Nvidia's RTX 5000 Super Series Faces Cancellation as AI Demand Drives GDDR7 Memory Shortage

Nvidia's RTX 5000 Super could be cancelled or get pricier due to AI-induced GDDR7 woes -- rumor claims 3 GB memory chips are now too valuable for consumer GPUs

The demand for hardware to power and train AI models has steadily been devouring computing component supplies. The latest casualty, if a rumor posted by X user Uniko's Hardware is to be believed, could be next-gen consumer GPUs. They claim that the shortage of 3 GB GDDR7 chips will lead to Nvidia outright cancelling the RTX 5000 Super series of graphics cards. The current RTX 50-series cards use 2 GB GDDR7 chips, and the newer cards are expected to use 3 GB GDDR7 chips. The problem is that not only is RAM fab capacity constrained by AI gobbling up most of Samsung and Micron's production, Nvidia might also save its existing stock of 3 GB chips for high-profit models like the RTX Pro 6000. While GDDR7 production is apparently still ramping up, we would expect that for the time being, the extra capacity will be gobbled up by AI accelerators of various shapes and sizes, including Chinese ones. Plus, the question remains as to whether Samsung, SK Hynix et al will even bother dedicating fab capacity for GDDR7 when they can adapt existing lines to make HBM at far juicier profit margins. It wouldn't look good for Nvidia to cancel or delay a potential RTX 5000 Super launch, as the company likely wants to continue to keep its presence known in the gaming space even though it's but a fraction of its income. The Super cards were never formally announced, though the rumor mill suggests they're meant to come in as direct replacements for the extant 5070, 5070 Ti, and 5080 models, hopefully helping to bring down prices on those cards. If any cards materialize, they may arrive at high prices and sell out quickly. That's not really a new story. Think about it: Almost every contemporary graphics card released by Nvidia and AMD has been in this mold, with barely-there stock and headline-grabbing MSRPs that only become real months or years later -- if even then, as the RTX 5090 attests. That doesn't seem likely at this point, at least judging by the European landscape. High-end Nvidia card stock is steadily running out, and prices are increasing, as I can personally attest to having recently bought an RTX 5080 and watched daily changes as I hunted for a deal. On the other hand, we have to take this rumor with some reservations, as there's been no official sign of these cards from Nvidia in the first place, and we're not aware of its plans. Here's hoping all these predictions are wrong.

NVIDIA may cancel the GeForce RTX 50 SUPER series

TL;DR: NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 SUPER series launch faces delays or cancellation due to severe DRAM and GDDR7 memory shortages driven by AI industry demand. Rising memory prices are impacting desktop GPU availability and costs, prompting NVIDIA to potentially prioritize more profitable RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs instead. NVIDIA is expected to launch a SUPER version of the GeForce RTX 50-series next year, but a recent rumor suggests the company will delay that release due to memory shortages. For those who don't know, the prices of DRAM and NAND flash have increased substantially recently, with one of the main reasons being the AI industry gobbling up all the supply. Unfortunately, due to supply constraints, DDR5 prices for desktop PCs have approximately doubled since just a few months ago. With the increase in DRAM prices, we can also expect an increase in GDDR memory, with Uniko's Hardware reporting that due to the general shortage, 3GB GDDR7 won't be able to make it to the consumer market for desktop, "thus the super series is cancelled." Additionally, Uniko writes that it's expected current models available on the market are "expected to be more expensive very soon" because of the increasing cost of 2GB GDDR7. NVIDIA was expected to release SUPER versions of the GeForce RTX 5080, 5070 Ti, and 5070, all of which would use 3GB GDDR7 memory dies, but with these shortages, it's possible the company has switched its focus to more profitable products, such as the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs, which use the same 3GB memory dies. NVIDIA originally planned to release the RTX 50 SUPER series in the first or second quarter of next year, with a possible unveiling at CES 2026, but with these recent rumors and the rising price of memory, it's now possible there won't be one.