Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4080 is a top performer if you can stomach the price, but it’s already being tweaked behind the scenes. AIB partners Galax and Gainward have confirmed that a new variant of the AD103 GPU will be making its way into graphics cards soon.
Initially highlighted by Hong Kong news outlet HKEPC on Twitter, the outlet claims this new RTX 4080 variant will potentially streamlined the bill of material and directly help cut AIB partner production costs.
GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards previously shipped with an SKU known as AD103-300-A1, though future cards are being designated AD103-301. According to reports, the new 301 revision is not that different from its predecessor, and potential customers need not fret as GPU performance and power design are said to remain unchanged.
The only noteworthy alteration is that of the overall PCB design requirements, seeing as the chip design and pinout is entirely different when compared to the original. This change apparently directly results in the use of fewer components, specifically a comparator circuit according to the Hong Kong news outlet when referencing a future AD104-251 revision, resulting in a net BOM saving of $1.
Gainward (as reported by VideoCardz) and Galax are among the first to confirm these SKU changes. Whether the savings will directly affect cost to consumers is up for debate, though it is highly unlikely. GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is also thought to be migrating from AD104-250 to AD104-251, and as any enthusiast would be, we’re intrigued to see if the new designs over any subtle adjustments to power usage or overclocking capability.
