Powerful and precise: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Edition Review

Nvidia released the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition, its latest gaming graphics beast. This $1,200 “gaming flagship” claims to revolutionise gaming with its high performance and cutting-edge features. We examine this powerhouse’s specifications, features, gaming benchmarks, power efficiency, and value in our review.

Specifications Of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

What Is In The Box Of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti?

1. GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition Graphics Card: Nvidia’s flagship graphics card takes centre stage with its sleek, unadorned appearance.
2. 12-Pin to 8-Pin Power Adapter: The adapter lets customers connect the RTX 3080 Ti to their current power infrastructure.
3. User Manual and Documentation: This comprehensive manual walks users through RTX 3080 Ti installation, setup, and optimisation, making high-performance gaming easy.
4. Stickers: For Team Green fans, Nvidia offers stickers with a distinctive emblem for gaming rig customisation.
5. Support and Warranty Information: Warranty coverage and support options ensure users have access to help and services in case of difficulties.

Price Of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

On June 3, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti costs $1,199 / £1,049 / AU$1,949. Third-party RTX 3080 Ti GPUs will likely cost significantly more than that minimal price. The RTX 3080 Ti costs nearly twice as much as the original $699 (£649, AU$950) model, which arrived in September 2020. This GPU has just 2GB more VRAM and 17% more CUDA cores, so the 71% price markup may be hard to justify.  Although this graphics card delivers about the same performance as the card in our Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 review for about $300 less (at least going by MSRP), it may be worth grabbing if you want one of the best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards but are put off by their high prices.

Specifications and Design Of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

After we reviewed the tech, we found that the RTX 3080 Ti shares more specs with the powerful RTX 3090 than its namesake. Its 10,240 CUDA cores make it a gaming GPU that performs well at 4K and 1440p. A broad 384-bit bus and 12GB of high-speed GDDR6X memory provide 912GB/s of memory bandwidth. PCIe Resizable BAR support and “Lite Hash Rate” technologies alleviate bitcoin mining problems, demonstrating Nvidia’s ingenuity. The dual-slot design, reminiscent of the RTX 3080 Founders Edition, has Nvidia’s 12-pin power connection and is elegant and practical.

Performance Metrics Of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

We benchmarked the RTX 3080 Ti in Watch Dogs: Legion, Horizon Zero Dawn, Gears Tactics, and more. The results are stunning. In most cases, the RTX 3080 Ti outperforms AMD’s Radeon RX 6900 XT and the RTX 3090 in 4K gaming. The GPU can easily handle the newest games, as seen by the benchmarks. From Watch Dogs: Legion’s dismal streets to Strange Brigade’s mythical adversaries, the RTX 3080 Ti provides a vivid and smooth gaming experience.

Noise and Thermals of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

While the RTX 3080 Ti draws as much power as the 3090, its thermal performance is good. Though less spectacular than comparable RTX 30 coolers, the Founders Edition cooler maintains a decent 75 degrees Celsius. The 12-pin power port works well but requires an adaptor, which is a slight cosmetic downside. Fans are audible but not bothersome during gaming. Nvidia’s architecture balances cooling and acoustics for a good gaming experience.

What Is Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti’s Performance?

Despite having half the VRAM, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is as quick as the 3090 in PC games. If you want the highest gaming performance right now and don’t require Blender or Resolve, get the RTX 3080 Ti. We’re not exaggerating when we claim the version is the same. The RTX 3080 Ti is within 1-2 fps of the 3090 across all benchmarks.  The most significant difference is Dirt 5 at 1440p, where the RTX 3080 Ti scores 139 fps and the 3090 146. That 5% performance difference may be insignificant in Dirt 5.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti surpasses the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in everything save Fire Strike Ultra and Assassins Creed Valhalla.  Even in 4K, the RTX 3080 Ti and 3090 perform similarly. Thus, both are good. In most games, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is 7-26% slower than the RTX 3080 Ti; therefore Assassins Creed Valhalla is unusual. This is enough to suggest the RTX 3080 Ti above the Radeon RX 6900 XT, but Nvidia’s graphics card costs $200 more at MSRP. Make sure the RTX 3080 Ti is worth the extra money.

Some Additional Features

• PCIe Resizable BAR Support: Nvidia uses cutting-edge technologies to improve GPU-CPU data transmission. This function lets the CPU access all GPU memory at once, making gaming more responsive and smooth.
• Nvidia integrates Lite: Hash Rate (LHR) technology in the RTX 3080 Ti to address cryptocurrency mining problems. This function reduces GPU efficiency in bitcoin mining, making the card more accessible to gamers and enthusiasts.
• 12-Pin Power connection: The RTX 3080 Ti has Nvidia’s signature 12-pin power connection. Although it requires an adaptor for a typical power supply, this connection architecture improves the card’s power efficiency and sleekness.
• Real-time ray tracing and AI-powered DLSS: The RTX 3080 Ti continues the RTX history with lifelike lighting, shadows, and reflections. The GPU uses AI-powered Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) to boost gaming performance at higher resolutions without losing frame rates.

Pros and Cons Of Nvidia GeForce RTX 308 Ti

Should I Buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti?

In a time of record GPU costs, buying the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti demands careful thought. The $1,200 GPU competes with the RTX 3080 and AMD’s Radeon RX 6800 XT. The RTX 3080 Ti is a strong option for gamers with significant wallets who want uncompromised 4K experiences. The 12GB of VRAM balances the excess of the RTX 3090 with the restrictions of the 3080, giving it an excellent long-term 4K gaming solution. Nvidia’s “Lite Hash Rate” technology discourages bitcoin miners, reducing availability problems.

Conclusion

As a gaming flagship, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition is a beast of a GPU. The high price and market conditions may prevent some customers, but those who value 4K gaming performance will find it worthwhile. Despite the GPU constraint, the RTX 3080 Ti represents Nvidia’s commitment to gaming graphics innovation.

FAQs

What are the Uses for a 3080 Ti?

Ampere—NVIDIA’s 2nd-gen RTX architecture—powers the GeForce RTXTM 3080 Ti and RTX 3080 graphics cards’ performance gamers want. For excellent gaming, they have dedicated 2nd and 3rd generation RT Cores, streaming multiprocessors, and G6X RAM.

What are the 3080 Ti requirements?

• 750W+ power supply.
• A motherboard with one graphics slot that supports PCI Express, 2.0, or 3.0.
• Three 8-pin/6+2-pin PCIe power dongles.
• OS: Windows 11, 10, 7.

How much RAM does the 3080 Ti have?

The 3080 Ti GPU has 12GB of GDDR6X memory and a 384-bit memory interface, enabling 912GB/s of memory bandwidth on the newest NVIDIA Ampere architecture. That’s half the RTX 3090’s 24GB of RAM but more than double the 3080’s 10GB.