Nvidia’s RTX 4050 was spotted, or at least the GPU packaging was allegedly seen, at the Galax gala – though, as you can imagine, this is undoubtedly not what it seems, and we should be stunned under the weight of salt to be applied to this particular ” leakage “.
The observation of the Galax RTX 4050 box took place during an event during which the graphics card manufacturer launched its RTX 4090 models – the flagship is the only next-generation Lovelace GPU that is currently on sale – as reported Wccftech (opens in a new tab) (and first marked with Reddit (opens in a new tab)).
And it got some people excited that maybe, just maybe, the RTX 4050 is somehow on the horizon. But we doubt it very, very much.
With leaks like this, of course, there’s always the possibility that the photo is a fake, but in this case it feels like it’s probably real – or at least the image might be, but not the box itself. By this we mean that this is most likely a mock-up made by Galax to fill the exhibition booth at the opening event in the Philippines, or that seems to be the most likely explanation anyway (if the photo is not fake).
(Photo credit: TheBloodNinja (Reddit))
Analysis: None of this makes much sense
If you look closely there is a tape on the front of the box that should have the word “RTX 4050” written on it to match other visible logos, so it most likely hasn’t been altered (and just taped – that’s the thing that makes the At least it seems less likely to us that the photo is fake.)
But as mentioned, it certainly doesn’t mean the RTX 4050 is inevitable by any means, and graphics card manufacturers are already making packages for it. More likely it’s a mischievous Galax employee – either it’s a mistake, clean and simple (somehow) – or the company is just filling its booth with other possible Lovelace products (although why the company didn’t use the RTX 4080 box is a fair question to ask at such a case).
Apparently, however, the real RTX 4050 box will definitely not be the same (huge) size as the hefty cardboard required to cover the flagship RTX 4090 GPU. So it’s just as clearly an RTX 4090 box where text has been messed up (in real life or by someone in Photoshop). VideoCardz (opens in a new tab) further reports on this and claim to have obtained confirmation that the box in question was indeed present at the Galax launch event, incidentally.
We haven’t heard the rumors about the RTX 4050 at all in the rumor mill, and if it was about to arrive, we would certainly have gotten some speculation by now. Indeed, we haven’t heard much about the RTX 4060, suggesting any remote wallet-friendly Lovelace GPU is still a long way off, and the RTX 4050 in all likelihood is still a long way off.
Although some witty people have suggested it might be a new incarnation and name for the RTX 4080 12GB, which was recently canceled (or “released”, ahem) by Nvidia after reacting negatively to this particular model. In all seriousness, presumably this 4080 variant is set to become either an RTX 4070, or more likely a 4070 Ti (or Super), though no matter how Nvidia goes with the renaming, it’s likely to become a mess (not for the second time first).
With the conference season already underway, the eyes of technology enthusiasts are constantly changing around the world.
But that attention may soon focus on the Middle East, which now claims to be home to the world’s largest tech event.
GITEX Global 2022, which took place at the World Trade Center in Dubai and took part in it TechRadar ProMaybe it’s not yet as famous as CES in Las Vegas or Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but the organizers have big plans to change that.
GITEX 2022
After several difficult years of the pandemic, GITEX Global welcomed its largest turnout in history, and an enrolled audience of more than 120,000 attendees listened to more than 5,000 companies from 90 countries, including over 1,000 speakers.
Covering the entire two million square foot WTC in Dubai, the conference was exhausting for many, as crowded rooms made it difficult to arrive in time for interviews and panel sessions, especially when it was going to places that required walking outside. the boiling heat of the desert.
In a country that wants to prove that bigger is always better, perhaps organizing such a vast conference without a specific topic or agenda in such a gigantic space was perhaps not the wisest choice – and hopefully an oversight that the organizers will resolve in the years to come.
(Photo credit: Future)
But thanks to a line-up that included global tech giants such as Microsoft, Dell Technologies, Huawei and many others, and many spokesmen for the UAE and Dubai government, the conference had some hidden gems on offer.
