Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 looks imminent — here’s the proof

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A regulatory agency has OK'd Nvidia's rumored GPU right before a September 1 event

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
(Image credit: creper9000 at Reddit)

Nvidia’s next high-end RTX GPU — possibly the Nvidia RTX 3080 — might be inching closer to release. That’s according to regulatory filings out South Korea, suggesting that a launch is imminent ahead of an Nvidia event slated for Sept. 1.

A report from Videocardz says that  the Korean National Radio Research Agency has certified a board designated PG133A. This board is assumed to be the Founder's Edition of the rumored RTX 3080 Ti (or RTX 3090) that will be the flagship of NVIDIA's upcoming successor to the RTX 2000 line.

Rumors have run rampant concerning Nvidia’s next generation of enthusiast-grade GPUs. However, very few concrete details have emerged. Even the official name for the Ampere lineup is a mystery. 

Some say the flagship card will follow the naming scheme Nvidia has used for years and be called the RTX 3080 Ti. However, others are stating that the card will dispense with the Ti branding and debut as the RTX 3090. It isn’t clear at this point which direction Nvidia will take, but details should be coming soon to help us resolve that matter. 

In the two years since the RTX 2000 series arrived, not many games have taken advantage of the raytracing capabilities introduced with the cards. Despite the RTX 2080 Ti's raw horsepower, even it struggles with raytracing while keeping a playable framerate at resolutions past 1080p. Technologies like DLSS have helped alleviate these performance issues, but players have been frustrated at having to compromise while owning Nvidia’s most potent enthusiast GPU.

One of the biggest questions revolving around the RTX 3080 Ti/RTX 3090 is whether it'll have the power to deliver raytracing at UHD without the need to sacrifice framerate or other aspects of graphical fidelity. With the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming consoles featuring DXR support, we may finally see a respectable number of titles taking advantage of raytracing. 

Nvidia’s high-end cards command a high price, and that’s rumored to continue with upcoming GPUs. So performance per dollar for the RTX 3080 Ti/RTX 3090 will be a major concern for potential buyers.

We likely won't have to wait long to get the details on Nvidia’s upcoming GPUs. If the PG133A is truly the RTX 3080 Ti/RTX 3090, it lines up with the countdown Nvidia teased on Twitter and the GeForce event set for September 1 at noon EDT. That’s a little more than a week away until we can put these rumors to rest and see what’s really going down. 

Brittany Vincent
Brittany Vincent

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over 13 years for publications including Tom's Guide, MTV, Rolling Stone, CNN, Popular Science, Playboy, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, and more. She's also appeared as a panelist at video game conventions like PAX East and PAX West and has coordinated social media for companies like CNET. When she's not writing or gaming, she's looking for the next great visual novel in the vein of Saya no Uta. You can follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake.