MSI RTX 5090 LIGHTNING: “Return of a Legend”
MSI recommends 1600W PSU.
MSI has announced the GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z for CES 2026, bringing the LIGHTNING series back for a limited-run card aimed at overclocking.
On stage, MSI highlighted three “world’s first” claims tied to the design. The first is an 8-inch display built into the GPU shroud , which MSI says is the first of its kind on a graphics card. MSI also described the card as the first “GPU beyond 1000W,” and called out a full-copper, full-cover cold plate design. On the spec slide, MSI lists a 1600W+ recommended PSU.
Source: MSI
MSI’s spec sheet also spells out the card’s clock targets and power modes. Boost clock is listed at 2730 MHz, with an “Extreme Performance” profile rated at 2775 MHz through MSI Center. Power is shown as a dual setting, with an OC mode rated at 800W and an Extreme mode rated at 1000W.
Source: MSI
MSI RTX 5090 LIGHTNING Specs
- Interface: PCI Express Gen 5 x16
- Core clocks: Extreme Performance 2775 MHz (MSI Center), Boost 2730 MHz
- CUDA cores: 21,760
- Memory: 32GB GDDR7
- Memory speed: 28 Gbps
- Memory bus: 512-bit
- Outputs: USB-C x1 (dedicated for LIGHTNING panel only), DisplayPort x3 (2.1b), HDMI x1 (2.1b)
- Power consumption: OC 800W, Extreme 1000W
- Power connectors: 16-pin x2 (1-to-3 dongle not supported due to safety protection)
- Recommended PSU: 1600W+
- Card dimensions: 260 x 151 x 61 mm
- Radiator dimensions: 394 x 120 x 56 mm
- Compatibility: PCIe 5.0 and older
The rest of the listed specs include PCI Express Gen 5 x16, 21,760 CUDA cores, and 32GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus at 28 Gbps. Outputs are shown as three DisplayPort 2.1b ports and one HDMI 2.1b port, plus a USB-C port that MSI says is dedicated to the LIGHTNING panel only.
Source: MSI
MSI also shared more platform details in its press release and in a separate slide about the board itself. MSI describes a custom PCB built for extreme overclocking, and the slide calls out a 40-phase design with dual 16-pin power connectors.
MSI also mentions Dual BIOS, a web-based Lightning Hub for tuning and display control, and a Lightning Overdrive mobile app for monitoring and adjustments. Production is capped at 1,300 units worldwide, and MSI says the card has already taken first-place results across 17 benchmarks on HWBOT and 3DMark.
Source: MSI
MSI has not shared pricing or a release date.
Source: MSI
