NVIDIA’s RTX 50 Laptops Predicted to Face Production Delays; Retail Launch Anticipated for April-May

NVIDIA seems to be proceeding cautiously with their GeForce RTX 50 laptops due to recent setbacks. In an attempt to prevent a repeat of the “missing ROP” issue, suppliers are exercising increased vigilance.

The buzz around NVIDIA’s upcoming RTX 50 laptops has been slightly marred by issues not related to performance but rather to availability and production hiccups. The notorious “missing ROP” incident linked to NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series GPUs that resulted in up to an 11% performance dip is still fresh in the industry’s memory. According to reports from German media outlet Heise, this issue extends to NVIDIA’s laptop GPUs, and steps are reportedly being taken to address it.

Conversations with various manufacturers indicate that the launch of laptops featuring NVIDIA’s RTX 50 GPUs might see some delays. NVIDIA has reportedly instructed partners to tighten quality assurance practices. The result is a tougher testing regime, potentially pushing back retail availability.

An image from NVIDIA was shared, and it comes on the heels of news that laptop manufacturers have only just received the final vBIOS for these GPUs. Mass production is slated to kick off in early March, aiming for an April debut in stores, though some areas might not see these laptops until May. Initial plans had pre-orders ending in February and deliveries set for March, so we’re looking at a delay of about a month.

While delays are never ideal, it seems NVIDIA is taking the safer route to ensure a smooth rollout, rather than repeat the hiccups experienced during the desktop GPU launch. However, this pause raises questions about consumer confidence. Expectations are high for a company like NVIDIA, and any perceived repeat failures could gradually chip away at their reputation in the market.