NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 vs NVIDIA H20 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score in the database?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842, placing it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. The NVIDIA H20 has no recorded benchmark scores and an average score of 0, placing it in the 50th percentile.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare between the two cards?

A: The RTX 5090 uses 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The H20 uses 96 GB of HBM3 memory on a 6144-bit bus, delivering 4.03 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than double the RTX 5090's bandwidth.

Q: What are the FP32 compute capabilities of each GPU?

A: The RTX 5090 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the H20 delivers 39.54 TFLOPS. The RTX 5090 also offers FP16 at 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), whereas the H20 provides 79.07 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and texture mapping units?

A: The RTX 5090 has 21,760 shading units and 680 TMUs. The H20 has 9,984 shading units and 312 TMUs. The RTX 5090 also has 176 ROPs compared to the H20's 24 ROPs.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same PCIe interface?

A: Yes, both the RTX 5090 and the H20 use a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface. However, the RTX 5090 is a dual-slot card with display outputs, while the H20 is an SXM module with no display outputs.

Q: What is the transistor count and die size difference?

A: The RTX 5090 uses 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, resulting in a density of 122.9M transistors per mm². The H20 uses 80,000 million transistors on a larger 814 mm² die, with a density of 98.3M per mm². Both are built on TSMC's 5 nm process.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 5090 and the H20 represent two distinct branches of NVIDIA's design philosophy. The RTX 5090 belongs to the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip. The H20 is a server-oriented part from the Hopper generation, using the GH100 chip. Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but the architectural goals diverge sharply.

The RTX 5090 is a client-focused GPU designed for maximum rendering throughput. It packs 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, along with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. The H20, by contrast, has 9,984 shading units, 312 TMUs, and only 24 ROPs, with 312 tensor cores and no dedicated RT cores listed. The H20's low ROP count and lack of RT cores indicate a compute-oriented design rather than a rasterization-focused one.

Clock speeds also differ. The RTX 5090 runs at a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The H20 operates at a lower 1830 MHz base and 1980 MHz boost. Memory clocks reflect different technologies: the RTX 5090 uses 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective GDDR7, while the H20 uses 1313 MHz with 5.3 Gbps effective HBM3.

The die layouts reveal contrasting priorities. The RTX 5090 has a smaller 750 mm² die but packs more transistors (92,200 million), achieving a higher density of 122.9M per mm². The H20's die is larger at 814 mm² but contains fewer transistors (80,000 million), yielding a lower density of 98.3M per mm². This suggests the RTX 5090 utilizes its silicon more efficiently for compute throughput, while the H20 allocates area to memory infrastructure.

API support separates the two as well. The RTX 5090 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The H20 lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, reinforcing its server-centric role where graphics APIs are not relevant. The RTX 5090 also provides display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b), while the H20 has no outputs.

Power characteristics differ modestly. The RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575 W with a suggested PSU of 950 W, using a single 16-pin connector. The H20 has a 500 W TDP with a 900 W suggested PSU, and no power connector listed due to its SXM form factor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Direct benchmark comparisons between the RTX 5090 and the H20 are limited because the database contains no head-to-head test results for these two GPUs. The H20 has an empty benchmark array and an average score of 0, meaning no recorded performance data exists for it in the database. The RTX 5090, however, has a full set of benchmark results that paint a clear picture of its capabilities.

The RTX 5090 achieves an average benchmark score of 79,842, which places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database provide context for this score. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605, just 0.3% lower. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, 0.6% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, which is 1.4% higher than the RTX 5090. These deltas are small, indicating that the RTX 5090 sits in a tightly contested performance band in the database's aggregate scoring.

In individual benchmarks, the RTX 5090 shows specific strengths. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 18,355. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 334,370, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 376,728. The PassMark suite shows a G3D score of 39,650 and a GPU compute score of 26,756. Older DirectX tests show scores of 226 (DX10), 341 (DX11), 185 (DX12), and 395 (DX9). The G2D score is 1,413.

The RTX 5090's aggregate performance, measured against its nearest rivals, indicates that its average score is only slightly above the Tesla P100 variants and the RX 6850M XT. The Pro Vega 64X edges it out by 1.4%. These comparisons suggest that while the RTX 5090 is a high performer, the database's scoring places it in a cluster of capable GPUs rather than at a dominant extreme.

