Goodbye, 24GB RTX 5080? NVIDIA Reportedly Scraps High-VRAM Refresh
It is starting to look like we will never see a refreshed GeForce RTX 5080 with more VRAM. While rumors of a GeForce RTX 50 Super series refresh have persisted, nothing has materialized as of yet, and the latest unofficial chatter suggests that NVIDIA decided to scrap at least one of the SKUs—the GeForce RTX 5080—because GDDR7 is just too damn expensive.
The rumors had quieted a bit up until the past several weeks when a post at an affiliate of Board Channels, a well-known insider forum for the PC hardware supply chain in China, suggested that NVIDIA was on the cusp of replacing its existing GeForce RTX 5080 with 16GB of GDDR7 with an upgraded model flexing 24GB of VRAM. It was said that we might see the refreshed GPU in January 2027, which lines up with CES.
However, a report emerged just a few days later claiming that NVIDIA had not distributed crucial design kits to its add-in board (AIB) partners, hinting at a potential setback and launch that would likely slip past January, if at all. That wouldn't necessarily preclude NVIDIA from announcing a refresh at or around CES, but it would likely push retail availability beyond January.
Well, things change fast in the tech space, and now it's being reported that NVIDIA has scrapped the idea altogether.
To arrive at 24GB of VRAM, a retooled GeForce RTX 5080 would effectively have its 2GB GDDR7 memory chips swapped out for 3GB chips. Sounds relatively simple enough, but the economics of going that route apparently do not make sense at the moment.
A new Board Channels post spotted by Gazlog claims "NVIDIA has already notified AIC [add-in card] manufacturers and partners that it is officially canceling the January 2027 launch plan for this model, and there is currently no clear follow-up schedule for it," according to an xAI translation.
It's also said that the original 16GB model is "being reactivated." If that bums you out, the good news is that it sounds like the door is still ajar for an eventual release. However, the reality of the situation is that without a new timeline, the card is effectively dead, at least for now and potentially forever.
The GeForce RTX 50 series launched in January 2025, about two and a half years after the GeForce RTX 40 series debuted. We're now in the midst of a memory crisis that, according to Apple and Team Group (among others), has not even peaked yet. It could be another 1-2 years before any kind of real relief is in sight.
On top of it all, NVIDIA's priority at the moment is undoubtedly to navigate the sensitive Chinese spy situation. U.S. intelligence suspects NVIDIA CEO was the target of a foreign spy campaign as part of an extramarital affair and is currently investigating the matter, as is NVIDIA's Board of Directors.
