Nvidia Cancels Cheapest PC Graphics Card, Leaving Only Most Expensive | Biden News

[ad_1]

RTX 4080 GPU flies through a green and black void.

Picture: Nvidia/Kotaku

If you were planning to buy a new 40-series Nvidia GPU this year, you may need to save even more money than planned. That’s because the GPU maker has confirmed its plans to “unlaunch” the previously planned and cheaper 12GB RTX 4080 model. Instead, now, only the more expensive and faster 16GB RTX 4080 will launch next month.

A few weeks ago, after many rumors and much speculation, Nvidia has finally announced its next series of high-end PC graphics cards. The plan then was to launch two different flavors of RTX 4080 GPUs in November: the 16GB RTX 4080 ($1199) and 12GB RTX 4080 ($899). It also announced $ 1600 4090 during that same event. These prices went over as well as you might expect, with many claiming they were too expensive. And now the “cheapest” of these new, expensive cards won’t even launch next month.

Read more: Nvidia’s New 40-Series PC Graphics Cards Are Too Damn Expensive

As announced today Nvidia, the company is “discontinuing” the 12GB RTX 4080. It claims this is because, while the card is “awesome,” it’s too “confusing” to have two different GPUs that are both called “RTX 4080.” This echoes a criticism that arose from many consumers after the recent 40 series announcements; many have suggested that the 12GB RTX 4080’s distinctly lower specs are more like a theoretical “4070” or “4079” card.

Kotaku contacted Nvidia about the cancellation and the future of the 12GB RTX 4080 model.

“So, we’re hitting the ‘unlaunch’ button on the 4080 12GB,” Nvidia said in a brief statement posted on the company’s official website. “The RTX 4080 16GB is amazing and on track to delight gamers everywhere on November 16.”

Of course, it’s hard not to see this move as a way for Nvidia to push more of its customers—many of whom have been holding off on buying a new GPU for a few years. while cards remained difficult to buy— spend more money on a more expensive card. And while initial previews of the cheaper 12GB 4080 showed it to be considerably slower than the more expensive 16GB version, it was still nice to have at least one option that cost less than $1,000. But that’s gone now. What will happen remains to be seen, but perhaps Nvidia will actually end up rebranding the 12GB RTX 4080s into 4070s.

[ad_2]

Source link