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Possible delays for NVIDIA RTX 50 GPUs: design changes and increased power consumption
NVIDIA’s New Blackwell Series May Be Delayed as Data Center Priorities Heighten and Power Consumption Concerns Grow
Isabella V

 

We have already discussed in a previous article the challenges associated with the production of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 "Blackwell" series GPUs. Now new information is emerging that could impact their launch. While the Blackwell chips are eagerly awaited by gamers, it appears they may be delayed due to design changes, data center priorities, and a possible increase in power consumption.

Key Points:

  • Design changes: Necessary changes to the design of Blackwell GPUs aimed at data centers could also affect consumer models.
  • Possible delays: The launch of the GeForce RTX 50 could be postponed to CES 2025, instead of taking place in Q4 2024 as initially planned.
  • Increased Power Consumption: New GPUs may require more power than previous generations, especially for high-end models.
  • Data Center Priority: NVIDIA is focusing manufacturing efforts on GPUs for data centers due to their greater economic impact.

NVIDIA is preparing to introduce the new GeForce RTX 50 "Blackwell" GPU series, but recent chip design changes, originally intended for data center GPUs, could cause delays and other implications for the launch of consumer graphics cards. The changes made to the design, particularly regarding the GPU mask, were driven by technical issues related to the mismatch of thermal expansion (CTE) between the various components of the chip, which led to deformations and malfunctions. Although NVIDIA has confirmed that the correct samples have already been sent to customers and that mass production is now ready, data center GPUs remain the main priority for the company, due to high demand and high impact on revenues. As a result, there is the possibility that the launch of the GeForce RTX 50 GPUs will be postponed to CES 2025. Furthermore, industry sources indicate that the new GPUs may have increased power consumption, with greater impacts on high-end models, although it is not yet clear whether this increase will only concern the current prototypes or also the final versions intended for sale. With an eagerly awaiting enthusiast base, it remains to be seen how these dynamics will affect the availability and performance of NVIDIA’s upcoming graphics cards.

Ultimately, the situation is evolving rapidly and it will be interesting to see how NVIDIA addresses the technical and market challenges related to the Blackwell series.