launch January 30, 2025
GeForce RTX 5080 $999 at launch January 30, 2025
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Not stated in the cited announcement February 2025
GeForce RTX 5070 Not stated in the cited announcement February 2025

The prices are NVIDIA’s announced US starting prices, not current market prices. The February timing for the 5070 Ti and 5070 was given as a launch window rather than a specific day. NVIDIA’s January announcement.

What changed with the RTX 50 series beyond gaming?

NVIDIA positioned the desktop RTX 50 series as Blackwell-based GPUs for gaming, AI, content creation and video work. Its launch update highlighted FP4 support and additions to video encoding and decoding. Those are NVIDIA’s descriptions of the platform; their practical value depends on the software and workload. The update also names add-in-board makers including ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, PNY and ZOTAC, whose specific card designs can differ. NVIDIA’s launch update.

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Rank #3
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 Xtreme WATERFORCE 32G Graphics Card - 32 GB GDDR7, 512 Bits, PCI-E 5.0, 2655 MHz Core Frequency, 3 x DP 2.1a, 1 x HDMI 2.1b, NVIDIA DLSS 4, GV-N5090AORUSX W-32GD
  • Equipped with GeForce RTX 5090 chipset
  • Integrated with 32GB of 512-bit GDDR7 memory interface
  • WATERFORCE All-in-One Cooling System
  • RGB Lighting
  • Protective metal back plate
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What should you check before choosing a card?

Launch claims alone cannot establish whether a particular RTX 50-series card suits a particular PC or offers good value at today’s price. Compare the exact board model against your workload and system:

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 32GB GDDR7 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 32GB GDDR7 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card
AI Performance: 772 AI TOPS; OC mode: 2580 MHz Default mode: 2550 MHz(Boost clock); Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
$7,479.00
SaleBestseller No. 4
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5080 Gaming OC 16G Graphics Card, WINDFORCE Cooling System, 16GB 256-bit GDDR7, GV-N5080GAMING OC-16GD Video Card
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5080 Gaming OC 16G Graphics Card, WINDFORCE Cooling System, 16GB 256-bit GDDR7, GV-N5080GAMING OC-16GD Video Card
Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4; Powered by GeForce RTX 5080; Integrated with 16GB GDDR7 256bit memory interface
$1,699.99
Bestseller No. 5
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 Infinity 32G Graphics Card - 32GB GDDR7, 512bit, PCI-E 5.0, 2730MHz Core Clock, 3 x DP 2.1b, 1 x HDMI 2.1b, DLSS 4, GV-N5090AORUS IF-32GD
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 Infinity 32G Graphics Card - 32GB GDDR7, 512bit, PCI-E 5.0, 2730MHz Core Clock, 3 x DP 2.1b, 1 x HDMI 2.1b, DLSS 4, GV-N5090AORUS IF-32GD
Powered by GeForce RTX 5090; Integrated with 32GB GDDR7 512bit memory interface; WINDFORCE HYPERBURST cooling system
$7,199.99
Best Value
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 Infinity 32G Graphics Card - 32GB GDDR7, 512bit, PCI-E 5.0, 2730MHz Core Clock, 3 x DP 2.1b, 1 x HDMI 2.1b, DLSS 4, GV-N5090AORUS IF-32GD
  • Powered by GeForce RTX 5090
  • Integrated with 32GB GDDR7 512bit memory interface
  • WINDFORCE HYPERBURST cooling system
  • RGB Halo
  • Die-casting Metal Backplate
Rank #4
Sale
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5080 Gaming OC 16G Graphics Card, WINDFORCE Cooling System, 16GB 256-bit GDDR7, GV-N5080GAMING OC-16GD Video Card
  • Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
  • Powered by GeForce RTX 5080
  • Integrated with 16GB GDDR7 256bit memory interface
  • PCIe 5.0
  • WINDFORCE cooling system
  • Rendering mode: distinguish conventional rendering from DLSS and frame generation when comparing performance claims or benchmarks.
  • Resolution and workload: use results for the games, resolution and settings you actually care about; an AI TOPS figure is not a substitute for gaming results.
  • Memory: compare the capacity of the exact models you are considering against your games and creator applications.
  • Price: treat NVIDIA’s launch MSRPs as historical reference points, then check the current price and availability for the specific board.
  • Fit and power: verify the card’s dimensions, power-supply capacity and connector requirements against the manufacturer’s specifications and your PC. These vary by board, so a series name alone cannot establish compatibility.

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