NVIDIA Releases GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 in China to Meet Export Rules
The GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 was launched in mainland China by NVIDIA to comply with the export control policy of the United States. This model intends to replace the previous RTX 5090 D and changes the memory configuration while maintaining the same price.
Key Changes A Nerfed Memory Configuration
The only core changes have been made in the memory system of the RTX 5090 D V2 to keep it within the limited bandwidth checks laid out by US export rules. The important specs are:
- Memory: Reduced from 32GB GDDR7 to 24GB GDDR7.
- Memory Bus: Reduced from 512-bit to 384-bit.
- Memory Bandwidth: Reduced from 1792GB/s to 1344GB/s, complying with the norms.
- AI Performance: AI TOPS performance is now 2375, as compared to 3352 AI TOPS on the fully unconstrained RTX 5090.
Specifications Retained
Other than the memory changes, many basic specifications of the GPU are retained as before:
- GPU Die: A slightly cut-down GB202-240
- CUDA Cores: 21,760 cores
- Core Clocks: Reference base clock of 2.01 GHz; boost clock of 2.41 GHz. (AIB partners may offer factory-overclocked versions.)
- TDP: A 575W Total Design Power
- Technology Support: Full support for 4th Gen Ray Tracing, 5th Gen Tensor Cores, and other RTX technologies
There's no Founders Edition planned for the RTX 5090 D V2 only partner cards will be available from AIBs.
Impact on Performance
Early benchmarks indicate that the China-exclusive RTX 5090 D V2 has had a slight impact on gaming, running around 2% slower than the original RTX 5090 D. The lost performance will be more heavily felt in productivity and AI applications due to the now-crippled memory bandwidth.
Chinese Price and Availability
The official MSRP for the GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 is set at 16,499 Yuan (approx. US$2,295), the same launch price as the original RTX 5090 D. Unlike the previous version, which proved difficult to find at list price due to high demand, reports have certain new V2 models being made available in reasonable quantities at their MSRP by different retailers.
A separate listing from a retailer in Hong Kong shows the card priced significantly lower, leading to the possibilities of being $700-$1400 cheaper than just the full, unrestricted RTX 5090 in other global markets.
