One shouldn't expect any significant improvements even with higher VRAM capacity, and this was obvious since there are no other upgrades.
Leaked Benchmarks Show Laptop RTX 5070 12 GB is Equivalent to 8 GB Version In Multiple Synthetic Tests
GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5070-powered systems are enjoying huge popularity. To tackle the GPU shortages, NVIDIA has announced that it will now be supplying the RTX 5070 with 12 GB VRAM for the mobile platforms, which will be equipped with 3 GB GDDR7 memory modules. The existing RTX 5070 laptop GPU brings just 8 GB of GDDR7 video memory, unlike the desktop variant, which is not only superior in memory configuration but also brings a bigger chip.
The newer laptop variant upgrades the GPU memory from 8 GB to 12 GB GDDR7, giving users an additional 4 GB of VRAM for memory-intensive workloads and games. As per the early benchmarks of the newer variant, the 12 GB GPU appears to be on par with the 8 GB. @unikoshardware spotted these benchmarks on an unknown source, but they are available on Baidu, giving us an early glimpse before the GPU officially becomes available in the market.
The 12 GB RTX 5070 Laptop GPU is reportedly identical to the 8 GB edition in TimeSpy, 2% slower in Fire Strike Extreme, identical in Steel Nomad Light, and identical in Superposition 1080p Extreme. Overall, there doesn't seem to be any difference between the 12 GB and 8 GB editions in synthetic benchmarks, and one should expect similar performance in gaming as well.
In AI workloads such as Qwen 3.5 9B Q40, both are identical in performance, but in the 27B UD IQ2 test, the 12 GB variant shows its true capability, outperforming the 8 GB edition by a large margin, thanks to the additional 50% VRAM capacity. AI workloads tend to utilize more memory, which is obvious in AI instances, but in gaming, one shouldn't expect any difference because the RTX 5070 12 GB Laptop edition features the same GB206 die, featuring 4608 CUDA cores, 128-bit memory bus, and a memory bandwidth of 384 GB/s.
Keep in mind that the new GPU won't "replace" the 8 GB edition, and both will exist together in the market. Although the 12 GB variant-based devices are likely to cost more.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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