The rumored January 2027 release for the GeForce RTX 5080 24GB from Nvidia is facing serious jeopardy. This will hit PC gamers as it pushes the period in which supply of high-end GPUs will continue to be limited and costly. So, if you want to upgrade to next-gen hardware you might have to wait even more or just get current gen hardware.
Design kit delays push validation timeline, threatening January release
According to the latest report, Nvidia wasn't able to deliver the design kits for the RTX 5080 24GB to their board partners until the end of October 2024. Their board partners will need at least 6 weeks after they've got the design information to validate and start mass production. The clock is simply ticking too fast to really achieve a January release.
RTX 5080 24GB is expected to serve as a successor for the current 16GB model. And it's rumored it can compete even with RTX 5090. So, a CES 2027 announcement is still very likely but the release itself is a bit more questionable. The new 24GB model is intended to solve memory issues of the current 16GB version.
We are already in a situation where current supply of high-end GPU's is limited. So, the supply of the RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 is already limited. And you won't really find one at a reasonable price.
According to the reports, the shipment of the high-end GPUs to their board partners was very limited. And this is what's creating the cost for the current models. As we've already discussed the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 costs are skyrocketing up to nearly $2,000. Which is basically a double cost of its initial launch price.
As you can see the supply chain issues for Nvidia's next-gen hardware are still a problem. So, we have to expect continued limited supply and higher prices for the current flagship GPU's. That means that there will be extended periods of high demand for the RTX 5090 until we get the release of the 5080 24GB further out.
Source: NotebookCheck
The January 2027 launch is dead. Design kits arrived too late for validation.
Will the 16GB version stay at retail or disappear completely if this 24GB model drops later?
It will likely stay. Board partners need inventory to keep cash flow moving while waiting for the new validation cycle.