Nvidia may keep producing one RTX 40 GPU, and it’s not the one we want

By Monica J. White Published November 20, 2024

The last few weeks brought us a slew of rumors about Nvidia potentially sunsetting most of the RTX 40-series graphics cards. However, a new update reveals that one GPU might remain in production long after other GPUs are no longer being produced. Unfortunately, it’s a GPU that would struggle to rank among Nvidia’s best graphics cards. I’m talking about the RTX 4050 — a card that only appears in laptops.

The scoop comes from a leaker on Weibo and was first spotted by Wccftech. The leaker states that the RTX 4050 is “the only 40-series laptop GPU that Nvidia will continue to supply” after the highly anticipated launch of the RTX 50-series. Unsurprisingly, the tipster also reveals that the fact that both the RTX 4050 and the RTX 5050 will be readily available at the same time will also impact the pricing of the next-gen card.

Although the RTX 3050 existed in both desktop and laptop versions, the RTX 4050 has only made an appearance in laptops. It’s a budget-friendly option for those who want access to Nvidia’s DLSS 3, but it’s not an outstanding GPU in terms of performance. The cheapest laptops with an RTX 4050 can be bought for around $680.

If Nvidia keeps the last-gen RTX 4050 going, then it wouldn’t be a surprise to find that laptops with an RTX 5050 will see a price increase. Some leakers predict that the RTX 5050 may rival the RTX 4060 in performance, so it’s a tight line to walk if Nvidia also keeps making the RTX 4060.

The RTX 4050 would be a strange choice to keep in production. With GPUs like the RTX 4090 (which is only going up in price as we speak) and the RTX 4070 reportedly no longer being made, Nvidia is now said to be making only low-end RTX 40-series graphics cards. The RTX 4060 is also said to live on, which is not a surprise given its popularity, but still, that could leave the GPU market looking pretty bare over time.

On the other hand, just because the RTX 4050 is reportedly still being produced doesn’t have to mean that it’ll stay that way for a long time. If Nvidia’s RTX 50-series will begin with the high-end RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, laptops with an RTX 5050 might be a good few months down the line. It makes sense to keep a steady supply of lower-end cards until there’s a new GPU to fill the gap.

Nvidia is likely to announce the next-gen RTX 50-series during CES 2025 in January. Until then, all we can do is speculate, so take all of the above with some skepticism.