Best RTX 2080 Card for 4K Gaming, Ray Tracing and VR

GeForce RTX 2080 is one of the most powerful graphics cards and the second most powerful graphics card in the GeForce RTX 20 series. It comes after GeForce RTX 2080 Ti which is the flagship graphics card from Nvidia and the most powerful gaming graphics card in the world right now. GeForce RTX 2080 is built on the latest Turing architecture from Nvidia, which is the most advanced GPU architecture and it supports Ray Tracing, Artificial Intelligence, and Deep Learning.

RTX 2080 comes with 2944 CUDA Cores and 8GB GDDR6 memory having 256-bit interface. In addition to CUDA Cores, the card comes with RT Cores for Ray Tracing and Tensor Cores for Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning. The card supports features such as Nvidia G-Sync, Ansel, Virtual Reality (VR), GPU Boost, Vulkan, Real-Time Ray Tracing and multi-GPU SLI setup through the NVIDIA NVLink bridge. It is much faster than the GTX 1080 and its performance is comparable to GTX 1080 Ti in normal games i.e. with no Ray Tracing and DLSS enabled. The card is designed for VR and high-end gaming and can run any latest game with ultra graphics card settings at 4K (with Ray Tracing turned off).

The Founders Edition of this card from Nvidia is an Overclocked version but RTX 2080 is also available from different graphics card manufacturers having different coolers, form factor, design, and clock speeds. So, here I am going to list down the best RTX 2080 cards based on different factors and requirements.

Must Read:

• RTX 2080 vs GTX 1080 Comparison & Benchmarks
• RTX 2080 vs GTX 1080 Ti Comparison & Benchmarks
• Best RTX 2070 for Ray Tracing, DLSS, 1440p & 4K Gaming
• Best RTX 2080 Ti for 4K Gaming, Ray Tracing & Workstation

Best Overclocked (OC) RTX 2080

MSI GeForce RTX 2080 GAMING X TRIO

If you are looking for an RTX 2080 card with the highest overclock then MSI GeForce RTX 2080 GAMING X TRIO is what you should get. This card is a beast and I think it is easily the biggest and powerful RTX 2080 card of all. The card comes with Base / Boost Clock of 1515 / 1860 MHz and memory clock of 7000 MHz. For cooling, the card has got an enormous cooler (TRI-FROZR cooler) with a massive heatsink and triple fans with double ball bearings. The heatsink consists of concentrated heatpipes for better heat transfer and dissipation. To cool down heatsink, there are three fans (TORX Fan 3.0) located on top of it. All three fans consist of dispersion and traditional fan blade design. Dispersion Fan Blades are curved and are designed for accelerating the airflow while traditional blades push the air down to the heatsink in an effective way. Due to its higher clock speed, the card does perform a bit better than RTX 2080 cards from other brands.

On the back of the card, there is a solid steel backplate that gives the card rigidity and it also helps a bit in cooling too. The card comes with RGB lighting on the sides and RGB logo which can be controlled or can be synced using the MSI Mystic light software. The card is 327mm in length and requires a bigger PC case to fit it. It uses two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors from the PSU for additional power and needs a 650W PSU for its working. Connectivity options include three DisplayPort, one HDMI port and a USB Type-C port for connecting your VR Headsets directly. Overall, a powerful RTX 2080 card and possibly the fastest of all RTX 2080 cards.

MSI GeForce RTX 2080 GAMING X TRIO Specifications
CUDA Cores	2944
GPU Clock	1515 / 1860 MHz
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	256-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 3.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.5
Power Connectors	8-pin x 2
Output Ports	DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4), HDMI 2.0b x 1, USB Type-C x 1

Buy MSI GeForce RTX 2080 GAMING X TRIO

Best Value for Money / Dual Slot RTX 2080

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 WINDFORCE OC 8G

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 WINDFORCE OC 8G is the best value for money and the best dual slot RTX 2080 graphics card. Almost all the RTX 2080 cards have massive heatsinks and occupy more than two slots on your motherboard. Some have 2.5 slot design and some can occupy up to 3 slots on the motherboard. This can render the third slot of your motherboard useless and if you have a micro-ATX motherboard then it will be almost impossible to add an external card in the third slot. Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 WINDFORCE OC 8G is a true dual-slot solution and it does not interfere with the third slot at all. It is the best dual slot RTX 2080 graphics card, which is also competitively priced and offers the best value for your money.

