- A new rumor suggests that an alleged Nvidia RTX 5080 32GB GPU was planned for cloud services
- This allegedly did not 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, and gaming and AI giant Nvidia in attendance, AI could be set to take center stage. Unfortunately for PC gamers, this could mean that hopes of an RTX 5000 series refresh may be off the cards for Team Green, and the latest rumors seem to confirm that.
As reported by Uniko’s Hardware on X, an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU with 32GB of VRAM was reportedly planned for cloud services, especially gaming (via GeForce Now), but its BIOS was leaked to the consumer market. It has also been rumored that a 32GB edition of the Blackwell GPU already exists in China, but is not 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 trying to boot the PC. Chinese markets already have modified RTX 4080 GPUs that use 32GB of VRAM, so apparently it’s 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 is at least a decent level of validity to an RTX 5000 refresh being part of Nvidia’s plans.
However, with some claiming that this card was originally only planned for cloud services, and the ongoing RAM crisis, it seems highly unlikely that we will see a launch anytime soon.
Reports suggest that both Nvidia and AMD may be 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 impacted is GPUs (since they use VRAM), which is why it’s hard to see Team Green releasing an updated GPU with more VRAM in such a volatile market.
Analysis: I’ll be shocked if we even get an RTX 5080 32GB in 2026
It’s no secret at this point that Nvidia’s main focus is no longer on the PC gaming market as it has gone full steam with AI. That’s not to say it’s done with PC gaming entirely, but the drop in focus has been enough for consumers to notice, and with this RAM shortage in full swing, I don’t see an update to RTX 5000 consumer-grade GPUs anytime soon.
I could be wrong; after all, CES 2026 is just around the corner, and there’s always room for surprises. But even if there was a shock announcement, it will likely come at a cost to consumers, and a big one at that.
Third-party models of the Nvidia RTX 5090 are facing significant price increases across multiple retailers, with some rumors even pointing to Nvidia raising the price to $5,000. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll see such a drastic price increase (150%!) from Nvidia, but the consistency of these rumors should ring some alarm bells.
It’s unclear 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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