The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card has topped the list of best graphics accelerators. However, the Chinese company Shenzhen Suqiao Smart Technology has released a more powerful version, equipping the flagship accelerator with 96 GB of video memory, three times that of the original model. These modified GeForce FTX 5090s are already on sale on Alibaba for $3,888, making them 35% cheaper than the standard GeForce RTX 5090s in the US.
Image source: NVIDIA
In China, strange modifications of various graphics cards have previously appeared, including the GeForce RTX 5080 with 32GB of memory, the GeForce RTX 4090 with 48GB of memory, and the GeForce RTX 3090 with 48GB of memory. While some of these projects are driven by hobbyist curiosity, the AI boom is also prompting Chinese companies to look beyond standard solutions by upgrading existing and traditional accelerators. This is achieved by increasing the amount of memory, which allows users to use such accelerators to process artificial intelligence. There have been previous rumors that the GeForce RTX 5090 will launch a modified version with 128 GB memory, but from a technical point of view, the emergence of a 96 GB memory version seems more reasonable, especially since there is a similar precedent based on the Blackwell platform.
In this case, an advertisement posted on Alibaba’s website for the sale of a GeForce RTX 5090 with 96 GB of video memory was posted by Suqiao, a Chinese supplier with more than 10 years of experience in producing accelerators, motherboards and servers. This indicates that potential buyers are not getting a temporary modified product, but a product from an established OEM/ODM manufacturer. Meanwhile, the description of this graphics card on Alibaba’s website contains many questionable features, such as GDDR6X memory (14 Gbit/s).
The GeForce RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell accelerator with 96GB GDDR7 VRAM features the same GB202 GPU as the GeForce RTX 5090, but with a more active streaming multiprocessor (SM). Therefore, 96 GB of video memory can be configured. However, in this case, the manufacturer may use its own printed circuit board, which makes it possible to place the memory chips on both sides.
As for the GB202 GPUs, manufacturers can purchase them or pull them from standard GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards. Even though the die is placed on both sides of the motherboard, the number of contact pads is limited – only 32. The GeForce RTX 6000 accelerator uses 32 GDDR 7 memory chips of 3 GB each, providing a total of 96 GB of memory. The product description mentions a GDDR6X chip, raising doubts about the existence of the GeForce RTX 5090 with 96 GB of memory. In fact, the GDDR6X chip produced by Micron has a capacity of only 2 GB. This means that even if you place the die on both sides of the PCB, you cannot achieve more than 48 GB of memory. In addition, GDDR6X memory operates at 19 Gbps to 24 Gbps, and the 14 Gbps specified in the description is more consistent with GDDR6 memory.
Operating GeForce graphics cards with modified amounts of video memory requires firmware modifications and software hacks at the software level. For example, the GeForce RTX 4090 with 48 GB of memory is possible in part because modders have modified the Nvidia firmware. According to rumors, the firmware for the GeForce RTX 5090 is already available online thanks to a leak a few months ago. This is probably why there is now a GeForce RTX 5090 variant with 96 GB of memory.
Suqiao sells the modified accelerator for $3,888, which is much cheaper than the cost of graphics cards from other sellers on Alibaba (most cost closer to $5,900). Meanwhile, in the United States, the price of a customized GeForce RTX 5090 accelerator starts at $6,000. With the latest price increase, Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000 is priced at $16,000, although depending on the configuration, the price can be as high as $17,999. If the GeForce RTX 5090 with 96 GB of video memory is real, it will be a real boon for people working with AI models, even at a price of $6,000.
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