It looks like Nvidia's supply issues for RTX 3000-series hardware are so bad that it won't be able to debut its counter for AMD's RX 6000 series as intended. After news broke that AMD's RDNA2 GPUs would sport 16GB of GDDR6 for all of its top-tier models, Nvidia had reportedly planned to release two new models of its own: an RTX 3080 with 20GB of GDDR6X, and an RTX 3070 with 16GB of GDDR6.
Nvidia has faced significant supply issues with its RTX 3000-series (even if CEO Jensen Huang described it more as a "demand problem" instead), with some reports suggesting that Nvidia was able to fulfill as few as seven percent of orders to some retailers. That could be the reason that Nvidia has now reportedly cancelled its plans for the 20GB version of its RTX 3080 and the 16GB version of its RTX 3070. As VideoCardz claims, they haven't just been delayed either, they've been entirely cancelled.
This further opens up the end end of the year for AMD, suggesting that if it can supply enough stock of its upcoming RDNA2 GPUs and that the performance and pricing are where they are expected to be, to remain competitive, AMD could regain some serious market and mindshare while Nvidia struggles to meet demand for its new-generation cards.
Nvidia may still maintain a grip on the mid-range, however, with plans to release its RTX 3060 Ti still on track for mid-November. That card would be an effective replacement for the RTX 2060 Super, and would likely offer performance edging close to that of the RTX 2080, but at a substantially reduced price.
What do you plan to buy for your next graphics card?