NVIDIA has officially unveiled its new GeForce RTX 40 Super series graphics cards, introducing enhanced versions of the RTX 4070, RTX 4070 Ti, and RTX 4080 offering greatly improved performance at surprisingly affordable prices.
NVIDIA Aims to Expand RTX 40 Series Accessibility With “Super” Refreshes
The new Super variants will deliver up to 25% better gaming performance over their non-Super counterparts while being priced very competitively. According to the latest leaks, the 12GB RTX 4080 Super is expected to retail for $799, undercutting the original 16GB RTX 4080 by $100. Similarly, the RTX 4070 Super and RTX 4070 Ti Super are priced at $599 and $799 respectively despite offering performance nearing the RTX 4080.
This indicates that NVIDIA is deliberately reducing prices to make its newest Ada Lovelace architecture more accessible amidst criticisms that the RTX 40 series was overpriced at launch. With the RTX 4090 priced prohibitively at $1599, gamers had been hoping for more affordable high-end options from Team Green. The new Super cards seem to deliver exactly that – exceptional performance now available to a wider audience.
Super Variants Feature Upgrades Like Faster Memory and More Cores
According to the latest leaks, here are the rumored specifications of the new RTX 40 Super GPUs:
| GPU | Boost Clock | Memory | Memory Bandwidth | CUDA Cores | Expected Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4080 Super | 2235 MHz | 16GB GDDR6X | 23Gbps | 9728 | $799 |
| RTX 4070 Ti Super | 2610 MHz | 12GB GDDR6X | 21Gbps | 7680 | $799 |
| RTX 4070 Super | 2340 MHz | 12GB GDDR6X | 21Gbps | 6144 | $599 |
Compared to their non-Super versions, the new cards are upgraded with faster 23Gbps GDDR6X memory giving up to 36% more memory bandwidth. The RTX 4080 Super allegedly comes with a massive 9728 CUDA cores, even more than the original RTX 4080’s 8960 cores.
These amped up specifications result in up to 25% better 4K gaming performance based on early leaks. If true, the RTX 4070 Super could offer RTX 4080-class frame rates for $200 less, making it incredible value in terms of price-to-performance.
Preparing For Launch Next Week at CES 2023
NVIDIA has been building hype for its new Super GPUs over the past week by teasing their announcement at CES 2023. Images of custom Zotac RTX 4070 Super cards have already leaked, confirming they will feature the new compact 12VHPWR power connector.
Major partner brands like AORUS and Zotac are expected to showcase their custom RTX 40 Super designs at CES before market availability later this month. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote presentation next week should officially reveal spec details, launch dates, pricing and benchmark performance numbers for these new graphics cards.
Gamers and hardware enthusiasts anxiously await real-world testing to validate the rumored performance improvements over existing RTX 40 cards. If early leaks ring true, the RTX 40 Super series could become extremely popular for delivering near-flagship frame rates at mid-range prices. Still, availability could be limited at launch given ongoing supply chain woes for PC components.
Super GPUs Crucial for NVIDIA to Compete With AMD This Year
The new Super card launch comes at a pivotal time for NVIDIA as arch-rival AMD gears up to announce its next-generation Radeon RX 7000 GPUs based on the advanced RDNA 3 architecture. AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su is also expected to present keynotes at CES 2023, likely detailing plans for their incoming high-end graphics cards.
Early RDNA 3 rumors indicate that AMD could take the performance crown in 2023 with up to 65% faster gaming speeds compared to existing RX 6000 cards. To preemptively compete, NVIDIA is greatly improving price-to-performance metrics with these RTX 40 Super releases before RDNA 3 arrives. The new Supers drastically improve value to consumers while offering features like advanced DLSS 3 frame generation for buttery smooth gaming.
By getting more gamers access to its latest Ada Lovelace and DLSS tech before RDNA 3, NVIDIA aims to expand its user base and build goodwill with fans who felt alienated by the high prices of the first RTX 40 launches. Additionally, the reconfigured core counts and streaming multiprocessor configs on Super cards help NVIDIA scale up production yields and economies of scale.
If AMD brings extreme power efficiency and disruptive pricing with RX 7000, NVIDIA may drop prices further or announce Super refreshes for the RTX 4080 12GB and RTX 4090 later down the line. For now, the RTX 4070 Super and 4080 Super pose formidable competition keeping pressure on RDNA 3.
What This Means for Gamers and the Industry
The reveal of RTX 40 Super GPUs underscores how competition between the GPU duopoly of NVIDIA and AMD results in great innovation and increasing value for consumers. What seemed like untenably expensive $899+ flagships just months ago have now been made more accessible to the masses with these thoughtfully-configured Super card releases.
For PC gamers, this new era of next-generation graphics technologies with DLSS 3 and RDNA 3 promises to drive more affordable PC upgrades. Those still holding onto 5+ years old GTX 1000 and RX 500 series cards now have better cost-effective options to play AAA games at max settings and buttery smooth frame rates.
For the hardware industry, accelerated new product cadences highlight the technology arms race between Intel, AMD and NVIDIA. This intense competition motivates more rapid innovation and deployment of advanced chip manufacturing techniques. 7nm and 5nm nodes plus chiplet-based architectures allow remarkable power efficiency gains. Software and thermal designs must also evolve apace to extract maximum performance from denser silicon.
Ultimately this benefits all consumers with a thriving technology ecosystem delivering better and better computing platforms yearly. From content creators to data scientists, everyone is empowered by the world’s most advanced processing engines for productivity and research that enhance human progress.
What to Expect Over the Coming Months
While the RTX 40 Super unveil at CES 2023 kicks off an action-packed new year for PC hardware, much remains in flux regarding exact specifications, pricing, and availability. Here’s a quick roundup of what to expect in the near future:
January 2023:
- Official announcement of RTX 40 Super series at NVIDIA’s CES keynote
- RTX 4080 Super and RTX 4070 series Super variant pre-orders open
- Radeon RX 7000 announcement by AMD at CES
February 2023
- Market availability for RTX 4080 Super and RTX 4070 Super custom models
- Independent benchmark reviews validate performance claims
- Possible RTX 4090 Ti reveal based on early leaks
March/April 2023:
- Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7800 XT launch with RDNA 3 architecture
- Mass market availability for RX 7000 models
- Possible RTX 4080 12GB and RTX 4090 Super announcements
Rest of 2023:
- Intel Meteor Lake CPUs and Arc GPUs ramp up the 3-way war
- Refreshes to RTX 40 series extending Ada Lovelace lifespan
- Next-gen console upgrades from Sony and Microsoft
Without a doubt, 2023 promises tremendous innovation taking computing, gaming and AI capabilities to unmatched heights. Between the ongoing chip wars and a blizzard of new product launches, enthusiasts have an action-packed year ahead!
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
