NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE vs NVIDIA RTX A400 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents an unusual comparison: the GeForce RTX 5090 SE has no benchmark entries in the database, while the RTX A400 carries a full suite of nine test results. The RTX A400's average benchmark score sits at 6,078, placing it in the 35th percentile of all GPUs tracked. Its nearest rivals in the database include the GeForce MX230 at an average score of 6,077 (a 0% delta), the Quadro P2000 at 6,049 (0.5% ahead), the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 at 6,117 (0.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon 760M at 6,019 (1% ahead). These deltas are all within a single percentage point, indicating that the RTX A400 performs in a tightly clustered band of entry-level graphics solutions.

The RTX A400's individual benchmark breakdown reveals its character. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 22,844, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 22,237. Passmark results show a DirectX 9 score of 87, DirectX 10 at 32, DirectX 11 at 37, and DirectX 12 at 27. The G2D (2D graphics) score is 899, while the G3D (3D graphics) score reaches 5,983. The GPU compute score is 2,557. These numbers suggest the card handles legacy DirectX 9 workloads far better than modern APIs, with the DirectX 9 score being more than twice the DirectX 11 score and more than three times the DirectX 12 score.

The GeForce RTX 5090 SE, by contrast, has zero recorded benchmarks and a percentile ranking of 50, which reflects its position in the database's overall GPU distribution rather than any measured performance. The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, and the win counts for both cards are zero. This means the database currently holds no direct comparative measurements between the two products. The RTX A400's nearest rival data shows it trading blows with the MX230, P2000, Iris Pro 6200, and Radeon 760M, all within a 1.6-point spread across average scores. The RTX 5090 SE's absence of benchmark data makes any head-to-head numerical comparison impossible at this time.

What the data does show is the RTX A400's performance tier relative to the broader market. Its 35th percentile ranking indicates it outperforms roughly one-third of all recorded GPUs, while the RTX 5090 SE's 50th percentile is a placeholder ranking that does not reflect any measured workload. The RTX A400's Passmark G3D score of 5,983, combined with its compute score of 2,557, positions it as a low-power workstation card capable of basic 3D acceleration and compute tasks, but far from high-end territory. The Geekbench scores of 22,844 and 22,237 for OpenCL and Vulkan respectively show moderate compute throughput, though these numbers pale against what the RTX 5090 SE's specifications would imply.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from entirely different architectural generations and market segments. The GeForce RTX 5090 SE uses the GB202 chip built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It integrates 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. The RTX A400 uses the GA107 chip from the Ampere architecture, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung, with 8,700 million transistors across a 200 mm² die, giving a density of 43.5 million per square millimeter. The RTX 5090 SE packs more than ten times the transistor count and nearly four times the die area.

Core configurations diverge dramatically. The RTX 5090 SE contains 14,080 shading units, 440 texture mapping units, 160 ROPs, 110 RT cores, and 440 tensor cores. The RTX A400 has 768 shading units, 24 TMUs, 16 ROPs, 6 RT cores, and 24 tensor cores. The RTX 5090 SE's shading unit count is 18.3 times higher, its TMU count is 18.3 times higher, and its ROP count is 10 times higher. The RT core and tensor core counts show similar ratios, with the RTX 5090 SE featuring 18.3 times more RT cores and 18.3 times more tensor cores.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The RTX 5090 SE has a base clock of 1740 MHz and a boost clock of 2377 MHz. The RTX A400 operates at a base of 1417 MHz and a boost of 1762 MHz. The RTX 5090 SE's boost clock is 615 MHz higher, representing a 34.9% advantage in raw clock frequency. Memory clocks show the RTX 5090 SE at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed, while the RTX A400 runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective. The memory subsystem differences are stark: the RTX 5090 SE uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX A400 uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s. That is a 14-fold difference in bandwidth and a 6-fold difference in capacity.

Process node advantages flow through the data. The RTX 5090 SE's 5 nm TSMC process allows for the massive transistor count, while the RTX A400's 8 nm Samsung process limits its density. The RTX 5090 SE uses a dual-slot design with a 16-pin power connector and requires a 900 W suggested PSU. The RTX A400 is a single-slot card with no power connectors and a 250 W suggested PSU. Power draw figures in the database show the RTX 5090 SE at 500 W TDP versus the RTX A400's 50 W TDP, a 10-fold difference.

Interface and display outputs also differ. The RTX 5090 SE runs on PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX A400 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs show the RTX 5090 SE with 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the RTX A400 offers 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX A400's release date is April 2024, while the RTX 5090 SE's release date is late December 2025, roughly 20 months later.

The Verdict

The database records no benchmark scores for the GeForce RTX 5090 SE, so any verdict must come from architectural specifications rather than measured performance. The RTX A400 has concrete data: an average score of 6,078, a 35th percentile ranking, and nearest rivals all within 1% of its score. The RTX 5090 SE's 50th percentile placeholder and empty benchmark array mean the database cannot confirm its performance tier. What the specs show is a card with 18.3 times the shading units, 14 times the memory bandwidth, and 10 times the TDP of the RTX A400.

The RTX A400's data indicates it belongs in a specific niche: low-power, single-slot, fanless or minimally cooled workstation cards for basic CAD, legacy DirectX workloads, or multi-display setups. Its DirectX 9 score of 87 versus DirectX 12 score of 27 suggests it excels at older applications, not modern gaming or compute. The 50 W TDP and no external power connectors make it suitable for systems with limited power delivery.

