According to reports, Nvidia is developing a GeForce RTX 4070 card featuring significantly reduced VRAM compared to the original 12GB model. According to leaked images and rumors, a 10GB variant of the GPU was reportedly in development alongside its higher-capacity 12GB counterpart, boasting distinct specifications. Nvidia faced criticism for underprovisioning VRAM in its powerful GPUs; however, recent reports suggest that the RTX 4070 might have been even more imbalanced?
While specifications for the leaked Nvidia RTX 4070 10GB card show significant similarities to the newly released RTX 4070 Super, currently considered the top recommendation in our benchmarked list of the best graphics cards. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 appears to be equipped with 7,168 CUDA cores, mirroring the specifications of the newly launched RTX 4070 Super card, which contrasts with the original RTX 4070 featuring only 5,888 CUDA cores.
Unusual specifications decisions appear to be hidden within the purported CPU-Z screenshot for this graphics card. The 10GB of GDDR6X VRAM is connected to a slender 160-bit memory bus, whereas the more powerful RTX 4070’s equivalent feature sports a wider 192-bit bus.
Nvidia opted for a 160-bit bus in its 10GB RTX 4070, a departure from the 320-bit bus found on the unique RTX 3080. This results in a significantly reduced memory bandwidth of just 420GB/s. The performance is significantly less impressive at 504.2 GB/s, still falling short of the 760.3 GB/s delivered by the powerful RTX 3080 10GB.
A screenshot of the CPU-Z information was publicly shared by Korean PC enthusiast Harukaze5719 on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by an image of the alleged graphics card.
The design bears a striking resemblance to Nvidia’s standard Founder’s Edition PCB, featuring a distinctive semi-circular cutout that accommodates their proprietary flow-through cooler. Despite this, there are just five 2GB GDDR6X memory chips situated around the GPU. The PCB appears to follow a familiar Nvidia design pattern rather than a typical motherboard companion layout, featuring the characteristic Nvidia 12VHPWR connector at its peak.
In 2022, ahead of its official unveiling, whispers surrounding the early RTX 4070 hinted at a foundation built upon the AD104-275 GPU, coupled with 10 gigabytes of dedicated video memory. Nvidia surprisingly concluded that 10GB of VRAM was insufficient for its latest card, prompting a desire for a more substantial memory bus. The decision to reduce the number of enabled CUDA cores is perplexing, given this development. While there’s no explicit indication of the GPU’s release date, aside from a driver update timestamp of April 11, 2024, our analysis suggests that this graphics processing unit likely emerged much earlier than this recorded date.
If you’re in the market for a mid-range graphics card, you’d be wise to seize this opportunity and snag the discounted RTX 4070 for just $499.99 – a steal at this price point? If you’ve never upgraded your graphics card before, consider consulting our comprehensive guide on how to build a gaming PC, which includes a step-by-step tutorial on installing a new GPU.
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