NVIDIA RTX 5880 Review: Power Unleashed

NVIDIA introduces the RTX 5880 graphics card with 14,080 CUDA cores and 48GB of VRAM. Compared to the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada GPU, this RTX 5880 has fewer CUDA cores.

This limitation is likely to help NVIDIA navigate the stringent requirements and export bans on the latest powerful GPUs, to comply while still releasing a capable product. It also gives NVIDIA another price point for professionals who don’t necessarily want to spend on NVIDIA’s flagship workstation card.

As artificial intelligence becomes such a powerful industry force, the demand for literally any capable GPU has outpaced NVIDIA’s ability to produce them in a timely manner. The production is fraught with logistical challenges, as demonstrated with the announcement of the RTX 5880 GPU. While this GPU can be useful in a myriad of scenarios such as 3D modeling and video content creation, the AI data center market is equally hungry for it.

5880

This is not the first cut-down version of NVIDIA’s popular GPUs, with a similar fate befalling the GeForce RTX 4090D.

Worry not, the RTX 5880 still boasts impressive specifications. Utilizing the AD102 GPU with 14,080 CUDA cores and 440 tensor cores, it also comes with 48GB of VRAM and a 384-bit bus. Although it won’t perform as well as the RTX 6000, it also has a lower TDP of 285 watts to compensate for some of that decreased capability.

While pricing and availability are still unknown, it seems this may be a GPU available globally and not just specifically for the Chinese market. Given the current high worldwide demand for AI data center GPUs, this is likely a solid decision to keep the market satisfied.

The NVIDIA RTX 5880, a part of the Ada Generation graphics cards, is a professional-grade GPU designed to meet the demands of today’s challenging professional workflows. Built on the NVIDIA Ada Lovelace GPU architecture, the RTX 5880 is equipped with 48GB of GDDR6 memory and is focused on providing exceptional performance for rendering, graphics, and compute tasks.

Performance and Specifications
  • CUDA Cores: The RTX 5880 features 14,080 CUDA cores, delivering robust performance for complex tasks such as 3D computer-aided
  • design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE).
  • Tensor Cores: It includes 440 fourth-generation Tensor Cores, offering enhanced acceleration for FP8 precision data type and improved execution of mixed floating-point and integer calculations.
  • RT Cores: The third-generation RT Cores in the RTX 5880 provide up to 2x the throughput of the previous generation, ideal for photorealistic rendering and virtual prototyping.
  • Memory: The 48GB of GDDR6 memory ensures ample capacity for demanding applications.
  • Performance Metrics: It delivers 69.3 TFLOPS of single-precision performance, 160.2 TFLOPS of RT Core performance, and 1108.4 TFLOPS of Tensor performance.
NVIDIA RTX 5880
Use Cases and Applications

The RTX 5880 is tailored for professionals working in fields like 3D modeling, rendering, data visualization, and video content creation. Its robust memory and advanced cores make it particularly suitable for:

  • High-end rendering tasks in architecture and design.
  • Complex simulations in engineering and scientific research.
  • Intensive data processing and visualization tasks.
  • Advanced AI and machine learning computations.
Market Positioning

The RTX 5880 stands between the NVIDIA RTX 5000 and RTX 6000 in terms of performance, offering a balance of high memory capacity and compute resources. It’s an ideal choice for professionals who require more memory than the RTX 5000 offers but do not need the full power or expense of the RTX 6000.

Pricing and Availability

The exact pricing of the NVIDIA RTX 5880 was not confirmed. However, it is positioned as a high-end professional GPU, so potential buyers should expect a premium price tag, likely lower than the RTX 6000 but higherthan the RTX 5000. The card is available globally, not limited to specific markets, catering to the widespread demand for high-performance GPUs in various professional sectors.

NVIDIA RTX 5880

The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation GPU represents a significant step forward in professional-grade graphics processing. Its blend of high memory capacity, advanced core technologies, and robust performance metrics make it an excellent investment for professionals in fields requiring intensive graphics and compute capabilities. While the pricing is premium, the RTX 5880 is a compelling option for those seeking top-tier performance without reaching for the absolute highest-end GPUs like the RTX 6000. For businesses and professionals looking to enhance their capabilities in rendering, simulation, and AI-driven tasks, the RTX 5880 stands as a powerful and versatile tool.