Get your first look at the new Nvidia Ampere graphics card in this official video
Nvidia offers us our first glimpse of what the RTX 3090 and RTX 3080 will look like.
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Nvidia has confirmed the design of the RTX 30-series. Alluding to much of what has been spotted in multiple leaks over the past few months, Nvidia's latest video titled 'The Remarkable Art & Science of Graphics Card Design' offers our first glimpse of the Nvidia Ampere graphics cards.
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The video, embedded above, shows Nvidia's engineers explaining the procedure of designing effective cooling solutions for graphics cards, with a supporting post on the Nvidia blog. It also focuses on what needs to be done in order to improve upon past designs, such as the RTX 20-series Founders Editions, with the latest Ampere generation graphics cards.
"In order to achieve this perfect airflow, we have to remove the constraints we had before," David Haley, thermal architect at Nvidia, explains. "We have to change the PCB. We have to move the fans. We need to change the software stack that's controlling the fans.
"As we move forward," Haley continues, "we're taking a holistic approach because making a GPU isn't all about the thermal solution. It's about bringing all the pieces of the product together: considering thermal design, mechanical design, electrical design, with industrial design tying it all together to unleash the full potential of the GPU with an obsessive focus on keeping the system cool and quiet."
And for a brief moment at the very end, a glimpse of the Nvidia Ampere GPU design.




This split-second of footage tallies with previously leaked images of the RTX 30-series Founders Edition. It may be that we see some alterations between that which was previously spewed fourth from the depths of the web and the final shipping product, yet it appears as though the dual omni-directional fans (not directly pictured), sizeable heatsinks, and cut-out PCB have all made it into the final look.
AIBs are not expected to follow suit with third-party GPU designs.
Nvidia lists a few key upgrades with the FE Ampere cooler over its predecessors, and it promises these aren't just for show, either. These include a leaf spring mechanical brace and the new 12-pin power connector (adapter will be included). Both of which are intended to reduce size, increase cooling potential and airflow, and shift the design away from important components to maintain operational efficiency.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
We will hear more about the Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series at the GeForce Special Event, which will take place on September 1, 2020 at 9am Pacific (5pm BST).

Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog, before graduating into breaking things professionally at PCGamesN. Now he's managing editor of the hardware team at PC Gamer, and you'll usually find him testing the latest components or building a gaming PC.

