Nvidia’s alleged RTX 5090 SE GPU makes less sense the closer you look

Rumors surrounding NVIDIA's next high-end graphics card are beginning to surface, with Russian outlet GameGPU claiming the company is preparing a GeForce RTX 5090 SE. If accurate, the card would slot between the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090, effectively filling the gap many expected an RTX 5080 Ti to occupy.

According to the leak, the RTX 5090 SE would use a cut-down GB202 GPU, enabling 110 of the chip's 192 Streaming Multiprocessors. That translates to 14,080 CUDA cores - roughly 31% more than the RTX 5080's 10,752, while remaining well below the flagship RTX 5090's 21,760 cores. Power consumption is also rumored to land between the two, with a 500W TDP, compared to 360W on the RTX 5080 and 575W on the RTX 5090. As a result, a 1,000W power supply would likely still be recommended.

The biggest question mark surrounds the memory configuration. The report claims the RTX 5090 SE will feature 32GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit memory bus. On paper, that sounds appealing - but the numbers don't quite add up. A 384-bit interface typically supports 24GB using 2GB memory chips or 36GB with 3GB chips. Reaching exactly 32GB would likely require mixing different memory capacities, something NVIDIA has historically avoided due to increased validation complexity and potential performance inconsistencies.

The rumored specifications also raise an interesting question about NVIDIA's priorities. While reports suggest the company could be preparing another premium graphics card with 32GB of VRAM, entry-level buyers continue to see relatively modest memory capacities. The rumored RTX 5050 9GB reportedly never reached production, leaving NVIDIA to rely on refreshed products like the RTX 3060 12GB to serve more budget-conscious gamers.

Pricing is another area where skepticism is warranted. The leak suggests a $1,500 MSRP, positioning the RTX 5090 SE roughly halfway between the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090. However, with ongoing GDDR7 memory shortages continuing to push graphics card prices higher, it would be surprising if a GPU carrying 32GB of memory actually remained at that price once it reached retailers.

For now, the RTX 5090 SE remains nothing more than a rumor. Until additional sources corroborate the report - or NVIDIA makes an official announcement - it's best to treat these specifications with caution. As always, for the latest rumors, hardware leaks, GPU launches, and developments across the PC gaming industry, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.