MSI is making waves in the overclocking community with their latest powerhouse, the GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z. This graphics card has been setting new benchmarks and is poised to become the dream component for enthusiasts looking to push the limits of performance. Reports have highlighted its remarkable achievements, and it’s clear that MSI’s latest offering is in a league of its own.
Breaking New Ground with the RTX 5090 Lightning Z
The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z graphics card has been unveiled, showcasing its impressive capabilities. Overclockers got their first look at the PCB, which boasts an extraordinary 40-phase power delivery system and dual 16-pin connectors. Initial performance results are living up to expectations, with overclockers posting impressive scores.
The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z has achieved a groundbreaking clock speed of nearly 3.75 GHz, surpassing the previous record set by the GALAX RTX 5090D HOF OC V2 by almost 100 MHz. This new record also includes memory speeds pushed to 36 Gbps, matching the GALAX variant’s capabilities. The race for GDDR7 overclocking continues to hit the 36 Gbps ceiling.
Insights from Overclocking Experts
Renowned overclocker Alva Jonathan, known as Lucky_n00b, has shared insights into the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z. The card is specifically designed for overclockers and comes with a non-retail heatsink. Several PCBs have been distributed for testing, and although the basic heatsink supplied by MSI can’t handle the 600W TDP, it remains unaffected during LN2-based tests.
Lucky_n00b has also disclosed that the XOC BIOS from MSI allows the GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z to reach a staggering 2500W power limit, a full 500W more than what ASUS’s 2000W XOC BIOS offers.
MSI is scheduled to unveil the GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z at CES 2026, promising more details and the final retail design soon.