RTX 5080 VRAM Upgrade
RTX 5080 VRAM Upgrade
I was browsing some articles and noticed one on wccftech.com discussing Samsung’s K4VCF325ZC-SC28 3GB VRAM chips being sold in China and on platforms like Aliexpress. Is it feasible to increase the VRAM capacity on a 5080? Right now I’m really undecided between the AMD AI Pro R9700 and the RTX 5080. The R9700 offers 32GB of VRAM, which is excellent for running large language models compared to the 5080’s 16GB, though its gaming performance at 4K is quite noticeable. I also need to code in VSCode, work with 3D software like Blender and Fusion, and handle content creation that relies heavily on CUDA cores (such as Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro). Could you let me know if it’s possible to modify an RTX 5080 or if I should consider purchasing the AMD R9700 instead?
Not really, initially you’d have to purchase the gear or hire someone to handle it. You’d also need to align the VRAM with the current specifications regarding voltage, frequency, and timing, assuming full tracing is done. You might also have to modify the circuitry and create a custom VBIOS. Updates would be uncertain.
There is a strong chance that if we keep receiving the Super cards, their release might not happen until Q3-Q4 2026, and possibly even in Q1 2027, due to delays linked to the ongoing AI boom consuming all available RAM and VRAM for AI processing centers. I would purchase what is available now and resell it later once a 5070 Ti/80 Super becomes available or upon release. $600 is reasonable for an RX 9070 XT, which still offers solid 4K performance. The RTX 5080 is only 10-15% faster than the RX 9070 XT and about 15-20% faster in ray tracing compared to the 5070 Ti. At 4K resolutions, these differences could translate into roughly 5-10 frames per second more on the RTX 5080 versus the 5070 Ti.
If the 5080 memory controller already supports the denser chips, then vBIOS would need to be enabled to unlock the additional memory and adjust the timing settings. However, since nVidia drivers won't work with modified vBIOSes, nVidia would likely have to proceed using a 5080 Super. You could then flash an unmodified 5080 Super vBIOS onto your 5080 to make it functional. In short, you'd probably need to wait for the 5080 Super to arrive before it works, meaning if you need a 32GB card now, the 5090 would be the better option.