Summary
Nvidia may be cutting off desktop GPU manufacturing in favor of more laptop GPUs in China, according to a new leak. It is believed that the demand for more laptop GPUs from Nvidia has been coming from gaming laptop manufacturers in the Chinese market. This could mean that RTX 40 series desktop GPUs may once again become hard to source. The leak also suggests that this demand is limited to the RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 series GPUs.
The RTX 40 series of desktop GPUs were introduced late last year, while the mobile cards were announced early this year. During the announcement in January, Nvidia shared that it planned to release the GeForce RTX 4090, 4080, 4070, 4060, and 4050 mobile GPUs in September, starting with the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080. The 40-series cards brought significant performance improvements over their 30-series counterparts, especially considering AMD’s underwhelming lineup of mobile GPUs.
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Arecent leak coming from Chinasuggests that the DIY desktop GPU market is going steady for now, so Nvidia is making changes to its GPU manufacturing in favor of more Ada Lovelace laptop GPUs. Notably, the semiconductor maker is implementing these changes in the RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 series of GPUs, with the more high-end RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 cards continuing to flow as they have been. However, Nvidia has not shared any official information related to the claims.
Nvidia’s RTX 40-Series Lineup
ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4060 8GB Solo
The ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4060 8GB Solo is an entry-level RTX 4060 variant that focuses on being the perfect fit for smaller ITX or SFF (small form factor) builds while offering excellent ray tracing performance and solid 1080P gaming performance without compromising on power.
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING OC 16G
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING OC 16G is the latest offering by Gigabyte in the RTX 4060 series. It is the 16GB VRAM version of the 4060 Ti that was launched back in May. With double the VRAM, it can outperform the 8GB variant in memory-intensive games and productivity applications.
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 OC
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 OC is the most well-rounded offering from ASUS in terms of pricing, performance, and build quality when it comes to an RTX 4070. With excellent, quiet cooling, an above-average boost clock, and a rugged look, it is one of the best RTX 4070 SKUs money can buy.
MSI GeForce RTX™ 4080 16GB GAMING X TRIO
The MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GAMING X TRIO is an excellent piece of hardware that delivers a stellar performance, above-average clock speeds, and great aesthetics in a package that is only marginally above MSRP for the Nvidia RTX 4080 Founders Edition (FE)
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 4090 White OC
The Asus ROG Strix 4090 OC needs no introduction. It commands its own presence in the current market as the fastest GPU money can buy. It also arguably looks much better in white.With 24GB of fast GDDR6X RAM on offer in addition to 16,384 CUDA cores on offer in addition to plenty of extras in the box for users looking to get one of the best-looking GPUs in the business, the Strix 4090 OC is a premium GPU and it looks and feels the part too in 2024
This change in manufacturing could indicate a shortfall in desktop RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 stock. These GPUs could get harder to source over the next quarter, and seeing discounts on them would be unlikely. This was the situation when the RTX 40 series was first introduced. Gamers wanted to buy these powerful new cards, but because of theglobal chip shortage that began in 2020they were very limited by supply and the prices were skyrocketing.
Another inhibiting factor is that Nvidia is currently incentivized to maintain the jacked-up pricing of the RTX 40 series cards and is likely taking these steps intentionally, regardless of possible supply issues. Because of the relatively higher price tags, fans may be swaying away from Team Green, which is why several retailers have been offering discounts on these cards. By allegedly reducing the supply of desktop graphics cards, Nvidia can somewhat control the pricing and keep it where it wants.
As to why these specific SKUs are being targeted, it could be because of their poor value, which has been a major complaint from consumers. The RTX 4060 8GB ranges between $300 and $330 while the RTX 4060 Ti ranges between $400 and $440. The 16GB variant of the 4060 Ti starts at $500 but offersbarely any performance improvementsover the 8GB model.
There are a few things to consider here. This piece of information exclusively talks about the Chinese market, which may not translate directly to the Western market. Though, if the change in manufacturing does take effect in China, it could hurt the global supply of those specific GPUs. Furthermore, AMD isexpected to unveil new mid-tier desktop GPUsin its Radeon RX 7000 series, supposedly the RX 7800 and RX 7700 cards. These will likely compete directly with the mid-tier RTX 40 series offerings from Nvidia, the RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 series. AMD is also expected to follow the same trend in pricing for its upcoming cards, selling them cheaper than their Nvidia counterparts. Knowing this, if Nvidia still chooses to cut down on production of its mid-tier desktop GPU offerings, it could be in some trouble.
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