RTX 5080 GPU to launch ahead of RTX 5090? New rumor makes us more inclined to believe this might be Nvidia’s strategy

Nvidia’s RTX 5080 was recently rumored to be launching before the RTX 5090, and we’ve just heard more about Team Green’s potential release schedule later this year, to the effect that this pair of GPUs could come close together.

VideoCardz can be credited with the spot on this one, noticing that the previous comment by Kopite7kimi on X (formerly Twitter) was recently replied to by another leaker, AGF.

As you can see, AGF clarifies that while the proposed launch is indeed for the RTX 5080 followed by the RTX 5090 – heap the seasoning on with that assertion, of course, and this fresh one to boot – the difference in timing will only be a few weeks.

And if this is the path Nvidia is aiming to tread with its next-gen Blackwell GPUs, that makes more sense to us, as we’ll discuss next.

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Analysis: Echoes of Ampere

If you recall, when the initial rumor of the RTX 5080 coming first was aired, we were skeptical about this idea. A lot of our caution in this, mind, was around the suggestion that Nvidia might potentially delay the RTX 5090 for some time after the 5080. (Based on the possible reasoning for Nvidia supposedly launching these GPUs in this order, as discussed back at the time – some of which is wrapped up in the production of next-gen AI GPUs).

Anyway, as we noted back then, with Ampere – the generation before the current Lovelace models – Nvidia did actually launch the RTX 3080 before the 3090, but there was very little in it (a week or so – and both GPUs were revealed simultaneously).

So, the suggestion here is that this will be the same deal with the RTX 5080 and 5090, with a joint reveal, and the on-sale dates only being a few weeks apart. This idea, we can buy into more readily, as really this is very close to a simultaneous launch, which seems more likely to happen – rather than the RTX 5080 being the advance guard to gauge customer reception, as it were.

It also echoes speculation that we are going to see two Blackwell GPUs in 2024, both the RTX 5090 and 5080, which has been a rumor for a little while now (with some dissent of late, mind). If that is the case, some doubts and concerns remain, though – most notably about how Nvidia will fire up production for two GeForce Blackwell gaming graphics cards, given its much more profitable next-gen AI GPUs (also Blackwell) that are going to be a priority.

There’s already been some chatter around the initial RTX 5000 debut, whatever form it may come in, being a ‘paper’ launch meaning there won’t be much volume of stock behind it. In other words, this might be more about PR and making a mark on our list of the best graphics cards – and blowing away AMD’s RDNA 4 cards – at least to begin with, before more production of Blackwell GPUs gets cranked up.

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