MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z 32 GB GPU Review: The Beast Unleashed

Conclusion - MSI Creates The Fastest 5090 To Date

To say that MSI has done a brilliant job with the new Lightning would be an understatement, as it delivers much more. The card has already broken extreme OC world records, and even in our testing, it ended up faster than the already fast RTX 5090 FE model.

So starting with the performance figures, the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z graphics card is speedy. It is around 5% faster on average with the standard 800W mode, around 8-10% faster with the Extreme 1000W mode, and with manual overclocking, it yields an impressive 15-25% lead over the RTX 5090 FE. These are seriously impressive figures. The manual OC performance almost makes it a new card, kind of like a 5090 Ti.

MSI has also done a fantastic job with the cooling solution. Sure, it isn't as compact as a standard triple-fan air-cooled model, but the addition of a 360mm AIO design ensures superb temperatures. The card hardly went past 50C even with our manual overclock, when the card was consuming 1000W of power. The AIO cooler also runs very silently, and delivers sub-45 °C temps under standard OC and Extreme Bioses.

Plus, the fact that the card looks amazing with its carbon fiber texture, ARGB Lighting, and the massive 8" LCD, it's a unit, and a powerful one at that. From its expertly crafted design to its marvellous 40-phase PCB solution, MSI has knocked every other RTX 5090 out of the park by a huge margin.

Things we liked about the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z:

• The fastest RTX 5090 Ever Made
• Upto 25% Faster than RTX 5090 FE With Manual OC
• Upto 1000W Extreme Power Limit & 2500W with XOC BIOS
• Gorgeous New Lightning Design
• Beast Cooling with 360mm AIO
• Massive 40-Phase PCB
• No Cable Clutter
• Built for 4K 240Hz gaming monitors
• Designed With Next-Gen Neural Rendering
• Good Raster & RT Improvement
• Next-Gen Blackwell Architecture With Several AI Additions
• Massive 32 GB GDDR7 Memory
• DLSS4 Offers Better Image Quality
• DLSS4 MFG Offers 4x FPS Boost
• Very low noise output with 0db operation
• Next-Gen Video Encode/Decode Engines
• DP2.1b (UHBR20) support
• PCIe Express 5.0 technology
• Added Accessories are a bonus

Things we would have liked about the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z:

• Lower Price Point
• Design that suits compact PCs
• Lower temps for GDDR7 memory

The card will require two 16-pin connectors if you are going for the Extreme Mode or Manual OC, and it utilizes that power well, as showcased in the performance uplifts. While you would be worried about running two 16-pin connectors, MSI has gone a long way in enhancing the safety features for its Lightning series, whether in the MSI Afterburner application or through its new GPU SafeGuard+ technology on its latest AI PSUs.

In terms of pricing, the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z comes in at a shocker, over $6000 US, as seen in Taiwanese markets. This is unfortunately due to the current market situation and not something that MSI itself can control.

With that said, MSI has truly delivered with the GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z graphics card. It's the epitome of excellence, crafted with a powerful PCB, strong cooling, and a beautiful design. And I am happy to see the return of the Lightning series from MSI in such exquisite fashion.

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