GoKawiilAmid the ongoing AI-driven memory shortage, Nvidia has launched a higher-capacity RTX 5070 part for laptops. Patch notes for Nvidia's latest 596.36 GeForce graphics driver highlight the launch of a new 12GB RTX 5070 mobile GPU boasting 50% more memory capacity compared to the existing 8GB version. The new 12GB trim will co-exist with the 8GB option, giving laptop manufacturers and buyers two RTX 5070 versions to choose from.
The new, higher-capacity RTX 5070 mobile GPU is focused exclusively on providing more memory capacity to gamers and creators, and does not come with any officially announced bandwidth improvements over the 8GB model. The use of 24Gb (3GB) modules allows for the use of the same bus width as the existing 8GB model, preventing memory bandwidth from improving through a larger memory interface.
As a refresher, the RTX 5070 8GB laptop GPU uses four GDDR7 ICs attached to a 128-bit memory interface. There have not been any official specs on how fast these 24Gb modules operate, but previous rumors indicate the 12GB trim's GDDR7 modules operate at the same frequency as the GDDR7 modules found in the outgoing 8GB counterpart.
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(Image credit: Nvidia)
Swipe to scroll horizontally RTX 5070 Mobile 12GB Specifications Graphics Card GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile 12GB* Radeon RX 7900M Radeon RX 7800M GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile 8GB Architecture Blackwell RDNA 3 RDNA 3 Blackwell GPU GB205 Navi 31 Navi 32 GB206 Shaders 4,608 4,608 3,840 4,608 Base Clock (MHz) 907 1,825 1,295 907 Boost Clock (MHz) 1,425 2,090 2,335 1,425 Memory Capacity 12GB GDDR7 16GB GDDR6 12GB GDDR6 8GB GDDR7 Memory Clock (Gbps) 24 18 18 24 Memory Interface 192-bit 256-bit 192-bit 128-bit Memory Bandwidth (GB/s) 384 576 432 384 TDP (W) 50 180 180 50
*Specifications are unconfirmed by Nvidia.
The new 12GB RTX 5070 laptop GPU will slot in between the RTX 5070 8GB laptop GPU and the RTX 5070 Ti 12GB laptop GPU in Nvidia's mobile GPU lineup.
The RTX 5070 Ti 12GB laptop GPU comes with 5888 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR7 memory operating on a 192-bit interface, providing 672 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The RTX 5070 8GB laptop GPU comes with 4608 CUDA cores and 8GB of GDDR7 operating on a 128-bit interface, providing 384 GB/s of bandwidth. The 12GB RTX 5070 shares the same specs except for its 50% higher memory capacity (assuming memory speeds are identical to the 8GB trim).
The mobile RTX 5070 12GB represents a rare moment in time when Nvidia is offering higher-capacity VRAM options to consumers as memory shortages persuade hardware manufacturers to reduce memory capacity on consumer GPU hardware — or, at the very least, keep memory capacity the same. Having 12GB of VRAM will significantly improve the RTX 5070's capabilities in cutting-edge AAA gaming and allow the GPU to run higher graphical settings in the latest titles without running into as many memory bottlenecks as 8GB GPUs.
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