GeForce RTX 3090 GPU Smiles For The Camera As MSI Registers Dozens Of Ampere Cards
For perhaps the first time, a leaked photo has emerged of the actual GPU that will power NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, or at least that is what we presume it to be. More specifically, the photograph depicts a GA102-300-A1, according to the markings on the chip. It does not show the GPU in its entirety, but we do see the main portion.
Shown above, the picture was uploaded to Chiphell by a user named PolyMorph. The user claims it is destined for the GeForce RTX 3090, which is consistent with past rumors. It is also labeled as a qualification sample—this is what NVIDIA sends to its add-in board (AIB) partners to prep their custom cards, based on upcoming GPUs.
Other identifying markings have been removed from the die, likely to protect the original source of the leak. However, what we'd really like to see is the chip in full, and next to an object for reference (like a quarter), if we're making a wish list. Without that kind of context, it is difficult to guesstimate how big this GPU is, and we assume it is pretty large.
Source: @GarnetSunset
As we wrote about over the weekend, a user on Twitter uploaded a photo of a supposed GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, plopped next to a GeForce RTX 2080. It looks humongous next to the current-gen card, though it also appears that the GeForce RTX 3090 was artificially enlarged in the photo (the Twitter user claims it's just the angle and how close it sits to the camera).
Nevertheless, we can see that it is a three-slot card, and still bigger than the GeForce RTX 2080, even if the picture exaggerates the size disparity. Either way, it's probably a safe bet that the GA102-300-A1 is a big chip.
MSI Registers Over Two Dozen GeForce RTX 3000 Series Cards
In addition to getting a glimpse of the chip that is likely to power the GeForce RTX 3090, one of NVIDIA's hardware partners, MSI, has registered a whole bunch of next-generation Ampere cards with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
There are 29 models listed in the EEC database. MSI stops short of specifically identifying them among NVIDIA's upcoming family of GeForce cards, but they are clearly labeled as video card models. They include names like 602-V388-06S, 602-V388-07S, 602-V388-08S, and so forth, right on down the list.
Despite the lack of GeForce labels, the codes are still somewhat telling. For reference, MSI did the same thing with NVIDIA's Turing lineup, where the V371 and V377 labels corresponded to the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Likewise, V375 denoted a GeForce RTX 2060, V373 denoted a GeForce RTX 2070, and V372 denoted a GeForce RTX 2080.
If MSI sticks to the same numbering scheme, then it is likely that the V388 models correspond to the GeForce RTX 3090, while the V389 and V390 listings correspond to the GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3070, respectively.
Clarification will come soon—NVIDIA has scheduled a GeForce Special Event for September 1, 2020.
