Nvidia RTX 3000 launch details leak – and AMD could be in big trouble

(Image credit: Nvidia)

A new rumor suggests Nvidia isn’t messing around with its upcoming Ampere graphics cards launch, with the RTX 3000 series GPUs (as we’re still referring to them until we get an official name), beginning to launch in September with a range of (very powerful) specs.

The details apparently come from sources known to Wccftech and allege that Nvidia will launch three new graphics cards in September, followed by another GPU in October and two more at a later date that has not yet been decided.

What’s perhaps most interesting is that the rumors seem to confirm that Nvidia’s flagship graphics card, which will replace the RTX 2080 Ti, will come with a huge 24GB of vRAM. 

That’s an incredibly large amount of memory, rivalled only by the ultra-expensive RTX Titan, and it seems like Nvidia is making sure its arch rival AMD doesn’t get the power advantage, as it's rumored to be launching its ‘Big Navi’ flagship GPU around the same time, and that’s supposedly coming with 16GB of vRAM.

Release dates

According to Wccftech’s sources, a GPU with the PG132-10 board, which could be the RTX 3080 Ti or even the RTX 3090, will launch with 24GB of vRAM, a 384 bit bus width in the second half of September.

Nvidia will also apparently be launching two cards aimed at replacing the current RTX 2080 Super. The first, based on the PG132-30 board and which could be the RTX 3080, will come with 10GB of vRAM and a 320-bit bus, and will launch in mid September.

A second GPU, with the PG132-20 board, will come with 20GB of vRAM and a 320-bit bus width, and will launch in the first half of October.

Nvidia is also apparently planning two GPUs to replace the RTX 2070 Super, with the PG142-10 launching in the second half of September with 8GB of vRAM and a 256-bit bus. This will be followed by the PG142-0, which will come with 16GB of vRAM. This GPU’s bus width and launch date have apparently not been decided yet.

Finally, Nvidia looks like it will be launching a more affordable GPU to replace the RTX 2060 Super. This will have the PG190-10 board with 8GB vRAM and a 256-bit bus – though again the launch date is apparently not set in stone.

Remember, these are all still rumors, though Wccftech seems reasonably confident in their reliability. If they are real, then it looks like Nvidia is preparing an onslaught of powerful GPUs in the next few months that could make life very difficult for AMD.

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.