Were you confused when NVIDIA launched two GeForce RTX 4080 fashions with considerably completely different capabilities? You’re not alone. NVIDIA is “unlaunching” the 12GB RTX 4080 over considerations they’re complicated. While the corporate nonetheless believes the 12GB model is a stable video card, it mentioned the lower-spec mannequin is “not named proper.” The firm did not say if or the way it may relaunch the cardboard, and did not elaborate additional when reached for remark.
The 16GB RTX 4080 remains to be on monitor to launch November sixteenth at a value of $1,199 for NVIDIA’s Founders Edition. This successfully raises the bottom value for RTX 40-level {hardware}. This may not be as dangerous because it sounds, thoughts you. The 12GB version was supposed to start out at $899, though its dependence on third-party producers was more likely to increase real-world pricing increased.
The muddled messaging largely stems from variations past RAM portions. Where the 12GB mannequin contains 7,680 CUDA (general-purpose processing) cores and a 192-bit reminiscence bus, its higher-end counterpart provides 9,728 cores and a 256-bit bus. You’re getting a significantly slower GPU with the 12GB unit regardless of the RTX 4080 branding, and the gaps are someday large. NVIDIA’s personal benchmarks confirmed the 12GB board trailing its 16GB sibling by as much as 30 p.c in well-known video games. That might be greater than somewhat disappointing should you purchased the 12GB card anticipating comparable efficiency outdoors of RAM-dependent conditions.
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The cancellation will not essentially create a lot of a headache for NVIDIA. The RTX 4090 launch reportedly created traces at shops, and the 4080 might simply be the go-to GPU for players who cannot fairly justify the $1,599 flagship. Still, it is uncommon to see a misstep like this — NVIDIA misjudged the market to the purpose the place it needed to axe a graphics card earlier than it reached clients.