Rumors about Nvidia’s next-gen graphics cards have been running rampant. Lenovo has seemingly confirmed that the new GPUs will be called the 11-series and arrive sometime this fall, and a separate report has suggested Nvidia will announce the cards at Gamescom in August.
Leaked GTX 1180 PCB?
The latest and perhaps most substantive development is a story from VideoCardz with an image of what may (or may not) be a leaked Nvidia-made GTX 1180 PCB. The image, which comes from a Baidu user, seems to show a reference board with both a six- and eight-pin power connector, a non-standard SLI connector (perhaps as part of an NVLink implementation), and a fairly small pinout area for the GPU itself. VideoCardz also points out that there is no DVI connector on this board. Perhaps Nvidia has nixed the aging port in favor of the reported VR-centric VirtualLink connector based on USB-C. There will certainly be gamers with older monitors who will be affected by this if that's the case--even if they just have to buy a new cable or an adapter.
As with any such leaks, it's tough to say anything for sure about this image. It could be legit, it could be doctored, or it could be a PCB for a future card other than the GTX 1180/GTX 2080. So you shouldn't take any of this as fact. But with a rumored launch at Gamescom in August, we may not have long to wait before we know more for certain.
Lenovo Leaks Branding & Availability?
In an interview from E3 by YouTuber Brainbean, Lenovo product manager Rex Stover discussed the Nvidia 11-series while showcasing the company’s new Cube C530 and C730 desktop PCs. On three separate occasions (around the 1:30, 2:50 and 3:40 marks in the video linked above), he referred to the rumored Nvidia tech as the 11-series, calling out the top-of-the-line model by name (1180) and giving a timetable for its arrival (this fall).
To be fair, it’s not uncommon for tech companies to give vague timetables and refer to unreleased products by their universally accepted moniker. The 11-series branding is no secret to anyone at this point, and it would be safe to presume that the top of the product stack would have similar branding as previous Nvidia GPUs.
However, this is a rare moment where a reputable company’s spokesperson is caught on camera giving some credence to rumor, and some could understandably give immense weight to his words. The casual tone with which the information was conveyed could be perceived as harmless hearsay or doctrine depending on who you ask, but only time will tell if these assertions are accurate.
Gamescom Launch?
A separate report by Videocardz suggests that Nvidia is already setting the stage to announce the new GPU series at Gamescom this August, stating that Nvidia is allegedly sending invitations to the press for the event with the promise of “hands-on demonstration of the latest PC gaming titles.”
The site offers no evidence for this claim, but the author suggests that “no one would offer a free trip to Europe if it wasn’t important.” This is a bit thin, but with another timely leak pointing to Q3 (fall) availability, an August announcement would make sense. However, there are plenty of opportunities (tech conferences) for Nvidia to unleash its new graphics card series between now and Q3, so we wouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket just yet.
