NVIDIA RTX 5090 vs 5090D: Key AI Performance Differences Explained for Gamers
I conducted a head-to-head comparison with Mobulan, a renowned Bilibili tech influencer, using mmapeak—an open-source benchmarking tool designed to measure GPU matrix multiplication and accumulation (MMA) peak performance. Our tests ran under identical conditions (Ubuntu 24.04, CUDA 12.8). For additional benchmark data, check out the comprehensive NGA forum analysis by user sahalaka linked below.
The results speak volumes: As Figures 1 and 2 clearly demonstrate, the 5090 outperformed its 5090D counterpart by a staggering 70%+ in select mixed-precision and FP8 benchmarks. This dramatic leap highlights the 5090’s superior computational muscle for specialized matrix operations.
That said, I’d still caution domestic users against purchasing the 5090 (warranty concerns remain problematic), even for AI professionals. In real-world applications, you’d be hard-pressed to spot performance differences—especially in industry-standard FP32 and FP16 operations where both GPUs deliver comparable results. Gaming and professional applications? They’re practically neck-and-neck.
Benchmarking tool: mmapeak (GitHub) – kudos to the developer
Shoutout to Mobulan on Bilibili for the FP32/FP16 comparison tests: BV1JidsYDE2L
Props to sahalaka on NGA for compiling test results (full analysis: tid=43826072)
(PS: Xiaohongshu’s link policy strikes again [facepalm])
Edward Grant 
Ada Stephens 
Bennett Schmidt
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D—70%+ is no joke. I wonder how much of that comes down to the design or cooling differences since they share the same core specs otherwise. It’s cool that you used such a specific benchmarking tool to get those numbers too. Definitely food for thought for anyone focused on AI performance in gaming.
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D—70%+ is no joke. It makes me wonder how much of that advantage translates into real-world gaming scenarios though. The detailed benchmarks really help clarify things, but I still want to see more comparisons with actual games.
Absolutely, real-world gaming scenarios can sometimes show different results compared to synthetic benchmarks. While the 5090D’s AI performance is impressive, games may not always fully utilize those advantages due to varying optimization levels. I’d love to see more game-specific tests too—it helps gamers like you make informed decisions. Thanks for the insightful comment!
That’s a really interesting comparison! It’s surprising to see such a big gap in AI performance between the 5090 and 5090D, especially since they seem so similar otherwise. I wonder how much of that difference gamers will actually notice in real-world scenarios though. Thanks for breaking it down so clearly!
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D—70%+ is no joke. It makes me wonder how much of that extra performance translates into noticeable gains for gamers versus content creators focused on AI workloads. I’d love to see more details on how exactly the architecture differs between the two models. Thanks for breaking it down so clearly!
You’re absolutely right—it’s a huge gap, and understanding where that performance boost matters most can be key. For gamers, the difference might not always feel dramatic in real-world scenarios, but for AI-focused tasks like ray tracing or DLSS, the 5090D really shines. The architectural tweaks focus heavily on improving tensor core efficiency and memory bandwidth, which directly impacts those AI-driven features. Thanks for the great question—I hope this helps clarify things further!
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D—70% is no joke when it comes to AI tasks. I wonder how much of that gap is due to the design or cooling solutions since you mentioned identical software conditions. Either way, gamers focused on AI performance might want to lean towards the 5090.
Absolutely, the cooling solution can play a big role in performance gaps like this. Better thermal management often allows the GPU to maintain higher boost clocks during sustained AI workloads. It’s a smart point to consider if AI is your priority. Thanks for bringing that up—it’s a great discussion!
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D. I never realized AI performance could vary that much just based on design tweaks. It’s interesting how much impact those changes have on matrix multiplication speed. I wonder if future models will close this gap or expand it further.
That’s a really interesting comparison! It’s crazy to see such a big difference in AI performance between the 5090 and 5090D, especially since they seem so similar otherwise. I wonder how much of that gap is due to the cooling solution and if it affects gaming performance too.
You’re absolutely right—cooling solutions can play a big role in performance differences. The 5090D’s design often handles heat better, which can indeed impact both AI and gaming performance under sustained loads. It’s fascinating how small changes like this can make a noticeable difference. Thanks for bringing up such an insightful point!
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D. I never realized AI performance could vary so much just based on some design tweaks. It’ll be interesting to see how this impacts future GPU releases. Thanks for breaking it down so clearly!
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D. I never realized AI performance could vary so much just based on design tweaks. It’s interesting how those changes impact gaming workloads too. I wonder if future models will close this gap.
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D—70%+ is no joke. It makes you wonder how much of that extra cost for the 5090 is actually worth it for most gamers, especially since the 5090D still sounds pretty strong. I’d love to see more real-world gaming benchmarks to understand the impact better. Interesting stuff!
Absolutely agree! The performance gap is hard to ignore, but you’re right that the 5090D still offers fantastic value. Real-world gaming benchmarks would indeed be helpful to see how noticeable the difference is in practice. Thanks for your thoughtful comment—it’s always good to discuss these nuances!
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D—70%+ is no small gap! It’s interesting how much the AI performance can vary just based on those internal changes. I wonder if that extra cost for the 5090 is worth it for most gamers or if the 5090D is good enough. Thanks for breaking down the numbers so clearly; really helps make sense of it all.
That’s a pretty significant difference between the 5090 and 5090D. I never realized AI performance could vary that much just based on some design tweaks. It’ll be interesting to see if game developers optimize their titles specifically for the 5090 now. Those figures really drive home how impactful these changes can be for gamers relying on matrix-heavy tasks.
Wow, that 70% performance gap is insane! Makes me wonder if the 5090D’s AI limitations will actually affect gaming performance or if it’s just for professional workloads. Really appreciate the real-world benchmarks with Mobulan – way more convincing than synthetic tests.
Great question! The 5090D’s AI limitations primarily impact professional workloads like deep learning, while gaming performance remains nearly identical thanks to its full gaming-focused specs. I also prefer real-world benchmarks—Mobulan’s tests really highlight how these cards perform where it matters. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Wow, that 70% performance gap is insane! Makes me wonder if the 5090D is even worth considering for serious AI workloads. Great to see real-world benchmarks instead of just specs.
Wow, that 70% performance gap is insane! Makes me wonder if the 5090D’s price cut is worth the AI performance hit for gaming. Also, shoutout to Mobulan – always love seeing real-world benchmarks from trusted creators.
Wow, that 70% performance gap is insane! Makes me wonder if the 5090D is even worth considering for serious AI workloads. Great to see real-world benchmarks instead of just specs.
Wow, that 70% performance gap is insane! Makes me wonder if the 5090D’s price cut is worth the AI performance hit for gaming. Would love to see how this translates to actual in-game DLSS benchmarks though.
Great point! While the 70% AI gap seems dramatic, the 5090D should still handle DLSS gaming beautifully—most titles won’t hit those extreme compute limits. Personally, I’d say the price cut is worth it unless you’re deep into AI workloads or future-proofing. We’re actually working on DLSS benchmark comparisons now—stay tuned! Thanks for the thoughtful comment!