China-tailored RTX 5090D has AI and cryptomining limiters — multi-GPU config is also locked

GeForce RTX 5090
(Image credit: Nvidia)

Nvidia's upcoming China-focused RTX 5090D is purportedly locked down, preventing users from using the Blackwell GPU for specific workloads. A user on the Chiphell forums reports that after "3 seconds," the RTX 5090D locks itself, preventing users from running particular workloads, overclocking the GPU, adjusting power limit parameters, and even using the GPU in multi-GPU setups.

The RTX "D-series" (for Dragon) is a custom Nvidia GPU explicitly tailored to meet U.S. export regulations based on GPU performance. The previous generation RTX 4090 was too powerful to export to China legally. Hence, Nvidia had to roll out the RTX 4090D, slightly less potent than its vanilla counterpart, to meet regulations. The RTX 5090D is the sucessor to the RTX 4090D.

Aaron Klotz
Contributing Writer

Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

  • hannibal
    That limiter is just for the show. Nvidia knows that people will bypas it... But it allows them to sell 5090D to the China and that is only thing they need! Some way to legally get 5090 to Chinese market. And making 5090D instead of 5080ti super using the same die, allows them to ask more money for those somewhat cutted down chips. That is pure profit to Nvidia!
    Interesting to see how much they did cut and what the price would be if some one would get it outside China.
    Was 4090D ever seen ouside of China?
    Reply