Skip to main content

This new RTX 5080 leak is starting to make me worry

Leaked packaging for Nvidia's RTX 5080.
wxnod / X

The packaging for Nvidia’s RTX 5080 was just leaked mere hours ahead of the official announcement of the RTX 50-series during CES 2025. The packaging confirms a couple of previous leaks, which is great — but it’s the early retail listing, spotted by VideoCardz, that’s making me worry. The pricing implies that, unsurprisingly, one of Nvidia’s best graphics cards might indeed be really expensive.

The initial leak comes from wxnod on X (Twitter). It shows us several boxes of the RTX 5080 stacked on top of each other. These aren’t Nvidia’s own Founders Edition designs, but custom designs made by one of Nvidia’s partners, Gainward. Unfortunately, all the juicy specs are usually tucked away at the back of the box, which we don’t get to see in this image. Still, the box does confirm 16GB of GDDR7 memory for the RTX 5080.

Recommended Videos

The fact that it’s GDDR7 is no surprise, nor is the memory capacity, as both have been speculated about for quite some time. What still remains to be seen is the memory speed. Some leakers claim that the GPU might get 30Gbps memory modules, which would give it a huge increase in bandwidth over its predecessor. With a 256-bit memory bus, this would add up to 960GB/s of bandwidth, whereas the RTX 4080 sits at 716GB/s.

Already on sale 🤔 https://t.co/4ZB3pMlZwx pic.twitter.com/9IdrXiUGLA

— VideoCardz.com (@VideoCardz) January 6, 2025

The initial leak made it appear as if the boxes were sitting in a warehouse, perhaps preparing to be shipped. This checks out — if Nvidia announces the RTX 5080 later today during its keynote, the GPU should be ready to ship later this month.

However, VideoCardz then spotted a listing from an unknown retailer that made it seem like the cards were already on sale. I haven’t been able to verify this myself, so take it with some skepticism, but if the pricing is true, we really are looking at an expensive RTX 5080. The card is priced at 11,999 Chinese yuan, which converts to around $1,640.

Of course, this won’t be the official recommended listing price (MSRP) for Nvidia’s RTX 5080. Coming from Gainward, the card is bound to be pricier than the Founders Edition version. However, it’s the fact that it’s not even the most expensive RTX 5080 we’ve already seen that’s a little worrying. The card was first spotted at an Australian retailer, and it was ready to be listed for 2,799 Australian dollars — that’s around $1,740. We’ve also seen it appear in expensive prebuilts.

It won’t be long before we know for sure. Nvidia is expected to announce the RTX 5080 tonight, most likely alongside the RTX 5090, during its CES 2025 keynote.

Monica J. White
Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…
MSI could be working on a Nvidia GPU to finally beat the RTX 4090
Fans on the RTX 5080.

One leak could be a fluke, but two leaks? MSI might be cooking. As per (now) two leaked images, MSI might have an exciting new GPU in the works, and it'd be one that could rival some of the best graphics cards. The GPU in question is another version of the RTX 5080, but this time, it's said to come with 24GB memory -- a major upgrade over the base version. This could finally push it past the RTX 4090, but will it really happen?

Both leaks were spotted by VideoCardz, but surprisingly, MSI itself is the original source for both stories. First, the company posted a promotional video showcasing the RTX 5080 Vanguard GPU, and on the box, it's advertised as "24GB GDDR7." This is an extra 8GB VRAM over the RTX 5080 that's currently available. Coincidentally, it's also the exact same memory capacity as the RTX 4090.

Read more
Nvidia may finally let gamers buy some GPUs at a reasonable price
Logo on the RTX 4060 Ti graphics card.

Nvidia's getting ready to expand its list of the best graphics cards soon, and thanks to leakers, we now have a rumored date for when these new GPUs might hit the shelves. The date is not the part that excites me the most, though. According to the leak, Nvidia will require that its add-in channel (AIC) partners will have to offer at least one model at the recommended list price (MSRP) -- something we desperately need right now. But how long will it last?

The scoop comes from HKEPC, a Hong Kong-based publication. According to HKEPC, Nvidia revealed the release dates for the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, RTX 5060 Ti 8GB, and the RTX 5060 (which will likely come with 8GB VRAM, although some sources say 12GB). Keep in mind that the following is still a rumor until Nvidia itself confirms otherwise, which, by the sound of it, won't happen for a while.

Read more
RTX 5090 prices drop from outrageous to just ridiculous
The RTX 5090 sitting on top of the RTX 4080.

​Recent data indicates that prices for Nvidia's RTX 5090 graphics card are gradually stabilizing, though they remain significantly above the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). A Reddit user compiled eBay sales data, revealing that average selling prices have decreased from around $6,000 at launch to approximately $4,000 in recent weeks.

The RTX 5090, part of Nvidia's latest Blackwell series, has faced severe supply shortages since its release, leading to inflated prices on secondary markets. Initial listings on platforms like eBay saw prices reaching up to $10,000, far exceeding the MSRP. This scarcity has been reminiscent of previous GPU shortages, where high demand and limited supply led to significant price hikes.​

Read more