Blackwell Gaming: RTX 5080 Before 5090? Leak Hints
Recent reports suggest that this year, Nvidia is set to unveil a new generation of gaming graphics cards. Unlike the initial launch of the GeForce RTX 30/40 series, which featured three models, this release will only introduce the flagship GeForce RTX 5090. Although it is a singular model, it offers a fundamental understanding of the Blackwell architecture GPUs and various new features. Nvidia will also provide a technical overview of the new architecture.
Just a day later, a well-regarded leaker @Kopite7kimi shared differing information, stating that the first Blackwell architecture gaming graphics card Nvidia will release could be the GeForce RTX 5080. It remains unclear whether both the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 will be released this year, or if indeed there will be only one model. Given the leaker’s history of accurate Nvidia leaks, this new assertion appears more credible, though Nvidia might not have finalized its release plan yet.
Previous statements have outlined that the Blackwell architecture GeForce cards will include five chips: GB202, GB203, GB205, GB206, and GB207, with corresponding memory bus widths of 512/384-bit, 256-bit, 192-bit, 128-bit, and 128-bit, respectively. The next-generation products will utilize the PCIe 5.0 interface, support DisplayPort 2.1 output, and feature 16Gb (2GB) GDDR7 modules, potentially supporting 24Gb (3GB) modules at a rate of 28 Gbps.
The GeForce RTX 5080 is equipped with the GB203, housing 96 SM units and a total of 12,288 CUDA cores. The GeForce RTX 5090 uses the GB202, comprising 192 SM units for a total of 24,576 CUDA cores, and may employ MCM multi-chip packaging, similar to the Blackwell architecture B200 chip used in data center products.
Rumors indicate that Nvidia will implement significant modifications to the Blackwell architecture. While not an entirely new design, the SM and CUDA structures will be reconfigured, and RT units could be replaced by PT units, further enhancing and optimizing ray tracing performance.