The highlight was the world’s first “flying car” unveiled by the Chinese company XPENG, whose X2 vehicle made a successful (if somewhat disappointing) test flight just outside the conference.
(Photo credit: Future)
Looking to the future, the organizers clearly have great plans for the future, announcing the inauguration of GITEX Africa in May 2023 in an attempt to capture some large-scale investment and development across the continent.
And thanks to specially designed zones for programmers, metaverse and start-ups, it may turn out that GITEX and its satellite events will soon become a training ground for other great technology companies.
While it may take some time to capture the headlines as on CES and MWC, with the strength and determination (not to mention financial support) of Dubai and UAE, we would not bet on the further development of GITEX Global in the coming years.
TechRadar Pro travel and accommodation in Dubai was funded by the Dubai World Trade Center, but the organization had no editorial control over the content of this article.
Below are full spoilers for Episode 8 of The Rings of Power.
Markella Kavenagh has revealed that the cast of The Rings of Power did not find out about the Stranger’s identity until they were given the script for Episode 8.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar prior to the airing of The Rings of Power season 1 finale, Kavenagh – who plays Nori Brandyfoot, one of the show’s main Harfooters – explained that she had no idea who the Stranger was until late in production.
Major spoilers follow Rings of Power, Episode 8. Don’t read outside of the image below if you haven’t already broadcast it.
Yes, we were also shocked by the Stranger, Nori. (Photo credit: Prime Video)
While we do not find out about the real name of the Stranger, we do get confirmation of the type of being he is in the latest episode of Prime Video’s high fantasy show. He is one of the Istari, a group of five wizards sent to Middle-earth by the Valar to aid the races of the world against Sauron.
Ever since the first trailer for The Rings of Power was released in February, Lord of the Rings fans have speculated that the Stranger was one of the Istari, although the expensive Prime Video series sometimes mistakenly led us to think he was in fact Sauron. However, with the eighth episode of The Rings of Power coming out, we know the Stranger is one of the good guys – it remains to be seen who he really is.
It seems that many of the show’s actors did not know for a long time who the Stranger was. As revealed by Kavenagh, none of the actors who played Harfoot – including Megan Richards (Poppy), Sara Zwongbani (Marigold) and Dylan Smith (Largo) – or the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) had known with the group before. they find out only when the scenarios have been delivered to them.
It has been confirmed that the Stranger is one of the five wizards of Middle-earth. (Photo credit: Prime Video)
“Yes, when did we really receive the scripts,” said Kavenagh when asked when she heard of the Stranger’s wizard disclosure. “I think we have [episode] eighth is quite late and there were also two versions because the finale was so confidential. We read the scripts and it was very exciting to find out who Daniel was playing. It was a big deal to finally know who the Stranger was – in a way!
Check out our Rings of Power Summaries
“In some ways” is the right way to end that answer. Unfortunately, The Rings of Power does not confirm what a wizard the Stranger is. This is a disclosure that will be put on hold until season two at the earliest. Although, judging by the specific line of dialogue the Stranger tells Nori in Episode 8, we may already know who he is.
Fortunately, the series’ eighth entry is not the end of Nori and the Stranger’s burgeoning friendship. We see the pair leave the rest of the Harfoots to head east, keeping an eye on the land of Rhûn. There, the couple hope to learn more about the Stranger’s powers – and hopefully his real name.
For Kavenagh, the opportunity to further explore Nori’s relationship with the Stranger in the show’s season two is incredibly exciting. Mainly because the duo can talk to each other now – something that wasn’t possible when The Stranger first landed in the first episode of The Rings of Power.
“They are now able to communicate more verbally,” she added. “We have this dialogue scene in Episode 8, but this is the first time we’ve been able to interact. It was a pretty cool experience and I think it will change as their friendship grows.
