According to a new rumor from China, NVIDIA is preparing to divert some of its RTX 40 desktop GPU supply to its notebook channel. This report follows a previous claim that the chipmaker would cut consumer channel shipments to keep prices in check. Apparently, the Ada Lovelace DIY graphics card sales have been higher than their mobility counterparts across the subcontinent. Much of this has to do with limited notebook GPU supply, and since laptop chips come with larger margins, it’s bad news for NVIDIA.
To remedy this, NVIDIA is allegedly shifting some of the Ada Lovelace desktop chip capacity to the notebook segment instead of expanding production. That means DIY availability will worsen in the coming weeks, keeping discounts at bay. Simultaneously, stocks will also remain lean throughout the quarter.
According to the source, the GeForce RTX 4060 and 4070 will be the primary SKUs to be affected, primarily because of their poor value (and sales). Last we checked, the GeForce RTX 4070 and 4090 were the bestselling retail graphics cards in Western markets, with the 8GB 60-class cards nowhere in the running.
The GeForce RTX 4080 is the only Lovelace card to drop below its MSRP. The RTX 4070 ($599) and 4060 ($299) are mostly going at or above their sticker prices, as are their Ti variants. Controlling the supply as per demand is a common strategy to keep prices in check. Unfortunately, that means that the budget Lovelace parts won’t be getting affordable anytime soon.
