RTX 50 series allocation prioritization is in place, here’s how it works
We have an update on a recent rumor from Board Channels. The claim was that NVIDIA is prioritizing RTX 50 cards with 8GB memory. That appears partially true, but only for one tier of the lineup.
HKEPC reached out to its sources and says a board-partner allocation prioritization scheme is in place, but it works differently. In short, NVIDIA is reducing the number of SKUs board partners can choose from . The prioritization is not based on GPU class. It is based on memory capacity.
NVIDIA’s new RTX 50 GPU memory class prioritizations
- 8GB: RTX 5060 , RTX 5060 Ti
- 12GB : RTX 5070 (undecided yet)
- 16GB: RTX 5060 Ti, RTX 5070 Ti , RTX 5080
- 24GB : RTX 5090D V2
- 32GB: RTX 5090/D (treated as one SKU)
As we read it, if three RTX 50 cards share the same memory capacity, NVIDIA prioritizes the highest SKU. For example, among 16GB models, NVIDIA has RTX 5060 Ti, 5070 Ti, and 5080 SKUs, and the 5080 allocation would be prioritized. Since the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is now said to be deprioritized, the RTX 5060 Ti focus would shift to the 8GB model, which is likely where the first report came from.
NVIDIA is not making any prioritization changes for the RTX 5090, 5090D, or 5090D V2 yet. These are also the most expensive models, and look to be the easiest to find in stock, despite the sharp price increases. The RTX 5070 is not yet decided, it’s the only desktop model with this memory configuration.
The report doesn’t mention laptop SKUS at all, so from our understanding, this allocation does not affect this market segment yet.
HKEPC posts explains everything in detail:
If a model like the RTX 5060 Ti has both 8GB and 16GB versions, NVIDIA will focus on supplying the 8GB version.
When two different models, such as the RTX 5060 8GB and RTX 5060 Ti 8GB, share the same memory capacity, the higher-tier model (the RTX 5060 Ti) will be prioritized for supply.
Similarly, if the RTX 5060 Ti, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5080 are all 16GB models, the highest-tier model among them, the RTX 5080, will receive supply priority.
The AIC partner also disclosed that it has not yet been decided whether the RTX 5070 12GB will have to “make way,” meaning its memory allocation could be redirected to the higher-end RTX 5080.Regarding the top-tier GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5090 D v2, these models are not subject to this specific prioritization mechanism. However, due to the general memory shortage, their supply volume will inevitably be affected.
This implies that NVIDIA intends to streamline its SKU lineup, concentrating its main supply on the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB, RTX 5080, RTX 5090 D v2, and RTX 5090. The supply for other models will be significantly reduced.
We will see if this means there will be more RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and RTX 5080 on the market moving forward.
Source: HKEPC (Facebook)
