Nvidia gaming GPUs modded with 2X VRAM for AI workloads — RTX 4090D 48GB and RTX 4080 Super 32GB go up for rent at Chinese cloud computing provider

AI enthusiast 青龍聖者 has discovered two fascinating graphics cards in China:  the GeForce RTX 4090D 48GB and GeForce RTX 4080 Super 32GB. The mysterious SKUs are clearly modified versions of the GeForce RTX 4090D and GeForce RTX 4080 Super, which contend with the best graphics cards.

The GeForce RTX 4090D 48GB and GeForce RTX 4080 Super 32GB are available for rent at AutoDL, a Chinese cloud computing provider that rents servers for AI work. Pricing is a steal. You can rent a single GeForce RTX 4080 Super 32GB for $0.03 hourly. However, the service is currently restricted to China, as you need a Chinese phone number to sign up.

As the model names already indicated, the GeForce RTX 4090D 48GB and GeForce RTX 4080 Super 32GB have double the memory of their regular versions. More VRAM is beneficial when dealing with AI workloads. However, the graphics cards’ core specifications should remain unaltered, although the additional memory likely raises their TDP marginally.

We’ve seen a fair share of mods where users resourcefully upgrade Nvidia’s GeForce gaming graphics cards with more memory, such as the GeForce RTX 3070 16GB. Nonetheless, this may be the first time we’ve seen the same level of work done on Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX 40-series (Ada Lovelace) graphics cards. The procedure sounds easy because you only have to remove the existing GDDR6X memory modules on the graphics cards and solder the new and higher-capacity ones. However, it does require a bit of skill to perform.

The regular GeForce RTX 4090D has 24GB of GDDR6X memory distributed across 12 2GB GDDR6X memory modules, whereas the GeForce RTX 4080 wields 16GB of GDDR6X comprised of eight chips with similar capacity. To achieve twice the memory, the vendor would have to replace the 2GB GDDR6X memory modules with 4GB. The problem is that 4GB GDDR6X/GDDR6 memory modules don’t exist.

Therefore, the GeForce RTX 4090D 48GB and GeForce RTX 4080 Super 32GB are likely utilizing a custom PCB, allowing the vendor to place GDDR6X memory modules on both sides of the PCB. This approach resembles what Nvidia takes on the chipmaker’s more premium Titan and RTX professional graphics cards.

How AutoDL obtained the GeForce RTX 4090D 48GB and GeForce RTX 4080 Super 32GB remains a mystery, as does who is performing the modification work. However, 青龍聖者 learned that both graphics cards have been in circulation in China since the end of June. The GeForce RTX 4090D 48GB reportedly sells for around $2,500, $685 more expensive than the vanilla GeForce RTX 4090D, which has a 12,999 yuan ($1,815) MSRP.

The GeForce RTX 4090D 48GB and GeForce RTX 4080 Super 32GB may not be the unique graphics cards in AutoDL’s arsenal. There’s reportedly an A100 upgraded to 96GB of HBM2e instead of the regular A100 PCIe 80GB variant that Nvidia sells. However, that’s a story for another day.