The Nvidia RTX 5070 might come with an unexpected downgrade

Rumors are circulating about Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 50-series GPUs, expected to begin rolling out later this year. Known leaker kopite7kimi shared specs for the full range of desktop cards on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that the next generation might see a reduction in core count compared to the current generation.

 

Nvidia RTX 5070 Leaked Specs Overview

Core Counts and Memory Interface

The rumored core counts and memory interface details for the suspected range of GPUs are as follows:

  • GB202: 12*8, 512-bit GDDR7
  • GB203: 7*6, 256-bit GDDR7
  • GB205: 5*5, 192-bit GDDR7
  • GB206: 3*6, 128-bit GDDR7
  • GB207: 2*5, 128-bit GDDR6

Notable Changes

  • RTX 5070: Expected to feature the GB205 GPU with 50 Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs). For comparison, the AD104 GPU in the current RTX 4070 series has 60 SMs.
  • RTX 5060: Anticipated to use the GB207 GPU with 20 SMs, down from 24 SMs in the AD107 GPU used in the RTX 4060.

Understanding the Implications

GPU vs. Graphics Card Specs

It’s important to note that these are GPU specs, not final graphics card specs. Nvidia often trims down its GPUs for different models. For example, the AD104 GPU has 60 SMs, but the RTX 4070 only uses 46 SMs, with the RTX 4070 Ti using the full GPU core. A similar strategy could be applied in the next generation.

Memory Types

The rumored specs suggest that only the GB207 GPU will use GDDR6 memory, while the rest of the range will adopt the newer GDDR7 standard. This could position the RTX 5060 at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the series, given its reduced core count and older memory technology.

 

Market Context and Speculation

Performance and Architecture

Despite the rumored core count reductions, the new Blackwell architecture could bring significant performance improvements. Nvidia has yet to confirm any details about the RTX 50-series GPUs, but the architecture’s advancements may compensate for the lower core counts.

Release Timeline

There is still some uncertainty about the exact release date of the RTX 50-series. While some rumors suggest a launch later this year, others point to early 2025. Nvidia typically announces new desktop graphics cards during its fall Graphics Technology Conference (GTC) event, so the appearance of a fall GTC event on Nvidia’s calendar could indicate an imminent announcement.

The rumored specs for Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs suggest potential downgrades in core counts for some models, but the impact on overall performance remains to be seen. With the introduction of the Blackwell architecture and the adoption of GDDR7 memory (except for the RTX 5060), Nvidia might still deliver substantial performance enhancements. As we approach the second half of the year, more concrete information is likely to emerge, especially around Nvidia’s GTC event.