NVIDIA plans to halt the production of the GeForce GTX 16 series graphics cards starting in the first quarter of 2024. This decision, as reported by Board Channels, indicates a strategic shift towards the RTX series. The GTX 16 series, including the GTX 1650 and GTX 1630 models, will no longer be available for new orders from the next quarter, with final orders for the series being fulfilled this month. Technical analysis reveals that NVIDIA's discontinuation focuses on the GTX 1650 and GTX 1630 models, while other models in the series have already been phased out. These graphics cards, based on the Turing architecture, were designed for budget-conscious consumers and those not requiring advanced features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and DLSS, which are characteristic of the more premium RTX line.

The GTX 16 series, comprising various models with different specifications in terms of CUDA cores, boost clock, memory clock, and memory configuration, catered to a diverse range of needs. For instance, the GTX 1660 Ti featured 1536 CUDA cores and a boost clock of 1770MHz, while the GTX 1630 had 512 CUDA cores with a boost clock of 1785MHz. With the discontinuation of the GTX 16 series, NVIDIA's entry-level product in the RTX series becomes the RTX 3050, priced at approximately $230. This leaves a gap in the market for graphics cards priced below $200, a segment previously occupied by models like the GTX 1630. The discontinuation of the GTX 16 series marks a shift in NVIDIA's product lineup, as the company focuses on enhancing its RTX series, which offers advanced graphical capabilities compared to the GTX series.

Source: Board Channels via Videocardz