Nvidia "unlaunches" RTX 4080 12GB, admits having two different GPUs with the same designation is "confusing"

Nvidia has decided not to launch the RTX 4080 12 GB model post backlash after releasing the full specifications of the graphics card. Criticism was unleashed after enthusiasts discovered that the RTX 4080's 12GB variant is much slower than the 16GB, with the VRAM capacity not the only difference.

Both the cards were set to be released on November 16 later this year, but only the 16GB version of the card will go forward now. Nvidia claims that having two different GPUs of the same name is confusing for consumers, and the company may plan to release the discontinued card after rebranding it as RTX 4070.

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$899 RTX 4080 graphics card may never reach consumers

The 12GB version of RTX 4080 was considered "lazy" by a lot of people. Benchmarks showed that the lower VRAM model was 30% slower than its sibling. Even with DLSS 3.0 enabled, the 16GB model is 27% faster, making it considerably better.

Other than the difference in VRAM, as it was clearly marketed, there are distance differences in some other areas of the graphics card as well. The 12GB model packs 7,680 CUDA Cores whereas the 16GB model has 9,728. The memory bandwidth of the slower model is 504 GB/s compared to 717GB/s of the better one.

"We’re pressing the “unlaunch” button on the 4080 12GB. The RTX 4080 16GB is amazing and on track to delight gamers everywhere on November 16th."

The biggest surprise is that the two graphics cards of the same model number do not even have the same graphics processor. The 12GB variant uses the AD104, whereas the 16GB variant uses the AD103 graphics processor, with a smaller die. For comparison, the RTX 4090 uses an even smaller die, the AD102 variant.

The clear difference in the specifications of the two graphics cards with the same model number is what drove Nvidia to discontinue the 12GB variant's launch, giving the excuse of the two having the same name.

"The RTX 4080 12GB is a fantastic graphics card, but it’s not named right. Having two GPUs with the 4080 designation is confusing."

Nvidia is no stranger to launching two GPUs with the same model numbers but with different amounts of VRAM — the RTX 3080 12GB and RTX 3080 10GB are clear examples. The difference in performance between the two isn't as big as it is with their successor, which was greeted with harsh criticism, probably the main driving force behind the company "unlaunching" it.