Rumors suggest that Nvidia will launch the RTX 5080 with 30 Gbps GDDR7 memory, while the remaining Blackwell lineup will stick with slower 28 Gbps modules, via Benchlife as spotted by Harukaze on X. Do note that this also includes the flagship RTX 5090. Still, given the substantial disparities in CUDA core count and other specifications between the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, a small memory nerf is unlikely to make a difference to the flagship.
Nvidia's RTX 50 series is expected to be the first GPU lineup to debut with GDDR7 memory. GDDR7 touts several advantages over its predecessor such as higher speeds and greater density. Upcoming GDDR7 offerings from Samsung promise speeds of up to 42.5 Gbps in 24Gb (3GB per module) capacities. Mainstream and budget GPUs suffer from narrow bus widths that limit VRAM capacities to a paltry 8GB or 12GB (128-bit/192-bit) using 16Gb modules. While newer 24Gb modules can theoretically improve these numbers up to 12GB and 18GB respectively, don't expect availability until 2025 or later, likely in the form of a SUPER refresh.
With that context in mind, Benchlife's report suggests that Nvidia will use slower 28 Gbps GDDR7 modules across all its Blackwell series of GPUs, except for the RTX 5080. Like its predecessor, the RTX 5080 is rumored to possess the fastest memory in the entire lineup, this time at 30 Gbps, allowing it to dish out 960 GB/s of bandwidth if we assume a 256-bit memory interface. Previous leaks suggest the RTX 5080 will ship with 16GB of VRAM and that configuration is only possible with 16Gb modules and a 256-bit interface, so our calculations stand consistent.
Adding to the mix, AMD's RDNA 4 allegedly uses a rather conservative memory setup with 18 Gbps GDDR6 modules. Likewise, Intel's Battlemage B580 adheres to a 12GB configuration featuring 19 Gbps GDDR6 memory. Nvidia's dominant position in the market gives them the leverage to charge a pretty penny for the latest tech, including GDDR7 VRAM.
Yesterday, a leak from Zotac confirmed that Nvidia is prepping to unveil the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 series at CES next month. What this suggests is that the RTX 5060 lineup could be pushed to Q2 25, aligning its release with the availability of 24Gb modules (at least from Samsung). This should allow for higher capacities, up to 12GB for the RTX 5060 but that's wishful thinking.
