There's still no sign of the Nvidia RTX 5080 32GB despite rumors – and a fresh claim suggests a worrying possibility
Fresh rumors suggest Nvidia RTX 5080 32GB was initially set for cloud gaming only, and that's a worrying sign for any potential launch.
(Image credit: MSI)
- 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.
(Image credit: Future)
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 VRAM in such an unstable market.
