- A new rumor suggests a purported Nvidia RTX 5080 32GB GPU was planned for cloud services
- This supposedly didn’t happen due to the GPU BIOS being leaked to the consumer market
- A launch of a new RTX 5080 GPU with more VRAM is highly unlikely due to the ongoing RAM shortage
With CES 2026 on the horizon, as well as gaming and AI giant Nvidia present, AI may be set to take center stage. Unfortunately for PC gamers, it could mean hopes of an RTX 5000 series refresh may be off the cards for Team Green, and recent rumors seem to corroborate that.
As reported by Uniko’s Hardware on X, an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU with 32GB of VRAM was supposedly planned for cloud services, notably gaming (via GeForce Now), but its BIOS was leaked to the consumer market. It’s also been rumored that a 32GB edition of the Blackwell GPU already exists in China, but isn’t available for purchase yet.
It’s also worth noting that this supposed RTX 5080 32GB model isn’t ready for sale, as its BIOS apparently hasn’t been signed, and the GPU won’t post when attempting to boot the PC. Chinese markets already have modified RTX 4080 GPUs that utilize 32GB of VRAM, so it’s seemingly not impossible for the 4080’s successor.
Based on numerous rumors surrounding RTX 5000 Super GPUs with higher VRAM capacities potentially launching, it’s safe to say that there’s at least a decent level of validity to an RTX 5000 refresh being a part of Nvidia’s plans.
However, with some claiming that this card was initially planned for cloud services only, and the ongoing RAM crisis, it seems extremely unlikely that we’re going to see a launch anytime soon.
Reports hint at both Nvidia and AMD potentially discontinuing budget GPUs to reduce costs, due to the increased demand for RAM. With RAM prices skyrocketing for consumers, the next category of PC hardware to be heavily affected is GPUs (as they use VRAM), and that’s why it’s hard to see Team Green releasing an updated GPU with more VRAM in such an unstable market.
Analysis: I’ll be shocked if we get an RTX 5080 32GB at all in 2026
It’s not a secret at this point that Nvidia’s main focus is no longer on the PC gaming market, as it’s gone full steam ahead with AI. That’s not to say that it’s done with PC gaming entirely, either, but the drop in focus has been enough for consumers to take notice, and with this RAM shortage in full swing, I don’t see any refresh of RTX 5000 consumer-grade GPUs in the near future.
I could be wrong; after all, CES 2026 is right around the corner, and there’s always room for surprises. However, even if there was a shock announcement, it’s probably going to come at a cost for consumers, and a huge one at that.
Third-party models of the Nvidia RTX 5090 are facing significant price hikes across multiple retailers, and some rumors even point toward Nvidia raising the price to $5,000. Frankly, I don’t think we’ll see such a drastic price hike (150%!) from Nvidia, but the consistency in these rumors should ring some alarm bells.
It’s unclear just how drastic the changes for PC gamers will be in 2026 and beyond, but if the current trend continues, we should be very worried.
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