Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series launch pushed back to early 2025 according to prominent leaker

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Claims the first Blackwell cards will debut at CES 2025.

Blackwell
(Image credit: Nvidia)

A prominent hardware leaker has some bad news for enthusiasts impatiently waiting for Nvidia’s next generation of consumer graphics cards. “I think we won't see RTX 50 until CES,” wrote Kopite7kimi earlier today. To the best of our knowledge Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards were due to launch in Fall 2024, so the new rumor could signal a significant setback, if it plays out.

In our all-we-know deep dive into Nvidia Blackwell and RTX 50 GPUs, we mention how a Fall 2024 launch would be good for consumers. Enthusiasts could get their hands on the top RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, we thought, ahead of the busy holiday shopping period. These are destined to be some of the best graphics cards ever made, so could make great gifts for a loved one, or yourself.

We also eyed Fall 2024 as a likely Blackwell launch window due to the historical precedent. Nvidia’s RTX 40 series debuted in October 2022, and RTX 30 and RTX 20 series cards launched in September 2020 and 2018, respectively. Basically, for the last decade, every two years, September / October has been the chosen time for Nvidia to launch a new generation of consumer GPUs.

If the RTX 50 schedule is indeed pushed into early 2025, many PC DIYers and gamers would be most worried about a knock-on effect on mainstream GeForce card launch timings. The top-tier cards like the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, perhaps even an RTX 5070 Ti, were expected to spearhead the Blackwell launch. They are sure to be quite expensive, too. If these debut in January 2025, hopes for timely releases of higher volume products like the RTX 5070 and mainstream RTX 5060/Ti models could fade further into 2025.

For more details about what to expect with the RTX 50 series, such as GPU process nodes, memory types and quotas, and more, please check our all-we-know article, linked above. Since the last update, we reported on a new rumor about RTX 50 graphics card power consumption, leaked via Seasonic’s PSU wattage calculator tool. This TDP data also needs a pinch of salt.

Kopite7kimi has a great track record for PC component leaks, but please remember to take this kind of information with a pinch of salt. Launch timings can often change, and there are many reasons for adjustments back and forth. Plus it's a couched in language that doesn't suggest absolute knowledge but rather just a guess: "I think... [insert whatever claim you want]." In other words, the CES 2025 launch window could indeed be true, but between now and then, Nvidia may adjust its Blackwell launch schedule multiple times.

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Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Stevemeister
    This is business pure and simple. There is nothing out there that is mounting a significant challenge to the 4000 series cards at this time so there is no need for Nvidia to release anything better right now. They can keep churning out 4 series chips maximizing the ROI on the money invested developing them and chances are the manufacturing process has gotten more efficient so better yields and lower costs per unit. This all translates into greater profitability with some buffer that gives them the ability to drop prices in the future if necessary.
    Reply
  • JasHod1
    Stevemeister said:
    This is business pure and simple. There is nothing out there that is mounting a significant challenge to the 4000 series cards at this time so there is no need for Nvidia to release anything better right now. They can keep churning out 4 series chips maximizing the ROI on the money invested developing them and chances are the manufacturing process has gotten more efficient so better yields and lower costs per unit. This all translates into greater profitability with some buffer that gives them the ability to drop prices in the future if necessary.

    You're right, it is business but not for the reason you are giving.

    They have so much inventory sitting in the channel and on store shelves that they want to shift that first. I work in the games industry, we've been told once 4000 series inventory gets down to a 10-15% level then it's good to go.
    Reply
  • JarredWaltonGPU
    JasHod1 said:
    You're right, it is business but not for the reason you are giving.

    They have so much inventory sitting in the channel and on store shelves that they want to shift that first. I work in the games industry, we've been told once 4000 series inventory gets down to a 10-15% level then it's good to go.
    The only cards that will see an immediate impact would be 4090 (already mostly cleared out, based on pricing and number of models available) and the 4080 Super (4080 is already "gone"). This is clearly just a guess from Kopite7kimi, at least that's my reading of his tweet. And it's possible he's right, but equally plausible that he's wrong.

    It's two years on from the 4090 launch, and anyone serious about that sort of hardware already bought one. Businesses who picked them up for AI also bought a lot of the cards. Now they're ready for the next big thing.

    Historically, Nvidia hasn't launched a brand-new architecture at CES ... ever. At least not that I can recall off the top of my head. Follow-up cards like the 4070 Ti and the 40-series Super models get announced at CES, but never the new architectures. The closest we ever got to something like a CES launch would be the 20-series announcement at Gamescom, something Nvidia hasn't repeated in the ensuing six years. And CES is far less about PC hardware and games, with a heavy focus on smartphones, cars, and other tech — though AI has become an increasingly big drum to beat.

    My bet is still on an October/November release for 5090/5080 cards, with 5070-tier at CES. Or failing that, it will be a special Nvidia event in February to announce all the new stuff.

    The best reason for a delay, IMO, would be if there are actual hardware issues that still need ironing out. We've heard rumors of problems, but nothing from a reputable source — just Chinese blogs, mostly. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out.
    Reply
  • valthuer
    JarredWaltonGPU said:
    Ultimately, it comes down to demand for the products. If all the Ada GPUs (particularly high-end/enthusiast) are mostly sold out, Nvidia will be more likely to release Blackwell sequels sooner than later. And I won't name any person or company in particular, but I did speak to some folks at GTC that were pretty adamant that Blackwell consumer GPUs would arrive this year. Some people also mentioned that the Super refresh of the 40-series was "later than anticipated," but that they still didn't think it would impact Blackwell coming out this year.

    @JarredWaltonGPU , I still choose to believe what you told me a few months back.

