NVIDIA is introducing a new variant of the GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU featuring 12 GB of GDDR7 memory [1].

This hardware update addresses critical supply chain issues. The move aims to mitigate a global shortage of VRAM chips for high-performance gaming laptops, and manage memory-supply constraints [1].

Online listings for the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i laptop have already spotted the new hardware [2, 4]. The updated GPU increases the available memory from the eight GB of GDDR7 found on the existing model to 12 GB [1]. Other manufacturers, including Asus, have also shown listings for laptops featuring the 12 GB configuration [2, 3].

"NVIDIA is expanding its mobile GeForce RTX 50 series lineup with a new variant of the GeForce RTX 5070 for laptops, but with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory, up from 8 GB of GDDR7 on the existing model," HotHardware staff said [1].

While some reports indicate the GPU has been officially launched, others describe the 12 GB variant as appearing in upcoming laptops not yet released [2, 5]. Despite these differing reports on launch status, shipments are expected to begin around June 2024 [5].

"The RTX 5070 mobile has been spotted with 12 GB of GDDR7 in upcoming Lenovo and Asus laptops, addressing the global shortage of memory chips," TechSpot staff said [2].

PCMag staff said listings show the GPUs appearing on Lenovo and Asus websites with the increased VRAM [3]. This shift allows the RTX 5070 to handle more demanding graphical tasks than the previous eight GB version [1].

“NVIDIA is expanding its mobile GeForce RTX 50 series lineup with a new variant of the GeForce RTX 5070”

The transition from 8 GB to 12 GB of VRAM on the RTX 5070 suggests that modern gaming and productivity software are outstripping the capacity of previous mid-range mobile GPUs. By adjusting the memory configuration, NVIDIA can maintain performance standards for users while navigating a volatile global semiconductor market characterized by chip shortages.