The world of overclocking is witnessing a new wave of global records, all pointing toward the imminent arrival of an elite graphics card. Several professional overclockers have posted extraordinary benchmark scores using a GPU that MSI has not yet officially unveiled — the RTX 5090 Lightning. These results suggest that the Taiwanese giant is preparing to reclaim the top spot in the ultra-premium graphics card market, a segment it had left behind for several years.
The clearest signs of this upcoming release come from the HWBot database (thanks Tom’s Hardware), where users nv1diafan and oc_windforce currently hold the top two positions in the 3DMark Time Spy rankings with scores of 59,438 and 58,786 points, respectively. The latter even commented, “Comeback! MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning.” Another overclocker, known as littleboy, achieved first place in the 3DMark Solar Bay Extreme test with 66,977 points, proudly adding “MSI RTX 5090 Lightning is Back!!!”
Even 3DMark’s own Hall of Fame confirms this excitement. On January 2, 2026, user Dr. Antoine set a new record in the Time Spy category, scoring 53,207 points. His setup included an Intel Core i9-14900KF processor paired with an MSI-made NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 — though it’s unclear whether this was a Lightning variant.
The Return of Lightning After Seven Years
MSI has remained almost entirely silent about this new graphics card on its official channels, but a cryptic hint appeared on social media. The company posted a weather forecast image for Monday, January 5 — the opening day of CES 2026 — featuring icons of lightning and storms. For those familiar with MSI’s product lines, this message leaves little doubt: the legendary Lightning brand is making a comeback.
Leaked images reveal several technical details, including two 12V-2×6 power connectors — a clear indication of the GPU’s massive power demands. This design choice reinforces Lightning’s traditional focus on extreme performance over energy efficiency.
The Lightning name holds a special place in MSI’s history. It has always been reserved for the company’s flagship graphics cards aimed primarily at professional overclockers. The last appearance of the Lightning brand dates back to 2019 with the RTX 2080 Ti Lightning Z, preceded by the GTX 1080 Ti Lightning Z in 2017. MSI even extended the branding to the Radeon R9 290X Lightning in 2014, proving that the name isn’t exclusive to NVIDIA GPUs.
It’s important to note that the record-breaking scores achieved by these professional overclockers do not reflect what an average user can expect. These results are obtained under extreme conditions, often using liquid nitrogen cooling and highly optimized setups tailored exclusively for benchmarking. Such performance is far beyond what most enthusiasts experience in everyday use.
MSI’s strategy is clear — to reclaim leadership in the ultra-enthusiast GPU segment with a product that can rival the most extreme offerings from competitors like ASUS’s ROG series or Gigabyte’s Aorus lineup. The timing of these leaked results, coinciding with CES 2026, strongly suggests that an official reveal is imminent at the Las Vegas event.
