MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z 800W BIOS leak sparks cross-vendor
Somebody has shared the BIOS for MSI’s GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z that enables an 800 W power limit. This BIOS appears to come from the retail version, which is expected to reach the market next week.
The BIOS has been used for cross-flash testing on several non-MSI RTX 5090 cards. On the official side, MSI lists two power profiles for the Lightning Z: “OC: 800 W” and “EXtreme: 1000 W.” The spec sheet also confirms dual 16-pin power connectors and a 1500 W-plus PSU recommendation.
According to users, the following cards are confirmed to boot and run with the Lightning BIOS (this does not necessarily mean full support):
- ASUS ROG GeForce RTX 5090 Astral White
- ASUS ROG GeForce RTX 5090 Astral Black
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5090 Gaming OC
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5090 Windforce OC
- Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 ArcticStorm
Source: TechPowerUP
Not all flashes appear to work without issues. Some users report power behavior that does not match expectations, while others report fan control problems. The RTX 5090 Lightning Z is an 800W card for a reason, it uses a dual 16-pin power connector design, which is not a match for most RTX 5090 board layouts on the market.
GeForce GPU overclocking has seen limited progress in the past few years due to heavily restricted BIOSes. Pushing power limits often required hardware modifications such as shunt mods, or access to unofficial Extreme OC BIOS files. The arrival of new flagship OC models gives enthusiasts more options for experimentation, even though it can void warranty coverage.
Given current RTX 5090 pricing and the risks tied to unofficial BIOS flashing, these mods should only be attempted by users who understand the process and accept the consequences. The RTX 5090 is already a fast GPU at stock settings.
Source: Overclock.net , Uniko’s Hardware
