It's that time of the year again when Nvidia releases existing products with recycled or lower-binned silicon. According to hardware leaker MEGAsizeGPU , at least three of the chipmaker's GeForce RTX 40-series products, among the best graphics cards , will receive the treatment.
The GeForce RTX 4070 currently utilizes Nvidia's AD104 silicon, which also powers the other variants, including the GeForce RTX 4070 Super and GeForce RTX 4070 Ti . Nvidia will also start using the AD103 silicon for the GeForce RTX 4070. By contrast, AD103 is significantly larger than AD104 and houses more Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs), so it's a convenient way for Nvidia to maximize its silicon inventory.
The AD103 silicon is at the heart of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super , GeForce RTX 4080 , and GeForce RTX 4080 Super . Silicon that doesn't make the cut for the GeForce RTX 4080 is passed down to the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super. And now that Nvidia has added the GeForce RTX 4070 to the list, what doesn't qualify for the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super will find its way into the GeForce RTX 4070.
| Graphics Card | PCB | Current GPU | New GPU | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 4070 | PG141 SKU370 | AD104-251 | AD103-175-KX | March 2H |
| GeForce RTX 4060 Ti | PG141 SKU359 | AD106-351 | AD104-150-KX | April |
| GeForce RTX 4060 | PG141 SKU368 | AD107-400 | AD106-255 | April |
The present choice for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the AD106 silicon. However, AD104 dies, which don't meet the requirements of the GeForce RTX 4070, will start finding their way into the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. MEGAsizeGPU didn't specify whether the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB , which employs the same AD106 die, will face the same transition.
Meanwhile, the GeForce RTX 4060 is currently using the AD107 silicon but won't last long. Nvidia will substitute it with the AD106 silicon. It's the typical domino effect: Defective silicon from the GeForce RTX 4070 goes into the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, and what isn't fit for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti will end up in the GeForce RTX 4060.
The GeForce RTX 4070 (AD103) is slated for the second half of this month, so we should start seeing these graphics cards on the market. On the other hand, the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (AD104) and GeForce RTX 4060 (AD106) won't show up until April. The latest GeForce 551.86 graphics driver, which came out on March 19, already supports the trio of reworked graphics cards, paving the way for a painless shift.
The only difference is the silicon inside the new graphics cards. Their specifications and performance remain unchanged, so the pricing should remain the same. Custom GeForce RTX 4070 models start at $519, whereas custom GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and GeForce RTX 4060 graphics cards have starting prices of $380 and $294, respectively.
