Defective Nvidia RTX 5080 cards are up to 10% slower due to missing ROPs

Nvidia's handling of the recent RTX 50 series ROP issue hasn't been the best. After issuing a relatively low-key disclosure about a production error affecting a small number of GPUs, the company has seemingly left it up to consumers to identify and resolve the problem. While Nvidia claims the performance impact is limited to around 4%, independent testing has revealed a more significant performance deficit in specific scenarios.

Gamers Nexus recently acquired an affected RTX 5080 and conducted extensive testing. Their findings revealed that a defective RTX 5080 with the wrong ROP count could be up to 10% slower than a fully functional card. While the performance difference is negligible in some titles, it can be substantial in others, such as Dragon's Dogma 2, Total War: Warhammer 3, and Dying Light 2.

This discrepancy between Nvidia's claims and independent testing raises concerns about the company's transparency and commitment to addressing the issue. Furthermore, the company's lack of clear guidance on how to identify affected cards is frustrating for consumers. The company has not provided easily accessible methods for verifying ROP counts, such as serial number checks or batch codes.

Gamers Nexus advises recent purchasers of RTX 50 series GPUs to check their cards using TechPowerUp's GPU-Z utility to determine if they are affected. Those who discover they have a defective card are encouraged to initiate a return within the retailer's return window, as this is likely to be easier than seeking a replacement from Nvidia or their board partner.

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KitGuru says: Have you got an RTX 50 series graphics card? Is it fully functional or did you got a sample with lower ROP count than it should?

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