Tuesday, January 11th 2022
NVIDIA Launches GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Graphics Card
NVIDIA today sneaked in a major update to its high-end GeForce RTX-30 "Ampere" series with the new RTX 3080 12 GB. Based on the same 8 nm "GA102" silicon as the original RTX 3080 (10 GB), the RTX 3080 Ti, the RTX 3090, and the upcoming RTX 3090 Ti, this SKU maxes out the 384-bit wide GDDR6X memory interface of the silicon, giving it 12 GB of 19.5 Gbps GDDR6X memory, resulting in a memory bandwidth of 912 GB/s, compared to 760 GB/s of the RTX 3080 (10 GB), and its 320-bit memory bus.
Memory isn't the only upgrade, the RTX 3080 12 GB gets a few more CUDA cores. With 70 out of 84 streaming multiprocessors (SM) enabled, the GPU gets 8,960 CUDA cores. In comparison, the RTX 3080 (10 GB) has 68 SM and 8,704 CUDA cores. This results in a Tensor core and TMU count of 280, and RT core count of 70. NVIDIA is positioning this SKU in between the RTX 3080 and the RTX 3080 Ti, and real-world prices of the card can be as high as $1,700, if not higher. TechPowerUp has several RTX 3080 12 GB graphics cards, but our editor and graphics card reviewer, W1zzard, is on a much-needed skiing holiday in the Alps, since we got no heads-up on this launch, and no marketing materials to help us understand the product. Hopefully NVIDIA puts out a public GeForce driver update later today, and we'll use it to test the cards we have. Expect our reviews to go live next week.
Memory isn't the only upgrade, the RTX 3080 12 GB gets a few more CUDA cores. With 70 out of 84 streaming multiprocessors (SM) enabled, the GPU gets 8,960 CUDA cores. In comparison, the RTX 3080 (10 GB) has 68 SM and 8,704 CUDA cores. This results in a Tensor core and TMU count of 280, and RT core count of 70. NVIDIA is positioning this SKU in between the RTX 3080 and the RTX 3080 Ti, and real-world prices of the card can be as high as $1,700, if not higher. TechPowerUp has several RTX 3080 12 GB graphics cards, but our editor and graphics card reviewer, W1zzard, is on a much-needed skiing holiday in the Alps, since we got no heads-up on this launch, and no marketing materials to help us understand the product. Hopefully NVIDIA puts out a public GeForce driver update later today, and we'll use it to test the cards we have. Expect our reviews to go live next week.
51 Comments on NVIDIA Launches GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Graphics Card
EVGA 3080 XC3 Ultra 12GB $1249 - www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=12G-P5-4865-KL
EVGA 3080 FTW3 Ultra 12GB $1299 - www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=12G-P5-4877-KL
Probably just realsed this so they can price the RTX 4080 much higher next time.
HATER!
While I'm pissed at the premium, I would be willing to pay the premium (within reason) if I could actually get my hands on one. But as usual, they're immediately sold out at MSRP and they'll be sold out even on eBay and other scalper places.
Maybe we'll start to see some used 10 GB 3080s, though with an 11 GB 2080ti I'm not sure I want to downgrade memory capacity (though it would be a large speed upgrade).
Launch day 3080 looking like the unicorn of the generation.
Review done, you're welcome
(enjoy the vacation wizzard, no rush on this one, everyone knows what it is)
I'll join in with the sentiment on industrial coin miner's though, give it a bad name.
Servers go boom in 5...3...4...1...2... Minors are little people