Nvidia’s RTX 5080 will launch first – RTX 5090 to arrive later – leak suggests

Nvidia’s RTX 5080 might launch weeks ahead of Nvidia’s RTX 5090

CES 2025 is going to be a HUGE event for Nvidia. There, Nvidia plans to reveal their RTX 50 series of graphics cards, kickstarting the next generation of PC graphics. Now, it looks like Nvidia will not launch their RTX 5090 GPU first, instead optioning to release their 16GB RTX 5080 as their first 50-series product.

According to a report from WCCFtech, Nvidia’s RTX 5080 will launch in mid-January, while their RTX 5090 will arrive a few weeks later, in late January or early February.

We have heard reports that Nvidia will focus its RTX 5090 marketing on creators and high-end users. Yes, it will be their fastest “gaming” product, but its premium pricing makes it too expensive for most gamers. As such, Nvidia will be focusing their RTX 5080 marketing on gamers, and push their RTX 5090 towards workstation users and creators.

Starting first in January 2025, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU with 16 GB GDDR7 memory and blazing fast speeds of up to 32 Gbps will be available soon after CES, in the middle of January, aiming directly for the performance crown positioning. It is rather interesting to see the 80-class GPU as the first to debut on retail shelves, as last time, it was the 90-class GPU that was sold first.

…

In fact, for enthusiasts, the wait time for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 will be just a few weeks apart from the RTX 5080. It is said that both the RTX 5090 and the RTX 5090D are eyeing a debut by the end of January or mid-February. The RTX 5090 will once again offer a gargantuan upgrade over the existing 90-class offerings and set a new benchmark for high-end PC gaming.

– WCCFtech

(Image from WCCFtech)

This marketing approach from Nvidia makes a lot of sense. After all, 5080 reviews may be a lot more favourable without having a 5090 to compare it to. Beyond that, like the RTX 4090, Nvidia’s RTX 5090 will be heavily used by creators and workstation users, with its huge 32GB frame buffer being a major selling point. Yes, the RTX 5090 will be Nvidia’s flagship gaming product, but it’s also a lot more than that.

Are Nvidia right to release their 5080 GPU first? You can join the discussion on Nvidia’s RTX 5080 potentially being Nvidia’s first RTX 50 series product on the OC3D Forums.