NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition Hands On, Taken Apart

[the54thvoid]

Not understanding the hate, this PCB is amazing. This layout is how you can tell they have their shit together.

I think there's been an element of 'we need to approach the cooling from a different angle,' because the thing's been designed to work with that cooling layout with maximum efficiency. It's reminiscent of when AMD crammed the R9 into the Nano format. I like this level of engineering and design. I wonder if AI tools were used to construct the main board?

 

[kondamin]

looks nice and small, ~3 should fit in a portable workstation.

 

[Fleurious]

I’de have preferred it being thicker as opposed to stretched taller and longer than the 4090 FE cooler. Still looking forward to seeing thermal results on all the different coolers.

 

[Hereticbar]

Not understanding the hate, this PCB is amazing. This layout is how you can tell they have their shit together.

Probably nothing wrong with this PCB design or different from usual approach to cooling.

There are always people that are "looking for a bone in an egg".

 

[freeagent]

I wonder if AI tools were used to construct the main board?

I am almost positive they were. I think that started with Ampere, but I could be mistaken..

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Seems to me that Alphacool already have a sample for it.


I see some connections for some fat ribbon cables. Should be a easy thing to transfer to a water block.

Alphacool doesnt have a block for the FE. They only have blocks for AIB custom cards as of right now

 

[patriotpa]

Quite the contrary, a small PCB is desirable and an engineering feat that took many many years to achieve. One this small then is a marvel of technology. Smaller PCBs mean better signal integrity with as little loss as possible. So ridiculous isn't exactly the word I would use, it's closer to "remarkable"

Well said. Exactly correct. Shortest signal path is a must for a clean signal. Clean is fast.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

I really don't like the FE this year. It just looks cheap.

I definitely dont like the idea of 3 seperate pcbs connected with ribbon cables, but i understand why they designed it this way.

Well said. Exactly correct. Shortest signal path is a must for a clean signal. Clean is fast.

Sure, though for the breakaway boards im not so sure ribbon cables are exactly "clean"

 

[GhostRyder]

I mean, I don't hate the design as long as it works well. For the amount of heat this change up may result in better overall temps in the stock form. I do have an issue with it from the perspective of how hard it is going to be with mounting a waterblock (Or if waterblocks will be super expensive) but then again I am sure there will be someone who figures it out (Probably already have) and at 2K price point its not going to matter if the block is expensive because the card is already as much as a high end PC on its own.

I am looking forward to seeing it put through the paces!

 

[freeagent]

I do have an issue with it from the perspective of how hard it is going to be with mounting a waterblock

With precision measuring tools, CAD software, and CNC, it really wont be that difficult..

 

[MxPhenom 216]

With precision measuring tools, CAD software, and CNC, it really wont be that difficult..

It would just need to be able to mount to 3 different pcb and have a nice way of running the ribbon cables through it. Have channel or something to tuck them into

But i think a lot of end users will be discouraged from taking this thing apart anyhow

 

[freeagent]

It would just need to be able to mount to 3 different pcb and have a nice way of running the ribbon cables through it. Have channel or something to tuck them into

That is what all of those tools are for

Edit:

Math was never my strong suit, just "OK" at guesstimating lol.. I can use the numbers that I am used to using haha..

 

[MxPhenom 216]

It would actually be crazy if those ribbon cables had a finite disconnect-reconmect lifetime.

It just doesnt seem like this card was designed for DIY watercoolers in mind. Not that Nvidia is obligated too or that it cant be done, but even just taking card apart would be enough to prevent people for putting a block on id imagine

 

[Onasi]

It just doesnt seem like this card was designed for DIY watercoolers in mind. Not that Nvidia is obligatee too or that it cant be done, but even just taking card apart would be enough to prevent people for putting a block on id imagine

Yeah, I think the play for WC enthusiasts will be pretty straightforward - see which AIB models your block vendor of choice supports and then grab the lowest priced one (as far as such a thing can be even applicable here), rip off the cooler and you’re laughing. I don’t think futzing around with custom tooling to make a block for FE will be worth it to vendors, but I am sure some psychotic users will fabricate some one offs.

 

[N/A]

A strange contraption indeed with the PCB sitting in the middle slot and a daughterboard to do the heavy lifting. Just send it.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Shit, I must be an enthusiast then. I was quite gob smacked by how small that design actually is for the punch it's going to output with all 32GB attached!

The circuitry on that thing is just insane brother. Anyone with the most basic notion of electronics can tell, It's so perfectly, neatly packed, the overall utilization of the PCB is damn near 100%

 

[Daven]

At this point, we just need a socket on the motherboard for the GPU. Three separate PCBs connected by ribbon cables is pushing the limits of keeping the current paradigm and could lead to all sorts of problems if the cables become disconnected.

 

[bug]

I think there's been an element of 'we need to approach the cooling from a different angle,' because the thing's been designed to work with that cooling layout with maximum efficiency. It's reminiscent of when AMD crammed the R9 into the Nano format. I like this level of engineering and design. I wonder if AI tools were used to construct the main board?

I'd be surprised if they didn't. Iirc, tracing wires is one of those problems classic algorithms will take forever to find the best solution for (i.e. NP-complete).

 

[freeagent]

The circuitry on that thing is just insane brother. Anyone with the most basic notion of electronics can tell, It's so perfectly, neatly packed, the overall utilization of the PCB is damn near 100%

Just think, that is just what "we" get.

Imagine what they have or will have in the wild shortly..

Edit:

We get the left overs, stuff they piece together from scraps that can play games fairly well

 

[bug]

At this point, we just need a socket on the motherboard for the GPU. Three separate PCBs connected by ribbon cables is pushing the limits of keeping the current paradigm and could lead to all sorts of problems if the cables become disconnected.

You haven't looked inside a laptop in a while, have you?

 

[igormp]

I think there's been an element of 'we need to approach the cooling from a different angle,' because the thing's been designed to work with that cooling layout with maximum efficiency. It's reminiscent of when AMD crammed the R9 into the Nano format. I like this level of engineering and design. I wonder if AI tools were used to construct the main board?

There are tons of AI tools to aid CAD (including PCB) designing, so I'm almost certain it was used in one way or another.

 

[wNotyarD]

The circuitry on that thing is just insane brother. Anyone with the most basic notion of electronics can tell, It's so perfectly, neatly packed, the overall utilization of the PCB is damn near 100%

As an electronics technician, I'd be damn afraid of ever trying to repair something like this in fear of shorting/destroying anything else due to proximity.

 

[Gasaraki]

wow looks like its impossible to make a waterblock for it

Alphacool already has a waterblock for it.

Edit: Guess not. BUT if nVidia has an air cooler, obviously someone can make a waterblock.

 

[wNotyarD]

Alphacool already has a waterblock for it.

According to this press release, not for the FE.

 

[Gasaraki]

Well I wouldnt complain at least. And be honest, it wouldnt be a bad card. To me the founders edition was always the "reference" design with the cheapest pcb that everyone uses for waterblocks because it has the highest compatibility.

But go on, celebrate this developement further. F the enthousiasts!
The 7090 is just going to be a Geforce now Streaming device then. But I guess people will love it because it looks sleek. You will own nothing and be happy.

I don't get the crying. Go get a third party card that's big and bulky if you want. They have the big boards.