Nvidia has announced that they will be 'unlaunching' the RTX 4080 12GB model for its November release, but the RTX 4080 16GB will still be released as scheduled. Both models were originally planned to release on November 16th, with Nvidia making this announcement a little over a month before.
Nvidia claims the cancellation is due to the similar naming between the 12GB and 16GB models. In the company's official statement, Nvidia said, "The RTX 4080 12GB is a fantastic graphics card, but it’s not named right. Having two GPUs with the 4080 designation is confusing". The announcement goes on to state that as such, Nvidia is "pressing the “unlaunch” button on the 4080 12GB".
After recently announcing a new batch of GPUs, the RTX 4090 series quickly sold out in stores with lines wrapping around buildings for gamers to grab one. Demand is high and Nvidia is using this "unlaunch" to make sure they are putting their best foot forward.
While the cancelation is said to be over the name alone, it is still to be seen if Nvidia will rename the 12GB model or cancel it entirely. While the canceled 12GB model would have been a solid graphics card, the 16GB is vastly superior, being able to reach 350+ FPS as opposed to the 12GB reaching 290+ FPS. The new 40 Series is perfect for keeping pace with new games, being able to reach 4K with incredibly high frame rates.
The RTX 4090 was released on October 12th of this year, and despite the incredibly high price, retailing at $1,599 USD, these graphics cards were sold out in minutes. The 4080 16GB will be slightly more affordable retailing at $1,199 USD. The now-cancelled 4080 12GB would have been a cheaper alternative at $899 USD, but now gamers won't have that option.
Official preorders are not currently available for the 4080, but you are able to sign up for notifications on Nvidia's official site. For those looking to buy one in stores, the official release date is November 16th. The exact stores that will carry the cards have not been listed yet but it is safe to assume they will be stocked at stores that carry other Nvidia cards.