New Nvidia RTX 5060/5060Ti 9GB GPUs leak
Nvidia plans to adopt 3GB GDDR7 memory modules for new GPUs
A new report from Board Channels (via Videocardz), Nvidia is reportedly planning to utilise 3GB GDDR7 memory modules to create several new graphics cards. DRAM manufacturers are ramping up production of 3GB GDDR7 memory, leading Nvidia to introduce new 9GB versions of its RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti.
SUPER disappointing
Before AI datacenter investments ruined the memory market, Nvidia reportedly planned to launch the RTX 50 SUPER series GPUs with 3GB GDDR7 memory modules. These modules have 50% more memory than the 2GB GDDR7 modules that Nvidia’s GPUs typically use. This gave Nvidia’s long-rumoured RTX 50 SUPER GPUs 50% more memory than their predecessors.
While DRAM manufacturers are ramping up production of 3GB GDDR7 memory chips, they are unlikely to produce enough to build Nvidia’s full RTX 50 SUPER GPU lineup. Furthermore, high memory pricing makes these products economically unviable. With memory now costing much more, adding more memory to a product is a surefire way to drive its price up. That’s why Nvidia’s taking a new approach to 3GB GDDR7 memory modules.
By making 9GB versions of its RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti, Nvidia are addressing VRAM capacity concerns with 1GB of additional memory. They are also freeing up 2GB GDDR7 memory modules for other products, potentially allowing them to increase supply. Basically, Nvidia is making the best of a bad situation and is adapting to the current state of the memory supply chain.
NVIDIA’s RTX 50 Series May Adopt a 3GB VRAM Module Strategy
The three major upstream memory manufacturers have already established production capacity for 3GB GDDR7 modules. NVIDIA plans to employ a multi-vendor strategy to alleviate the price pressures caused by VRAM shortages; furthermore, 3GB modules allow for increased memory capacity without expanding the memory bus width, representing an optimal balance between cost and performance.
Compared to traditional 2GB modules, a single 3GB GDDR7 module can increase VRAM capacity by 50% at the same bus width, thereby resolving VRAM bottlenecks in high-resolution gaming and AI inference tasks. As manufacturers such as Samsung and Micron ramp up their production capacities, these modules are expected to debut on the market in the near future; NVIDIA has already officially incorporated this strategy into its product roadmap.
According to internal sources within the upstream supply chain, 3GB GDDR7 modules are currently in the product planning phase. It is anticipated that related new products featuring this technology could officially launch around late May or early June.
Reportedly, the RTX 5090 series for laptops has already begun utilizing 3GB VRAM modules. This time, the adoption will extend directly to other models within the RTX 50 series—specifically, mainstream consumer-grade models such as the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and RTX 5060 8GB series may directly switch to using 3GB modules. These models could be configured with three 3GB modules each, resulting in a planned total VRAM capacity of 9GB. This approach allows for increased memory capacity while keeping the GPU core and other specifications unchanged, serving as the optimal solution for mitigating the severe price hikes and supply shortages currently affecting VRAM.
– Board Channels – Machine Translation
(Should we expect a new wave of RTX 5060/5060 Ti models?)
Is this 9GB upgrade an upgrade?
While moving from 8GB of VRAM to 9GB is a good thing, it comes with sacrifices. 8GB of GDDR7 memory over a 128-bit memory bus will deliver more bandwidth than 9GB of GDDR7 memory over a 96-bit memory bus. By using 3GB GDDR7 memory modules, Nvidia is using three memory chips instead of four. While Nvidia could counter this bandwidth decrease by using slightly faster GDDR7 memory speeds, it won’t be enough to offset a 25% reduction in the memory bus size.
While many games will benefit from the extra memory, others may be impacted by the loss of memory bandwidth on Nvidia’s planned 9GB GPUs. With no other GPU specifications reportedly changing, Nvidia’s new 9GB RTX 5060/5060 Ti models should perform similarly to existing models. If a game benefits from extra memory, the 9GB model will be faster. On the other hand, if a game is bandwidth-hungry, it may work best on an 8GB model.
If this rumour is true, we should expect Nvidia to release new RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti models in the future. While they aren’t “SUPER” series GPUs, the extra memory will be a welcome upgrade. That said, it’s hard not to hate AI hyperscalers at this point. After all, if their greed hadn’t ruined the memory market, we would likely be seeing 12GB RTX 5060 models later this year.
You can join the discussion on Nvidia’s rumoured RTX 5060/5060 Ti 9GB GPU models on the OC3D Forums.
