NVIDIA has officially announced that its upcoming GeForce RTX 5080 graphics processing unit will be equipped with cutting-edge GDDR7 memory modules sourced from several key partners.
GeForce RTX 5080: A Leap Forward with GDDR7 Memory
This announcement marks a significant milestone for the NVIDIA RTX 50 series, particularly for the RTX 5080 model, which will feature GDDR7 VRAM from various vendors, a move that is crucial as images of the RTX 5090’s circuit board surfaced, showcasing Samsung’s GDDR7 memory.
What sets the RTX 5080 apart in the RTX 50 “Blackwell”generation is its superior memory speed. While the other GPUs in the lineup boast 28 Gbps GDDR7 memory, the RTX 5080 will come with an impressive 30 Gbps GDDR7 configuration. To meet demand, NVIDIA has partnered with multiple DRAM manufacturers, including industry leaders Samsung and Micron.
This strategy of multi-sourcing is particularly beneficial as GDDR7 memory technology is still emerging, and each manufacturer is gradually ramping up production to yield high-performance modules. Previously, there were indications that NVIDIA aimed for 32 Gbps memory modules for the RTX 5080; however, production challenges have led to a revision of this expectation.
Looking ahead, faster memory speeds may become available in future GPU refreshes, coupled with expectations for enhanced VRAM options—potentially even up to 24 GB configurations for the RTX 5080.
The Evolution of GDDR Memory Technology
| Graphics Memory Type | GDDR7 | GDDR6X | GDDR6 | GDDR5X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workload | Gaming / AI | Gaming / AI | Gaming / AI | Gaming |
| Platform (Example) | GeForce RTX 5090 | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti |
| Die Capacity (Gb) | 16-64 | 8-32 | 8-32 | 8-16 |
| Number of Placements | 12? | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Gbps/pin | 28-42.5 | 19-24 | 14-16 | 11.4 |
| GB/s/placement | 128-144 | 76-96 | 56-64 | 45 |
| GB/s/system | 1536-1728 | 912-1152 | 672-768 | 547 |
| Configuration (Example) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package)? | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) |
| Frame Buffer of Typical System | 24 GB (16 Gb) / 36 GB (24 Gb) | 24 GB | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Module Package | 266 (BGA) | 180 (BGA) | 180 (BGA) | 190 (BGA) |
| Average Device Power (pJ/bit) | TBD | 7.25 | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Typical IO Channel | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) |
NVIDIA is taking a pioneering role as the first graphics card manufacturer to embrace the new GDDR7 memory standard. In contrast, AMD and Intel have opted for the more established GDDR6 standard for economic reasons. However, NVIDIA’s mainstream offerings are projected to also incorporate GDDR7 technology, providing them with a significant advantage through enhanced bandwidth.
The innovation in memory architecture allows NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 series to achieve unprecedented bandwidth metrics. The flagship RTX 5090 boasts a remarkable bandwidth increase to 1.8 TB/s, superseding the 1.0 TB/s of the RTX 4090. Notably, the RTX 5080 achieves nearly 1 TB/s of bandwidth (960.0 GB/s), representing a substantial 30% performance boost over the RTX 4080 SUPER.
There are still questions regarding the efficiency of the new GDDR7 interface, particularly regarding its power consumption in comparison to previous GDDR6/X modules, as well as its overclocking potential. The GDDR6 memory has demonstrated excellent overclocking capabilities, so it remains to be seen if GDDR7 will follow suit—further updates will be provided soon.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU Specifications (Preliminary)
| Graphics Card Name | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPU Name | Blackwell GB202-300 | Blackwell GB203-400 | Blackwell GB203-300-A1 | Blackwell GB205-300-A1 | Blackwell GB206? | Blackwell GB206? |
| GPU Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) | 170 (192 Full) | 84 (84 Full) | 70 (84 Full) | 50 (50 SM Full) | TBD | TBD |
| GPU Cores | 21,760 (+33%) | 10,752 (+11%) | 8,960 (+16%) | 6,144 | TBD | TBD |
| Clock Speeds | 2.41 GHz | 2.62 GHz | 2.45 GHz | 2.51 GHz | TBD | TBD |
| L2 Cache | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Memory Capacity | 32 GB GDDR7 (+33%) | 16 GB GDDR7 (0%) | 16 GB GDDR7 | 12 GB GDDR7 | 16 GB GDDR7 | 8 GB GDDR7 |
| Memory Bus Width | 512-bit (+33%) | 256-bit (0%) | 256-bit (0%) | 192-bit (0%) | 128-bit (0%) | 128-bit (0%) |
| Memory Speed | 28 Gbps | 30 Gbps | 28 Gbps | 28 Gbps | 28 Gbps? | 28 Gbps? |
| Bandwidth | 1.792 GB/s | 960 GB/s | 896 GB/s | 672 GB/s | 448 GB/s | 448 GB/s |
| Typical Total Board Power (TBP) | 575W (+27%) | 360W (+12.5%) | 300W (+10.5%) | 250W (+14%) | TBD | TBD |
| Power Interface | 1 x 12V-2×6 (16-Pin) | 1 x 12V-2×6 (16-Pin) | 1 x 12V-2×6 (16-Pin) | 1 x 12VHPWR (16-Pin) | 1 x 12VHPWR (16-Pin) | 1 x 12VHPWR (16-Pin) |
| Expected Launch Date | January 2025 | January 2025 | February 2025 | February 2025 | March-April 2025 | March-April 2025 |
| Projected Price | $1999 US | $999 US | $749 US | $549 US | TBD | TBD |
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