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NVIDIA unveiled its GeForce RTX 40 Series on September 20, 2022, introducing desktop graphics cards based on its Ada Lovelace architecture and promoting DLSS 3 as a major feature. The original announcement centered on the RTX 4090 and two planned RTX 4080 configurations; the 12 GB RTX 4080 did not launch under that name. The launch dates and prices below are historical US announcements, not current retail information.
What NVIDIA announced in September 2022
NVIDIA described Ada Lovelace as its third-generation RTX architecture, focused on ray tracing and neural rendering. The company’s initial desktop lineup announcement named the RTX 4090 and two RTX 4080 configurations. Its September 20 press release gave the RTX 4090 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 16,384 CUDA cores, and announced an October 12, 2022 availability date with a US starting price of $1,599. The RTX 4080 16 GB was announced with 9,728 CUDA cores, November 2022 launch timing, and a $1,199 starting price. A second, planned RTX 4080 configuration had 12 GB of memory, 7,680 CUDA cores, and an announced $899 price. These were NVIDIA’s announcement-era specifications and suggested prices, not today’s offers. NVIDIA’s September 20, 2022 announcement contains the original details.
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What happened to the planned RTX 4080 12 GB
The 12 GB configuration did not proceed as an RTX 4080 launch. NVIDIA later announced the RTX 4070 Ti at CES 2023, with a January 5, 2023 release date. That later model also has 7,680 CUDA cores and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on NVIDIA’s current product page, but the change in product name and place in the lineup matters: the originally announced $899 RTX 4080 12 GB should not be treated as a launched RTX 4080 or as a current price for the RTX 4070 Ti. NVIDIA’s CES 2023 announcement documents the RTX 4070 Ti reveal.
How NVIDIA described DLSS 3 and performance
NVIDIA presented DLSS 3 as a combination of DLSS Super Resolution, frame generation, and NVIDIA Reflex. Its explanation says an Optical Flow Accelerator and fourth-generation Tensor Cores help the technology use AI to generate additional frames. That is NVIDIA’s account of how the feature works; the benefit depends on the game and workload, and not every title supports it. The company’s current GeForce RTX 40 Series page describes DLSS 3 as using AI to create additional frames.
#1 Best Overall
- Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4. System Requirements: Minimum 850W PSU with 16-pin 12V-2x6 (12VHPWR) connector required. Verify before purchasing.
- Military-grade components deliver rock-solid power and longer lifespan for ultimate durability. Compatibility: 348mm (13.7") length, 3.6 slots, 4.3 lbs. Confirm case clearance and slot spacing. GPU bracket included.
- Protective PCB coating helps protect against short circuits caused by moisture, dust, or debris
- 3.6-slot design with massive fin array optimized for airflow from three Axial-tech fans
- Phase-change GPU thermal pad helps ensure optimal thermal performance and longevity, outlasting traditional thermal paste for graphics cards under heavy loads
The original announcement also made two specific performance comparisons for the RTX 4090. NVIDIA claimed it could be up to four times faster than the RTX 3090 Ti with DLSS 2 in full ray-traced games when using DLSS 3, and up to twice as fast in then-current games at the same stated 450 W power consumption. These are NVIDIA’s 2022 vendor claims, not independent benchmark results. They depend on the stated comparison and rendering conditions and should not be read as a guarantee of the speedup in every game or workload. The company announced DLSS 3 support for more than 35 games and applications at the time; that was an announcement-era count, not a current catalog total. Details of the launch positioning appear in NVIDIA’s RTX 40 Series announcement coverage.
RTX 4090 vs. RTX 4080: the key differences
In the original desktop announcement, the RTX 4090 had 24 GB of GDDR6X and 16,384 CUDA cores, compared with 16 GB and 9,728 cores for the RTX 4080 16 GB. The planned 12 GB RTX 4080 had 7,680 cores, but was later withdrawn as a launch configuration. Core counts and memory capacity help distinguish the published specifications; they are not, by themselves, a measure of performance in a particular game. The specifications below are those listed on NVIDIA’s product page, observed September 28, 2026.
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- NVIDIA Blackwell Architecture The Ultimate Platform for Gamers and Creators Tensor Cores Max AI Performance with FP4 and DLSS 4 NVIDIA Reflex 2 with Frame Warp Full Ray Tracing with Neural Rendering
- VIDEO CARD
- NVIDIA
| Desktop model | CUDA cores | Listed boost clock | Memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | 16,384 | 2.52 GHz | 24 GB GDDR6X |
| RTX 4080 SUPER | 10,240 | 2.55 GHz | 16 GB GDDR6X |
| RTX 4080 | 9,728 | 2.51 GHz | 16 GB GDDR6X |
| RTX 4070 Ti SUPER | 8,448 | 2.61 GHz | 16 GB GDDR6X |
| RTX 4070 Ti | 7,680 | 2.61 GHz | 12 GB GDDR6X |
| RTX 4070 SUPER | 7,168 | 2.48 GHz | 12 GB GDDR6X |
| RTX 4070 | 5,888 | 2.48 GHz | 12 GB; GDDR6 or GDDR6X |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 4,352 | 2.54 GHz | 16 GB or 8 GB GDDR6 |
| RTX 4060 | 3,072 | 2.46 GHz | 8 GB GDDR6 |
The table reflects NVIDIA’s published family specifications, not the full details of every add-in board. Prices, board dimensions, cooler design, power connectors, and other fit-related details are not established by those family figures; check the exact card listing against the system before choosing a model. Compare complete model specifications and workload needs rather than assuming that a higher series number alone establishes real-world performance.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow the announcement expanded to laptops
At CES 2023, NVIDIA announced RTX 40 Series laptop GPUs as a separate extension of the lineup. Its rollout plan put RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 laptops from February 8, 2023, followed by RTX 4070, RTX 4060, and RTX 4050 laptops from February 22. The company also announced laptop prices starting at $999 at that time. Those dates and the starting price are historical announcements, not evidence of current availability or pricing. A laptop GPU and a desktop graphics card with a similar model name are not interchangeable comparisons; evaluate the complete laptop configuration. See NVIDIA’s CES 2023 roundup for the original rollout details.
Rank #3
- Powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace architechture, and full ray tracing
- 4th Generation Tensor Cores: Up to 4x performance with DLSS 3
- 3rd Generation RT Cores: Up to 2x ray tracing performance
- Powered by GeForce RTX 4070
- Integrated with 12GB GDDR6X 192-bit memory interface
What the original preview does—and does not—tell you
The September 2022 announcement established NVIDIA’s intended RTX 40 Series desktop lineup, its initial launch schedule and US suggested prices, and the company’s feature and performance claims. It does not establish current retail prices, stock, or the performance of a specific card in independent testing. For launch context, NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 launch article lists the board partners named by the company when the card became available. For a present-day model comparison, use NVIDIA’s current RTX 40 Series specifications as a starting point, then verify the exact board’s listing and price.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Powered by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (16GB) graphics processing unit (GPU) with a 2.51 GHz boost clock speed
- PCI Express 4.0 and earlier PCI Express 3.0. Offers compatibility with a range of systems
- 9,728 NVIDIA CUDA Cores, 2.51 GHz Boost Clock, Dedicated Ray Tracing Cores
- Microsoft DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan RT APIs
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
