Nvidia's latest RTX 5090 GPU card has an audio jack — yes a headphone socket, on a video card, but no wooden trim or SSD like its predecessor

• Compact RTX 5090 targets creators needing high AI performance in smaller systems
• Unusual audio jack and USB C port set it apart from other flagship GPUs
• Drops wood trim and SSD ideas seen on the earlier ProArt RTX 5080

Asus has introduced the ProArt GeForce RTX 5090, a compact take on Nvidia’s flagship consumer GPU aimed at creators and workstation users.

The card focuses on high AI throughput while keeping to a slimmer physical profile that fits into small form factor systems and multi card setups.

It carries 32GB of GDDR7 memory, 21,760 CUDA cores, and a quoted 3352 AI TOPs figure, placing it firmly at the top end of Nvidia’s current lineup.

Is that a headphone jack?

The ProArt RTX 5090 is based on the Blackwell architecture and supports DLSS 4, including multi frame generation and updated ray reconstruction features.

Unlike many large flagship cards, it uses a 2.5 slot design, which leaves room for additional PCIe cards or a second GPU in supported systems.

Cooling follows the Founders Edition layout with a vapor chamber, heat pipes, and two 115mm axial fans pushing air through a double flow through backplate.

Asus uses liquid metal between the GPU die and heatsink, a choice normally reserved for more premium designs due to its handling requirements.

This approach reportedly improves thermal efficiency while keeping overall card size down compared to bulkier triple fan designs.

One of the more unusual features is a built in 2.5mm headphone jack, something rarely seen on modern graphics cards.

The audio output sits alongside DisplayPort and HDMI connections and is joined by a USB Type C port for displays and peripherals.

That USB C port replaces one of the usual DisplayPort outputs and is intended for creators using portable or daisy chained monitors.

Visually, the card keeps a restrained industrial look without RGB heavy styling or decorative materials.

This marks a clear change from the earlier ProArt RTX 5080, which leaned heavily on wood effect trim and even integrated an M.2 SSD slot.

Those features aren’t to be found here, and likely won’t be mourned by many users.

There’s no word on pricing or availability yet, but the ProArt RTX 5080 GPU with the faux wooden frame cost $1,469 at launch, a premium of nearly $500 over standard RTX 5080 cards.

Given it’s aimed at the creator market, and factoring in the added costs tied to its compact design and custom cooling, you can expect to pay considerably more for the RTX 5090 model.

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