“This will add a little more to their dynamics, but we’ll have to see how it plays out. I don’t know when the filming of Season Two will start – it’s starting slowly, but I don’t have the final time for it. Daniel and I know each other well now, so hopefully this will be more fun and allow us to infuse their relationship with a deeper connection.
For more exclusive Rings of Power coverage, find out why Episode 2 nearly ruined Sauron’s big reveal. Alternatively, read when the show’s cast found out which one played Sauron.
Full spoilers will appear in Episode 8 of The Rings of Power.
The actor who plays Sauron in The Rings of Power revealed that he didn’t find out about his character’s true identity until he shot the third episode of the show.
Ever since the high-budget series Prime Video began airing on September 2, fans have been wondering when the Dark Lord will appear, and when it will appear, which actor will play the main villain of The Lord of the Rings. Now, with the release of Episode 8 of The Rings of Power, we finally have the answer.
Major spoilers follow The final of the first season of Rings of Power. Turn back now if you haven’t watched it yet.
We finally found out who is playing Sauron in The Rings of Power. (Photo credit: Prime Video)
Halbrand, who was played by Charlie Vickers from the second episode, was Sauron the whole time. As it turns out, the alleged heir to the Southlands throne has long deceived viewers – and the heroes of The Rings of Power, most notably Galadriel.
Even so, the time Halbrand spent dabbing everyone’s eyes is nothing compared to the two-and-a-half-year secret that Vickers and the rest of the cast have had to keep. In early October, Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) and Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo) only told TechRadar that they know who Sauron is. After Halbrand’s true identity is revealed, everyone involved in the production of the series can breathe a sigh of relief – especially Vickers.
So when did the Medici actor find out he was going to be playing Lord of the Rings’s most iconic antagonist? Not for a while, actually. Vickers, who was initially auditioned for the role of the half-elf Elrond, was kept in the dark until shooting on Prime Video was already underway.
Check out our Rings of Power Summaries
“I had a gut feeling for a moment,” Vickers told TechRadar exclusively prior to the release of Episode 8. “I didn’t find out that I was playing Sauron on purpose for a while – I didn’t sit down and wasn’t told until maybe a few months before filming the third episode. So that scene in Episode 2 when I was introduced to the raft, I didn’t know.
Clark, who spends most of her time playing opposite Halbrand Vickers in the first season, also did not know which character was the masquerade. This was until production began in Episode 3, when Galadriel and Halbrand arrive in Númenor after being rescued from the Tearing Seas by Elendil and his crew.
Oh, Halbrand, why did it have to be you? (Photo credit: Prime Video)
“We didn’t know until we were in Numenor,” Clark only revealed for the premiere before Episode 8. “Back then, it was pretty cool to see when the showrunners and writers were introducing these little clues.
“Actually, I missed a lot of it when I watched it again! What I didn’t realize was that you never see Halbrand asleep. One of his first lines to Galadriel is “Looks Can Cheat” which is the most obvious clue It was really fun to play a character I never expected to play, and Charlie found out that he was playing someone he didn’t expect, who we had barely seen in this one. form. It was exciting to go through this together. “
As the main villain of The Lord of the Rings, it’s not surprising that fans expect a certain level from Sauron. However, Vickers doesn’t feel pressured to revive such a daunting character in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings – though he understands that not everyone will be delighted with his role.
“I know how important this character is for many people,” he said. “I feel so honored and honored to be able to revive it. It’s very cool. But of course I know people have high expectations and I can’t really control their thoughts. a lot of consolation in the source material and reading and learning as much as possible. All I can do is put my heart and soul into it.
For more exclusive coverage of The Rings of Power, read how the second episode of the show almost inadvertently ruined its big Sauron reveal.
In May, a security expert first revealed that iPhone VPN apps were leaking user data, claiming Apple was doing nothing to fix it.
Now, just a few months later, another major problem has been discovered while using VPN software for iOS. In this case, some of people’s most sensitive information is in real danger.
Another expert recently discovered that many Apple apps, including Health and Wallet, send users’ private data outside of an active VPN tunnel.
