Do you want to pay less for a better RTX4070?

[dirtyferret]

you may but Nvidia believes you would actually prefer to pay the same for a less capable RTX4070

Nvidia is set to introduce a new version of its RTX 4070 that uses slower GDDR6, rather than GDDR6X memory, and the first of those cards has been spotted revealing that despite having slightly slower memory, the new card won’t be any cheaper than existing models. The new Nvidia RTX 4070 V2 GDDR6 cards are listed as having the same $549 MSRP as other RTX 4070 cards.

Nvidia’s new slower RTX 4070 arriving without a price drop, says leak

The first of a new wave of RTX 4070 V2 graphics cards has been spotted and despite having slower memory, they haven't had a discount.

www.pcgamesn.com

 

[Dr. Dro]

This has been known for some time, and I do not believe this is a significant change, not in this segment. They're using 20 Gbps G6, which has a lower access latency and should be able to close that bandwidth gap easily enough should the user feel like it. It turns out to be 480 GB/s rather than 504 GB/s, it's not a major drop in bandwidth and if anything, the G6 model should enjoy lower memory temps and since G6 tends to use less power, more room for the core to boost within the given TGP. It's a complete nothingburger, hopefully W1zzard will be able to score a review sample.

There is a shortage of 21 Gbps G6X chips due to extreme demand for the RTX 4090, which sells as fast as Nvidia can make them. Other popular SKUs like the 4070/Ti Super are also using the same chip, so it makes sense to shave at the lowest segment. The 4080 Super uses the newer 24 Gbps G6X module that debut with the original 4080 (which is no longer in production), so they aren't affected and you shouldn't expect any revision for this particular SKU.

 

[Assimilator]

If @Dr. Dro is correct then it's only a 5% drop in memory bandwidth, so maybe the right thing for NVIDIA to do would be to drop the overall price by 2.5%, to ~$535... which is also so small as to not really be meaningful, so yeah, I agree that there's no reason for NVIDIA to bother.

 

[chrcoluk]

Not long ago was a news story Nvidia had to reject a batch of GDDR6X as it failed quality testing.

 

[wNotyarD]

This has been known for some time, and I do not believe this is a significant change, not in this segment. They're using 20 Gbps G6, which has a lower access latency and should be able to close that bandwidth gap easily enough should the user feel like it. It turns out to be 480 GB/s rather than 504 GB/s, it's not a major drop in bandwidth and if anything, the G6 model should enjoy lower memory temps and since G6 tends to use less power, more room for the core to boost within the given TGP. It's a complete nothingburger, hopefully W1zzard will be able to score a review sample.

There is a shortage of 21 Gbps G6X chips due to extreme demand for the RTX 4090, which sells as fast as Nvidia can make them. Other popular SKUs like the 4070/Ti Super are also using the same chip, so it makes sense to shave at the lowest segment. The 4080 Super uses the newer 24 Gbps G6X module that debut with the original 4080 (which is no longer in production), so they aren't affected and you shouldn't expect any revision for this particular SKU.

While I agree that the performance drop shouldn't be major in this GPU tier, I'll agree with @Assimilator.
If NVIDIA wants to cut corners so their costs drop, we want their prices to drop as well to match.

 

[the54thvoid]

If @Dr. Dro is correct then it's only a 5% drop in memory bandwidth, so maybe the right thing for NVIDIA to do would be to drop the overall price by 2.5%, to ~$535... which is also so small as to not really be meaningful, so yeah, I agree that there's no reason for NVIDIA to bother.

A %perf delta isn't reflected in any %shift in pricing. The 4090 is proof of that as a halo product. The product stacks are given arbitrary pricing based on what the company expects people are willing to pay. Let's not pretend it's okay to sell an inferior version (no matter the perf drop) at the same price. Even a token reduction would be a symbolic acknowledgement. If this is an accuarte news piece, then NV are flipping the finger to the consumer for a few extra dollars.

Edit: and they'll sell enough to rake in a large profit from the change.

 

[Assimilator]

If this is an accuarte news piece, then NV are flipping the finger to the consumer for a few extra dollars.

I'm not arguing that; but compared to the way they've been flipping the finger to consumers for the past 3 generations, this is a pretty minor one.

 

[Dr. Dro]

There's always the chance this one will also be targeted towards the Chinese market too (a la RTX 4090 D), as they are much more receptive of alternate SKUs overall there.

Until there's official word from Nvidia it's all speculation

 

[dirtyferret]

so maybe the right thing for NVIDIA to do would be to drop the overall price by 2.5%, to ~$535

I could see this if the card came out in April of 2024 but it came out in April of 2023. Make the MSRP $499 just so you don't have the headlines of web sites complaining.

I'm not arguing that; but compared to the way they've been flipping the finger to consumers for the past 3 generations, this is a pretty minor one.

doesn't mean we can't or should not call them out for it