If, like us, you can’t wait for the release of Nvidia’s next generation RTX 5000 ‘Blackwell’ graphics cards, then you’ll be pleased to know that rumors about the RTX 5090’s memory layout and PCB design have been circulating. The RTX 5090 is expected to arrive in Q4 of this year, and despite Nvidia keeping its card close to its chest regarding the design of the product, rumors have still managed to spread.
Check out our other coverage on the RTX 5090 release, including our opinion on whether the RTX 5090 is too much, and what we hope it improves on from the RTX 4090.
What will the RTX 5090 have to offer?
The rumors come from a Chiphell forum member, Panzerlized, who has been active in spreading speculation about the RTX 50 ‘Backwell’ GPUs. The information suggests that the memory layout of the 5090 will develop upon that of its predecessor, the 4090. Supposedly supporting a 512-bit memory bus which will subsequently increase memory capacity and require more modules around the GPU. In addition to this, the 5090 is rumored to support GDDR7 memory, which will be arranged in a dense layout, perhaps the densest design we’ve seen in recent years.
The board may be able to support up to 16 memory modules, due to the layout being shifted from 3-4-1-4 to 4-5-2-5. If the 5090 offers the same 2GB modules as previous variants in the lineup, then it could mean that there’s 32GB of memory up for grabs. The configuration may have four memory modules on the top, five each on either side and two on the bottom, which will require a brand-new PCB design capable of handling an increased memory layout.
The post on Chiphell goes into more detail about the suspected PCD design, alleging that the RTX 5090 could feature three PCBs and presenting a brand-new PCB solution. It’s important to note that it is not known whether this refers to three unique designs to choose from or three individual PCBs within the card.
Experimenting with non-standard PCB designs is not completely unfamiliar for Nvidia, for example, the unreleased RTX TITAN ADA GPU where the PCB was parallel to the PCI slot suggesting the PCIe interface would be on a separate PCB. Therefore, this speculation is not entirely unfounded.
The RTX 50 series is expected to arrive towards the end of this year, and the closer this arrival comes the more we expect to see rumors similar to this one appearing. It’s important to take all speculation with a pinch of salt, however, if you’re truly interested in keeping up to date on everything related to the release of this series then stick with us as we’ll be reporting on everything we hear.