However, the best VPN services are not to blame here.
We confirm that iOS 16 communicates with Apple services outside the active VPN tunnel. Worse, DNS requests are leaking. # Apple services that elude a VPN connection include Health, Maps, Wallet. We used @ProtonVPN and #Wireshark. Details in the video: #CyberSecurity # Privacy pic.twitter.com/ReUmfa67lnOctober 12, 2022
See more
Apple apps bypass VPN encryption
“We confirm that iOS 16 communicates with Apple services outside the active VPN tunnel. Worse still, DNS requests are leaking, “Twitter developer and security researcher Tommy Mysk.
In theory, when you connect to a secure VPN, your data is encrypted and passed through one of its international servers before it reaches its final destination. This means that neither your Internet Service Provider nor any other third party should have access to this information flow. Likewise, the websites you visit will not be able to determine your real IP address or any other identifying information.
Mysk ran several tests on iOS 16 with both Proton VPN and Wireshark active. To their dismay, he and his team found that many Apple apps actually ignore the VPN tunnel and exchange data directly with Apple’s servers.
Worse, the apps that leak data are actually the ones that manage the most private and sensitive information. These are Health, Wallet, Apple Store, Clips, Files, Locator, Maps, and Settings.
When talking about the causes of this error, Myx seems to believe Apple is doing it on purpose.
“There are services on the iPhone that require frequent contact with Apple’s servers, such as Find My and Push Notifications. However, I have no problem tunneling this traffic on a VPN connection. Traffic is encrypted anyway ” said 9to5Mac (opens in a new tab)adding that they did not expect so much traffic to be exposed.
Not only VPN for iOS
As confirmed by Mysk during its tests, iPhone and iPad users are not the only ones at risk of their privacy.
“I know what you are asking and the answer is YES. Android communicates with Google services outside of an active VPN connection, even with the Always On and Block connections without VPN options, ”he said.
Just a few days ago, we reported on Mullvad VPN’s findings that Android devices were quietly undermining VPN services during a recent security audit.
In this case, Android VPNs reveal user data when checking connectivity when accessing certain Wi-Fi networks.
A VPN provider has pledged Google to add an option to override these controls when the VPN is active, but the big tech giant believes there is no need to. That’s why Mullvad is pushing now at least changing the “confusing” description of VPN-related features.
So far, Apple hasn’t released information on its upcoming AR / VR headset, but leaks continue to crop up on the web – including a new one about a device that uses iris scanning to authenticate users’ identities.
This happens through information (opens in a new tab)which says that after scanning the eyes, users will be able to verify payments and log into different digital accounts (similar to Face ID or Touch ID on an iPhone).
Of course, entering a password in a virtual reality helmet is not particularly easy, so it makes sense to implement such a technology. It also means that different people will be able to use the same headset.
Tracking and materials
Incidentally, this isn’t the first time this particular rumor has surfaced – and it’s worth remembering that Apple acquired the eye-tracking company back in 2017.
Other highlights from the article: The headset will offer full-body tracking by pointing some of the cameras at your feet, and will be lighter than the recently introduced Meta Quest Pro, which tilts the weight at 722 grams.
Finally, the device is said to consist of a combination of fabric, aluminum and glass for a great experience – exactly what you would expect from Apple. Most rumors point to a 2023 release. No matter what Apple is building.
Analysis: what we know so far
Nothing is official yet – as you’d expect from Apple – but now it seems very likely that Apple is working on a headset that combines VR and augmented reality in one device (“mixed reality” is a term some people use in this case).
This device is believed to differ from Apple’s lighter glasses, which are reportedly focused on augmented reality. At this stage, it looks like this product is even further than it was in 2023, though it’s hard for sure.
We believe the device will be powered by an Apple chipset – possibly the M2 – and are said to have two 8K displays inside. It is said that at least a dozen cameras are attached to the headset to keep track of where you are in the room.
