Things got less confusing when Nvidia reportedly discontinued the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB model in July, as the graphics card was no longer at odds with the original 10GB version. However, the GPU is picking up again as a trusted Hardware Info says the 12GB version is back with a vengeance.
It’s a curious turn of events given that Nvidia is already grappling with how many RTX 3000 GPUs it needs to swap out to make room for the next-gen RTX 4000 models, but that’s why the RTX 3080 12 Go is back. technology enthusiast Zed__Wang says that Nvidia still has too many unused GA102 chips and naturally decided to produce its updated flagship to replace them.
As VideoCardz points out, the GA102 chip is the generic designation for the GPU in the RTX 3080, RTX 3080 Ti, RTX 3090, and RTX 3090 Ti. Nvidia still makes all of these graphics cards, but may consider reusing the higher-end GA102 chips intended for the RTX 3090 series to create more RTX 3080 12GB graphics cards.
More Potentially Less
Nvidia has not officially commented on these claims, but there is a risk associated with the change in approach. Using a high-end chip in a low-end GPU hurts the company’s bottom line, as the 12GB RTX 3080 doesn’t cost as much as its RTX 3090 series, but Nvidia may end up switching to more as a result.
There is also an upcoming release date for the RTX 4000, which according to leaks is currently dependent on current inventory. Nvidia may want to take a hit on the chin to better position itself as the next-gen leader rather than risk falling behind.
If you are in the US, you may not want to go for the RTX 3080 12GB. While producing more of these should eventually bring their price down, some RTX 3080 Ti GPUs are currently cheaper at the time of writing. If you can get a better graphics card for $30 less than the smaller one, why not?
Source : PC Gamesn
