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Today we are checking out what is undoubtedly the most insane graphics card to pass through the KitGuru labs – MSI’s RTX 5090 Lightning Z. Not only is it cooled with a 360mm AIO, but MSI says it's the world's first graphics card with an 8in LCD screen, while it also offers an Extreme BIOS that is rated for up to 1000W. That’s only scratching the surface of what this card has up its sleeve, though, so let’s dive in and take a closer look at this beast of a GPU.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:44 Pricing and key info
01:34 Unboxing and first impressions
02:20 Design features
03:32 PCB and cooler details
04:38 Screen close-up
05:39 Test setup
06:13 Clock speed and game benchmarks
07:01 Thermals + acoustics
08:27 Power draw – we hit 1076W!
10:27 Current readings + thermal imaging
11:04 Manual overclocking
11:40 Closing thoughts

First things first, we are not calling this article a ‘review', simply because it is impossible to offer buying advice for a graphics card like this. Not only is it Limited Edition, with only 1300 units manufactured worldwide, but we were also told only 30 of those are coming to the UK retail channel. And what’s more, the MSRP is an eye-watering £4999, so basically five grand. That alone is absolutely absurd, especially when considering the fact you could build a whole system with an air-cooled 5090 for less money…

Nonetheless, it’s an extremely interesting GPU to analyse from a technical perspective, even if basically no one will be able to buy one, so let's see what it can do…

OC BIOS, left, Extreme BIOS, right

First, a quick spec recap. The RTX 5090 is built on the new GB202 die, measuring 750mm², though it's not quite a full implementation of the silicon. Instead we find a total of 11 Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), each holding up to eight Texture Processing Clusters (TPCs), for a total of 85. Each TPC is home to two Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs), giving us 170, and each SM still holds 128 CUDA Cores, meaning the RTX 5090 has an eye-watering total of 21760 shaders. We also find 170 RT cores, 680 Tensor cores, 680 Texture Units, and 176 ROPs.

This time around, however, there's no node-shrink, and GB202 remains fabricated on TSMC's N4 node, as per the RTX 40-series. As such, rated clock speed is not increased this generation and is actually touted slightly below that of the RTX 4090, with the RTX 5090 delivering a rated 2407MHz boost clock, compared to its predecessor's 2520MHz boost.

The memory configuration has seen significant upgrades, though. The RTX 5090 now comes equipped with a super-wide 512-bit memory interface, paired with 32GB GDDR7 memory running at 28Gbps, and that puts total memory bandwidth at a staggering 1792 GB/s. L2 cache is also increased to 98MB, up from the 74MB of the RTX 4090.

Considering the large increases to die size and core count, but with no node shrink, it's perhaps unsurprising to see power draw has increased, this time boasting a 575W TGP. This is something we focus on closely in this article, using our enhanced GPU power testing methodology, so read on for our most detailed power and efficiency testing yet.

During the most recent Nintendo Switch 2 partner showcase, the console maker showed off a bunch of different 3rd party titles set to arrive on Nintendo’s latest and greatest over the coming months. Though not announced during the direct itself, studio Unknown Worlds have now revealed that Subnautica and Below Zero are receiving free Switch 2 upgrades next week.

Making the announcement via a press release, the team at Unknown Worlds confirmed that Subnautica and its spin-off Below Zero will be getting free Switch 2 enhancements next week on the 17th of February.

Said to be “delivering major visual and performance upgrades designed to take full advantage of the new hardware” the Switch 2 versions of both titles will now operate at 1440p when docked and 1080p in handheld – both running at 60fps.

For comparison the OG switch ran at 30fps with various performance spikes noted by players. So far, it remains unknown as to whether the graphics themselves (such as foliage density and texture resolution) have been improved, and so we will have to wait and see.

Outside of visuals, this upgrade features “optimized controls for Joy-Con 2, enabling more precise movement, smoother exploration, and refined interaction” – though no specifics were provided, and so unfortunately do not expect mouse mode support.

Regardless, this update should be welcome news for anyone with a Switch 2, especially as the upgrade will be free to all those who own the original version of the games.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of the Subnautica series? What other 3rd parties would you like to see enhanced for Switch 2? Let us know down below.

Roughly one year ago, in the wake of the overwhelming success of PlayStation’s Helldivers 2, the company announced that they would be adapting the co-op shooter into a live-action film. While details remained light at the time, we’ve now gotten a major update, confirming the film’s director, main star and premiere date.

As reported by the publication Deadline, PlayStation Productions’ Helldivers adaptation has gotten a major update, with the film set to come to cinemas on the 10th of November 2027.

The publication also revealed that Justin Lin will serve as the film’s director. For the uninitiated, Lin has worked on a number of major and successful projects, including but not limited to many of the most popular Fast and Furious entries (Tokyo Drift; Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6).

Alongside the director, it was also confirmed that Jason Momoa will star in the film, though the actor’s role has not yet been revealed. Momoa is of course known for many things, including Aquaman; Dune; Fast X and A Minecraft Movie.

Given the fact that Helldivers is known for treating all of its ‘characters’ like fodder, it will be interesting to see how Momoa ties into the film’s narrative and whether it will stay true to the IP’s identity.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to the Helldivers film? What do you think of the casting choice? Is Justin Lin a good director for the project? Let us know down below.

