If you are an enthusiast and are looking for a highly capable 4K gaming graphics card from Nvidia then GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a good option to consider given that you don’t mind the higher pricing. It is the second card from the top in the GeForce RTX 30 series and sits just below the mighty RTX 3090. The card offers performance almost equal to that of RTX 3090 and beats Radeon RX 6900 XT by a slight margin. The card is around 9% faster than RTX 3080 on average and is only 1% slower than the RTX 3090. It is a very powerful card and can run any latest AAA games on maximum graphics settings at 4K resolution with more than comfortable frame rates. The card also comes packed with all the latest features that you get in the RTX 3090.
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is built on the Ampere GPU architecture on the 8nm fabrication process. It uses GA102 GPU Chip and comes with 10240 CUDA Cores, 80 RT Cores, and 320 Tensor Cores. The card has got 12GB GDDR6X memory (384-bit) that runs at 19Gbps and delivers bandwidth of 760 GB/s. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan, PCI Express 4.0, Real-Time Ray Tracing, DLSS 2.0 (Deep Learning Super Sampling), AV1 decode, Nvidia Reflex, Resizable BAR, 7th Generation Nvidia Encoder & 5th Generation Nvidia Decoder, Microsoft DirectStorage API and comes with HDMI 2.1 connectivity. The power consumption of the Founders Edition or reference spec model is at 350W and requires a 750W power supply for its working.
Besides the Founders Edition RTX 3080 Ti model, RTX 3080 Ti is available from different AIB manufactures and each one of them offers various custom models of the RTX 3080 Ti card. Each model is different from one another in various aspects and parameters. So, to help to pick the right RTX 3080 Ti model for your specific requirements, here I am listing down the best RTX 3080 Ti cards based on various important parameters.
Most Overclocked & Most Silent RTX 3080 Ti
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM X 12G
[Runs Cool & Quiet, Dual BIOS, Metal Shroud & Backplate, High Factory Overclocking]
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM X 12G is MSI’s flagship RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and also one of the best RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards in the market. It is the most overclocked and is probably the most silent RTX 3080 Ti card in the market. Moreover, the card is solidly built and comes with a brushed metal shroud and backplate. The card comes with a GPU Boost Clock speed of 1830 MHz in Gaming & Silent Mode and using the MSI Center Software you can increase it further to 1845 MHz which is 180 MHz more than the reference model. For cooling, the card employs TRI FROZR 2S Thermal Design that comes with a massive heatsink with seven flat square copper heatpipes and a nickel-plated copper baseplate. The memory chips also get a dedicated heatpipe for better cooling. The heatsink is cooled by triple TORX 4.0 Fans that have pairs of fan blades linked together to form a ring design for focused airflow and increasing air pressure into the heatsink. The fans come with dual ball bearings for added reliability, longer lifespan, and are very quiet in operation. Also, the deflectors on the heatsink provide additional surface area and guide air to where it’s needed for maximum cooling. Moreover, Wave-curved 2.0 fin edges disrupt unwanted airflow harmonics resulting in reduced noise.
The card comes with Dual BIOS having Gaming and Silent Mode and you can switch between them using the physical switch present on the side of the card. The Silent mode offers a less aggressive fan curve that results in quieter operation whereas in Gaming mode the fans speed at higher speeds and provides maximum performance by achieving the highest possible Boost Clock. The Zero Frozr technology on the card provides Semi-passive cooling where the fans get turned Off at lower temperatures and start automatically when the temperature exceeds the threshold limit.
It is a massive card that is 336mm long and requires 3-slots in your PC Case for installation. The card has great build quality and a rigid metal anti-bending strap on the card prevents it from sagging and bending. Also, a graphics card support holder is bundled with the card for proving extra reinforcement and it keeps the GPU lag to almost non-existent. The card also has RGB lighting and you can see it on the shroud and backplate. Using the MSI Center software, you can customize and tweak all the important parameters of the card and can also monitor them in real-time. The card requires three 8-pin PCI-Express power connectors and an 850W PSU is recommended for it. Display Connectivity options include three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1 port. Overall, it is the best RTX 3080 Ti card you can get your hands on and if price, power consumption, and clearance are not a matter of concern then just grab it without any second thoughts.
| MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM X 12G Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| GPU Clock | 1845 MHz Boost (MSI Center Extreme Mode) |
| Memory Clock | 19 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 384-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 3 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
Buy MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM X 12G
Coolest RTX 3080 Ti [Air Cooled]
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GAMING OC 12G
[Dual BIOS, Great Cooling, Runs Pretty Quiet in Silent Mode, RGB Lighting, Dual HDMI 2.1 ports]
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GAMING OC 12G is probably the coolest running air-cooled RTX 3080 Ti card in the market. It is an overclocked edition card and has got GPU Boost Clock of 1710 MHz which is only 45 MHz more than the reference of 1665 MHz. The card employs WINDFORCE 3X cooling system that consists of a massive aluminum heatsink with six copper heatpipes and a copper baseplate that makes direct contact with the GPU and video memory chips. The heatsink is cooled by three alternate spinning fans where the middle fan spins in the opposite direction than the two to reduce air turbulence and smoothens the airflow for better cooling. Also, not all fans are equal in dimensions as the fan near the I/O bracket is a little smaller at 80mm while the other two are 90mm fans. The fans feature a unique blade design having a triangular edge and 3D stripe curve which helps in guiding the airflow deep into the heatsink fins for providing better cooling performance. The fans are pretty quiet in operation and the 3D Active Fan feature provides semi-passive cooling where the fans remain off during light loads and they start automatically when the temperature and the GPU load increases to cool down the card. The card also comes with Dual BIOS having Silent and OC mode and you switch between these modes using a small physical switch present on the card itself.
It is a pretty big card with a length of 320mm and has a 2.7-slot design. The card’s structural integrity is strengthened by a metal backplate that has vents at one end for allowing better airflow and cooling. The card supports RGB Fusion 2.0 and the RGB Lighting on the card is tastefully done and it looks pretty nice. For power, the card requires two 8-pin PCI-Express connectors and a 750W PSU. When it comes to Display output ports then the card offers two HDMI 2.1 which is one extra compared to most of the other RTX 3080 Ti models. Moreover, it does this by not compromising on DisplayPorts and comes with three DisplayPort 1.4a ports. You can tweak, customize and monitor the important parameters of the card using the Gigabyte AORUS ENGINE that you can download from Gigabyte’s official website for free.
| GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GAMING OC 12G Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| GPU Clock | 1710 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 19 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 384-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 2 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 2 |
Buy GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GAMING OC 12G
Best Liquid Cooled RTX 3080 Ti
ASUS ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6X
[Coolest RTX 3080 Ti, Dual BIOS, RGB LED Lighting, High Manual Overclocking Potential]
If you are an enthusiast and are looking for a liquid-cooled RTX 3080 Ti card the ASUS ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the best option. The card comes highly overclocked from the factory with an 1830 MHz GPU Boost Clock and it also has the highest manual overclocking potential because of increased power limit and superior cooling. The card’s GPU and Memory are cooled by a combination of a Water Block and 240mm Radiator (with dual 120mm Fans installed). On the other hand, the VRM circuitry is cooled by a combination of low profile heatsink and a blower fan. The card comes with 600mm Tubing and the Tubes are Sleeved for extra protection against any cut or damage. The Dual BIOS switch on the card allows you to select between Performance (P) and Quiet (Mode) based on your requirements. The card also has semi-passive cooling tech that stops the fans from spinning during low temperatures and lighter loads. It is probably the coolest running RTX 3080 Ti card and it also runs pretty silent when in Quiet Mode (M).
The card is 293mm long and has got 2.6 slot design. A fancy aluminum backplate strengths the card structure and the Stainless Steel I/O Port Bracket and metal GPU Bracket further add to the card’s rigidity. The card supports Asus Aura Sync RGB LED Lighting and the RGB Lighting can be seen on the two 120mm Radiator fans and on the Shroud. The power consumption of the card is on the higher side and it requires three PCIe power connectors and an 850W power supply for its working. The card can support up to four displays and display connectivity options include three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and two HDMI 2.1 ports. Using the ASUS GPU Tweak II, you can tweak critical parameters including GPU core clocks, memory frequency, fan speed, and voltage settings, and can also monitor everything in real-time through a customizable on-screen display (OSD).
