If you are looking for an ultra-powerful and energy-efficient graphics card for 4K gaming then the GeForce RTX 4080 is probably the best option available right now. It is the second RTX 40 series graphics card released after the RTX 4090 which is the most powerful graphics card in the world right now. So, this makes the GeForce RTX 4080 the second most powerful graphics card right now. RTX 4080 is around 33% faster than RTX 3080 and about 14% faster than RTX 3090 Ti at 4K gaming. The card comes with various latest technologies and offers great performance improvement in Real Time Ray Tracing and DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) in games.
GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the new Ada Lovelace GPU architecture on the 4nm fabrication process. The card comes with 9728 CUDA Cores, 76 RT Cores (3rd generation), and 304 Tensor Cores (4th generation). The card is equipped with 16GB GDDR6X memory having a bus width of 256-bit. The video memory runs at a speed of 22.4 Gbps and delivers a bandwidth of 717 GB/s. The card features 3rd generation DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) that delivers great performance at higher resolution without any significant reduction in image quality. The card uses PCIe 4.0 x16 interface and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2. The card also features new eighth-generation NVIDIA Encoders (NVENC) with AV1 encoding and a new 16-pin 12VHWPR power connector that is rated for up to 450w power draw. Besides the Founders Edition, there are various other RTX 4080 models available from different AIB manufacturers. So, to help you choose the right RTX 4080 for your specific requirements, here I am listing down the best RTX 4080 cards based on various parameters and offerings.
Best Overall & Fastest RTX 4080
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC Edition
[Highly Overclocked, Great Looks, Solid Build Quality, Runs very Cool, Dual BIOS, RGB, Two HDMI 2.1 Ports]
One of the most overclocked and the fastest RTX 4080 card you can get for your high-end gaming PC. ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC is a masterpiece of a card that looks amazing, has strong build quality, offers great performance, and is also very feature-rich. The card supports a GPU Boost clock of 2655 MHz in OC mode which is 150 MHz more than the reference. For cooling, the card uses a massive heatsink with a vapor chamber and seven copper heat pipes. The heatsink of the card is cooled by triple Axial-tech fans that come with dual ball bearings. The middle fan spins in an opposite direction to the two to minimize air turbulence and allow smoother airflow and better cooling. The semi-passive cooling 0dB Technology stops the fans from spinning when the temperature goes below 50 degrees Celsius and starts them automatically when the temperature crosses 55 degrees Celsius. The card also comes with Dual BIOS and you can switch between the Performance (P) or Quiet (Q) BIOS using the physical switch present on the side of the card.
The card is 358mm long and has got 3.5 slot design. Both the shroud and backplate are made of thick metal and protect the card from damage. The rear I/O bracket is made from stainless steel and a metal GPU bracket gives the card additional rigidity. The card features ARGB lighting and it can be customized and synced with other supported Asus devices using Asus Aura Sync. A Graphics Card Support Holder comes bundled with the card and it can be used to reduce GPU Sag and prevents the card from bending on its weight. Two PWM FanConnect headers are also present that be used to connect additional Case fans and sync their speed with GPU fans with the GPU temperature fan curve. The free Asus GPU Tweak III software lets you tweak, customize and monitor various important parameters of the card. Display connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports. A 750W power supply is recommended by the manufacturer for this card. Overall, the best RTX 4080 card you can buy if budget is not an issue because the card is a bit expensive compared to other RTX 4080 models from various other AIB manufacturers.
| ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC Edition Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 9728 |
| GPU Clock | 2655 MHz Boost (OC Mode) |
| Memory Clock | 22.4 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | DirectX 12 Ultimate |
| OpenGL | OpenGL 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 16-pin 12VHPWR connector |
| Output Ports | HDMI 2.1 x 2, DisplayPort 1.4a x 3 |
Buy ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC
Best Budget & Triple Slot RTX 4080
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB VENTUS 3X OC
[Runs Quiet & Cool, Relatively Shorter Footprint, Affordable]
Most RTX 4080 cards have 3.5 slot design and they occupy four slots on your motherboard and PC Case. Some users may not have that much amount of clearance and have space of three slots only. So, if you are one of such users and are looking for a triple slot RTX 4080 card then MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB VENTUS 3X OC is one of the best options available. It is also one of the shortest RTX 4080 cards and has a length of 322mm. It is an overclocked edition RTX 4080 card with a GPU Boost Clock of 2550 MHz which is 45MHz more than the reference clock. The card comes with a big heatsink with a nickel-plated copper baseplate and six heatpipes. The heatsink is cooled by three TORX 4.0 fans that have pairs of fan blades bound together with a linked outer ring design that focuses airflow into the heatsink.
