NVIDIA Board Partners Still Haven’t Received RTX 5080 24GB Design Kits

NVIDIA board partners are expressing concerns over the delayed receipt of necessary design kits for the rumored RTX 5080 24GB graphics card. This delay has caused doubt about the company's projected January 2027 launch date for the GPU. According to BenchLife, NVIDIA was anticipated to begin distributing the required documentation in October, but manufacturers were not provided with this crucial information.

The delay in obtaining the design kits is significant as manufacturers need a minimum of six weeks to fabricate, build, and test the product before it can be sold to consumers. This timeline was relevant when GPUs were primarily produced for gaming, but now it has shifted towards the artificial intelligence boom, causing a shift in production capacity.

The memory crisis, which has resulted in a shortage in both RAM and storage sectors, further complicates the situation. These factors contribute to the skepticism surrounding the January launch window. Initially, rumors suggested that NVIDIA had halted the production of the RTX 5090 to reserve inventory for the RTX Pro Series and the RTX 5080 24GB variant. However, NVIDIA has now refuted the RTX 5090 hold, leaving the future of the RTX 5080 24GB uncertain.

NVIDIA has removed both the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 16GB from its official product page, leaving only the RTX 5070 Ti and 5070 as available options. This move has further fueled speculation about the RTX 5080 24GB's prospects. As 2027 appears to be a challenging year for gamers, the board partners' concerns highlight the potential impact on the gaming industry.