Nvidia quietly released a new version of GeForce RTX 5070 GPU inside a driver blog post
Nvidia just announced a new GPU variant in the weirdest way possible: buried it in a game driver update blog post .
Alongside the release of its Game Ready 596.36 WHQL driver, the company also confirmed the launch of a 12GB GDDR7 configuration of the GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU .
Nvidia
Why is Nvidia doing this now?
The short answer: memory supply. Nvidia has already acknowledged that demand for its RTX GPUs exceeds the availability of the 16Gb G7 modules, which are currently used in most RTX 50-series products.
The new 12GB variant sidesteps the issue by using 24Gb G7 modules built on a different manufacturing process that produces 3GB chips instead of 2GB. The variant is sourced from a separate supply chain that Samsung and Micron have ramped up.
The result is a third configuration sitting above the baseline 8GB model, giving laptop manufacturers more options to space out their variants and potentially making them a tad cheaper than those equipped with the higher configuration.
The 12GB RTX 5070 laptop GPU won't replace the 8GB variant; both will coexist.
RTX 5060 Kunal Khullar / Digital Trends
Is more VRAM better here?
Not necessarily. According to an Engadget report, the 12GB variant might not provide a noticeable performance improvement over the 8GB variant, unless Nvidia widens the memory bus to 192-bit, which isn't confirmed for the new GPU yet.
Laptops with the 12GB GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU are expected to begin shipping around June 2026. Manufacturers like Lenovo , MSI, and XMG will be among the first to use the graphics chip.
Everything else aside, I was most baffled by the fact that Nvidia hid a new GPU variant inside a driver blog post, rather than a typical launch. This speaks to how supply-chain pressures are reshaping product strategy. The new GPU, in my opinion, is a memory sourcing solution designed to benefit consumers.
If the pricing stays reasonable, the 12GB GeForce RTX 5070 could genuinely fill a gap. If it doesn't, it could cannibalise the RTX 5070 TI's already slim value proposition.
