Nvidia fixes the 8GB RAM problem with one of its GPUs—if you can pay for it

英伟达解决了一款 GPU 的 8GB 显存问题——前提是你付得起钱

Whether you’re a gamer trying to play recent AAA titles at high resolutions and maxed-out settings or an AI enthusiast trying to run models locally, we’ve reached the point where a GPU with 8GB of video memory is a pretty limiting bottleneck. But because of ongoing memory shortages and price spikes, it’s also a uniquely bad time for GPU makers to attempt to fix this problem—rumors suggested that a RAM-boosting mid-generation “Super” refresh for Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs was quietly delayed or canceled earlier this year, at least in part because of memory costs.

无论你是试图在高分辨率和最高画质下畅玩近期 3A 大作的游戏玩家，还是试图在本地运行模型的 AI 爱好者，我们都已经到了这样一个阶段：8GB 显存的 GPU 已成为相当严重的性能瓶颈。然而，由于持续的内存短缺和价格飙升，现在对于 GPU 制造商来说，并不是解决这一问题的理想时机——有传言称，英伟达 RTX 50 系列 GPU 原计划推出的显存升级版“Super”中期改款在今年早些时候被悄然推迟或取消，部分原因正是内存成本过高。

One of Nvidia’s GPUs is getting a RAM upgrade, according to an announcement the company buried at the bottom of a blog post about a routine Game Ready driver update. The laptop version of the GeForce RTX 5070 is getting a bump from 8GB to 12GB of GDDR7, a 50 percent increase that should reduce some performance bottlenecks and generally future-proof the GPU. Otherwise, the 12GB version of the mobile RTX 5070 is the same as the 8GB version. The RAM is still connected to the GPU with a 128-bit memory interface, and the GPU still has 4,608 CUDA cores. The mobile 5070 uses the same GB206 silicon die as the desktop RTX 5060 instead of the larger, more powerful GB205 die in the desktop version of the RTX 5070, meaning that despite the RAM increase, the desktop version remains a much more powerful GPU.

根据英伟达在一篇关于常规 Game Ready 驱动更新的博客文章底部所做的低调公告，其旗下的一款 GPU 即将迎来显存升级。移动版 GeForce RTX 5070 的显存将从 8GB 提升至 12GB GDDR7，这 50% 的增幅有望缓解部分性能瓶颈，并为该 GPU 提供一定的未来保障。除此以外，12GB 版移动端 RTX 5070 与 8GB 版本并无二致。其显存依然通过 128 位内存接口连接，GPU 核心数也保持在 4,608 个 CUDA 核心。移动版 5070 使用的是与桌面端 RTX 5060 相同的 GB206 芯片，而非桌面版 RTX 5070 所采用的更大、更强大的 GB205 芯片。这意味着尽管显存有所增加，桌面版依然是性能更强的 GPU。

But the main problem is the price, not the specs. Modular laptop maker Framework was one of the first to announce a product including the new 12GB RTX 5070: an update to the Framework Laptop 16. It serves mostly to highlight what an awful deal the mobile RTX 5070 is right now; as a standalone upgrade, the 8GB version costs $699, and the 12GB version costs a whopping $1,199, a 71.5 percent increase for an otherwise identical GPU. (The pricing is similar when you’re buying a new Laptop 16, and the GeForce GPUs are also only available with the more expensive, higher-end AMD Ryzen CPU options.)

但主要问题在于价格，而非规格。模块化笔记本电脑制造商 Framework 是首批宣布搭载新款 12GB RTX 5070 产品的厂商之一，即 Framework Laptop 16 的更新版。这主要凸显了移动版 RTX 5070 目前的性价比有多糟糕：作为独立升级配件，8GB 版本售价 699 美元，而 12GB 版本售价高达 1,199 美元——在 GPU 规格几乎完全相同的情况下，价格涨幅竟高达 71.5%。（购买全新的 Laptop 16 时定价也类似，且这些 GeForce GPU 仅能与更昂贵的高端 AMD Ryzen CPU 搭配选购。）

Framework has blamed “the pricing we’re seeing from silicon suppliers” for the new module’s price, and it said the price for the 8GB version was also likely to go up “once we deplete our current inventory of the GDDR7 capacity it uses.” Framework is just one manufacturer, but other laptop makers will be dealing with the same suppliers and pricing problems. Unfortunately, this suggests that we can all look forward to paying as much for a 12GB RTX 5070 as we used to pay for an entire midrange gaming PC.

Framework 将新款模块的高昂价格归咎于“从芯片供应商处获得的定价”，并表示“一旦我们耗尽目前库存的 GDDR7 显存”，8GB 版本的价格也可能会上涨。Framework 只是众多制造商之一，其他笔记本电脑厂商也将面临同样的供应商和定价问题。不幸的是，这意味着我们未来可能要花买一台完整中端游戏电脑的钱，才能买到一块 12GB 的 RTX 5070。