Nvidia is releasing a new 12GB model of the GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card. This updated GPU offers 2GB more memory than the RTX 3080. It will be available starting today (January 11) from Nvidia’s partners. Prices will vary depending on board makers.
The new RTX 3080 has 8,960 CUDA cores compared to the 8,704 found in the 10GB RTX 3080. As noted on The Verge, the GPU has 20% more cumulative bandwidth than the current RTX 3080, due to a 384-bit memory bus. Nvidia recommends a 750W power supply, which is 350W in total compared to the 320W on the regular RTX 3080. It’s a nominal update to be sure, but a welcome one nonetheless.
Curiously, Nvidia did not announce the new RTX 3080 during CES 2022, where it revealed the RTX 3050 and RTX 3090 Ti. Despite that, today’s reveal isn’t all that surprising. Rumors about the 12GB GeForce RTX 3080 have popped up as recently as last December.
While there’s nothing wrong with Nvidia releasing a graphics card that rests somewhere between the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3090, it’s somewhat hard to get excited about the announcement. Sure, the memory bump is nice, but if you currently own an RTX 3080, you’re better off upgrading to a 3080 Ti instead. That is, of course, if you can find one.
As most of you know, the ongoing semiconductor shortage has made it almost impossible to find an RTX 30 series card. It’s because of this scarcity that I opted to buy a pre-built PC with a 3080 Ti GPU. Yes, new GPUs are awesome, but it's difficult not bringing up the never-ending shortage whenever a new graphics card gets announced. Not to get too cynical, but the only folks I see being excited for this announcement are scalpers and cryptominers.
We’ll keep you updated on the pricing of the new RTX 3080 as Nvidia’s partners announce their respective prices.
