Were you expecting NVIDIA’s next flagship gaming graphics card to feature even more memory than the already impressive amount utilized in the GeForce RTX 3090? That’s unlikely, according to Igor Wassollek, which shared a drawing today of what is supposedly the reference PCB design for AD102, the GPU in charge of powering the upper echelon of the new GeForce RTX 40 Series. A dozen solder slots for GDDR6X can be seen in the image, which implies support for up to 24 GB of memory (Micron’s options are available as either 1 or 2 GB modules).
Other tidbits from Wassollek include the suggestion that the AD102 and current-gen GA102 GPUs are actually pin-compatible, adding credence to his previous speculation of the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti being some sort of test run for the GeForce RTX 40 Series, a coincidence that would allow manufacturers to quickly and easily adapt their custom designs for the next generation of products. The mention of a 600-watt BIOS going around for testing purposes and heightened power delivery system would also suggest that those constant rumors of Lovelace cards doubling as industrial-level space heaters are actually true. Users will even find a 12VHPWR (12+4 )to 4x 8-pin adapter in the box, according to Wallossek.
New details about the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 – memory configuration, pin layout, voltage supply and cooling (Igor’s Lab)
[…] what we see at first glance are a whopping 24 voltage converters for the GPU! Since NVIDIA (this has also been leaked in the meantime) will again rely on a uP9512 that can only generate 8 phases (but is readily available), a total of three voltage converters will most likely be driven together per phase. The four dark rectangles near the drill holes for the cooler should be the VRM for the memory voltage converters. This brings us to four phases for the GDDR6X.
What we also see in this context is a maximum of 12 solder slots for the GDDR6X (from Micron), which is currently available as 1 and 2 GB modules. From this, we can conclude that 12 or 24 GB (more likely) are possible when fully loaded. Smaller versions could then be equipped with 8 or 16 GB (probably) again, which should also reduce the number of voltage converters to three.
Now let’s get back to the RTX 3090 Ti and what I called a test run. As I could find out, the GA102 (Ampere) and the AD102 (Ada) chip are supposed to be pin compatible. Conversely, this also means that all board partners should already be able to work on the new boards and coolers without the upcoming chip by simply using an open 600 Watt BIOS. Then both the new board and the cooling can be fully tested.
Speaking of cooling, some sources report that NVIDIA will rely on a tripple-slot air cooler for the Reference or FE, while almost all board partners are likely to go with a 3.5-slot design. This means that the weight class above 2 kilograms will certainly also have a lot of new competitors. AiO compact coolers and cards with a real water block from the factory are also being considered aloud, but not as a primary solution. And to reassure all potential customers with older power supplies: a 12+4 (12VHPWR) to 4x 6+2 pin (PCIe old) is of course always included.