NVIDIA’s next-generation GeForce RTX graphics cards are expected to launch before the current year ends. In other words, there’s still some time before AMD and NIVIDIA reveal their final products. However, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition allegedly leaked in the form of images. Surprisingly, there are ample indicators to prove the images and the design could be real. Now a German news publication has drawn some important design and specifications inferences based on the information obtained from its sources.
NVIDIA Ampere Flagship GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition Cooling Design And Specifications:
According to the news reports, NVIDIA isn’t pleased with the leak and has launched an urgent investigation to find the source. Some sources claim NVIDIA could even take some punitive action against the culprits. The current suspects include Foxconn and BYD (Build Your Dreams) who are the contract manufacturer of the Founders Edition. This also means the authenticity of the images could be confirmed. Apparently, the leaked images were highly confidential, and not even NVIDIA’s product and sales managers had access to the same. Despite the alleged authenticity of the images, NVIDIA has made fundamental changes to the design just before launch. Moreover, there are 3 months before the expected launch date of Ampere-based GPUs. Hence, the inferences about the technology of the seemingly expensive cooler design, the housing, and even the circuitry as well as cabling required to fit the same on the board could change significantly.
According to recent reports, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition cooling system alone costs up to $150 to manufacture. Such a premium solely for the cooling system and shroud strongly implies an equally premium price tag for the retail variant of the Ampere-based flagship NVIDIA Graphics Card. The reference Ampere PCB is reportedly codenamed PG132. It measures up to 21.3 cm in length and that too without the cutout that the cooler housing requires. It is quite likely that NVIDIA will use the PG132 PCB and pair it with GA102 silicon to power up to three tiers of Ampere graphics cards. This means the GeForce RTX 3090 and GeForce RTX 3080 with their respective Ti and Super variants, along with the GeForce RTX 3070 should have the PCB and power solution. The Founder’s Edition obviously requires a special circuit board with an additional cutout. Reports indicate it is codenamed PG133 and the board should be used for all three versions. Needless to add, the complex cooling system will invariably mandate the use of flexible power supply cables which will obviously require separate sockets situated at the end of the card. This also means the PCB’s design and the cables will pose a tough challenge for manufacturers of DIY GPU Water Cooling solutions.
NVIDIA Ampere-Based Graphics Cards To Pack GDDR6X Memory And Have A Very High 350W TDP:
Although NVIDIA hasn’t acknowledged or denied anything yet, it is quite likely the company has embedded GDDR6X memory. In fact, the GeForce RTX 3090 (Ti or SUPER) could launch with up to 24 GB of GDDR6X memory that runs across a 384-bit memory interface. Experts also claim this card will have a rather high 350W TDP (Thermal Design Power) rating. Owing to the complex design and the extensive engineering that went into the design and fabricating the same, experts claim NVIDIA is planning to use the Founders Edition cooler for all three Ampere-based graphics cards. The alleged insanely high TDP profile will surely mandate a hefty cooler as NVIDIA’s cards do tend to run very hot under load.