The projected cost of all of this is expected to be $ 3,000 / £ 2,685 / AU $ 4,835, and as we mentioned, it is slated to go live in 2023. You can expect the usual abundance of hype in the promotional material that Apple is putting up for the headset.
Microsoft announced that animated avatars are now available in preview for its Teams collaboration platform.
Via the Avatars app in the Microsoft Teams App Store, Technical Access Program members can now design up to three avatars for use in meetings and choose from a variety of response gestures.
The so-called Mesh avatars were first announced for Microsoft Teams in blog post (opens in a new tab) John Roach, CTO of Digital Advisory Services, in November 2021.
Grid avatars for the workplace
Mesh avatars allow greater freedom of expression in a hybrid work environment, and users can customize physical attributes, accessories, and other aspects of themselves.
Microsoft’s release of this feature at Ignite confirms its commitment to blur the line between videoconferencing software and metaverseswhich some business leaders consider to be the next big development in collaboration tools after switching to hybrid work.
These spaces are designed around mesh avatars interacting inside a virtual space equipped with the tools teams need to collaborate, such as: tables, storage of documentsand video conferencing software.
If Microsoft continues to develop features adjacent to the Teams metaverse, it may be able to thwart Meta plans for the sector with its own Horizon Workrooms metaverse.
Horizon Workrooms can be seen as a less convenient offering compared to Teams, a video conferencing application that is already used by many organizations and benefits from Microsoft 365 integration.
Until then, organizations wishing to try out the new mesh avatars but without access to private preview can sign up for updates on Team site (opens in a new tab).
In the decades since Seymour Cray developed what is widely regarded as the world’s first supercomputer, CDC 6600 (opens in a new tab), an arms race was underway in the High Performance Computing (HPC) community. The goal: to increase efficiency by all means and at all costs.
Driven by advances in computing, storage, networking, and software, the performance of leading systems has grown a trillion times since the CDC 6600 was launched in 1964, from millions of floating point operations per second (megaFLOPS) to quintillions (exaFLOPS).
The current owner of the crown, a colossal supercomputer from the USA named Borderis capable of achieving 1.102 exaFLOPS in the High Performance Linpack (HPL) test. But it is suspected that there are even more powerful machines at work elsewherebehind closed doors.
The arrival of so-called exascale supercomputers is expected to benefit virtually all sectors – from science to cybersecurity, healthcare to finance – and pave the way for powerful new AI models that would otherwise take years to train.
CDC 6600, widely regarded as the first supercomputer in the world. (Photo credit: Computer History Museum)
However, the increase in speed of this magnitude has a price: energy consumption. Full throttle, Frontier consumes up to 40 MW (opens in a new tab) power, about the same as 40 million desktop computers.
Supercomputers have always been about pushing the limits of what’s possible. But as the need to minimize emissions becomes more and more obvious and energy prices continue to rise, the HPC industry will need to reassess whether it is still worth sticking to its original guiding principle.
Efficiency versus efficiency
One of the organizations at the forefront of this problem is the University of Cambridge, which in collaboration with Dell Technologies has developed a number of energy-efficient supercomputers at the forefront of the project.
The Wilkes3 (opens in a new tab)for example, it only occupies the hundredth position in general performance charts (opens in a new tab)but ranks third in Green500 (opens in a new tab)ranking of HPC systems based on efficiency per watt of energy consumed.
In an interview with TechRadar ProDr. Paul Calleja, director of Research Computing Services at the University of Cambridge, explained that the institution is far more interested in building highly productive and efficient machines than extremely powerful.
“We are not interested in large systems as they are highly specific point solutions. But the technologies used in them have a much wider application and will allow the systems to run an order of magnitude slower in a much more cost-effective and energy-efficient way, ”says Dr. Calleja.
“This way you democratize access to computers for many more people. We are interested in using technologies designed for these great era systems to create much more sustainable supercomputers for a wider audience. ”
The Wilkes3 supercomputer may not be the fastest in the world, but it is one of the most energy efficient. (Image credit: University of Cambridge)
In the coming years, Dr. Calleja also predicts an increasingly strong focus on energy efficiency in the HPC sector and the wider data center community, where energy consumption accounts for more than 90% of the cost, we were told.
