Nvidia Cancels RTX 5080 24 GB Over Costly 3 GB GDDR7

According to China’s Bobantang (Board Channels), Nvidia has canceled plans to release an RTX 5080 24 GB variant in China after suppliers flagged 3 GB GDDR7 memory modules as prohibitively expensive.

According to Bobantang, Nvidia has canceled the RTX 5080 24 GB release in China because 3 GB GDDR7 memory modules proved too expensive.

Earlier reports had suggested Nvidia would phase out the RTX 5080 16 GB model and replace it with a 24 GB version, but rising VRAM prices and limited module availability have made that switch difficult. Sources say Nvidia will continue producing the RTX 5080 16 GB instead.

Gazlog reported that development documents for the 24 GB card, which AIB partners use to design, test and mass-produce custom circuit boards and cooling, were due to be distributed in October but had not arrived by the end of that month. The 24 GB variant had been expected to appear in China as early as December 2026, and Bobantang says Nvidia has now officially told Add-in Board partners that the planned January 2027 release in China is canceled with no alternate date provided.

The technical change behind the plan was a move from 2 GB memory modules, used across the RTX 50 series, to 3 GB GDDR7 modules for the 24 GB card. A 3 GB module refers to the capacity of an individual memory chip; switching to larger chips reduces the number of chips needed for a given total but raises component cost per card. That shift would have pushed the RTX 5080 24 GB price sharply higher.

One report suggested the 24 GB card could have launched around $2000, roughly twice the MSRP of the RTX 5080 16 GB Founders Edition, a jump that analysts say would hurt sales. With those figures in play and module supply constrained, Nvidia reportedly abandoned the release plan.

Nvidia will continue production of the RTX 5080 16 GB, which had briefly been rumored to be canceled and was removed from Nvidia’s online marketplace, a practice brands sometimes use when managing inventory. Market adjustments may follow: MSI is reportedly increasing its price by up to $1200, and some listings could see prices approach $3000, according to the reports.