NVIDIA will pick up the tab for unlaunched RTX 4080 12GB box costs

On Friday, NVIDIA simultaneously launched and then unlaunched the RTX 4080 12GB variant of its flagship GPU, which was supposed to become available to purchase next month on November 16, citing confusing naming. The company stated at the time:

The RTX 4080 12GB is a fantastic graphics card, but it’s not named right. Having two GPUs with the 4080 designation is confusing.

So, we’re pressing the “unlaunch” button on the 4080 12GB. The RTX 4080 16GB is amazing and on track to delight gamers everywhere on November 16th.

This left board manufacturers with a bit of a headache, seeing as they will have already prepared packaging for the now discontinued card. According to a report at VideoCardz.com though, Team Green will be picking up the tab for the box costs, saying that "NVIDIA will work with board partners who already made boxes for the RTX 4080 12GB GPUs to reimburse them for the cost of packaging." Although it is unclear to what extent that cover implies.

Although we don't have real world imagery of the RTX 4080 boxes other than a mockup courtesy of VideoCardz, the report does go on to mention that it would likely entail more than simply covering parts of the packaging with a new sticker, as documentation and branding will also have to be changed for the new designation.

It is unclear what NVIDIA will end up calling the now discontinued RTX 4080 12GB, although it is likely that it will end up being rebranded into the 4070 series of cards, possibly as the RTX 4070 Ti.

Source & Image: VideoCardz

NVIDIA will pick up the tab for unlaunched RTX 4080 12GB box costs