Decoding Nvidia's Evolving GPU Lineup: What RTX 5080 Innovations Can Learnt from History

10 Years of Nvidia GPU Configurations

When Nvidia announces its latest GPU lineup, it’s essential to understand the expected configuration and pricing of each model. But what if the rumors don’t align with our expectations? We’ve taken a closer look at six generations of Nvidia GPUs to better understand what we should expect from a typical "80-class" GPU.

What’s an Nvidia GPU in a Given Class Typically Like?

In this analysis, we’ll examine the specifications of each class, including the 60, 70, 80, and 80 Ti classes, as well as the flagship and extreme flagship models. We’ll also explore how the rumored RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 specifications compare to this historical data.

Generations of Nvidia GPUs: A Quick Overview

Nvidia GPUs: A Historical Perspective

In the GeForce RTX 20 series, the flagship card was generally considered the RTX 2080 Ti, priced at $1,200.
In the GeForce RTX 30 series, we had the regular flagship as the RTX 3090, with the extreme flagship, the RTX 3090 Ti, priced at $2,000.

How Do RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 Leaked Specs Stack Up?

The rumored specifications of the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 seem to indicate that the 5080 has a reduced configuration compared to the flagship model. The RTX 5080 has 10,752 shader cores and 16GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus, whereas the RTX 5090 has 21,760 shader cores and 32GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus.

Analysis: Pricing and Configuration

Based on our historical data, we can see that the 70 tier typically has a configuration that’s half that of the flagship model. This means that the RTX 5080 should be priced similarly to previous 70-class GPUs.

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