NVIDIA has lined up its most anticipated family of GPUs on the RTX platform – the best RTX 3080 graphics card that provides the boosting performance with 4K revolutionized displaying abilities the gamers crave. Equipped with the best ray tracing system, the card renders the real-time 4K to 8K cinematic resolution to visualize intense games.
The latest GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA are the best for 4K gaming. The RTX 3080 cards from NVIDIA overtake every its predecessors from every aspect. We have enlisted the highest performing Turing-powered Best RTX 3080 graphics cards you can buy online for an impressive experience.
Other than the RTX 3080 Series, We have also reviewed previous versions of the best graphics cards for gaming, like the RTX 3090 and RTX 3070 close competitors to this graphics card.
Shopping Tips For RTX 3080 Graphics Card
GPUs hold great importance in the context of the Central Processing Unit in rendering the visualization to the monitor. The image’s smoothness depends upon the graphics card, but a buyer can know which GPU to buy? There are wide options available in the market, but it may not be undeniable, fitting the preferences perfectly. By taking some specifications and functionality into consideration, the decision becomes easier.
Understanding the product specifications is one of the first aspects you should consider before purchasing a new graphics card, as capabilities are better known. Pairing components with it becomes easier.
You need to know some essentials before going for the Graphics card to meet the specific requirements. Below is the list of all the essentials that need an understanding view and consideration.
Clock Speed
It should be considered top of the list while going to buy a graphics card. The whole performance depends upon the clock speed. Clock speed indicates the performance of a graphics card. If the processing cores work faster, the graphics render faster, and GPU performs multiple instructions at less time depending upon processing speed. If we talk about the direct impact, then it doesn’t have it on the in-game performance. It just works as an indication of faster work.
VRAM
It is crucial to consider VRAM, i.e., an acronym of Video Random Access Memory, while thinking of purchasing graphics cards because it is the factor that allows you to play games in incredible ultra-high resolutions such as 4K. The smoothness of visualization is dictated by this factor that impacts the data storage size and accessibility.
Moreover, VRAM stores all the data required for gaming, wiping out the thoughts of going between CPU and hard-drive storage capabilities because graphics cards with the VRAMs have their own data storage.
TDP
TDP is an acronym of Thermal Design Power that refers to the maximum heat dissipation followed by the GPU’s cooling system under the intense workload. As the computer works, it generates heat that needs to cool down for higher performance. TDP is considered a valuable configuration for the GPU’s components to get cooled. Additionally, GPUs already have cooling systems mounted. If you choose to overclock, download, and install TDPs to a substantial percentage, so you would possibly need to increase cooling. See the best GPU coolers to cool down your GPU.
Bandwidth
If we talk about bandwidth, it is of utmost importance to all. Basically, it is the ability of accessibility to memory at any time. If graphics cards have greater bandwidth, you may access the data at a faster rate, resulting in the visualization in seamless clarity. Before knowing how to select a graphics card by considering bandwidth, you must know how it works. Its working is a combination of memory speed and bus width.
Shade cores
Bringing the graphics card to life is the responsibility of shader cores, referred to as image rendering, by providing variations of dark and light colors on the screen. Graphics rendering is the first thing seen on the screen, so it falls in the category of worth considering specifications.
Price
Everyone is in favor of buying a better thing at competitive prices. Pocket-friendly products are the priority of customers so go for the graphics card that meets your requirements at less. The best suggestion is to spend 30% of your budget on graphics cards by following which you should buy the GPU.
Best RTX 3080 You Can Buy
- ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 3080 OC
- MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 3080
- ZOTAC Gaming RTX 3080 Trinity
- Gigabyte RTX 3080 Gaming OC
- EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra
- MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X Plus 10G OC LHR
- ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3080
- NVIDIA RTX 3080 Founders Edition
1. ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 3080 OC
Specifications
| Model | ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 OC |
| VRAM Memory | 10GB GDDR6 |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1740MHz |
| Connectivity | 3x Displayport 1.4a cable, 2x HDMI 2.1, PCIe 4.0 x 16 |
| RGB Lighting | Yes |
| CUDA cores | 8704 Units |
| Supported resolution | 8K (7680 x 4320) |
| Dimensions | 16 x 9.2 x 3.5 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
This ASUS TUF card hits up different overclocking speeds by prioritizing performance and affordability over forms. The appeal plus performance fascinates if you are looking for clocked versions. It doesn’t feature RGB aggressive highlights. If your concern is with RGB, then this RTX 3080 has a small RGB strip and an RGB logo on the side.
You should consider this card if performance is your priority. While testing, the card provided high-quality gaming performance with great clock speeds under a built-in cooling solution. Asus has focused on thermal design power in this card, i.e., heat dissipation ability that is every manufacturer’s priority. The thermal performance features 2nd Gen. RT cores and 3rd Gen. tensor cores.
Is your GPU overheating? See optimum temperature required for GPU while gaming.
With less turbulence and an amazing ray tracing performance, it also offers durability. Moreover, its design is fairly decent, making it one of the smallest RTX 3080 cards; definitely, a positive sign for Micro ATX builds. The eesthetically black color, metal backplate, and the plastic plus aluminum chassis provide a rigid design, which helps in building powerful tower PCs.
The card also comes with the “start-stop” feature to automatically switches OFF the fan once the temperature drops below 55 Degrees.
