According to NVIDIA, the issue of defective RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards affects only a "very small number of units" (less than 0.5% of the production run). However, popular tech outlet Gamers Nexus has obtained one such faulty card with an insufficient number of Render Output Units (ROPs), shedding light on the scale of the problem.

The issue came to light after a viewer purchased a problematic Founders Edition GPU, which was subsequently tested by Gamers Nexus. The results revealed significant performance discrepancies. For example, a lack of ROPS in the RTX 5080 can lead to a performance drop of up to 11% in certain titles, such as Total War: Warhammer 3.

In another benchmark test using Dragon's Dogma 2 at 1080p resolution, the defective RTX 5080 Founders Edition achieved 157 frames per second, while the previous-generation RTX 4080 managed 155.8 FPS. This raises concerns that customers are paying a premium for what amounts to nearly identical performance compared to older models.

Gamers Nexus described the situation as a "major issue" and urged users to verify the number of ROPS on their RTX series GPUs. This can be easily done using the free utility GPU-Z.

The outlet also criticized NVIDIA's official statement claiming that the performance loss is only around 4%, pointing out that real-world testing indicates a much larger gap—up to 11%. Gamers Nexus speculates that NVIDIA likely knew about the defect during manufacturing, as ROPS units are tightly controlled in the production process.

"This launch is nothing short of a disaster," said Gamers Nexus. "NVIDIA deserves heavy criticism, especially since most users won't even realize they have a defective card." The publication warned that many consumers may unknowingly purchase or already own a GPU with reduced capabilities, further emphasizing the need for transparency from NVIDIA.

For concerned users, checking the specifications of their GPUs is crucial to ensure they are receiving the full performance promised by NVIDIA. If you suspect your card is affected, reaching out to customer support for a replacement or refund may be necessary.

Main image: reddit.com

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