NVIDIA's China-Exclusive RTX 4090D Features 24GB VRAM, Not 48GB, Amidst Online Speculation

Recent social media discussion, fueled by a tweet from user "Lisan al Gaib," has highlighted claims regarding popular YouTuber PewDiePie's alleged acquisition of graphics cards. The tweet suggested PewDiePie had made a strategic move by purchasing "8x 4090Ds 48GB from china instead of the more expensive 4090s 24GB from the US." However, official specifications and industry reports consistently confirm that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090D, a variant specifically designed for the Chinese market, is equipped with 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM, identical to the standard RTX 4090.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090D was officially launched in late 2023, featuring 24GB of GDDR6X memory, a 384-bit memory interface, and a bandwidth of 1008 GB/s. While its memory configuration mirrors that of the original RTX 4090, the "D" version differentiates itself with a reduced number of CUDA cores and a lower Total Graphics Power (TGP). This makes it a slightly less powerful card compared to its global counterpart.

NVIDIA developed the RTX 4090D primarily to comply with the stringent export controls imposed by the United States government on advanced semiconductors to China. These regulations aim to restrict China's access to high-performance chips that could be utilized for artificial intelligence and supercomputing applications. By adjusting the performance metrics of the 4090D, NVIDIA ensures the card falls below the specified thresholds, allowing its sale in the Chinese market.

Contrary to the tweet's assertion, there is no consumer-grade RTX 4090D variant with 48GB of VRAM available, according to NVIDIA and tech industry publications. Furthermore, no credible news outlets or official sources have reported on PewDiePie's alleged purchase of eight such graphics cards. Publicly available information regarding the YouTuber's PC setup typically indicates the use of a single standard RTX 4090.