- MSI has listed an RTX 5080 24 GB model on its website
- It’s not the first time MSI has suggested a card with higher capacity
- Some claim that it is a mistake, others a sign of the upcoming things
MSI has teased an RTX 5080 model with 24 GB GDDR7 VRAM (up from standard 16 GB) on the 80-class card on its site.
Adapted by Tweactown, a Compatibility List of MSI’s X870 Tomahawk Wi-Fi Bottom, contains support for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 model with “24576” under the memory size.
Before the RTX 5080’s launch date on January 30, 2025, we covered earlier rumors that an RTX 5080 24 GB version could be “incoming” because Samsung’s GDDR7 memory modules are sent in 2 GB (with 3 GB configurations on the road). This is part of the reason why the RTX 5090 has 32 GB GDDR7 (up from 24 GB GDDR6X of RTX 4090).
This source also notes a previous apartment as MSI showed a RTX 5080 Vanguard variant with 24 GB GDDR7 in a promotional video, with the alleged memory pool viewed on the packaging. However, it has been quiet (outside rumors and speculation since then) so far.
It is possible that this could just be a mistake on the part of MSI, but it also shows that the 80 classes could contain twice the available VRAM. Interestingly, the list does not have the standard 16 GB version in the specifications sheet so that the company could have stated a placeholder amount based on information before release rather than the retail figures.
That said, this is not the first time that we have seen different memory pool capabilities on graphics cards, such as with the original launch window for the then interrupted RTX 4080 12GB (which later became RTX 4070 TI). Similarly, the RTX 4060 TI is available in both 8 GB and 16GB configurations, proving that two versions of the same GPU can succeed in the market without confusing consumers.
A sign of things coming to the 80-class card?
Whether the RTX 5080 24 GB list is a true mistake or not, the possibility of having two options on the market is only a good thing for people as you have the opportunity for two different GPUs, with a potential latter model more “future -proof” for 4K games, as releases require more VRAM than what we typically see.
Some players have expressed disappointment over the RTX 5080 with the same memory pool as RTX 4080 (despite the jump in GDDR7 from GDDR6X and the differences in bandwidth set). This was seen with RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 TI, both with the same respective 12 GB and 16 GB of memory pools as their former generation colleagues.
After many months of speculation about an upgraded RTX 5080 24 GB version, we can see that surface or it may remain a little more than an option that suggests the next generation instead. If it is released, it may be half-step between it and the RTX 5090, making sense in view of the $ 1,000 difference in the MSRP between the two; If we were to speculate on potential prices, $ 1,200 (to match the original RTX 4080) seems most likely.