The recent fluctuations in energy prices related to the war in Ukraine have also made supercomputers drastically more expensive, especially in the context of exascale computing, further illustrating the importance of efficiency per watt.
In the context of Wilkes3, the university found that there were a number of optimizations that helped improve the level of performance. For example, by lowering the clock frequency with which some components operated, depending on the load, the team was able to achieve a power consumption reduction of 20-30%.
“Within a particular architectural family, clock speed has a linear relationship with performance, but a square relationship with energy consumption. He’s a killer, ”explained Dr. Calleja.
“Lowering the clock frequency reduces power consumption much faster than performance, but also increases the time it takes to complete the task. So we should pay attention not to the energy consumption in operation, but to the real energy used for the task. There is such a sweet spot. “
Software is king
In addition to tuning hardware configurations for specific workloads, there are also a number of optimizations that can be made elsewhere in the context of storage and networking, and in related disciplines such as cooling and rack design.
However, when asked where exactly he would like to see the resources devoted to improving energy efficiency, Dr. Calleja explained that the focus should be primarily on software.
“Hardware is not a problem, it’s about application performance. This will be the main bottleneck moving forward, ”he said. “Exascale systems today are based on GPU architectures and the number of applications that can run efficiently at large scale on GPU systems is small. ”
“To really take advantage of today’s technology, we need to put a lot of emphasis on application development. The development cycle goes on for decades; The software we use today was developed 20-30 years ago, and it’s difficult when you have such long-lived code that needs to be redesigned. “
The problem, however, is that the HPC industry hasn’t made a habit of thinking about software first. Historically, much more attention has been paid to hardware because, says Dr. Calleja, “it’s easy; you just buy a faster chip. You don’t have to think smart.
“Although we had Moore’s Law, with CPU doubling every eighteen months, nothing needed to be done [on a software level] to increase efficiency. But those times are gone. Now, if we want progress, we have to go back and redesign the software. “
As Moore’s Law begins to weaken, advances in processor architecture can no longer be considered a source of performance improvements. (Photo credit: Alexander_Safonov / Shutterstock)
Dr. Calleja has reserved some praise for Intel in this regard. As server Hardware space becomes more diverse from the vendor’s point of view (in most cases this is a positive development), application compatibility may become a problem, but Intel is working on a solution.
“One of the differentiators I see for Intel is that it invests an awful lot [of both funds and time] down oneAPI ecosystem, to develop code portability in various types of silicon. We need these kinds of toolchains to enable future applications to take advantage of the emerging silicon, ”he notes.
Separately, Dr. Calleja called for a greater focus on “scientific need”. Too often, something goes wrong in translation, which causes a mismatch between the hardware and software architecture and the actual needs of the end user.
A more vigorous approach to cross-industry collaboration, he says, would create a “circle of success” of users, service providers and vendors, which would translate into performance benefits and the perspective of efficiency.
Future on the zetta scale
Typically, with the fall of the symbolic milestone of exascale, attention will now turn to the next one: the zettascale.
“Zettascale is just another flag on earth,” said Dr. Calleja, “a totem that highlights the technologies needed to achieve another milestone in computer advances that are unattainable today.”
“The world’s fastest systems are extremely expensive based on the scientific results. But they are important because they show the art of what is possible and push the industry forward. “
Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, headquarters of the Open Zettascale Lab. (Image credit: University of Cambridge)
Whether systems capable of achieving one zettaFLOPS capacity, a thousand times more productive than the current crop, can be developed in a sustainable manner will depend on the industry’s ability to invent.
There is no binary relationship between performance and energy efficiency, but a healthy dose of units will be required in each sub-discipline to provide the necessary performance gains in the appropriate power envelope.
Theoretically, there is a golden ratio of efficiency to energy consumption, and it can be said that the benefits to society of HPC justify spending on carbon dioxide emissions.
