AORUS GeForce RTX5090 MASTER ICE 32G Graphics Card Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 MASTER ICE 32G commands a premium price, or what feels like two premium prices. Reflecting its position at the top of the graphics card food chain, we’ve seen it listed at $2499.99 at Newegg. However, it’s crucial to remember that this is just one retailer’s price, and we expect some variation across different vendors like Amazon and Best Buy, and by variations, I suspect above MSRP due to low stock and high demand… ignore the scalpers, just don’t even.

Here in the UK major UK retailers like Scan and Overclockers had stock at launch, but they’re all showing out of stock at the time of writing and showing no prices, as it’s likely the price will change as stock drops in again.

Conclusion

I’m a little torn about the AORUS Master ICE. When I first saw it, I was impressed by its design. We recently built a PC using the Valkyrie VK02 case, and this card would have been a perfect fit, complementing the theme and adding another element of lighting. Unfortunately, we didn’t have access to the card at the time.

Visually, the AORUS Master ICE is stunning with its frosted white aesthetics and customisable RGB lighting. The LCD Edge View screen adds a touch of personalisation, allowing you to monitor stats or display your favourite animations. While these features don’t affect performance, they enhance the overall user experience and make the card visually appealing for those focused on building a visually pleasing system. However, the card’s size and weight are worth considering, as its near 4-slot design and over 3kg weight may require careful planning for installation and long-term support in your case.

The AORUS Master ICE delivers superior clock speeds and slightly better cooling but at the cost of higher power consumption. Ultimately, these improvements don’t translate to a significant uplift in gaming performance. It consistently performs well in our tests, but the margins are often small, especially when compared to the Founders Edition or even the ROG Astral. That said, the Master does shine in specific areas, like its sustained clock speeds under load and its slightly lower temperatures, making it a good option for those who want a premium card that can handle extended gaming sessions with ease. And, of course, if you’re looking for a white card, this ticks that box too.

The cooler itself is impressive, with Gigabyte’s upgraded Windforce design keeping temperatures under control, even during an hour-long loop of F1 24. The addition of the optional fan helps alleviate some thermal load on the main cooling system, but the differences in temperature and fan speeds are minor, making it hard to justify as a “game-changing” feature. From an acoustic perspective, the card is whisper-quiet, and while the fan speeds are slightly higher than the Founders Edition, the noise levels remained barely noticeable.

However, the power consumption is where the AORUS Master starts to show its downside. Averaging 590W and peaking at 606W, it’s notably less efficient than the Founders Edition, which remains below 550W. While this higher power draw does allow it to sustain higher clock speeds, it also makes it less appealing for users concerned about energy efficiency or those looking to avoid upgrading their power supply. Though, if you’re already prepared for your GPU to pull 550W, what’s another 50W in the grand scheme of things?

At the end of the day, the AORUS Master is a well-engineered card that delivers on its promise of premium features and performance. Still, the improvements over the Founders Edition are relatively minor for most users. However, if you’re an enthusiast who wants the best cooling and the ability to push your GPU to its limits, then the Master delivers. For the average gamer, the Founders Edition offers a more practical balance of performance, efficiency, and cost, while still providing an exceptional gaming experience.

To wrap things up, if you’re a user who values aesthetics, cooling innovation, and slightly better-sustained performance over pure practicality, then the AORUS Master ICE is a fantastic showcase of what Gigabyte is capable of. But at $2499 on Newegg, it’s a big step up from a card that’s already $2000 and way above most people’s budgets. But, much like with the power, when I mentioned “what’s another 50W”, you could say the same about the price, as “what’s another $500”. Though I think that’s a bigger battle you’ll have to have with yourself.