By Ada
Nvidia’s RTX 5000 Super refresh cards are reportedly ready at board partners but have been placed on hold, with the price of the new 3 GB GDDR7 memory modules emerging as the primary obstacle.
According to VideoCardz, which cited a source at one of Nvidia’s board-making partners, the company has received the necessary GPU chips and VRAM from Nvidia but was subsequently told the RTX 5000 Super launch is “on hold.” The reason: 3 GB GDDR7 modules are roughly three times more expensive than the 2 GB modules used in current RTX 5000 models.
The rumored Super lineup includes the RTX 5080 Super with 24 GB of VRAM, the RTX 5070 Ti Super also at 24 GB, and the RTX 5070 Super with 18 GB. All three would rely on the pricier 3 GB GDDR7 chips, making the bill of materials significantly higher than Nvidia’s current generation.
The delay adds to a year of GPU market turbulence driven by AI demand. VRAM supply has been squeezed as memory manufacturers prioritize high-margin HBM and server modules over consumer graphics memory. ExtremeTech noted that a short supply of 3 GB GDDR7 had already prompted speculation that the Super models might be canceled entirely. Industry leaker Zed_Wang later suggested the cards are merely delayed to Q3 2026 rather than axed, though Nvidia has not confirmed any Super plans officially.
Gamers have traditionally favored Super refreshes because they offer meaningful VRAM and performance bumps without the price premium of Ti models. If Nvidia eventually launches at higher price points due to memory costs, the value proposition could be undermined.
Sources: Nvidia RTX 5000 Super GPUs rumored to be ready but on hold (TechRadar, Jul 17); VRAM shortages could delay Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Super GPUs (ExtremeTech, Jul 17); Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Super refresh faces uncertainty (VideoCardz, Jul 16)