NVIDIA’s highly anticipated GeForce RTX 5090 is set to launch in January 2025, closely followed by its Chinese counterpart, the RTX 5090D, later that month. But recent leaks suggest a surprising similarity between these two cards. Industry insider ‘panzerlied’ has declared that there are no discernible hardware differences between the RTX 5090 and the RTX 5090D. This revelation contradicts initial expectations of significant alterations to comply with export regulations.
The claim extends to both core count and clock speeds, indicating near-identical GPU performance. ‘Panzerlied’ explicitly stated, “I think there is no difference in frequency.” This seemingly minor distinction in naming conventions belies a complex strategy by NVIDIA to navigate the intricacies of international trade regulations. The company’s previous approach with the RTX 4090D provides valuable context.
Recall that the RTX 4090D was introduced as a response to export bans, its specifications subtly adjusted to meet TPP (Technology Product Policy) compliance requirements set by US regulators. The RTX 4090D effectively skirted these restrictions by making minor modifications to the original RTX 4090’s specifications, rather than addressing the core issue of its TPP rating. NVIDIA essentially found a workaround, using the same underlying hardware (likely the GB202 GPU) but altering the SKU and clock speeds to meet the necessary criteria.
The RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D are expected to mirror this approach. Reports indicate the RTX 5090D will boast the same impressive specs as its global sibling: a substantial 21760 CUDA cores and 32GB of GDDR7 memory. Furthermore, pricing is rumored to be virtually identical, making the RTX 5090D a compelling option for Chinese consumers. This strategy suggests NVIDIA prioritizes maintaining a strong presence in the lucrative Chinese market even while facing regulatory hurdles.
This situation highlights the challenges faced by technology companies operating in a global landscape with varying regulations. While seemingly minor, the differences between the RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D represent a nuanced approach to navigating export controls, offering a valuable case study in international tech business strategy. The implications of this move remain to be seen, but it’s clear that NVIDIA has found a creative solution to maintain its market reach.
