This all relates to
NVIDIA's next-generation Ampere GPU. NVIDIA already held an official introduction of its Ampere architecture in the form of the
A100 for the high performance computing (HPC) market. The company is pitching the A00 as the biggest and most powerful GPU it has ever made, and also the world's largest chip built on a 7-nanometer manufacturing process.
It is expected that
Ampere will also end up powering NVIDIA's next round of consumer graphics cards. This is where the rumors and speculation come into play. Igor Wallossek at
Igor's Lab claims he has been informed by his own sources that not only were the recently leaked GeForce RTX 3080 photos real, but NVIDIA is internally investigating the matter, to find the source of the leak.
Wallossek also says the unique cooling shroud depicted is being made by Foxconn and BYD (Build Your Dreams) for NVIDIA's Founders Edition models. In addition, Wallossek points out that the design could change between now and when the next round of graphics cards release in "three months," which would put the launch in September.
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3090 (TI and/or Super) Could Arrive With A Whopping 24GB Of GDDR6X Memory
Now this is where things get extra interesting. Wallossek claims NVIDIA is prepping three Ampere cards based on the oddly shaped PG132 printed circuit board (PCB), and possibly more, culminating in a GeForce RTX 3090 lineup. All three will feature a GA102 GPU.
The GeForce RTX 3090 could arrive in Ti and/or Super form as well. Regardless, it is said to feature a whopping 24GB of GDDR6X memory and a 384-bit memory bus, along with a 350W power envelope.
It is not clear exactly how this will be marketed. Speculation is that it is actually a next-generation Titan graphics card, which straddles the line between enthusiast consumer and professional markets. Either way, it is poised to be an absolute beast. If it does manifest as strictly a consumer part, then perhaps it means NVIDIA is feeling the pressure to counter AMD's upcoming Big Navi launch.
The two other cards mentioned include the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and or Super with 11GB of GDDR6X memory, a 352-bit memory bus, and 320W of power, and the GeForce RTX 3080 with 10GB of GDDR6X memory, a 320-bit memory bus, and also 320W of power.
An interesting side note is the cost of the cooling shroud. According to Wallossek, the Founders Edition cooler costs $150 all by itself, which means we could be looking at some hefty price tags (more than usual) for NVIDIA's top-end graphics cards.