Chinese distribution sources say Nvidia is speeding up a 24GB RTX 5080 and winding down the 16GB card, right as RTX 5080 prices sit near $2,000 in the US.
A new report out of China’s graphics card supply chain says Nvidia is pulling the launch of a 24GB GeForce RTX 5080 forward, with the card possibly showing up as early as December 2026 and the latest window stretching into January 2027. The claim comes from ChannelGate, a Chinese distribution source tied to Board Channels, and was picked up this morning by VideoCardz. Nothing here is confirmed by Nvidia.
What’s being claimed
Per VideoCardz’s write-up of the ChannelGate report:
- Launch timing: the RTX 5080 24GB could arrive as early as December 2026, with availability expected to extend into January 2027.
- The 16GB card is on the way out (in China): Nvidia plans to discontinue the current RTX 5080 16GB and the RTX 5090 D V2 in China. The 24GB RTX 5080 would then be the top GeForce card sold through China’s official distribution channels.
- Inventory: ChannelGate claims Nvidia has already cleared its remaining RTX 5080 16GB GPU inventory, and the stock already out there should cover sales for about two more months.
- Memory: 24GB of GDDR7 on the same 256-bit bus, which is 50% more memory than today’s 16GB RTX 5080.
- Still unknown: the final name, clock speeds and price.
What’s confirmed and what isn’t
- Region: the report is specifically about China. VideoCardz notes it does not confirm the same changes anywhere else, so a US launch or a US phase-out of the 16GB card is not confirmed.
- Timing has moved: VideoCardz reported on October 12, citing BenchLife, that Nvidia was aiming the 24GB model at the first quarter of 2027. Back then board partners had only gotten verbal heads-ups and were still waiting on development documents. December is the new, earlier possibility.
- Nvidia’s side: Nvidia hasn’t commented on the 24GB card. It has disputed earlier reports that the RTX 5090 was discontinued, saying supply is tight.
Why this matters: RTX 5080 prices have doubled
This rumor lands in the middle of a brutal stretch for PC graphics card prices.
- Launch price: Nvidia launched the RTX 5080 in January 2025 at $999.
- Now (VideoCardz US retail check, Oct 28): the cheapest verified cards were the Gigabyte WINDFORCE SFF OC and MSI SUPRIM LIQUID SOC at $1,979.99 at Micro Center (in-store pickup only), and the PNY RTX 5080 Triple Fan OC at $1,999.99 at Best Buy, the lowest online option they could verify. That’s 98.2% above MSRP. VideoCardz says Nvidia has not issued a statement despite questions from them and other outlets.
- Hardware Unboxed’s October survey (10 countries): GPU prices rose another 10% in October (excluding the RTX 5090), after 7% in September and 15% in August, putting cards about 35% higher than three months ago. The cheapest RTX 5080 in the US went from $1,580 to $2,200, a 39% jump in a month. The cheapest US RTX 5090 hit $9,400, up from $6,890 in September.
- It’s not just Nvidia: AMD’s Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB rose 17% globally, and the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT were both up 12%. Hardware Unboxed puts average GPU prices at 44% above launch MSRP (excluding the RTX 5090), with the US at 57.6%.
PC analyst Josh Walrath summed up the mood in a post VideoCardz highlighted: “In two months the going price for a RTX 5080 went from around $1200 to $2200 (if not more with certain parts).”
Put it together and the picture is simple: if the 16GB RTX 5080 really has stopped flowing to board partners, that would explain why the card costs about twice what it should, and a 24GB replacement would be what fills that slot.
OnPoint’s take: I believe this one. The 16GB RTX 5080 drying up lines up with everything we’re seeing at retail, and 24GB is the card the 5080 should have been from day one, especially with DLSS 5 and heavier ray tracing on the way. The catch is price. Nobody should expect a 24GB card to come in cheaper when the 16GB one is already near $2,000, so if you were planning a 5080 for Black Friday, I’d hold, because paying double for a card that’s about to get replaced is a bad deal. The good news for PC players is that Microsoft keeps pushing on the software side, like this week’s DirectX Raytracing update, and if you just want to play the big games without a GPU hunt, an Xbox Series X and Game Pass is still the easiest, most affordable way in. Are you waiting on the 24GB card, or riding out the storm with what you’ve got? Let me know in the comments.
Sources
- VideoCardz: NVIDIA RTX 5080 24GB launching by January 2027, replacing 16GB model (Oct 30, 2026), citing ChannelGate / Board Channels
- VideoCardz: NVIDIA RTX 5080 is now selling for nearly $2,000 at US retailers, $800 higher in just two months (Oct 28, 2026)
- VideoCardz: Global GPU prices rise 35% in just three months (Oct 29, 2026), citing Hardware Unboxed’s October pricing survey
- VideoCardz on X: RTX 5080 24GB report
- harukaze5719 on X: RTX 5080 24GB: December~January
Image: Nvidia / OnPoint 4 Gamers
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