Some doubt has just been cast over the upcoming launch of RTX 50 series Super graphics cards. Nvidia hasn’t officially announced anything to do with a Super refresh, but it’s heavily rumored online and would likely follow the template Nvidia set with the 40 series. We’ve already seen some leaked specs for the RTX 5080 Super, 5070 Ti Super, and 5070 Super, all coming with a generous boost to VRAM, thanks to a shift to 3GB GDDR7 modules.

However, reports of 3GB GDDR7 shortages have left leakers uncertain about the future of the Super refresh. One source even claims that “the Super series is cancelled”. The issue of skyrocketing DRAM prices will also make the exisiting GPU models more expensive to manufacture.

RTX 50 Super series graphics cards could be canceled

UNIKO’s Hardware speculates that the “crazy shortage” for these 3GB models will prevent such hardware from reaching the consumer desktop market. Fellow tipster @harukaze5719 suggests it will be a “irrational business decision” for Nvidia to go ahead with Super GPUs given the RAM price spikes as of late.

Consumers are already feeling the effect of rising RAM costs; PC Gamer reports that memory prices have double since the summer. Much of the blame is being placed on the AI industry eating up supply. Tech giants OpenAI announced a collaboration with memory manufactuers Samsung and SK last month, “targeting 900,000 DRAM wafer starts per month” – that’s reportedly 40% of current global DRAM output.

The reported switch from 2GB GDDR7 to 3GB GDDR7 models would allow Nvidia to cram more memory into their RTX 50 series graphics cards. For example, the RTX 5070 (currently 12GB with 6x 2GB modules) is expected to be upgraded to 18GB with 6x 3GB modules. It’s now not clear whether these Super models will ever come to fruition.

Not long after graphics cards were starting to feel more affordable (we’ve even seen the RTX 5090 for MSRP lately), RAM price hikes have again made PC building more expensive than we’d like. Regardless, if you’re looking for a solid GPU deal right now, we can point you in the direction of the RTX 5070 or Intel’s Arc B580.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.