The GeForce RTX 5090 “SE” is expected to slot in between the RTX 5080 and the RTX 5090.
Officially, NVIDIA has no plans for a new graphics card, and the GeForce RTX 50 SUPER series has gone completely silent. So today’s rumor doesn’t concern those SUPER models, but according to information published by the TechPowerUp website, it is indeed NVIDIA that could unveil a new model in the coming weeks or months. NVIDIA is reportedly working on an RTX 5090 SE, a brand-new model that would slot in between the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090. In other words, it would be a high-end model.
TechPowerUp has compiled the proposed technical specifications for the RTX 5090 SE © TechPowerUp
If TechPowerUp is to be believed, NVIDIA’s stated goal is to offer a more affordable alternative to the RTX 5090, while still delivering significantly better performance than the RTX 5080. To achieve this, there’s talk of a GB202 GPU—like the one in the RTX 5090—but in an even more limited version: a common practice among manufacturers that allows them to use chips that would otherwise be discarded because they don’t meet the requirements of their most powerful models. The GB202 in the RTX 5090 SE is said to have only 14,080 CUDA cores, compared to 21,760 for the RTX 5090. However, NVIDIA is reportedly retaining the 32 GB of GDDR7, with one caveat: there is talk of a 384-bit memory bus. However, this combination does not match the configurations typically used with this generation of memory. Several observers believe that such a capacity would be difficult to implement with this bus width, casting doubt on the accuracy of the published specifications.
Still, TechPowerUp seems confident in the reliability of its source and insists on a TGP of 500 watts, compared to 575 watts for the RTX 5090. Better yet, a price has already been mentioned: $1,500. Based on NVIDIA’s suggested retail prices, the RTX 5090 SE would slot perfectly between the RTX 5080 and the RTX 5090. That said, we’re used to seeing these prices significantly exceeded once the graphics cards actually hit store shelves. So, if this rumor is confirmed, the RTX 5090 SE could become one of the most attractive models in the Blackwell generation, offering performance close to that of the RTX 5090 at a much lower price.
