Nvidia introduced two variations of its RTX 4080 at its GTC keynote — a 12GB mannequin and a 16GB mannequin. On the floor, this appears easy. Two configurations of the identical graphics playing cards, besides with totally different quantity of reminiscence.
That is, in spite of everything, what Nvidia did with its RTX 3080 final 12 months. There was the unique 8GB RTX 3080, and the 12GB RTX 3080 that acquired launched earlier this 12 months.
However the state of affairs with the 2 “variations” of the RTX 4080 couldn’t be extra totally different. Not solely is there a $300 gulf in value between these two merchandise, however Nvidia confirmed to the media at present that they do, the truth is, use two totally different GPUs. The RTX 4080 16GB makes use of AD104, and the RTX 4080 12GB makes use of AD103. To name these two merchandise totally different “variations” of the identical graphics card is a reasonably critical misnomer.
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 16GB | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 12GB | |
| GPU | AD104 | AD103 |
| CUDA cores | 9,728 | 7,680 |
| Shader / RT cores | 49 / 113 | 40 / 82 |
| Tensor TFLOPS | 780 | 641 |
| Base clock | 2,210MHz | 2,310MHz |
| Most clock | 2,510MHz | 2,610MHz |
| Reminiscence measurement | 16GB GDDR6X | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Reminiscence bus | 256-bit | 192-bit |
| TDP | 320 watts | 285 watts |
| Worth | $1,199 | $899 |
Trying on the different specs we now have, you possibly can see how that performs out. The RTX 4080 16GB has 21% extra CUDA cores, 27% extra RT cores, and is able to 18% extra Tensor TFLOPS (trillion floating-point operations per second) than the 12GB mannequin. In fact, it additionally has a wider reminiscence bus and consumes extra energy too. All in all, the 16GB model is a much more powerful graphics card.
So, what then is occurring with the naming of this 12GB RTX 4080? Effectively, simply take a look at what Nvidia did with its preliminary launch of the primary RTX 30-series playing cards. At launch, the corporate introduced the RTX 3090, 3080, and 3070. Three GPUs down the road. What it’s doing with the RTX 40-series line is almost equivalent, that means the 12GB 4080, which retails for $899, feels much more like a correct RTX 4070 than the rest. That’s an issue, contemplating the RTX 3070 retailed for simply $499.
When requested, in fact, Nvidia sees the 16GB mannequin as an “enhanced” RTX 4080, not the opposite approach round. And possibly the corporate has some extent, at the least with how these playing cards are priced. The 16GB mannequin is definitely priced as if it have been an RTX 4080 Ti — or one thing alongside these traces. Nvidia has additionally confirmed that there will likely be no first-party Founders Version of the 12GB RTX 4080.
Nonetheless, the entire thing has left a sour taste in the mouths of PC enthusiasts, who’re this 12GB RTX 4080 as a repackaged 4070 as a approach to secretly increase costs. Nvidia hasn’t been shy about commenting on the rising value of GPUs sooner or later, confirming that falling prices are a thing of the past.
We’ll have to attend and see what Nvidia ultimately does with the remainder of the lineup to get the complete image, however on the very least, it’s apparent that GPU pricing is continuous to rise, even when a number of the prices are buried within the specs.
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