Q1-2025 promises to be an action-packed quarter for graphics cards, with NVIDIA introducing the bulk of its next-generation GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" GPUs. The company is expected to start things off with the two enthusiast-segment SKUs, the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, in January, followed by the RTX 5070-series in February, and rounded off nicely with the RTX 5060-series in March. This would mean hundreds of individual new graphics card SKUs from NVIDIA's board partners, which are reportedly busy winding up the final inventory deliveries of their RTX 40-series "Ada" products, and transferring this production capacity to the RTX 50-series. So, when the RTX 50-series GPU models do come out across the quarter, there's plenty of inventory to go around. Board Channels reports that on NVIDIA's end, production of nearly every AD100-series silicon has ended, except the AD107, which will continue selling for entry-mainstream GeForce RTX 40-series SKUs. The AD106 production line has stopped, as has the AD103, AD104, and AD102.

Could this be the first picture of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU? This picture, coupled with a specs sheet by notebook OEM Clevo, seems to suggest so, thanks to a new video by Moore's Law is Dead. The chip is noticeably more rectangular than the Ada "AD104," and is labelled N22W-ES-A1. It is an engineering sample. Cross-referencing "N22W" with the Clevo specs-sheet for a next-generation laptop mainboard, points to the possibility that the chip is indeed based on a next-gen silicon by NVIDIA. The board design has to undergo a significant change, due to the major change in the pin-map of the fiberglass substrate brought about by the switch to the new GDDR7 memory type.

The GeForce "Blackwell" generation comes in several GPU silicon sizes, and the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU is expected to be based on the "GB203" chip, which is expected to power the desktop RTX 5080 and possibly some SKUs in even the RTX 5070 series, such as the "RTX 5070 Ti." It is rumored to feature as many as 8,192 CUDA cores, and a 256-bit wide GDDR7 memory interface. NVIDIA is expected to unveil the GeForce "Blackwell" generation at CES 2025.

The first quarter of 2025 (January thru March) will see back-to-back launches of next-generation GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" graphics card, according to the latest rumors. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is confirmed to take center stage for the 2025 International CES keynote address, where he is widely expected to kick off the GeForce "Blackwell" gaming GPU generation. CES is expected to see NVIDIA launch its flagship GeForce RTX 5090 (RTX 4090-successor SKU), and its next-best part, the GeForce RTX 5080 (RTX 4080 successor).

February 2025 is expected to see the company debut the RTX 5070, and possibly the RTX 5070 Ti, if there is such a SKU. The RTX 5070 succeeds a long line of extremely successful SKUs that tended to sell in large volumes. Perhaps the most important launches of the generation will come in March 2025, when the company is expected to debut the RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti, which succeed the current RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti, respectively. The xx60 tier tends to be the bestselling class of gaming GPUs in any generation. In all, it's expected that NVIDIA will release six new SKUs within Q1, and you can expect over a hundred graphics card reviews from TechPowerUp in Q1.

NVIDIA is gearing up for an exciting showcase at CES 2025, where its CEO, Jensen Huang, will take the stage and talk about, hopefully, future "Blackwell" products. According to Wccftech's sources, the anticipated GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 graphics cards should arrive at CES 2025 in January. The flagship RTX 5090 is rumored to come equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory running at 28 Gbps. Meanwhile, the RTX 5080 looks very interesting with reports of its impressive 16 GB of GDDR7 memory running at 32 Gbps. This advancement comes after we previously believed that the RTX 5080 model is going to feature 28 Gbps GDDR7 memory. However, the newest rumors suggest that we are in for a surprise, as the massive gap between RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 compute cores will be filled... with a faster memory.

The more budget-friendly RTX 5070 is also set for a CES debut, featuring 12 GB of memory. This card aims to deliver solid performance for gamers who want high-quality graphics without breaking the bank, targeting the mid-range segment. We are very curious about pricing of these models and how they would fit in the current market. As anticipation builds for CES 2025, we are eager to see how these innovations will impact gaming experiences and creative workflows in the coming year. Stay tuned for more updates as the event approaches!

Thanks to the renowned NVIDIA hardware leaker kopite7Kimi on X, we are getting information about the final versions of NVIDIA's first upcoming wave of GeForce RTX 50 series "Blackwell" graphics cards. The two leaked GPUs are the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, which now feature a more significant gap between xx80 and xx90 SKUs. For starters, we have the highest-end GeForce RTX 5090. NVIDIA has decided to use the GB202-300-A1 die and enabled 21,760 FP32 CUDA cores on this top-end model. Accompanying the massive 170 SM GPU configuration, the RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, with each GDDR7 die running at 28 Gbps. This translates to 1,568 GB/s memory bandwidth. All of this is confined to a 600 W TGP.

When it comes to the GeForce RTX 5080, NVIDIA has decided to further separate its xx80 and xx90 SKUs. The RTX 5080 has 10,752 FP32 CUDA cores paired with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus. With GDDR7 running at 28 Gbps, the memory bandwidth is also halved at 784 GB/s. This SKU uses a GB203-400-A1 die, which is designed to run within a 400 W TGP power envelope. For reference, the RTX 4090 has 68% more CUDA cores than the RTX 4080. The rumored RTX 5090 has around 102% more CUDA cores than the rumored RTX 5080, which means that NVIDIA is separating its top SKUs even more. We are curious to see at what price point NVIDIA places its upcoming GPUs so that we can compare generational updates and the difference between xx80 and xx90 models and their widened gaps.

NVIDIA is on the brink of finalizing its next-generation "Blackwell" graphics cards, the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080. Sources close to BenchLife indicate that NVIDIA is targeting September for the official design specification finalization of both models. This timeline hints at a possible unveiling at CES 2025, with a market release shortly after. The RTX 5090 is rumored to boast a staggering 550 W TGP, a significant 22% increase from its predecessor, the RTX 4090. Meanwhile, the RTX 5080 is expected to draw 350 W, a more modest 9.3% bump from the current RTX 4080. Interestingly, NVIDIA appears to be developing "D" variants for both cards, which are likely tailored for the Chinese market to comply with export regulations.

Regarding raw power, the RTX 5090 is speculated to feature 24,576 CUDA cores paired with 512-bit GDDR7 memory. The RTX 5080, while less mighty, is still expected to pack a punch with 10,752 CUDA cores and 256-bit GDDR7 memory. As NVIDIA prepares to launch these powerhouses, rumors suggest the RTX 4090D may be discontinued by December 2024, paving the way for its successor. We are curious to see how the power consumption is handled and if these cards are packed efficiently within the higher power envelope. Some rumors indicate that the RTX 5090 could reach 600 watts at its peak, while RTX 5080 reaches 400 watts. However, that is just a rumor for now. As always, until NVIDIA makes an official announcement, these details should be taken with a grain of salt.