The graphics card market continues to see interesting developments outside official channels, particularly in China where hardware modders are pushing the boundaries of what's possible with NVIDIA's flagship GPUs. Recent reports have revealed that modified versions of the RTX 4090 with doubled memory capacity are now being sold in Chinese marketplaces, offering an alternative for those seeking higher VRAM configurations without waiting for next-generation cards.
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| This image showcases a GeForce RTX graphics card, similar to the modified versions being sold in marketplaces, highlighting the technological innovation in GPU aesthetics and design |
Modified RTX 4090s With Double Memory Capacity
Chinese vendors have begun selling modified versions of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards featuring 48GB of GDDR6X memory—double the standard 24GB configuration. These modified cards have been spotted on online marketplaces and documented by Reddit user u/CeFurkan, who shared images confirming the existence of these custom GPUs. The modified cards retain the core specifications of the original RTX 4090, including the AD102 GPU die and 16,384 CUDA cores, but with twice the memory capacity.
Water-Cooling Solution Included
What makes these modified cards particularly interesting is that they come equipped with advanced cooling solutions. The models spotted feature an all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling system with a 360mm radiator and triple-fan design. The cooling solution appears to be manufactured by BYKSI, a company specializing in PC cooling hardware. Interestingly, both the product box and the radiator itself explicitly label the product as GeForce RTX 4090 48GB, suggesting these modifications are being marketed quite openly in certain markets.
Technical Verification and Performance Implications
The Reddit post includes screenshots from both Windows Task Manager and GPU-Z software, confirming the 48GB memory configuration. Despite the doubled memory capacity, these cards maintain the same 384-bit memory bus width and GDDR6X memory speeds as the standard RTX 4090, meaning memory bandwidth remains unchanged. This suggests that while the cards won't offer improved performance for standard gaming workloads, they could provide significant advantages for memory-intensive applications, particularly in AI and content creation workflows.
How These Modifications Are Possible
The ability to double the memory capacity likely stems from the RTX 4090's dual-sided PCB design. Modders are reportedly replacing the original memory modules with higher-density chips or adding additional memory to the reverse side of the PCB. This modification process is technically challenging and time-consuming, requiring specialized equipment and expertise to modify memory resistors and other components.
Pricing and Market Position
These modified RTX 4090 cards are reportedly selling for around USD $3,400, which positions them in an interesting market segment. While this price is higher than the MSRP of NVIDIA's standard RTX 4090, it's actually lower than what many expect the upcoming RTX 5090 to cost at retail, especially for versions with advanced cooling solutions. Given current market conditions and the scarcity of high-end graphics cards, these modified versions might represent a compelling value proposition for professionals requiring maximum VRAM capacity.
Potential Future Developments
The emergence of these 48GB cards follows reports that some Chinese manufacturers are working on even more ambitious modifications, including a potential 96GB version of the RTX 4090. These developments are likely driven by the explosive growth in AI workloads, which typically benefit from higher memory capacities. If these reports are accurate, we might see even higher capacity modifications appearing in the market before NVIDIA officially releases its next generation of professional-grade cards.
Market Context and Implications
These modifications are particularly significant given the current restrictions on high-performance computing hardware exports to China. With limited access to NVIDIA's professional-grade AI accelerators like the H100, Chinese companies and researchers may be turning to modified consumer hardware as an alternative. This gray market for modified hardware highlights both the ingenuity of hardware modders and the strong demand for high-memory GPU solutions in AI development environments.