The exact number will of course remain elusive in practice, but the mere pursuit of an idea is by definition a step in the right direction.
– There is only one variant of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080: the 16GB GDDR6X version – The RTX 4080 will be equipped with 9,728 CUDA cores and a memory speed of 23 Gb / s – Baseline TGP is 285W / 240W, less than previous predictions – Maximum power consumption is expected to be 516W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 was officially announced at the Nvidia GTC 2022 presentation on September 20. We initially saw the three GPUs presented, with two variants of the RTX 4080, alongside the RTX 4090, though unfortunately it did not include the RTX 4070.
Nvidia has since announced that it plans to “release” the 12GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 model, citing that “having two GPUs labeled 4080 is confusing.” You can read more about it here, but the most important thing is we only get the RTX 4080 16GB.
We now know that the starting price of the 16GB RTX 4080 will be $ 1,199 (around £ 1,050 / AU $ 1,790) and third-party cards are likely to be much higher. The card will go on sale in November, just in time for the holiday season, but we wouldn’t expect too many Black Friday graphics card deals for a new card.
We have high hopes for the RTX 4080, especially considering the level of performance we’ve seen with the RTX 4090. As for us, it has the potential to be one of the best Nvidia graphics cards on the market, although its prices are definitely a big downside right away.
But there’s a lot under the hood to justify the price, and since the RTX 4090 has a surprisingly excellent price-performance ratio, perhaps the RTX 4080 will be even better in this regard. With all we know, we have a real reason to hope that it will.
To the point
What is this? Another 40-serial Nvidia graphics card
When will this end? It will go on sale on November 16, 2022.
How much does it cost? Nvidia’s suggested retail price is $ 1,199 (around £ 1,050 / AU $ 1,790), although third-party cards will cost more
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 release date
It has been rumored for months that the RTX 4080 will arrive in late fall or even early 2023. VideoCardzthe first, which predicted a bit after the RTX 4090, and the second nailing the release window, were on the counter.
The RTX 4080 will go on sale on November 16, about a month after the RTX 4090 and about two years after the launch of its predecessor, the RTX 3080.
Either way, this was normal as most generations of graphics cards last roughly two years before being replaced. For example, the RTX 2080 was launched in September 2018, just over two years after the GTX 1080 launched in May 2016. And of course the RTX 3080 was launched in September 2020, which is almost two years with a dot.
Since the “unleashed” RTX 4080 12 GB is no longer available, we only have the 16 GB card we are waiting for, but at least it is the more powerful of the two “variants”. As Nvidia states that the RTX 4080 12GB was “misnamed” when it was launched, it is highly questionable whether we will see another RTX 4080 variant other than the Ti or Super card version as we’ve seen in previous generations.
(Photo credit: Nvidia / CD Projekt Red)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 price
The RTX 4080 16GB will have an official MSRP of $ 1,199 (around £ 1,050 / AU $ 1,790) and third-party cards will be higher than this
The RTX 4080 16GB has an initial MSRP of $ 1,199 (around £ 1,050 / AU $ 1,790), which is well above the original suggested retail price of the RTX 3080 which started at $ 699 (£ 649). In fact, the RTX 4080 16GB is actually priced the same as the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, which went on sale for $ 1,199 / £ 1,049 / AU $ 1,949 at launch.
Hence, it would make more sense for Nvidia to sell the RTX 4080 16GB as the RTX 4080 Ti and 12GB as the actual RTX 4080, but we haven’t been consulted prior to the announcement so the prices and names are what they are.
When we originally reviewed the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, we praised it for such a huge performance boost at a much lower price point than the RTX 2080 Super. Of course, the rise in cryptocurrency mining has made GPU prices hit, frankly, certain obscene prices, so in retrospect this point seems a bit double-edged.
