What just happened? Nvidia has launched a new GPU. Sadly, it's not the surprise launch of the almost-certainly canceled RTX 5000 Super series. Team Green has quietly released a new variant of the RTX 5070 laptop GPU that includes 12GB of VRAM – 50% more than the standard version.
Nvidia revealed the new GPU in the patch notes for its latest 596.36 GeForce graphics driver. The company writes that while demand for its GeForce RTX GPUs remains strong, the memory crisis is causing issues.
The notes add that to maximize memory availability, Nvidia is launching the RTX 5070 Laptop GPU 12GB configuration with 24Gb G7 memory.
The 12GB version of the RTX 5070 laptop GPU isn't replacing the current 8GB model; the two SKUs will be available alongside each other.
– Framework (@FrameworkPuter) April 28, 2026
While it has that extra 4GB of VRAM, the new GPU's bandwidth remains unchanged from the 8GB version. It features 24Gb (3GB) GDDR7 modules attached to a 128-bit memory interface, which is the same setup used by the 8GB RTX 5070 Laptop GPU.
Assuming Nvidia keeps the same 24Gbps memory speed as the existing card, that means bandwidth should remain at 384GB/s. It should still feature the same 4,608 CUDA cores, with the 12GB of VRAM helping most in modern games that spill over the 8GB mark, especially at higher settings with ray tracing enabled.
Nvidia has not published the full specs for the new SKU. Notebookcheck notes that XMG expects RTX 5070 12GB laptops to start shipping around June 2026, with models including the Apex 16 Max and Apex 17. MSI and Lenovo have also been linked to the new configuration, including the Crosshair 16 Max and several Legion Pro 5 and LOQ machines.
The big question is price: if laptops with the 12GB RTX 5070 end up close to RTX 5070 Ti models, the extra VRAM alone might not be enough to make them the smarter buy. Framework will be one of the first companies to offer the 12GB RTX 5070. The company has listed the module at $1,199, which is $500, or 71.5%, more than the $699 RTX 5070 8GB module.