MSI unveils custom RTX 5090 that consumes a ridiculous amount of power, breaking 17 OC records
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One year on since the release of the RTX 5090, MSI has expanded its model count of the best graphics card with the announcement of the Lightning Z. Announced at CES 2026, it takes the flagship GPU and pushes it even further for even better performance, with an eye-pleasing design to top things off.
Pushing the power limits of the card, it has an OC BIOS that reaches 800W, with an extreme one that can even go up to 1000W. In comparison, the 5090 launched with a TDP of 575W. So it’s no surprise it has a secondary 16-pin power connector on top and a recommended 1600W PSU. We’ve already seen an 800W card in the form of ASUS’s special edition ROG Matrix Platinum, but MSI has taken it up a notch.
The design doesn’t just change the power settings, but also the look of the card. Taking from the rise of panoramic AIOs, it adds an 8-inch display onto the waterblock of the card itself. Because, of course, all that power requires some serious cooling. As such, it is plumbed up to a triple fan radiator in an attempt to keep the temperatures in check.
MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z features and specs
The 8-inch display does add a bit of fun and personalization to your GPU, even if it does limit your installation to a vertical slot to get the most out of it. It enables showcasing of system stats, artwork, and animation through MSI’s intuitive software.
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On the backplate, it adds an element of carbon fiber with precision lighting and an individually numbered badge for the collectible status of the card, since there is going to be only 1,300 of these made.
The cooling of the card uses a high-pressure pump with a full-cover cold plate across the GPU, VRAM, and MOSFETS to offer the best cooling coverage. MSI has also changed up the PCB by adding some yellow lightning decor that adds a bit of color to the usually plain old card.
That build comes in a size of 260 x 151 x 61mm on the card, and a radiator at a size of 394 x 120 x 56mm. With the core clocks being pushed to 2,730MHz boost clock and being able to reach 2,775MHz via MSI Center. So with all that power, MSI has already managed to break 17 records on a variety of overclocking leaderboards, as released in its press release. All this power helps explain why the company has also introduced new PSUs designed to tackle the notorious melting cable issues.
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