Updated October 2026
Should you wait for the RTX 50 Super?
The rumored Super cards bring 24GB to the mid-range, which is exactly what local AI buyers want. Where the launch stands as of October 2026, what the leaks say, and what to buy if you can't wait.
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The picks
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (16GB)
If you can't wait and want a new card: 16GB today, and it will still be a fine second card when the Super arrives.
The best new 16GB card you can buy under the budget line while 24GB cards sit above it. CUDA means every tool just works.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (24GB, renewed)
If you can't wait and need 24GB: the used 3090 is what the Super is trying to replace, and it's available now. Expect it to lose some value once Supers are on shelves.
For LLM inference, VRAM capacity matters more than compute. Two of these give you 48GB for less than one 5090.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24GB, used or renewed)
If you can't wait and want 24GB with speed: used or renewed. It has held value well, but plan on selling for less than you paid once Supers ship.
Mature drivers, huge community, and 24GB covers most of what people actually run. Buy renewed with a warranty; the price has held because local AI buyers want exactly this card.
What’s rumored
NVIDIA has not announced a Super refresh of the RTX 50 series. What exists is a consistent set of leaks and reports: an RTX 5080 Super and RTX 5070 Ti Super with 24GB of GDDR7 (up from 16GB), and an RTX 5070 Super with 18GB (up from 12GB). The extra memory comes from 3GB GDDR7 modules replacing today’s 2GB ones.
For local AI that’s the whole story. 24GB is the line between “30B models at full quality” and “30B models squeezed.” Today you cross that line only with a used card or a 5090. A 24GB card at mid-range pricing would be the first new one in years.
Where the launch stands
Early 2026 reports pointed at a mid-2026 launch. By July 2026 the reporting had moved to CES in January 2027, with the delay attributed to memory economics: 3GB GDDR7 chips reportedly cost close to three times what 2GB chips do, and limited supply is going to NVIDIA’s datacenter products first. Treat January 2027 as the announcement target, not the date you can buy one: with every NVIDIA launch since 2020, cards reached retail in volume a quarter or two after the keynote, at prices above the rumored ones. Plan on the first half of 2027.
Should you wait?
Wait if: you want a new 24GB card, you can live on whatever you have for four to six months, and you’d be buying with your own money rather than a deadline. The upside is real and the wait is bounded.
Buy now if: you have no card at all, you have a project with a date on it, or you need 24GB and the used 3090 or 4090 already does the job. Used 24GB cards have held their value for two years because of exactly this demand. A 3090 bought now should keep much of that value until the Super is actually on shelves, and lose some of it after; budget for that rather than counting on a full recovery.
Don’t wait for: a cheaper 5090. The Super refresh doesn’t touch the 90 class, and nothing in the supply picture suggests the 5090 gets cheaper in 2027.
What this guide will do when the Super ships
The picks on this page and the GPU guide change the day there’s a 24GB card you can order at mid-range pricing. Check the “Updated” date at the top; if it’s after the launch, the picks reflect it.