Nvidia RTX 5080 suffers from similar missing ROP defect as 5090 and 5070 Ti: Report

GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition
(Image credit: Nvidia)

Over the past few days, we reported that some of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards feature GPUs with 'missing' raster operating units (ROPs) and therefore lower performance. Apparently, Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5080 has also been found to be prone to this problem, according to a Reddit post.

This is the first evidence GeForce RTX 5080 graphics cards, based on the GB203 graphics processor, may come with only 104 ROPs — instead of 112 ROPs — activated. The poster tried to reinstall the Nvidia video driver, but GPU-Z still displayed the number of raster operating units at 104, below the advertised 112 ROPs.

RTX 5080 missing ROPs from r/nvidia

As this is the first report about an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card with a GPU that does not meet specifications, we would wait for further confirmations before damning conclusions. However, since there are GeForce RTX 5070 Ti boards that carry a GB203 processor with missing ROPs, it will not come as a surprise that there are GeForce RTX 5080 cards that feature a GPU with a lower number of ROPs than expected.

Nvidia has confirmed that 0.5% of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5090, and RTX 5090D graphics cards carry graphics processors with several ROPs disabled, vs the expected specification. The company advises owners of any 'Lackwell' cards to return their boards to manufacturers to have them replaced.

"We have identified a rare issue affecting less than 0.5% (half a percent) of GeForce RTX 5090 / 5090D and 5070 Ti GPUs, which have one fewer ROP than specified," the official statement of Nvidia reads. "The average graphical performance impact is 4%, with no impact on AI and Compute workloads. Affected consumers can contact the board manufacturer for a replacement. The production anomaly has been corrected."

Although Nvidia confirmed that some of its GB202 and GB203 graphics processors are configured with a lower number of ROPs than it officially set for its GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5090, and RTX 5090D products, it never revealed actual reasons why this happened. GPU configurations are set at the factory by Nvidia itself and it is almost impossible for makers of graphics cards to change the configuration of Nvidia's GPUs. Hence, Nvidia supplied under-spec GB203 and G202 graphics processors to its partners for some reason. The question about the reason how this happened is not a rhetorical one as it may provide an answer to whether this will happen again.

It should be noted that wrongly configured GB202 and GB203 GPUs are not the only issues with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50-series products. Among other things, there are melting and overheating power connectors as well as stability issues with drivers, according to reports.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • TheyStoppedit
    Lets see here: Black screens, BSODs, DOA/Bricked GPUs, faulty drivers, PCIe 5.0 issues, fake MSRP prices for fake frames, 4 month shipping ETA's, melting connectors, exploding power stages, missing ROPS. Talk about a botched launch, holy crap. These 50 series owners just cant catch a break. Welp, I won't be letting go of my 4080S any time soon. At this rate, this dumpster fire will continue all the way up until the 60 series.
    Reply
  • ThisIsMe
    You forgot scalpers
    Reply
  • SomeoneElse23
    I fully intend to stick with AMD.

    It wouldn't be hard for AMD to do better!
    Reply
  • Notton
    SomeoneElse23 said:
    It wouldn't be hard for AMD to do better!
    don't say that, you're gonna jinx it... :anguished:
    Reply
  • A Stoner
    This is what happens when you turn your back on an entire segment of your customer base. AI has become so important to nVidia that they have not really put any effort or resources into the consumer graphics cards. Little design and apparently no testing and validation.

    The only real gains in the 50 series cards has been derivatives of gains they made on the AI side of things. My RTX 4090 is going to have to keep my machine running for the next 8 years it looks like at this rate.

    Although the AMD cards indicate they are gaining some power in Rasterization and Ray Tracing... Maybe they can turn things around in the next 4 to 5 years and start competing at the high end...
    Reply
  • Jabberwocky79
    And there it is! I knew something was up when they said the 5080s weren't affected. It made no sense why they wouldn't be. Jeeez

    P.S. Also, "Lackwell" has got to be the greatest pun of our generation LOL.
    Reply
  • vanadiel007
    What's 8 ROPs eh? It's close enough.
    Reply
  • Zerk2012
    OK lets see.
    Nvidia has confirmed that 0.5% of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5090, and RTX 5090D graphics cards carry graphics processors with several ROPs disabled,
    I wonder if that is a real number and if it is then they know how many they shipped so 100% on them.
    On the other hand they could know 20% was shipped and figure the average person will never know even if they get exposed as they have been busted already so they figure 0.5%
    Reply
  • Jabberwocky79
    Zerk2012 said:
    I wonder if that is a real number and if it is then they know how many they shipped so 100% on them.
    I wonder indeed. Their whole response just smacks of "don't care." They're like 'Sure, it affected half a percent of people, but it doesn't affect the performance of the stuff that no one actually bought these cards for anyway! What's the big deal?'
    Reply
  • why_wolf
    GamersNexus has put out a bounty to acquire some of these defective units so they can test them.
    Reply