However, there has been a cryptocurrency crash: massive mining platforms with multiple graphics cards are being sold out massively as the value of cryptocurrencies has plummeted and the great Ethereum “merge” made conventional mining redundant. Most current-generation GPUs are now available again in (or close to) MSRP as the market stabilizes.
(Photo credit: Nvidia)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 specification
RTX 4080 will be equipped with 9,728 CUDA cores, 2505 MHz boost clock, 256-bit memory bus and 736 GB / s memory bandwidth
The government’s demands will not be as serious as initially feared
The unreleased 12GB RTX 4080 model was actually what many leaks had previously labeled the RTX 4070 or 4070 Ti, as it is believed to use a slightly different central GPU (although it’s still produced on Nvidia’s 4nm Ada Lovelace process) . .
Given that it was mistaken for a lower-tier card before, it’s no surprise that it sits under the RTX 4080 16GB in almost every area, not just VRAM. Not only is there less memory; it is also less efficient, with a smaller bus and 504 GB / s bandwidth as opposed to the 16 GB 736 GB / s model.
The 16GB 4080 also has faster memory than even the RTX 4090, at 23Gbps compared to 21Gbps for the other two cards. It’s worth noting that the RTX 4080 actually has slightly less memory bandwidth than the original RTX 3080, but the memory is faster and that card only had 10GB of VRAM at the start.
The previous generation Ampere architecture also did not allow for that many CUDA cores, but thanks to Lovelace we get 9,728 cores. of course, the more the better.
Regarding power requirements, there have been concerns that the Nvidia Lovelace cards are severely energy intensive. Older leaks indicated a power requirement of over 650W, but now it looks like the 16GB RTX 4080 will have a much more sensible base TGP of 340W. As for overclocking, the ceiling appears to be 516W.
Speaking of overclocking: the factory boost clock will be 2505 MHz. Surprisingly, a non-running RTX 4080 12GB would actually be a faster card, although this is likely as the remaining 16GB model will need to throttle faster to avoid overheating. Either way, they are much higher than the original 1710 MHz RTX 3080 boost clock.
Spotify HiFi was announced in February 2021, and while we’ve heard very little about it in the meantime, it looks like the launch of a higher-quality tier called Platinum is inevitable.
The person who opted out of Spotify contacted 9to5Mac (opens in a new tab) say the email encouraging him to resubscribe mentioned a Spotify Platinum subscription for $ 19.99 per month (double the price). This Platinum plan included a mention of Spotify HiFi.
In addition to high-definition audio, the email also relates to features such as Studio Sound, Headphone Tuner, Audio Insights, Library Pro, Playlist Pro, and podcasts featuring Spotify’s limited ad – although we don’t have any information about all of them involved.
You don’t have to wait long
The email in question also said subscription levels would be available in the next 30 days, suggesting Spotify HiFi will be rolled out within a month – potentially with the new Platinum label attached to it.
Apple Music already includes lossless audio and surround sound functionality as part of the standard subscription of $ 9.99 / £ 9.99 / $ 11.99. With that in mind, it’s possible that Spotify authorities feel they need to offer more to justify the price increase.
If the information in the subscription email is correct, we don’t have to wait long to be sure – and as soon as Spotify has released any official news, you can of course read about it here.
Analysis: will the price be right?
The CD-quality lossless audio promised by Spotify HiFi will be more compatible with services like Apple Music and Tidal, but it’s unclear just how much extra level of audio fidelity matters to the average Spotify subscriber.
Asking your users to double your monthly payment will be a difficult sale – if that is how the prices actually end up – and adding a few extra features will surely sweeten the deal. Exactly what Library Pro, Playlist Pro and other features are yet to see, but need to relate to some extra functionality.
We’ve seen Spotify expand its reach to podcasts and audiobooks in recent years as it aims to attract more monthly subscribers. Acquiring existing or new subscribers who pay double the monthly rate would also dramatically improve the finances of the streaming service.
Spotify itself seemed uncertain as to when exactly Spotify HiFi was going to be launched and this question seems to be answered. The next question is how many people will actually pay for it.