While the team continue to work on their much-anticipated survival-crafter Light No Fire, Hello Games have consistently released major updates for No Man’s Sky. Though smaller than some previous recent updates, No Man’s Sky: Remnant introduces a whole new aspect to the game with an overhaul to physics and gravity.

Available to download and check out right now, No Man’s Sky’s Remnant update is focused on a few core elements which are more substantial than they initially seem.

By far the most notable addition with the update is the overhaul to physics/gravity, with the new Gravitino Coil attachment for your multi-tool pretty much turning it into the gravity gun from Half-Life / Gmod.

Beyond being a fun addition to the sandbox, this new physics / gravity mechanic ties into the new industrial waste system, in which players can collect and transport scrap to a waste processing plant in order “to cleanse planets, salvage materials, and earn rewards.”

While the physics overhaul is by far the most impactful addition, other ancillary improvements/features include:

• Cyclops exo scope
• Colossus exo customisation
  • Flatbed module
  • Off-Road wheels
  • New cabins
  • Colossus obstacle demolition attachment
• Waste processing plants
• Volatile waste
• Improvements to lighting, edge stability and performance of clouds
• New community expedition

With each update it feels as though the team at Hello Games have finally turned No Man’s Sky into the complete package – only for them to further expand the game’s scope in new and unexpected ways.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest update? Has this gotten you more excited for Light No Fire? How big of a deal are the new physics improvements? Let us know your thoughts down below.

Ever since Overwatch 2 officially launched, the game has seen a consistent drop in players, especially in the wake of Marvel Rivals’ massive success. With the announcement of Overwatch’s overhaul however, players began to flock back, with Steam concurrent player counts reaching new heights for the first time in years. With Season 1 now officially live however, CCU numbers have skyrocketed to more than double its previous peak.

In the days leading up to the relaunch of Overwatch, we reported that the title had seen a surge in players on Steam, with the game reaching a peak concurrent player count of 69k – the highest since OW2’s launch back in 2023.

With Season 1 officially live now however, we can see just how much interest the game has garnered (a lot). As collated by SteamDB, Overwatch has now more than doubled its previous peak CCU on the platform with 165,651 concurrent players.

For context, Overwatch’s previous record stood at just 75K, which it achieved during the initial launch of OW2. Of course, the game is available on most platforms including Blizzard’s own Battle Net launcher and so this shows but a small slice of the player base.

That said, if Steam is anything to go by then Overwatch might finally be truly back.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the relaunch so far? Have you been enjoying it? Can the game maintain its player base in the long-run? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The PCPer Podcast broadcast live on February 4th is now two for two in predicting the next ideas coming from the computer industry, one good and one completely awful.  The first was…

Yesterday Microsoft delivered a short notification to those that subscribe to their Message Centre that was incredibly short on details but certain to cause a large reaction.  It stated that Windows 11…

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Microsoft is reportedly planning yet another restructuring of its Xbox Game Pass tiers, aiming to simplify a lineup that has become increasingly complex (and expensive) for the average gamer. According to recent reports, the company is exploring merging the PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Premium tiers.

The current Game Pass subscription landscape is a bit of a maze. Following the October 2025 overhaul, the Game Pass began to start at £6.99/$9.99 for the Essential tier. PC Game Pass saw a nearly 40% jump to £13.49/$16.49 per month, largely to justify the inclusion of day-one blockbusters like Call of Duty. Meanwhile, the Xbox Game Pass Premium tier (which replaced the old “Standard” plan) costs £10.99/$14.99 per month but lacks the day-one access that PC and Ultimate subscribers enjoy. At the top of the pyramid is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which now commands an eye-watering £22.99/$29.99 per month.

Based on Tom Warren's report for The Verge (via Windows Central), this may change again soon, as Microsoft is reportedly planning to merge the Premium and PC Game Passes. By merging the PC and Premium tiers, Microsoft could potentially offer a unified “mid-tier” that works across all devices. However, it remains to be seen if PC players will lose their day-one perks in the transition or if the price will see another “adjustment”.

To help soften the blow of the Ultimate price tag, Microsoft is reportedly doubling down on third-party integrations. As of late 2025, Ultimate already includes EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, and a Fortnite Crew subscription. As 2026 progresses, sources suggest Microsoft is in talks to add even more services to ensure the monthly cost feels like a one-stop shop for digital entertainment. Whether this includes streaming services or further gaming perks from partners remains unknown.

This software shift appears to be laying the groundwork for the rumoured 2027 next-generation Xbox. Leaks regarding the new Xbox suggest Microsoft is abandoning the traditional console OS in favour of a Windows 11 hybrid environment. This would theoretically enable native support for the Steam and Epic Games Store, effectively turning the Xbox into a first-party gaming rig for the living room. If hardware and software merge into a single Windows-based ecosystem, a fragmented subscription service divided into “PC” and “Console” designations no longer makes sense.

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KitGuru says: Are you subscribed to any Game Pass tier? Would you like to see a merge of Premium and PC tiers, assuming PC gamers would still have access to day-1 releases?