First Impressions of the RTX 5090
Unveiled at the 2025 International CES, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition, dubbed “Blackwell,” is a sight to behold. It’s not just bigger; it’s broader, longer, and taller than its predecessor, the RTX 4090 FE. At first glance, you might think it’s a hardy gaming rig’s new armament, but don’t let its size fool you! This impressive beast is only two slots thick, showcasing NVIDIA’s ingenuity in thermal engineering.
Innovative Design and Cooling
One of the standout features of the RTX 5090 FE is its clever design. NVIDIA’s designers have truly redefined heat dissipation. By stretching the card in new dimensions instead of simply thinning it, the efficiency of the heatsink has improved tremendously. This design retains the iconic aesthetic seen in the Founders Edition cards recently—particularly echoing styles from the RTX 30-series—and it one-ups itself with a revamped cooling concept.
A New Era of Dual-Fan Technology
Gone are the days of the dual-axial flow-through cooling system relying on an intake fan on one side and an exhaust on the other. Instead, the RTX 5090 FE features two sizeable fans that both draw in air through the heatsink, dramatically enhancing cooling performance. With the PCB neatly centered and breakout PCBs hosting interface and display outputs, this sleek beast not only looks great but performs impressively.
