According to reports, one of the most popular GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs, the GeForce RTX 4070, could be in short supply as of August 2024 due to issues regarding the supply of GDDR6X memory.
2The GeForce RTX 4070 is one of the most popular GPUs.
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According to the Board Channels forum (via @harukaze5719 on X), an unforeseen issue with a new batch of GDDR6X memory modules will directly impact the GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU supply. GDDR6X memory can be found in the GeForce RTX 4070 and above, so the shortage will also apply to the newer RTX 4070 SUPER, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, the RTX 4080 SUPER, and the flagship GeForce RTX 4090.
According to the latest Steam Hardware & Software survey, the GeForce RTX 4070 is one of the most popular new GPUs among PC gamers. It hits a 1440p sweet spot, making it an attractive option. If supplies become constrained, it will be interesting to see if gamers opt for the AMD alternative or wait to purchase a new GPU.
The GeForce RTX 4060 and the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, two popular current-gen graphics cards, are expected to be unaffected by the reported GDDR6X issue as they use standard GDDR6 memory. NVIDIA’s mobile Ada Lovelace chips also use GDDR6, so they’re exempt from this issue.
The Board Channels forum is an excellent source for news relating to supply chains and hardware availability, as it includes direct communication from NVIDIA’s partners in China. The region is home to several production lines for graphics card manufacturers, and the word on the forum is that NVIDIA has informed its various partners of the reduced supply. How this will affect global markets remains to be seen.
The good news is that the supply constraint isn’t expected to last long, and depending on how it’s managed, it could be relatively pain-free for consumers looking to pick up a new mid-range or high-end GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU. Also, it’s worth noting that NVIDIA’s supply and demand strategy for China is described as a ‘scarcity strategy,’ where the region gets just enough stock every month. So, this production speed bump could very well be region-specific.