Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti could be coming — but there's a catch

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti leak
(Image credit: Nvidia)

After reports of it being “delayed indefinitely” late last year, new information is starting to leak out about the eagerly anticipated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, and it may not be the news that PC gamers were hoping to hear. 

The latest rumors suggest that the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will launch in April and offer 12GB of VRAM, quite a comedown from the 20GB of VRAM that it was previously thought to contain. 

The news comes by way of @kopite7kimi on Twitter, who has previous form when it comes to leaking reliable hardware information. But of course, this information should still be taken with a healthy pinch of salt. 

The leaker had previously claimed in December 2020 that the card would offer 20GB of VRAM. But either that information was incorrect or Nvidia has changed course, perhaps deciding to prioritize a cheaper price point over graphical performance.  

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The amount of VRAM doesn’t appear to be the only aspect of the RTX 3080 Ti that might have been downgraded either. According to @kopite7kimi, the graphics card could contain 10,240 CUDA cores as opposed to previous reports which claimed it would offer 10,496 cores. 

The news has unsurprisingly received a mixed response on social media with gamers not exactly thrilled that a high-end take on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 may have been downgraded. 

Differentiating the RTX 3080 Ti from the more expensive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 could well be the reason for this potential downgrade, as the latter needs to continue justifying its premium price tag. Though it’s worth noting that the RTX 3090 is targeted more towards professional creators, while an RTX 3080 Ti would be more of a flagship GPU for PC gamers. 

The information was corroborated by VideoCardz, with the website also claiming that the graphics card is set to launch in April. However, this date seems far from set in stone, and the site was keen to stress that the launch window could well change. 

Speculation about the RTX 3080 Ti has been running wild for a while now. Hopefully, Nvidia doesn’t keep us waiting too much longer for some official details.

As seems to be the new normal in the gaming world, stock issues have hampered the RTX 3080 rollout. But if you’re looking to get your hands on one we’ve got a handy guide to help you find where to buy the Nvidia RTX 3080.  

Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.