Nvidia had a tumultuous year with numerous issues and controversies, which you are probably aware of. Although there were some positive developments in 2022, there were also a significant number of negative incidents, including the infamous melting adapters on high-end GPUs. Without delay, let's delve into summarizing Nvidia's achievements, or lack thereof, in 2022.
Lovelace GPUs came
Nvidia's Lovelace GPUs replaced the Ampere and the first next-generation model, the RTX 4090, was released in mid-October, followed by the RTX 4080 a month later. Although these desktop graphics cards were undoubtedly fast, especially the flagship model, they were also plagued with several difficult issues. The RTX 4090, for example, was known to be a powerful but power-hungry device, with a TGP of 450W, and it was prone to melting adapters. As a result, buyers had to ensure that their power supply and case design could handle the RTX 4090's heat, as well as its size.
The emergence of the RTX 4090 graphics card was followed by reports of adapter cables melting, which was initially a rare occurrence. Nvidia assured its customers that it was investigating the issue, but complaints about the malfunctioning adapter began to increase over time. The problem was encountered by users who needed to connect the RTX 4090 to an ATX 2.0 power supply, for which an adapter was supplied. Since ATX 3.0 power supplies are relatively new, most PC owners still have ATX 2.0 models.
However, the RTX 4090 comes with a 16-pin power connector that only works directly with ATX 3.0 PSUs. Therefore, an adapter is required for ATX 2.0 power supplies. Unfortunately, some of these adapters were melting and even damaging the graphics card in some instances. This was a highly undesirable situation, and the risk of fire was also a concern, especially if users were not present when the issue occurred.
According to Nvidia's investigation, there were only 50 reported cases of melting adapters out of approximately 125,000 sold globally as of mid-November. While the chance of experiencing this issue is very low (0.04%), it is still a possibility. Nvidia has confirmed that the most likely cause of the problem is that the connectors were not fully plugged into the graphics card.
One of the contributing factors to the issue may be the difficulty of fitting the large graphics card into a PC. This requires bending the power cable tightly, which can put strain on the adapter and cause it to pull out of the socket slightly.
Despite the outstanding performance of the RTX 4090, some buyers are left with a sour taste in their mouths after paying a large amount of money for the flagship GPU. Nvidia has yet to release a final conclusion on the matter, but the incident has tarnished the company's reputation to some extent. Although the affected graphics cards can be returned, this design flaw is a serious misstep for Nvidia.
Nvidia encountered a problem towards the end of 2022 as they still had a significant number of RTX 3000 graphics cards remaining in stock either on the shelves or in warehouses. This became a concern as the release or even the unveiling of the next-generation Lovelace GPUs would make gamers shift their focus towards purchasing or waiting for them. Nvidia's partners would have to find ways to sell off the RTX 3000 stock while managing the potential interference caused by the release of the new GPUs.
Budget GPU woes
Once again, in 2022, Nvidia appears to have overlooked the budget segment of the GPU market, continuing a recurring trend in the world of graphics cards.
In June, Nvidia released the GTX 1630, a graphics card aimed at the lower-end market, but it was not powerful enough and was expensive upon its release, and still holds a high price tag today considering its performance. It's best to not dwell on this GPU.
GeForce :kept streaming ahead
In 2022, Nvidia's game streaming service, GeForce Now, saw significant improvements. For those who couldn't afford a new GPU, the service became an attractive option. Higher-tier RTX 3080 members on Windows PCs and Macs could now stream in 4K. Another helpful change was the option to sign up for just one month, allowing users to test the fastest GeForce Now offering.
Nvidia has been slowly but surely developing a more appealing streaming option. The closure of Google Stadia in mid-January 2023 has provided more space in the game streaming market, which Nvidia has naturally sought to take advantage of.