Nvidia has quietly introduced a new RTX 5070 laptop GPU variant with 12GB of VRAM, marking a 50% increase over the standard 8GB model. The update was revealed in the patch notes for the company’s latest 596.36 GeForce driver.
In the release notes, Nvidia said demand for its GeForce RTX GPUs remains high, but an ongoing memory shortage is putting pressure on supply. To help address this, the company is introducing a 12GB RTX 5070 Laptop GPU configuration using 24Gb G7 memory. The 12GB version is not replacing the existing 8GB model. Both SKUs will be available alongside each other.
Despite gaining an extra 4GB of VRAM, the GPU’s memory bandwidth remains the same as the 8GB model. It relies on 24Gb (3GB) GDDR7 modules paired with a 128-bit memory bus, mirroring the configuration of the standard RTX 5070 Laptop GPU.
If Nvidia keeps the same 24Gbps memory speed as the current model, bandwidth should remain at 384GB/s. The GPU is also expected to retain 4,608 CUDA cores, while the expanded 12GB of VRAM may better support modern games that push past 8GB, especially at higher settings with ray tracing enabled.
Nvidia has not yet published full specifications for the new SKU.
According to Notebookcheck, XMG expects laptops equipped with the RTX 5070 12GB to start shipping around June 2026. Confirmed models include the Apex 16 Max and Apex 17, while MSI and Lenovo are also reportedly preparing systems with the GPU, such as the Crosshair 16 Max and select Legion Pro 5 and LOQ variants.
Framework is expected to be one of the first to sell the 12GB RTX 5070. The module is priced at $1,199, which is $500, or 71.5%, higher than the $699 8GB version.
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