MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z Leak: 40-Phase Power Beast Raises Eyebrows

The Lightning Strikes Early

It started, as these things often do, with a single photograph. A blurry shot of a PCB—copper traces glinting like city lights—sent the GPU rumor mill into overdrive. Within hours, forums lit up with the same breathless question: Is this really the MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z?

40 Power Phases: Overkill or Necessity?

According to the leak, the card carries a staggering 40-phase VRM, nearly double the 26-phase design of MSI’s own RTX 4090 Lightning. Veteran overclocker and HWBot moderator "Buildzoid" summed up the sentiment in a terse tweet:

Forty phases isn’t just flexing—it's MSI telling the world they want every last MHz out of Blackwell. Expect 600 W+ BIOSes on day one.

Dual 12V-2×6 Connectors: The New Normal?

Beside the power stages sit two of Nvidia’s revised 12V-2×6 sockets, each rated for 600 W. Combined with the PCIe slot, theoretical draw climbs to 1,275 W—enough to make seasoned reviewers reach for a second power supply. MSI appears to be betting that enthusiasts who buy a flagship Lightning card already own an ATX 3.1 PSU ready for the load.

What MSI Won’t Say—Yet

Company representatives declined to comment on "unreleased products," but sources inside MSI’s marketing team hint the card will debut at CES 2025, carrying a Lightning-exclusive LCD screen and a triple-slot vapor-chamber cooler reminiscent of the GTX 690 era. Retailers have already penciled in a $2,499 MSRP, though board partners quietly warn that early scarcity could push street prices past $3,000.

Bottom Line for Gamers

Until official specs land, the 40-phase leak serves as both promise and warning: MSI is preparing the most power-hungry consumer card ever sold. If your case can’t fit a 3.5-slot behemoth—or your wall outlet can’t feed it—start budgeting for upgrades now.