    If you don’t know, nobody does.
    Reply
  • thisisaname
    If the RTX50 launch was immanent then that would kill the sales of any 40 series
    JarredWaltonGPU said:
    The only cards that will see an immediate impact would be 4090 (already mostly cleared out, based on pricing and number of models available) and the 4080 Super (4080 is already "gone"). This is clearly just a guess from Kopite7kimi, at least that's my reading of his tweet. And it's possible he's right, but equally plausible that he's wrong.

    It's two years on from the 4090 launch, and anyone serious about that sort of hardware already bought one. Businesses who picked them up for AI also bought a lot of the cards. Now they're ready for the next big thing.

    Historically, Nvidia hasn't launched a brand-new architecture at CES ... ever. At least not that I can recall off the top of my head. Follow-up cards like the 4070 Ti and the 40-series Super models get announced at CES, but never the new architectures. The closest we ever got to something like a CES launch would be the 20-series announcement at Gamescom, something Nvidia hasn't repeated in the ensuing six years. And CES is far less about PC hardware and games, with a heavy focus on smartphones, cars, and other tech — though AI has become an increasingly big drum to beat.

    My bet is still on an October/November release for 5090/5080 cards, with 5070-tier at CES. Or failing that, it will be a special Nvidia event in February to announce all the new stuff.

    The best reason for a delay, IMO, would be if there are actual hardware issues that still need ironing out. We've heard rumors of problems, but nothing from a reputable source — just Chinese blogs, mostly. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out.
    New of an immanent release of the 50 series cards it would only affect the high end cards (which have either sold out or are have low stock levels) mid and low tier cards would not be affected has they are usually released a few months later.

    If there was a delay it could be down to wanting to use their fab allocation for AI chips rather than graphics cards?
    Reply
  • awake283
    Even that seems too soon. I know more people use it than just gamers, but if you look at the Steam charts only something like 0.98% of people have a 4090. 4090's still crush any AAA game and it's almost impossible to max them at 100% unless you're doing some kind of stress test. 50 line is just not needed at the moment.
    Reply
  • valthuer
    awake283 said:
    4090's still crush any AAA game and it's almost impossible to max them at 100% unless you're doing some kind of stress test. 50 line is just not needed at the moment.

    There already is a number of AAA titles, in which 4090 cannot reach 60 FPS at 4K Ultra Native.

    1. Alan Wake II

    2. Cyberpunk 2077

    3. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

    4. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

    5. ARK SURVIVAL ASCENDED

    And there's every indication that Black Myth: Wukong will fall into the same category, 'cause it supports Path Tracing.

    As Unreal Engine 5 slowly becomes mainstream, the number of games that give 4090 a hard time will only increase in these next few years.
    Reply
  • awake283
    Reply
  • d0x360
    valthuer said:
    There already is a number of AAA titles, in which 4090 cannot reach 60 FPS at 4K Ultra Native.

    1. Alan Wake II

    2. Cyberpunk 2077

    3. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

    4. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

    5. ARK SURVIVAL ASCENDED

    And there's every indication that Black Myth: Wukong will fall into the same category, 'cause it supports Path Tracing.

    As Unreal Engine 5 slowly becomes mainstream, the number of games that give 4090 a hard time will only increase in thes


    Hold the phone... My PC (4090/7950x3d) can max out Alan wake 2 at 4k with DLAA (no frame gen) and it's always above 60 fps and often in the low 80s with its average in the mid 70s. With DLSS Quality I don't think it ever really drops below 90 fps

    Cyberpunk is a different story but that game (or Engine) wasn't built day 1 for path tracing.

    Avatar using DLSS Q is always above 60 running unobtainable and yeah that's not native 4k but it looks great

    Hellblade 2 was running just above 4k60 DLAA maxed setting for me in the little I played but it's UE..ue has had pretty crappy performance since UE3.5 & when UE4 hit it just got twice as bad.

    Id never play ark but from what I remember the original was one of the worst performances of the decade lol

    Of course I'll be getting a 5090 day 1 of possible but I gotta defend the retiring champion from this vicious slander lol
    .shame!
    Reply
  • valthuer
    d0x360 said:
    Hold the phone... My PC (4090/7950x3d) can max out Alan wake 2 at 4k with DLAA (no frame gen) and it's always above 60 fps and often in the low 80s with its average in the mid 70s. With DLSS Quality I don't think it ever really drops below 90 fps

    Cyberpunk is a different story but that game (or Engine) wasn't built day 1 for path tracing.

    Avatar using DLSS Q is always above 60 running unobtainable and yeah that's not native 4k but it looks great

    Hellblade 2 was running just above 4k60 DLAA maxed setting for me in the little I played but it's UE..ue has had pretty crappy performance since UE3.5 & when UE4 hit it just got twice as bad.

    Id never play ark but from what I remember the original was one of the worst performances of the decade lol

    Of course I'll be getting a 5090 day 1 of possible but I gotta defend the retiring champion from this vicious slander lol
    .shame!

    Well, i don't know your settings for Alan Wake II, but, with all due respect, at 4K Ultra, with max Path/Ray Tracing, no Frame Generation, no Ray Reconstruction and Direct Lighting on, there's just no way you'll be getting any higher than 30-32 FPS, with a max of 40 - and that's depending on the game's level you 're currently on.

    As far as Cyberpunk 2077 is concerned, at 4K Ultra Path Tracing, with no DLSS or FG, the best result i ever got from the game's benchmark, was an abysmal average of 22 FPS.

    The native 4K Unobtainium settings of Avatar, give me an average of 30-something FPS.

    At Hellblade 2 (4K Ultra DLAA), i'm usually between 45-48 FPS lows and 60-61 highs, with an average of 52-55.
    Reply