Nvidia could be lining up back-to-back monthly launches for the upcoming 11-series GeForce cards, according to an alleged leaked email. Gamer Meld on YouTube shared an email from an add-in board (AIB) partner that indicates that GTX 1180 cards will be available in late August, with subsequent launches of the GTX 1170 in September and the GTX 1160 in October.
Gamer Meld did not reveal its source, but the YouTube channel said that it received a redacted copy of an email from an undisclosed AIB that was allegedly sent to retailers that would be selling the upcoming cards. We have no way of verifying the veracity of the email, but if it’s real, it includes previously unknown information about Nvidia’s 11-series launch plans.
The cadence of the email suggests that retailers were probably expecting an earlier launch date. The message explains that Nvidia delayed the launch of the 11-series cards because the company’s partners and their manufacturers “had an abundance of unfinished or unsold 10xx GPUs” in inventory. The AIB that sent the message stated that it had already shifted its manufacturing efforts to 11-series cards before Nvidia pushed the launch back; however, the company switched back to 10-series production to clear out its remaining inventory, per Nvidia’s suggestion.
More Inventory, Lower Prices
The final batch of 10-series cards should be hitting store shelves soon, and there should be some good deals to be had. The reported email indicated that the AIB would lower the costof the final batchof 10-series cards to help rapidly move units to make way for the next-generation 11-series cards.
No July Reveal?
Rumors about Nvidia’s next-generations graphics cards have been circulating for several months now. In May, we reported that Nvidia would be attending Hot Chips in August, and Stuart Oberman, the company’s Vice President of ASIC engineering, would discuss the company’s next “mainstream GPU.” Hot Chips isn’t a great setting to launch a consumer product, so we took that as a hint that the 11-series GPUs would already be on the market before the August 20 event. Two weeks later, SemiAccurate reported that Nvidia’s presentation was no longer on the Hot Chips schedule, which was an early sign of the 11-series delay. However, our sources led us to believe that Nvidia would take the lid off the GeForce GTX 1180 at the end of July.
The email that Gamer Meld got hold of indicates that the launch is now scheduled for the end of August. However, it could also reinforce the rumor of the July 30 reveal. In mid-June, industry sources suggested that Nvidia’s partners would have cards on the market in September. A one-month lead for a Founder’s Edition card from Nvidia is within the realm of possibility.
Trickle-Down Releases
According to the leaked email, the third-party GeForce GTX 1180 cards should hit the market on August 30, followed by the GTX 1170 in September. Nvidia usually releases the xx80 and xx70 cards within a few weeks of each other, but we normally must wait several months for the new technology to trickle down to budget-friendly price points. If the leaked email is true, the more affordable GTX 1160 should be available by the end of October.
GTX 1180+?
The leaked email also alludes to a fourth graphics card, the GTX 1180+, which would launch alongside the GTX 1170 in September. We don’t know what the plus symbol denotes, but we suspect it indicates memory capacity. In April, Wccftech reported that the upcoming GTX 1180 would be available in 8GB and 16GB variants.
A Grain of Salt
The above information should be taken with a grain of salt. Gamer Meld didn’t give any clue as to which OEM the information came from, so we can’t begin to verify the details within.
