NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D vs NVIDIA RTX A5500 Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear generational divide. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant performer in every benchmark where both cards have recorded scores. It wins both head-to-head tests decisively, making it the obvious choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute and graphics throughput.

However, the RTX A5500 is not without its own merits. It is a workstation card with a different design philosophy, targeting stability and professional workflows. The RTX A5500 holds a higher percentile ranking (97th) compared to the RTX 5090 D (92nd) in the database, suggesting that in the broader context of all GPUs, the A5500's overall performance profile is closer to the top of the pile relative to its peers.

The choice between the two is strictly about workload. If the task demands maximum performance in applications that leverage the specific benchmark strengths of the RTX 5090 D, such as OpenCL and Vulkan compute, then the RTX 5090 D is the definitive pick. The RTX A5500, with its end-of-life production status and lower power draw, appears geared toward environments where established compatibility and efficiency are more critical than peak speed. The RTX 5090 D is the performance king, while the RTX A5500 is the seasoned professional.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes, which explains their performance disparity.

The RTX A5500 is based on the Ampere architecture, utilizing the GA102 chip. It is fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This older node results in a transistor count of 28,300 million on a 628 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². The RTX 5090 D, in contrast, uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip. It is built on a more advanced 5 nm process at TSMC. This allows for a massive 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, achieving a much higher transistor density of 122.9M per mm².

The memory subsystems also differ significantly. The A5500 pairs its GA102 chip with 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 768.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5090 D steps up to 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a wider 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, a substantial increase. Clock speeds are also in the RTX 5090 D's favor, with a base clock of 2017 MHz and boost of 2407 MHz, compared to the A5500's 1080 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost.

Feature-wise, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 5090 D offers a modern connectivity suite with 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the A5500 provides 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RTX 5090 D also uses a newer PCIe 5.0 x16 interface compared to the A5500's PCIe 4.0 x16.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5500 has a higher average benchmark score of 165,217, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has an average score of 77,712.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D always faster than the RTX A5500 in the recorded benchmarks?

A: Yes, in the head-to-head benchmarks, the RTX 5090 D wins both tests. It scores 310,674 in Geekbench OpenCL and 376,915 in Geekbench Vulkan, compared to the A5500's 174,637 and 155,797, respectively.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption between the two cards?

A: The RTX A5500 has a TDP of 230 W and requires a 550 W power supply. The RTX 5090 D has a TDP of 575 W and needs a 950 W power supply.

Q: Which card has more memory and bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5090 D has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX A5500 has 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus with 768.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is still in production?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is marked as "Active" in production status, while the NVIDIA RTX A5500 is listed as "End-of-life."

Q: What are the pixel and texture rates for each card?

A: The RTX A5500 has a pixel rate of 159.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 532.8 GTexel/s. The RTX 5090 D has a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key specifications where the two NVIDIA GPUs differ, based on the recorded data.

| Specification | NVIDIA RTX A5500 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | Ampere | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Chip | GA102 | GB202 |

| Process Node | 8 nm (Samsung) | 5 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | 28,300 million | 92,200 million |

| Die Size | 628 mm² | 750 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1080 MHz | 2017 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1665 MHz | 2407 MHz |

| Memory Size | 24 GB | 32 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR7 |

| Memory Bus | 384 bit | 512 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 768.0 GB/s | 1.79 TB/s |

| Shading Units | 10240 | 21760 |

| TMUs | 320 | 680 |

| ROPs | 96 | 176 |

| RT Cores | 80 | 170 |

| Tensor Cores | 320 | 680 |

| FP32 Performance | 34.10 TFLOPS | 104.8 TFLOPS |

| Pixel Rate | 159.8 GPixel/s | 423.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 532.8 GTexel/s | 1,636.8 GTexel/s |

| TDP | 230 W | 575 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 16-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 950 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b |

| Dimensions (LxH) | 267 mm x 112 mm | 304 mm x 137 mm |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2022-03-21 | 2025-01-29 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data shows a complete victory for the newer NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D. The most significant margin is in the Geekbench Vulkan test.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 5090 D scores 376,915, while the RTX A5500 scores 155,797. This results in a delta of -58.7%, meaning the RTX A5500's score is 58.7% lower than the RTX 5090 D's. This is a massive gap, indicating that the RTX 5090 D handles graphics and compute workloads, as measured by Vulkan, far more efficiently. The newer architecture and higher core counts of the RTX 5090 D are the likely drivers of this result.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a similar, though slightly less severe, outcome. The RTX 5090 D scores 310,674, compared to the RTX A5500's 174,637. The delta is -43.8%, meaning the A5500's OpenCL score is 43.8% lower. While the gap is smaller than in Vulkan, it is still a decisive win for the RTX 5090 D. This suggests that in general-purpose compute tasks using OpenCL, the RTX 5090 D offers a substantial performance advantage.

The benchmark results clearly indicate that the RTX 5090 D is in a different performance class. The A5500, despite being a high-end workstation card in its day, is simply outclassed by the raw compute power of the newer Blackwell architecture. The RTX 5090 D's wins are not marginal; they are overwhelming, with performance leads of over 40% in both recorded tests.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the performance data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D wins in every scenario where both cards have been measured. It is the superior choice for any application that relies on the performance metrics captured by the Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan benchmarks. This includes tasks like 3D rendering, scientific computation, and other GPU-accelerated workloads that can leverage these APIs.

The RTX A5500's wins are not in raw performance benchmarks but in its overall profile. Its average benchmark score is significantly higher than the RTX 5090 D's, and it holds a higher percentile ranking. This suggests that when compared against a wider field of GPUs, the A5500 is a more consistently high-performing card in the database's aggregate metrics. Furthermore, its end-of-life status and lower power requirements (230 W TDP vs. 575 W) make it a more practical choice for legacy systems or deployments where power draw and heat output are primary constraints.

In summary, the RTX 5090 D is the clear winner for maximum performance in modern applications that use OpenCL and Vulkan. The RTX A5500, while not competitive on those specific metrics, holds its own as a well-rounded, high-percentile workstation card that is more power-efficient and could be the better fit for existing professional infrastructure that does not require the extreme speed of the newer card.