Last Updated on
Yes, you read the headline right. Nvidia has announced it’s ‘unlaunching’ the RTX 4080 12GB variant.
The huge announcement comes from a post on the official Nvidia blog, and is about as short a statement as you can imagine. It reads:
“The RTX 4080 12GB is a fantastic graphics card, but it’s not named right. Having two GPUs with the 4080 designation is confusing.
“So, we’re pressing the “unlaunch” button on the 4080 12GB. The RTX 4080 16GB is amazing and on track to delight gamers everywhere on November 16th.
“If the lines around the block and enthusiasm for the 4090 is any indication, the reception for the 4080 will be awesome.”
The post comes just two days after the launch of the RTX 4090, with the 4080 launch scheduled for sometime in November. Two cards, a 16GB and 12GB variant had been announced, but Nvidia has clearly shifted sentiment on that.
What happened to the RTX 4080 12GB?
The short answer is we don’t really know at the time of writing. Nvidia has provided no information beyond its short post.
What we at PC Guide do know, is that comments during the last few days from some fans suggested a feeling that the RTX 4080 12GB was “really a 4070”.
But whether Nvidia is of the same opinion, or isn’t happy with its current plans for a mid-pack card, we don’t know. While we don’t yet know about plans for the RTX 4070 or any potential ‘Ti’ cards among the RTX 4000 series, the next move from Nvidia will be incredibly interesting.
What now for the RTX 4080?
The RTX 4080 16GB card will launch, presumably, as planned on November 16. Clearly, the reception and interest in the RTX 4090 has been huge, and no doubt the RTX 4080 will follow suit.
While stock for the 4090 has been limited so far, we’d hope that it normalizes and that the RTX 4080 launch is met with a good supply.
We’ll be right across the launch at PC Guide, providing the key information for comparisons, builds, and stock availability. So we’ll get you the latest information on the future of the RTX 4080 12GB. Or whatever it or a similar card may be called going forward.