Note: EVGA also has liquid-cooled RTX 3080 Ti models namely EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA HYBRID GAMING and EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 ULTRA HYBRID GAMING.
| ASUS ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| GPU Clock | 1830 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 19 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 384-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 3 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 2 |
Buy ASUS ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Relatively Compact RTX 3080 Ti
EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING
[Relatively Shorter & Smaller, RGB LED Lighting, Factory Overclocked]
Well, there are not any small form factor or compact RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards as such but if you are looking for a relatively shorter and slimmer RTX 3080 Ti card then EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING is the best option available. The card is 285mm in length and has a 2.2-slot design that makes it fit in most PC Cases without any clearance issues. It is an overclocked card having a GPU Boost Clock of 1725 MHz, 60 MHz more than the reference specs. For cooling, the card uses iCX3 cooling system that consists of an aluminum heatsink having an optimized fin structure with air pockets, six copper heatpipes, and a large copper base that makes direct contact with both the GPU and VRAM. Three iCX3 fans help cool down the heatsink and they get turned off below 55 degrees Celsius for a completely silent operation (0dB noise). The fans start automatically when the temperature increase above the threshold value.
The card features a vented metal backplate that protects the card against any damage and it also helps in the cooling process. The card also has RGB LED Lighting that can be seen on the side of the shroud and backplate. For power, the card requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors and a 750W PSU is recommended for its working. Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1 port.
| EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| GPU Clock | 1725 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 19 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 384-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 2 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
Buy EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING
Other good RTX 3080 Ti Cards
- ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Trinity
- ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti OC Edition
- MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GAMING X TRIO 12G
- EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming
Final Words
Well, if you want a powerful card for 1440p and 4K gaming then RTX 3080 Ti is a good choice if you are not worried about its relatively higher pricing. When it comes to performance then it is at par with RTX 3090 which is the most powerful graphics card right now. The various custom models of RTX 3080 Ti add variety and you can choose your right RTX 3080 Ti model based on your requirements and availability. If you have any queries then you can ask them in the comment section below.
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hey, sorry to leave a reply here but i couldnt find another way to contact you. I saw your post about a budget streaming pc back in 2020 and I got a dilema, could you help me?
Yes, what is your query?
My actual pc build is a RX 580 8GB ASUS DUAL OC; GA-AB350m Gaming 3; Ryzen 5 1600af; Gloway 2×8 ddr4 2400mhz; and a Corsair VS650. I don’t know if I’m messing with something in my OBS but I can’t stream properly Escape From Tarkov, the game start feeling “heavy” when I move my mouse around and lots of performance loss that makes me lose 90% of the gunfights. So, considering these options, and the fact that I live in Brazil and the prices are mindblowing (3090 costs around R$20.000), and a hardware store (KaBuM) is making an awesome promo until 29th, what you suggest to me?
1. An upgrade to my actual build
2. A new build with i3-10100F, MSI H410M-A PRO, same GPU and PSU. Then using the old mobo w/ R5 1600af, Husky Snow 550W 80 Plus White, 2×4 VEINEDA ddr4 2400mhz along an old graphics card that I have, GT 640, to make a stream pc using x264
3. I don’t know if that one would work fine but: I have an old pc with i5-2400 and the GT 640, I just need a new LGA 1155 motherboard (+- R$400) for it so I can possibly make a super old streaming pc (idk if it would be good) and I can possibly do an upgrade to my actual build with the rest of the money
4. Or another suggestion by you or any changes in those parts, but need to considerate the brazilian price of hardware and that I don’t have much money to put into it.
If you could help me with your opinion that would be awesome because I’m running out of time and I don’t know which is the best… Thank you very much
I think your PC is quite capable of gaming and streaming Escape From Tarkov at the same time. Maybe you should your OBS settings. Also, streaming is largely CPU dependent and I don’t think a better graphics card will help here unless you are playing the latest AAA games.