MSI’s RTX 5090 Lightning shatters GPU records before launch — 40-phase VRAM and dual 12V-2×6 connectors turn heads on upcoming overclocking monster

MSI is apparently getting ready to launch the RTX 5090 Lightning, its new top-of-the-line GPU that will slot above the MSI RTX 5090 Suprim, with new overclocking records that bear the GPU appearing on benchmark sites. A user who goes by Dr. Antoine is the new record holder on 3Dmark’s Time Spy Hall of Fame, scoring 53,207 on January 2, 2026. Their system used an Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU and, more importantly, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU from MSI. The company makes other RTX 5090 models, though, so we cannot confirm if this is the new Lightning GPU just yet.

Fortunately, we get more clues from HWBot about the GPU being used in these new world records. The current 1st- and 2nd-placers in HWBot’s record-keeping for 3Dmark Time Spy are nv1diafan and oc_windforce, who scored 59,438 and 58,786 points, respectively. While the former did not mention what GPU they used for their run, the latter commented, “Comeback! MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning” in their results. Another user named littleboy ranked 1st on the 3DMark Solar Bay Extreme record on HWBot with a score of 66,977, and, like oc_windforce, they also commented, “MSI RTX 5090 Lightning is Back!!!”