For years, 4K gaming has been the gold standard for hardware enthusiasts. However, the arrival of new 5K monitors is presenting a new challenge for GPUs like the RTX 5090 D.
RTX 5090 D Under Heavy Load in 5K Games
Recent benchmark tests using the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, a “Blackwell” variant adapted for specific markets, have shown that despite its impressive power, the 5K resolution can push even the most advanced hardware to its limits.
At first glance, moving from 4K (3840 × 2160) to 5K (5120 × 2880) might not seem like a huge change. However, in terms of GPU workload, the increase amounts to about 77% more pixel density. Rendering nearly 80% more pixels inevitably affects performance, as demonstrated in these tests on a 27-inch ASUS IPS monitor.
Performance Results: 5K Pushes Limits
In demanding titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX 5090 D struggled to maintain smooth performance. With Ray Tracing set to Ultra and using DLSS in Balanced mode, the GPU averaged around 51 FPS, frequently dropping to between 40 and 50 FPS.
By comparison, lowering the resolution to 4K boosted the average to 77 FPS, marking a performance difference of roughly 50%.
Even in less intensive games like Counter-Strike 2, frame rates—while still high (close to 300 FPS)—showed occasional dips below 200 FPS, which is unusual for a GPU of this caliber. These results suggest that while the RTX 5090 D remains one of the most powerful GPUs available, 5K gaming at high refresh rates is already demanding extra features like Frame Generation to run smoothly.
