Caring for Your Wallet or a Chip Shortage? NVIDIA Releases 12GB RTX 5070 for Laptops

NVIDIA has officially added to its lineup a laptop GeForce RTX 5070 with increased memory capacity. Rumors about such a variant had been circulating for several months, and now it's confirmed at the driver level: support appeared in the latest GeForce Game Ready 596.36 WHQL package. Laptop manufacturers will start shipping devices with the updated adapter in the coming weeks.

The key change only affects the memory configuration. The original RTX 5070 Laptop uses four 2GB GDDR7 chips, giving 8GB on a 128-bit bus. Now engineers have applied new 3GB GDDR7 modules, and four such chips allow boosting total VRAM to 12GB while keeping the bus unchanged and without touching the GPU. Memory bandwidth remains at 384 GB/s. The chip itself is the same — GB206 with 4608 CUDA cores, 144 texture units, and 48 ROPs. The desktop RTX 5050 is also planned for an update on the same principle.

The arrival of the 12GB variant doesn't cancel the existing 8GB model. NVIDIA emphasizes that both configurations will coexist in the market. There are two main reasons for this move: high demand for laptop GeForce RTX cards and, at the same time, limited supply of memory chips. The switch to 3GB chips allows partners to tap into a different component pool and rely less on scarce 2GB GDDR7 modules, which are being widely used across other models. The company explained that this solution increases overall memory availability and gives assemblers more flexibility when building out their product range.

For the buyer, this means more choice. Laptops with the RTX 5070 12GB will occupy a middle ground between the 8GB version and the more expensive RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, which has 12GB of memory by design. The price difference between the two RTX 5070 options is expected to be moderate but noticeable. Exact figures depend on the specific manufacturer and laptop configuration.

Laptop manufacturers have already confirmed the release of new 12GB modifications. Among the first partners, we can expect both major international brands and local assemblers. A precise list of models will appear as they hit the shelves, but the driver update suggests that batches of hardware are already ready for shipment.

When choosing a gaming laptop today, do you consider 8GB of VRAM enough, or does paying extra for 12GB look like a sensible way to future-proof yourself for the next couple of years? Share your thoughts in the comments.