The RTX 5090 SE, based on its specs, targets a completely different user: someone needing massive compute throughput, high-bandwidth memory, and modern API support. The 500 W TDP, 900 W suggested PSU, and dual-slot cooler indicate a high-performance card for demanding workloads. Its 24 GB GDDR7 memory and 1.34 TB/s bandwidth would support large datasets, and the 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores suggest ray tracing and AI workloads. Without benchmark data, the database cannot quantify this advantage, but the specification gap is unambiguous.

For the RTX A400, the nearest rival data shows it is a marginal player even within its own tier. The 0.5% delta against the Quadro P2000 and the 1% delta against the Radeon 760M indicate it barely edges out older or integrated alternatives. The RTX 5090 SE's absence from benchmarks means no such comparison exists for it. Users who need the RTX A400's capabilities should know it trades near the bottom of the database's GPU population, at the 35th percentile. The RTX 5090 SE's 50th percentile ranking is not a measured result and should not be interpreted as performance evidence.

FAQ

Q: Does the GeForce RTX 5090 SE have any recorded benchmark scores in the database?

A: No. The RTX 5090 SE's benchmark array is empty, and its average benchmark score is listed as 0. The RTX A400 has nine recorded benchmark scores across Geekbench and Passmark tests.

Q: What is the RTX A400's average benchmark score and percentile ranking?

A: The RTX A400 has an average benchmark score of 6,078 and ranks in the 35th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

Q: How does the RTX A400 compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: Its nearest rival is the GeForce MX230 with an average score of 6,077 (0% delta). The Quadro P2000 scores 6,049 (0.5% behind the A400), the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 scores 6,117 (0.6% ahead), and the AMD Radeon 760M scores 6,019 (1% behind). All deltas are within one percentage point.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The RTX 5090 SE uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus with 1.34 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX A400 uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RTX 5090 SE has a 500 W TDP, uses a 16-pin power connector, and requires a 900 W suggested PSU. The RTX A400 has a 50 W TDP, uses no power connectors, and requires a 250 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which APIs do both cards support?

A: Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Their display outputs differ: the RTX 5090 SE has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the RTX A400 has 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX A400 wins in power efficiency and physical footprint. Its 50 W TDP requires no power connectors, and its single-slot, 163 mm length design fits compact systems. The suggested 250 W PSU means it can run in nearly any desktop. Its 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs support multi-monitor workstation setups, and its DirectX 9 score of 87 indicates strong performance for legacy applications. The RTX A400's 35th percentile ranking places it above only the bottom third of GPUs, but for its niche of low-power display output, it delivers adequate 2D performance with a G2D score of 899.

The RTX 5090 SE wins in every raw specification category. Its 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, and 160 ROPs provide the computational foundation for high-end rendering. The 1.34 TB/s memory bandwidth and 24 GB capacity handle large textures and datasets. The 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores enable ray tracing and AI acceleration. Its pixel rate of 380.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,045.9 GTexel/s dwarf the RTX A400's 28.19 GPixel/s and 42.29 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute of 66.94 TFLOPS versus 2.706 TFLOPS shows a 24.7-fold difference in raw floating-point throughput.

Where the RTX A400 wins is in its measured benchmark presence. The database contains actual scores for it, confirming its performance level. The RTX 5090 SE has no such data, so its wins are purely speculative based on specifications. For users who need confirmed performance, the RTX A400 provides verifiable numbers. For users who need maximum capability, the RTX 5090 SE's specifications indicate superiority, but the database cannot confirm it through measurements.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in every major specification category. The RTX 5090 SE uses the GB202 chip on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, while the RTX A400 uses GA107 on Ampere. Process nodes differ: 5 nm TSMC versus 8 nm Samsung. Transistor counts are 92,200 million versus 8,700 million, and die sizes are 750 mm² versus 200 mm². Transistor density is 122.9M per mm² versus 43.5M per mm².

Clock speeds show the RTX 5090 SE at 1740 MHz base and 2377 MHz boost, while the RTX A400 runs at 1417 MHz base and 1762 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) versus 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). Memory size is 24 GB versus 4 GB, type is GDDR7 versus GDDR6, bus width is 384-bit versus 64-bit, and bandwidth is 1.34 TB/s versus 96.00 GB/s.

Core counts diverge: 14,080 shading units versus 768, 440 TMUs versus 24, 160 ROPs versus 16, 110 RT cores versus 6, and 440 tensor cores versus 24. Pixel rates are 380.3 GPixel/s versus 28.19 GPixel/s, texture rates are 1,045.9 GTexel/s versus 42.29 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 66.94 TFLOPS versus 2.706 TFLOPS. Both show FP16 at 1:1 ratio to FP32.

Power and physical specs differ: 500 W TDP versus 50 W, dual-slot versus single-slot, 16-pin connector versus none, and 900 W versus 250 W suggested PSU. The bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8. Dimensions are 267 mm length, 111 mm height, 40 mm width versus 163 mm length, 69 mm height, and no recorded width. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 3x DisplayPort 2.1b versus 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a. Release dates are December 2025 versus April 2024. The RTX 5090 SE has a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD.