5090/5080 AIB price leaks from PC partpicker (USD)

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/5090-5080-aib-price-leaks-from-pc-partpicker.1679924/

5090

Asus ROG Astral OC: $2799.99
MSI GAMING TRIO OC: $2349.99
MSI SUPRIM LIQUID SOC: $2499.99
MSI SUPRIM SOC: $2399.99
Asus TUF GAMING: $2449.99
MSI VENTUS 3X OC: $2199.99
MSI VANGUARD SOC LAUNCH EDITION: $2379.99
MSI VANGUARD SOC: $2379.99

5080

Asus TUF GAMING OC: $1699.99
Asus ROG Astral OC: $1899.99
MSI GAMING TRIO OC: $1199.99
MSI GAMING TRIO OC (white): $1199.99
Asus PRIME: $1399.99
Asus PRIME OC: $1499.99
MSI VENTUS 3X OC PLUS: $1139.99
Gigabyte GAMING OC: $1199.99
Gigabyte WINDFORCE SFF: $1369.99
MSI SUPRIM SOC: $1249.99
MSI SUPRIM LIQUID SOC: $1299.99
MSI VANGUARD SOC: $1229.99

Asus Astral costs as much as two monthly mortgage payments lol

Here's hoping by the time I get to this game - any performance patches will improve it and my rig will be enough to run it at 4K 60 FPS.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

32GB DDR5 Memory

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12GB

Also a review video

Should be doable if you enable DLSS.

Nice!

Also another review

This guy is using a 3080ti

So basically MSRP plus at least $200 on top.

The price of the 5080 ASUS ROG fractal is absolutely ridiculous at $1899, that's almost twice the MSRP and comes very close to the price of a low-end 5090

The Price on the Asus ROG Astral OC is crazy over priced this gen.  I got my Asus 3090 strix OC for $1800 so 20% above the $1500 base price.  $2800 is a 40% increase over the $2000 base price.

Out of those I probably get MSI Gaming TRIO OC since Alphacool already confirm a waterblock for it.  I rather get a watercool heat block through so I been keeping a eye out for Gainwood and Palit model since those only ones watercool announce for so far.  Hopefully they have options closer too $2200.

https://watercool.de/en/heatkiller-v-pro-ultra-for-palit-gainward-rtx-5090-graphics-cards/

So, 26% over 4090 in 4K Native it seems, as per reviews.

42% in RT Overdrive (path tracing) in CP2077, though it seems to be rounding error, more likely ~30%, like when DLSS is used.

Transformer (DLSS 4) vs CNN (DLSS 3) mode is about the same performance in 5090, but gives better image quality.

Other games are from 20%-30%

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 “Blackwell” Graphics Cards Review Roundup

https://videocardz.com/195043/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090-blackwell-graphics-cards-review-roundup

So around 35% over the 4090 in Raster. Keep in mind that depending on the reviewer and their configuration, the 5090 can be cpu bottlenecked even at 4k so I think 33-35% is realistic not that it changes anything we have been saying since the reveal.

Around 42% with RT is enabled.

FE certainly does run a lot hotter and more louder than 4090 FE. That's for sure. Maximum power consumption is around 601 watts with spikes up to 644 watts.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090-founders-edition/34.html

Cyberpunk 2077 officially the first game with NVIDIA DLSS4 support

https://videocardz.com/pixel/cyberpunk-2077-officially-the-first-game-with-nvidia-dlss4-support

Somebody didn’t get the memo: AMD ad claims you can enjoy gaming on Radeon RX 9070 XT already

https://videocardz.com/newz/somebody-didnt-get-a-memo-amd-ad-claims-you-can-enjoy-gaming-on-radeon-rx-9070-xt-already

Large UK retailer holds “single-digit” stock of GeForce RTX 5090 a week ahead of launch

https://videocardz.com/newz/large-uk-retailer-holds-single-digit-stock-of-geforce-rtx-5090-a-week-ahead-of-launch

AMD’s “Delayed” RX 9070 Series GPU Launch Attributed to RDNA 4 Software Stack Optimization; On-Launch Inventory Expected To Be Much Higher

https://wccftech.com/amd-delayed-rx-9070-series-gpu-launch-attributed-to-rdna-4-software-optimization/

NVIDIA’s Flagship “RTX Blackwell” Workstation GPU Surfaces Online; Featuring 96GB GDDR7 Memory With 512-Bit Interface

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-flagship-rtx-blackwell-workstation-gpu-surfaces-online/

'PC development has skyrocketed,' GDC survey finds: 80% of developers are now making games for PC, more than double the number working on PS5 or Xbox.

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/pc-development-has-skyrocketed-gdc-survey-finds-80-percent-of-developers-are-now-making-games-for-pc-more-than-double-the-number-working-on-ps5-or-xbox-games/

Time for the Thursday news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Electronic Arts says 'Dragon Age and EA Sports FC 25 underperformed' as it revises its financial outlook downward
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/electronic-arts-says-dragon-age-and-ea-sports-fc-25-underperformed-as-it-revises-its-financial-outlook-downward/
Electronic Arts has revised its projected revenues for the 2025 fiscal year sharply downward in a preliminary financial results release, from $7.4–7.7 billion to $7–7.15 billion, as both EA Sports FC and Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed to meet expectations.
We don't cover a lot of business-focused news at PC Gamer, but this is interesting for two reasons: The sudden sharpness of the decline in expected revenues—potentially more than half a billion dollars, and I'm not an industry analyst but that sure seems like a big change over a single financial quarter—and also the reasons for it. EA said that after two years of double-digit net bookings growth, its Global Football franchise "experienced a slowdown" in the current fiscal year, while Dragon Age: The Veilguard "engaged approximately 1.5 million players during the quarter, down nearly 50% from the company’s expectations."

This week, the Epic Store gives away Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/behind-the-frame-the-finest-scenery.
Next week, the free game will be Undying.

Steam has two new deals:

• Dark Sky will be 70% off until the 29th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1454960/Dark_Sky/
• Mika and The Witch's Mountain gets a 30% discount until tFebruary, the 5th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1819460/Mika_and_The_Witchs_Mountain/

Fanatical has launched the BYO Ruthless Bundle, featuring 23 games to choose for your 2+, 3+ or 5+ bundles during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-ruthless-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Empty as well-

GAMING NEWS

Monster Hunter Wilds may get a standalone PC benchmark tool
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/monster-hunter-wilds-may-get-a-standalone-pc-benchmark-tool/
Capcom has revealed that it may release a standalone PC benchmark tool for Monster Hunter Wilds. This tool will allow you to test the game before purchasing it.

Here are the first 20 minutes from Sniper Elite: Resistance
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-the-first-20-minutes-from-sniper-elite-resistance/
Rebellion has shared a video, showcasing the first 20 minutes from its new Sniper Elite game, Sniper Elite: Resistance. So, if you are interested in it, you can go ahead and watch it.

Doom: The Dark Ages Off-Screen Path Tracing Trailer Leaked
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/doom-the-dark-ages-off-screen-path-tracing-trailer-leaked/
It appears that the Path Tracing trailer that NVIDIA showcased behind closed doors at CES 2025 has been leaked online. This is an off-screen video, meaning that you won’t be able to tell much from it. Still, this is new in-engine footage from one of the most anticipated games of 2025. So I guess some of you will find interesting, no?

Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.21 Released, Adding Support For RTX 50 Series GPUs and DLSS 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/cyberpunk-2077-patch-2-21-released-adding-support-for-rtx-50-series-gpus-and-dlss-4/
CD Projekt RED has just released Patch 2.21 for Cyberpunk 2077. This update adds support for the NVIDIA RTX 50 series GPUs and DLSS 4. Moreover, it packs a number of bug fixes. So, let’s take a closer look at it.

Thursday news, part two:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 forum rules that banned racism, homophobia, and neo-Nazism walked back by the publisher, which now just asks everyone to please be nice
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/kingdom-come-deliverance-2-forum-rules-that-banned-racism-homophobia-and-neo-nazism-walked-back-by-the-publisher-which-now-just-asks-everyone-to-please-be-nice/
Less than a week after rolling out a new code of conduct for the Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 forums on Steam, Deep Silver says it has "listened to your feedback" and eliminated nearly all of it.

This 'physics-based survival city builder' stuffed all my favorite words into its title so I'm automatically psyched
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/this-physics-based-survival-city-builder-stuffed-all-my-favorite-words-into-its-title-so-im-automatically-psyched/
All Will Fall—going by the full legal name "All Will Fall: Physics-Based Survival City Builder" on Steam—is nearly all of my favorite videogame things. I'm a build mode girl at heart with a survival game fixation and a fondness for Valheim's physics-lite building. It was designed with me in mind. Despite the dropshipper style keyword-stuffed store page name, the reveal trailer for All Will Fall does appear to be delivering on all of those little subgenre tidbits.

Insomniac games founder Ted Price is retiring after more than 30 years of making games: 'It was simply time to step aside and let others pave the way'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/insomniac-games-founder-ted-price-is-retiring-after-more-than-30-years-of-making-games-it-was-simply-time-to-step-aside-and-let-others-pave-the-way/
After a career spanning more than 30 years, Insomniac Games founder and CEO Ted Price has announced that he is retiring at the end of March. Price said he made the decision to step down in 2024, as he "felt it was simply time to step aside and let others pave the way for our team."

Diablo 4 players pleasantly surprised to find the first boss of the new season is a challenge for once: 'it's nice to actually have to think and prepare for fights'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4-players-pleasantly-surprised-to-find-the-first-boss-of-the-new-season-is-a-challenge-for-once-its-nice-to-actually-have-to-think-and-prepare-for-fights/
The Diablo games have odd ideas about difficulty. If you played Diablo 3 on normal you probably didn't have to drink a single health potion until the end of act one. Cranking things up was the way to go, and plenty of people think the same is true of Diablo 4. Hard is the new normal—especially since, as well as offering slightly more of a challenge, it also rewards players with 75% more experience from monster kills and 75% more gold.
It's still not the difficulty you go to if you really want to feel the pain, since there's expert, penitent, and multiple levels of torment above that. In fact, players starting a brand new character to try out each new season expect to have a smooth introduction even on hard—which is why Diablo 4's seventh season, the Season of Witchcraft, is a bit of a shock.

Of all the Balatro-likes on Steam, I think I'm enjoying this Mahjong version best
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/of-all-the-balatro-likes-on-steam-i-think-im-enjoying-this-mahjong-version-best/
Every so often I'll be sitting on my couch playing Balatro on Steam Deck and have an unwanted thought: I should really play something other than Balatro once in a while. (...)
And there are quite a few! (...)
And arriving on Steam this week in early access, it's Balatro but it's Mahjong—and it has an actual name, too: Aotenjo: Infinite Hands. Of the various Balatro-likes I've played so far, I think I like it best. It's not trying to be Balatro in the most obvious ways: it's not slick or flashy, there's not a ton of animation, and visually it looks like it'd be right at home next to Solitaire on Windows 95. But I'm into that low-key vibe, free of exploding booster packs and flying tiles.

Sony gets people scratching their heads after region-locking purchases of Horizon Forbidden West, 10 entire months after its initial release
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/sony-gets-people-scratching-their-heads-after-region-locking-horizon-forbidden-west-10-entire-months-after-its-initial-release/
Despite it being a move that's 'almost tank your only real live-service success of the year' unpopular, Sony has region-locked another game a staggering 10 months after its initial release. Picked up by a ResetEra user, Horizon Forbidden West, as per SteamDB, is now unable to be purchased in a list of countries—a list that's consistent with its PSN availability, despite the game not requiring an account to play.
>> Sony joins the fight for the dumbest move of the year.

Mai in Street Fighter 6 isn't just good—she has me howling for Capcom vs. SNK 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/mai-in-street-fighter-6-isnt-just-good-she-has-me-howling-for-capcom-vs-snk-3/
Capcom has pulled off a hell of a feat with Street Fighter 6. First, it made an incredible fighting game that's both proudly trying new things and reverently faithful to its history. And now it's taken two fighting game legends from its '90s rival SNK and integrated them so lovingly, I'm tempted to say they're better here than they've ever been in their own games.