NVIDIA’s RTX 5070 Ti Faces Reduced Performance Due to Manufacturing Defect

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2025 — NVIDIA’s recently launched GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card is facing significant scrutiny due to a manufacturing defect that results in a lower number of raster operations per second (ROPs) than advertised. NVIDIA has confirmed that 0.5% of its produced RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs have fewer ROPs than specified, raising concerns among consumers about product reliability and pricing.

The discrepancy comes just days after the RTX 5070 Ti’s release, during a critical time when the demand for high-performing GPUs continues to rise. According to reports from users on TechPowerUp’s forums, multiple instances of missing ROPs have been documented. One user revealed that their RTX 5070 Ti model was equipped with only 88 ROPs instead of the standard 96, representing an 8.4% reduction.

NVIDIA has stated that the impact on performance is approximately 4% on average; however, some user tests indicate performance drops can reach as much as 12% in certain scenarios. “This is unacceptable,” said a user identified as Der Zeitgeist, whose benchmarks showed their model scoring 24,755 points in 3DMark Time Spy, which is notably lower than comparable models. “It’s frustrating to pay full price for something that doesn’t deliver as promised.”

The effect of this reduction is compounded by lower pixel fill rates, which directly correlate to ROP counts. For the affected RTX 5070 Ti, the pixel fill rate is significantly reduced from 287.7 GPixel/s to 223.7 GPixel/s. While boost clock speeds remain high, the overall performance is hindered, leading to concerns about gaming experiences.

NVIDIA has encouraged customers who believe their GPUs are affected to reach out to board partners for potential replacements. However, given current processor shortages, the turnaround may be longer than anticipated. Reports suggest that thousands of units might be impacted, further alarming consumers who rely on timely product availability.

The launch of the RTX 50 series, including the RTX 5070 and RTX 5060, has already seen significant delays attributed to chip performance issues, which are likely exacerbated by ongoing global supply chain challenges. “We should prepare for another paper launch, similar to this one,” warned industry analyst Sam Bradbury. “The situation could get worse before it gets better.”

As NVIDIA contemplates the impact of this issue on market reputation, it faces rising competition from AMD, which may capitalize on NVIDIA’s missteps to strengthen its foothold in the graphics card segment. The supply-demand imbalance has not only inflated prices of the RTX 5070 Ti—selling for over double its MSRP in certain instances—but has also left consumers feeling frustrated and misled by misleading marketing practices that failed to disclose critical specifications.

While NVIDIA asserts that the affected cards only constitute a small fraction of the total production, the visibility of these discrepancies has prompted a larger conversation about consumer rights and transparency in technology marketing. With the GPU market already riddled with high prices and low availability, NVIDIA will need to act decisively to regain consumer trust.