This is overclocked (OC) edition of RTX 2080 card and comes with WINDFORCE 3X Cooling system from Gigabyte, which consists of a slimmer heatsink with composite copper heat pipes and three 80mm fans.  The middle fan is an alternate spinning fan that spins in the opposite direction to the other two fans. This is done to eliminate turbulent airflow that results in smooth airflow and allows better heat dissipation and cooling performance. The card has got RGB logo and branding on the side and you can control or sync RGB lighting with the help of Gigabyte RGB Fusion software. The back of the card features a metal backplate for protection and it also gives the card rigidity and extra strength.

The card can be easily overclocked to GPU boost clock speed of 1800 MHz by One-Click only through Gigabyte’s AORUS Graphics Engine Overclocking Software. The card requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin PCI-E power connector and a 650W PSU. Connectivity options on the rear include three DisplayPort, one HDMI port, and one USB Type-C port that supports VirtualLink. Highly Recommended by me.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 WINDFORCE OC 8G Specifications
CUDA Cores	2944
GPU Clock	1515 / 1800 MHz (OC Mode)
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	256-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 3.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.5
Power Connectors	8-pin and 6-pin
Output Ports	DisplayPort 1.4 x 3, HDMI 2.0b x 1, USB Type-C (support VirtualLinkTM) x 1

Buy Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 WINDFORCE OC 8G

Best Dual Fan RTX 2080

EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC ULTRA GAMING

If you are looking for the best dual-fan RTX 2080 then it is EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC ULTRA GAMING. This is one of the fastest dual-fan RTX 2080 cards and has a good amount of overclocking headroom. This RTX 2080 card does come with only two fans but it does not compromise on cooling performance because of its iCX2 Cooling system. The card comes with a taller heatsink and its high performance dual HDB fans do a great job in keeping the temperature down.  This is a 2.75 slot card which means it will eat up three slots on your motherboard and case.

This is an OC RTX 2080 card and comes with GPU Boost clock of 1815 MHz. The card also features a metal backplate and RGB LED Logo. For power, the card requires an 8-pin and a 6-pin PCIe connector and the recommended PSU for this card is 650W. Connectivity options on the rear include three DisplayPort, one HDMI port and one USB Type-C port. If you want to save some space on your motherboard and want a dual-slot two-fan RTX 2080 card then you can opt for EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC Gaming. You can check out both these models from the link given below.

EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC ULTRA GAMING Specifications
CUDA Cores	2944
GPU Clock	1815 MHz Boost Clock
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	256-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 3.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.5
Power Connectors	8-pin and 6-pin
Output Ports	DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4), HDMI 2.0b x 1, USB Type-C x 1

Buy EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC ULTRA GAMING

Single Fan RTX 2080 [Blower Style Cooling]

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2080 Blower

Here we have a single fan RTX 2080 having blower design cooler. This can be termed a compact RTX 2080 card and it can be used in small form factor cases or mini-ITX cases where space is limited. However, the card is still 268mm in length so you have to check the clearance for your SFF case before getting this card. The card employs a blower fan cooling solution where the hot air is expelled from the rear side and nothing is left inside the PC case. This is a dual-slot card which means it will occupy two slots on your motherboard and case.

This is a non-OC card and comes with the reference GPU boost clock speed of 1710 MHz. Due to the blower-styled cooling fan, the card is relatively noisier and also runs hotter compared to the other cards with a traditional dual fan or triple fan setup. The card requires 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express power connectors and a 650W PSU for its operations. Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort, one HDMI port, and one USB Type-C port. So, if you are looking for a blower-styled RTX 2080 then you have to go for this one.