The black & silver colored shroud of the graphics card looks very neat and gives it a classy look. A metal backplate and a metal anti-bending plate reinforce the whole card and provide strength and rigidity. Moreover, a GPU support bracket comes bundled with the card to reduce GPU Sag or bending. You can use the MSI Center software to monitor, tweak, and optimize MSI products in real time. MSI has recommended 750W PSU for this card. Display connectivity options include one HDMI 2.1 port and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports.
| MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB VENTUS 3X OC Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 9728 |
| GPU Clock | 2535 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 22.4 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | DirectX 12 Ultimate |
| OpenGL | OpenGL 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 16-pin 12VHPWR connector |
| Output Ports | HDMI 2.1 x 1, DisplayPort 1.4a x 3 |
Buy MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB VENTUS 3X OC
Best Silent & Coolest RTX 4080
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB SUPRIM X
[Runs Cool & Quiet, Dual BIOS, Great Styling, Solid Build Quality, RGB Lighting]
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB SUPRIM X is the flagship air-cooled RTX 4080 card from MSI and one of the best RTX 4080 cards in the market. The card runs very cool and is very silent too. It is a stylish and futuristic-looking RTX 4080 card and has very good build quality. The card has got a GPU Boost clock of 2625 MHz and it can be set to 2640 MHz in the Extreme Performance mode in the MSI Center software. The card comes with a TRI-FROZR 3S cooling solution that comprises a huge heatsink with a vapor chamber and ten copper heatpipes. The heatsink is cooled by three dual ball-bearing fans (TORX FAN 5.0) that are optimized for both high airflow and static pressure. The ZERO FROZR semi-passive cooling system ensures completely silent operation at lower GPU temperatures by stopping all the fans. The fans start spinning automatically when the GPU temperature gets higher during gaming or doing GPU-intensive tasks. The card comes with Dual BIOS, Silent and Gaming, In Silent BIOS mode, the card runs whisper quiet and in Gaming BIOS mode, the card runs super cool because of an aggressive fan curve.
The card is 336mm in length and has a 3.5-slot design. A metal anti-bending plate and backplate reinforce the whole card and enhances structural integrity. The metal backplate also helps in cooling as it is vented and has thermal pads attached to its backside. The shroud is also made of metal having a brushed finish and has octagon-shaped fan cutouts and chevrons around each fan. A vertical GPU brace support stand comes bundled with the card which helps in preventing GPU sag or bending of the card’s PCB. The card also features RGB lighting and supports MSI Mystic Light Sync. The PSU recommendation for the card is 850 Watts. Display connectivity options include one HDMI 2.1 port and three DisplayPort 1.4 ports.
| MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB SUPRIM X Specifications | |
| CUDA Cores | 9728 |
| GPU Clock | 2625 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 22.4 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | DirectX 12 Ultimate |
| OpenGL | OpenGL 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 16-pin 12VHPWR connector |
| Output Ports | HDMI 2.1 x 1, DisplayPort 1.4a x 3 |
Buy MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB SUPRIM X
Other good RTX 4080 Models
Here are some other good RTX 4080 models that you must check out.
- ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4080 16GB AMP Extreme AIRO [Great RGB Lighting]
- PNY GeForce RTX 4080 16GB XLR8 Gaming VERTO [Great Value RTX 4080 card]
- ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 Gaming [Great Overall RTX 4080 card]
- MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GAMING X TRIO [One of the most Silent RTX 4080 cards]
See also:
Final Words
There is absolutely no doubt that GeForce RTX 4080 is a power-packed graphics card that is considerably faster and more power efficient compared to RTX 3080. The only slight bit of disappointment is that it costs almost twice of RTX 3080 and that puts RTX 4080 out of reach of most gamers. However, if you do not have budget issues then it is one of the best 4K gaming graphics cards you can get for ultra-end 4K gaming. If you are still having trouble selecting the right RTX 4080 model then you can ask me your queries regarding the same in the comment section below.
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