Because the H20 has no benchmark data, the head-to-head comparison is one-sided. The data shows that the RTX 5090 delivers measurable performance across multiple test suites, while the H20's performance remains unquantified in the database. The H20's 50th percentile ranking with a zero average score reflects the absence of data rather than a performance estimate.

The wins tally in the database shows 0 wins for each GPU in head-to-head tests, consistent with the empty head-to-head benchmark array. The RTX 5090's individual scores, however, provide the only available numerical basis for evaluating either GPU's performance in this comparison.

The Verdict

The data supports distinct use cases for each GPU. The RTX 5090 is a client graphics card with full display outputs, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and substantial rasterization resources: 21,760 shading units, 176 ROPs, and 170 RT cores. Its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth position it for graphics workloads that require high pixel and texture throughput. Its pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s further indicate rendering-oriented strength.

The H20 is a server module with no display outputs and no graphics API support. Its 96 GB of HBM3 memory with 4.03 TB/s bandwidth suggests a capacity-focused role, likely for large-scale compute workloads where memory volume matters more than rendering speed. Its FP16 performance of 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) exceeds its FP32 figure, indicating a design that favors mixed-precision compute. The absence of RT cores and the minimal ROP count (24) confirm that the H20 is not intended for graphics rendering.

For users seeking a GPU for gaming, content creation, or any workload that involves rendering to a display, the RTX 5090 is the only viable choice between these two. It has the necessary outputs, API support, and rendering hardware. Its benchmark scores, though closely matched by several rivals in the database, confirm it performs competitively in its class.

For server deployments where memory capacity and bandwidth are paramount, the H20 offers 96 GB and 4.03 TB/s, figures the RTX 5090 cannot match. The H20's 6144-bit memory bus and HBM3 technology provide a memory subsystem designed for data-intensive compute tasks. Its 500 W TDP is also lower than the RTX 5090's 575 W, which may factor into dense server environments.

The RTX 5090's launch MSRP is 1,999 USD. The H20 has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

The choice comes down to workload type. The RTX 5090 delivers measured benchmark results and full graphics capability. The H20 delivers a large memory pool and high bandwidth for compute-oriented server tasks, though its performance remains unquantified in the database. The recorded data favors the RTX 5090 for any application requiring graphics output or DirectX/Vulkan support; the H20 suits scenarios where memory capacity and bandwidth outweigh all other factors.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, while the H20 uses the GH100 chip with Hopper architecture. The RTX 5090 belongs to the GeForce 50 generation; the H20 belongs to the Server Hopper (Hxx) generation.

Process node and foundry are shared: both use TSMC's 5 nm process. Transistor counts differ: 92,200 million for the RTX 5090 versus 80,000 million for the H20. Die size favors the H20 at 814 mm² versus 750 mm². Transistor density favors the RTX 5090 at 122.9M per mm² versus 98.3M per mm².

Clocks differ: the RTX 5090 has a 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost; the H20 has a 1830 MHz base and 1980 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) for the RTX 5090 and 1313 MHz (5.3 Gbps effective) for the H20.

Memory specifications diverge significantly. The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. The H20 has 96 GB of HBM3 on a 6144-bit bus with 4.03 TB/s bandwidth.

Compute resources differ: the RTX 5090 has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. The H20 has 9,984 shading units, 312 TMUs, 24 ROPs, no listed RT cores, and 312 tensor cores.

Rates and throughput differ: pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s for the RTX 5090 versus 47.52 GPixel/s for the H20. Texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s versus 617.8 GTexel/s. FP32 is 104.8 TFLOPS versus 39.54 TFLOPS. FP16 is 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1).

Power and form factor differ: TDP is 575 W for the RTX 5090 versus 500 W for the H20. The RTX 5090 is dual-slot with a 1x 16-pin connector and 950 W suggested PSU. The H20 is an SXM module with no connector listed and a 900 W suggested PSU.

Bus interface is identical: PCIe 5.0 x16 for both. Display outputs differ: the RTX 5090 has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b; the H20 has no outputs. API support differs: the RTX 5090 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; the H20 lists N/A for all.

Dimensions are listed only for the RTX 5090: 304 mm length, 137 mm height, 40 mm width. Release dates differ: 2025-01-29 for the RTX 5090 versus 2024-01-31 for the H20. Predecessors and successors also differ: the RTX 5090 follows GeForce 40 and precedes GeForce 60; the H20 follows Server Ada and precedes Server Blackwell.