After the release of the RTX 4090, we expected Nvidia to eventually follow up with a Ti model unleashing the full capabilities of the AD102 GPU. Though the RTX 4090 Ti was never confirmed, pictures of a large and unique quad slot cooler appeared as far back as October 2022, indicating Nvidia was at least preparing for the eventuality that a mammoth cooler was required for some kind of GPU.
The since-deleted picture comes from a Reddit poster (via Videocardz). I mean, just look at it. That's the kind of cooler that looks like it could handle a 600W TDP. And it appears to be a complete card. Given the previously leaked design of the cooling baseplate with its unique perpendicular PCB, surely most of the design and engineering work has been done?
The RTX 4090 Ti was reportedly canceled, but that doesn't mean Nvidia can't un-cancel it. We'll never know what discussions took place deep inside Nvidia. Perhaps melting 16-pin connectors spooked it, maybe it was an unneeded backup plan in case the Radeon RX 7900 XTX took the crown, or maybe Nvidia decided to divert AD102 GPUs to higher margin professional products.
Given Nvidia has what appears to be an all but ready RTX 4090 Ti variant on its hands, the question is: will it go ahead and release it? My guess is yes, it will. The RTX 3090 Ti was released 18 months after the RTX 3090 and just six months before the RTX 4090. Given that we're probably a year away from the release of the RTX 50-series, a mid-2024 launch is highly probable.
Best Black Friday PC gaming deals: All the best discounts in one place
How to avoid overpaying on a Black Friday gaming laptop deal: How much to pay, and where to buy from
How to spot the best Black Friday prebuilt deal: Don't pay over the odds for a PC this year
The AD102-300-A1 GPU in the RTX 4090 comes with 16,384 shaders, whereas the fully enabled AD102 has 18,432. Add to that more RT cores, more Tensor cores, and some additional power-gulping clock speed and faster GDDR6X memory and the RTX 4090 Ti would comfortably outpace the RTX 4090.
Nvidia could charge a steep price: $2,499 or more isn't out of the question. Deep-pocketed gamers will still line up for it. The AD102 GPU is now well into its life. Yields will be mature and Nvidia will have an ample supply of chips—at least those that aren't immediately siphoned away for professional cards, such as L40 variants.
Would you consider an RTX 4090 Ti? Or wait for the RTX 5090? If the RTX 4090 Ti does make it to market, if nothing else it'll make a great winter house warmer and blunt force object, not to mention being a 4K pixel-pushing monster.
