Nvidia Develops RTX 5090DD with Reduced Specs to Comply with U.S. Export Restrictions to China

Nvidia is reportedly planning to introduce a new variant of its RTX 5090 graphics card, specifically tailored for the Chinese market, in response to stringent U.S. export restrictions. This new model, the RTX 5090DD, is designed to meet the regulatory requirements while still providing a capable solution for users in China. The U.S. export restrictions initially targeted Nvidia’s H20 accelerators due to their potential use in advanced supercomputing efforts in China. These regulations have now expanded to include consumer-grade GPUs, such as the RTX 5090D, which has led to a halt in deliveries of the card to China. In compliance with these rules, Nvidia is working on the RTX 5090DD as an alternative that aligns with the new export controls. According to reports from MEGAsizeGPU and leaked specifications from Kopite, the RTX 5090DD will experience notable reductions in performance parameters compared to the original RTX 5090 and its slightly altered counterpart, the RTX 5090D. The most significant change is in the memory bus width, which will drop from 512 bits to 384 bits. This reduction will lower the available memory from 32GB to 24GB and decrease the GPU bandwidth from 1792 GB/s to 1344 GB/s, a 25% decline. Despite these changes, the core count and TDP (Thermal Design Power) remain relatively consistent, with 21,760 CUDA cores and a 575W power requirement. The RTX 5090DD is expected to use the PG145 board as its reference design for board partners, contrasting with the compact PG144A PCB used for Nvidia’s Founders Edition models. To summarize the changes: Original RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D: GPU: GB202-250 CUDA Cores: 21,760 SMs: 170 out of 192 Bus Width: 512 bits VRAM: 32GB Bandwidth: 1792 GB/s TDP: 575W RTX 5090DD (Leaked): GPU: GB202-240 CUDA Cores: 21,760 SMs: 170 out of 192 Bus Width: 384 bits VRAM: 24GB Bandwidth: 1344 GB/s TDP: 575W The naming of the RTX 5090DD follows the pattern established by Nvidia, where 'D' refers to the Chinese zodiac. The RTX 5090D was launched just before the Chinese New Year, coinciding with the Year of the Dragon. However, given that this year marks the Year of the Snake, some speculate that a more appropriate name for the new card might have been the RTX 5090DS. Nonetheless, such branding nuances are secondary to the technical adjustments needed to comply with export laws. Additionally, the leaker suggests there may be further surprises, such as additional cuts to hardware specifications like ROP units or AI TOPs, potentially implemented through firmware changes. These modifications aim to ensure the card’s performance is sufficiently reduced to align with the export restrictions. While the specifics of pricing and final performance are yet to be officially confirmed, interested parties can stay tuned for official announcements or detailed reviews. Following platforms like Tom's Hardware on Google News is a good way to keep up with the latest updates, analysis, and reviews in the technology sector. For context, here are the specifications of the relevant models: RTX 5090: GPU: GB202-300 CUDA Cores: 21,760 SMs: 170 out of 192 Bus Width: 512 bits VRAM: 32GB Bandwidth: 1792 GB/s TDP: 575W RTX 5090DD (Leaked): GPU: GB202-240 CUDA Cores: 21,760 SMs: 170 out of 192 Bus Width: 384 bits VRAM: 24GB Bandwidth: 1344 GB/s TDP: 575W RTX 5080: GPU: GB203-400 CUDA Cores: 10,752 SMs: 84 out of 84 Bus Width: 256 bits VRAM: 16GB Bandwidth: 960 GB/s TDP: Not specified RTX 5070 Ti: GPU: GB203-200 CUDA Cores: 8,960 SMs: 70 out of 84 Bus Width: 256 bits VRAM: 16GB Bandwidth: 896 GB/s TDP: Not specified RTX 5070: GPU: GB205-300 CUDA Cores: 6,144 SMs: 48 out of 50 Bus Width: 192 bits VRAM: 12GB Bandwidth: 672 GB/s TDP: Not specified RTX 5060 Ti: GPU: GB206-300 CUDA Cores: 4,352 SMs: 34 out of 36 Bus Width: 128 bits VRAM: 8GB Bandwidth: 448 GB/s TDP: Not specified As the situation evolves, further details about the RTX 5090DD may emerge, providing a clearer picture of how this modified card will perform and what the market in China will look like moving forward.