Nvidia has officially taken the wraps off its latest flagship graphics card, the RTX 5090 Founders Edition, and it's clear that the company has made significant strides in shrinking its design while maintaining performance. The new GPU is housed in a two-slot card, a notable departure from the three-slot RTX 4090, making it a more compact option for gamers and PC enthusiasts.

The RTX 5090's packaging has undergone a significant overhaul, with Nvidia switching to a smaller, bone-shaped gray cardboard shell that sits inside a larger brown cardboard box. The outer box features the tagline "Inspired by gamers. Enhanced by AI. Built by Nvidia." and includes a new power adapter cable that requires four regular PCIe eight-pin power connectors or a new 12V-2x6 cable. The 12V-2x6 connector is similar to the existing 12VHPWR, with shorter sensing pins and slightly longer conductor terminals, making it compatible with existing 12VHPWR cables.

The RTX 5090 itself is the same width and length as the RTX 4090, but its reduced thickness makes it a more appealing option for those with limited space. Nvidia has achieved this by overhauling its cooling system, which now features double flow-through fans that suck in cooler air from below and exhaust it above the card. The PCB is located in the middle of the GPU, surrounded by large heat pipes that receive cool air from the dual fans. This design allows the RTX 5090 to be small form factor certified, making it suitable for a variety of compact cases.

The power connector has been relocated to the side of the card, angled to make it easier to fit into cases where the side panel comes close to touching the power cable. The rear of the card features three DisplayPort 2.1b ports and a single HDMI 2.1b port, although Nvidia has flipped the ports upside down, which may require some users to adjust their cable management.

In terms of aesthetics, the RTX 5090 features LEDs that light up in white at the top and side of the card, similar to previous Founders Edition cards. The metal housing has been given a slightly darker gray finish, falling between the light gray of the regular RTX 40-series Founders Edition cards and the black of the RTX 40-series Super variants.

While we're not yet allowed to show the RTX 5090 in action or powered on with its LED lights, Jayztwocents has managed to build a small form factor PC featuring the new GPU. We'll be back with a full review of the RTX 5090 soon, where we'll put it through its paces and compare it to the RTX 4090.

The RTX 5090's smaller form factor and improved cooling system make it an intriguing option for those looking to upgrade their graphics capabilities. As we await the full review, it's clear that Nvidia has made significant strides in pushing the boundaries of GPU design and performance.