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2080 Blower Specifications
CUDA Cores	2944
GPU Clock	1710 MHz Boost
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	256-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 3.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.5
Power Connectors	8-pin and 6-pin
Output Ports	DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4), HDMI 2.0b x 1, USB Type-C x 1

Buy ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2080 Blower

Best Silent RTX 2080

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 OC edition

If you are in search of high performance and silent RTX 2080 then ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 OC edition fits your criteria perfectly. This has to be the most silent RTX 2080 card in the list because of its 0dB technology and silent Axial-tech fans. These Axial tech fans come with longer blades and the tip of the blades is connected to each other forming a barrier ring that increases structural integrity and downward air pressure. The fans are also IP5X dust resistance that allowing smoother operation, longer lifespan, and silent operation. The 0dB technology allows the fans to stop spinning when the GPU temperature falls below 55°C, making this card completely silent and they kick back in action automatically when the temperature rises above this threshold value. The card features Dual BIOS and includes a physical switch to switch to performance or quiet mode.

This is also one of the highest overclocked RTX 2080 cards with GPU boost clock of 1860 MHz, which matches with the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 GAMING X TRIO. This is a very powerful and huge RTX 2080 card having a 2.7 slot design. The heatsink is massive with copper heatpipes for better and faster heat transfer, and the back of the card has got a metal plate for providing strength and rigidity. The card has good overclocking capabilities and you may overclock it to higher frequencies using Asus GPU Tweak II overclocking utility.

The card also includes RGB lighting that can be synced using the Asus Aura Sync RGB software. The card requires two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors and a good 650 PSU for its working. Connectivity options for this card include two DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, and one USB Type-C port. 

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 OC edition Specifications
CUDA Cores	2944
GPU Clock	1860 MHz Boost
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	256-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 3.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.5
Power Connectors	8-Pin x 2
Output Ports	HDMI 2.0b x 2, DisplayPort 1.4 x 2, USB Type-C x 1

Buy ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 OC edition

Best Looking RTX 2080

GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition

When it comes to aesthetics and build quality then my vote goes to GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition. This is a beautiful-looking and well-made RTX 2080 card that looks very pleasing to the eyes. The card comes with dual fans, all-round metal housing, and black heatsink that features vapor chamber design. The card has great build quality and it is a work of art. It is an Overclocked (OC) card and has got Boost clock of 1800 MHz, which is 90MHz higher than the reference speed (1710 MHz).

This is a dual-slot design card and is pretty compact compared to some of the aftermarket gamer’s edition cards. The card requires one 8-pin and 6-pin PCI-E power connectors and a 650 Watt PSU. Connectivity options for this card include three DisplayPort, one HDMI, and a USB Type-C port.

GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition Specifications
CUDA Cores	2944
GPU Clock	1800 MHz Boost
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	256-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 3.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.5
Power Connectors	8-pin and 6-pin
Output Ports	DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4), HDMI 2.0b x 1, USB Type-C x 1

Buy GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition

MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SEA HAWK EK X

This is a liquid-cooled RTX 2080 card for a custom water cooling system or PC build. The card is built in partnership with EK as it is fitted with an EK water block for supreme cooling performance. The water block has a nickel-plated copper base and it covers all the major and critical components of the card that includes GPU, Memory, and VRM. It also features a metal backplate and RGB LED lighting that can be controlled via MSI Mystic light software.

This is an Overclocked RTX 2080 card that comes with GPU boost clock speed of 1860 MHz. It requires two 8-pin PCI-E connectors for external power and a 650W PSU for working. On the rear side of the card, you will get three DisplayPort, an HDMI port and a USB Type-C connector that supports VirtualLink. The card has good overclocking potential because of its better cooling and you may overclock it further using MSI Afterburner overclocking software.

Check out: Best Water Cooling Cases for Enthusiast Gaming Build

MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SEA HAWK EK X Specifications
CUDA Cores	2944
GPU Clock	1515 / 1860 MHz
Memory Clock	14000 MHz
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	256-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 3.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.5
Power Connectors	8-pin x 2
Output Ports	DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4), HDMI 2.0b x 1, USB Type-C x 1

Buy MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SEA HAWK EK X

See also:

• Best RTX 2070 SUPER Cards for 1440p & 4K Gaming
• Best RTX 2060 Card for 1440p Gaming, Ray Tracing & DLSS

Final Words

Well, in the end, I would like to say that these RTX 2080 cards may differ from each other in terms of some characteristics but all of them are very powerful and can make any game bend to its knees. These RTX cards are definitely the future of gaming and a delight for high-end gamers. If you have any doubts or questions regarding these RTX 2080 cards or having trouble selecting the right one then you can ask me your queries by leaving a comment below.