We didn’t like this card because of the higher than normal power consumption and the required additional parts for installation. Owing to its high power, you’ll need a powerful PSU for gaming.
Overall, the ASUS TUF RTX 3080 is a comparatively better choice than its predecessor RTX 3070 and the best triple fan RTX 3080 card if you want something affordable from this brand.
For more information, read ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 3080 OC Review
2. MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 3080
Specifications
| Model | MSI Gaming X Trio 10G GeForce RTX 3080 |
| VRAM Memory | 10GB GDDR6 |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1815 MHz |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort (v1.4a) x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
| RGB Lighting | Yes |
| CUDA cores | 8704 Units |
| Supported resolution | 8K (7680 x 4320) |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 2.2 x 5.1 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
No graphics card list is complete without an MSI card, so we have the MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio. As you can see from the picture, the design has been tweaked slightly compared to what the RTX 2080 Super Gaming X Trio model looked like. Most notably, the RGB has been toned down, but the overall design philosophy has remained intact.
The Gaming X Trio is a triple fan card with a backplate having 2 slots. This card runs silent under normal condition by turning the fans off.
Though the card comes with curved fans which are much efficient in heat dissipation, the may run hot under stress. The best part is that fan curve can be manually operated, you can control the noise levels depending on the performance you need from this card.
As far as the performance is concerned, it’s pretty much what you’d expect – the card can hit impressive clock speeds, but the cooling is moderately efficient. It remains quite impressively while under less load.
MSI has equipped this GPU with the TRI FROZR 2 thermal system that, historically, has been quite efficient when it comes to dissipating thermals. Newly designed TORX FAN 4.0 blades help focus airflow over the PCB to ensure optimal temperatures. For optimum interaction over the GPU, thermal tubing has also been accurate, extending the heat over the entire length of the CPU cooler for better thermal efficiency.
Overall, we’ve given the MSI Gaming X Trio the award for Best RGB RTX 3080 for a good reason. Since it comes to the table sporting a family look that MSI has utilized across several older-Gen cards before, it still delivers impressive 4K gaming performance. Besides, the cooling solution is a clear improvement as compared to the previous versions.
For more information, read MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 3080 Review.
3. ZOTAC Gaming RTX 3080 Trinity
Specifications
| Model | ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 Trinity |
| VRAM Memory | 10GB GDDR6 |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1710 MHz |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort (v1.4a) x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
| RGB Lighting | Yes |
| CUDA cores | 8704 Units |
| Supported resolution | 8K (7680 x 4320) |
| Dimensions | 16.69 x 11.5 x 3.9 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
First up, we have a card from one of the younger but still highly recognizable names in the game – ZOTAC. ZOTAC has introduced 3080 series cards to define the best video and image quality at an affordable price tag.
Those looking for an affordable 3080 GPU compatible with their motherboard and complete their requirements should go for this card. There are competent card features, but one drawback of the card is virtually it has no headroom for overclocking even if the GPU is running at acceptable temperatures.
A new alternate spinning system by Nvidia in this card provides great cooling solutions to heat elimination. The overall heat sinking structure and alternate fan spinning also are well managed.
Design-wise, it boasts a clean and simple exterior that might feel a tad too cheap if it weren’t for the RGB lighting that gives it a bit of that gaming flair.
By integrating some RGB LEDs, the display shows a multidirectional glow that beautifies the visualization. The overall dimension and size of the card are still manageable and look super cool. There is an Axial-flow fan-heatsink design to reduce a large amount of heating and improve the airflow quickly. The Exterior backplate is also thick, which is very common in Ampere-based GPUs. Overall, It is the best Cooling RTX 3080 – as proven by our benchmarks for buyers.
Few other things to notice in this GPU are the two 8-pin PCIe power connectors with 3x DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x 2.1 HDMI ports. Even though the size of the card is bulky, it still can fit in most of the ATX form factor PCs without an issue.
4. Gigabyte RTX 3080 Gaming OC
Specifications
| Model | Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming OC |
| VRAM Memory | 10GB GDDR6 |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1800 MHz |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort (v1.4a) x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
| RGB Lighting | Yes |
| CUDA cores | 8704 Units |
| Supported resolution | 8K (7680 x 4320) |
| Dimensions | 12.6 x 5.08 x 2.17 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
In the list of best graphics cards comes Gigabyte’s 3080 Gaming OC, a well-rounded and solid performer card for OC gaming. If we talk about design, it has an effective design, i.e., a black shroud with gray highlights that go great with the metal backplate, plus a somewhat conservative implementation of RGB in the form of a single strip and the Gigabyte logo on the side of the card.
In addition to this, Gigabyte’s graphics card offers improved cooling, as it can provide higher clock speeds with ultra-performance that keeps it running at low temperatures. Warranty is the thing that consumers consider the utmost factor in their requirements list. This card has 4 years of warranty that is a year more than the usual manufacturer’s warranty.
The Gaming OC comes equipped with a nicely thought-out aesthetic that would suit most PC custom build setups. It is mostly black in design but does come with gun-metal edgings to give the fan side of the GPU a bit of character. There is a small RGB lighting zone at the top of the card, which highlights the branding.
Cooling aside, the Gaming OC is clocked at 1800MHz (boost) out the box, boasting one of the highest clock speeds of Best Overclocking RTX 3080 in this list – tipped by only 15MHz. RGB Fusion 2.0 offers excellent levels of customization that make it more attractive to customers. Also, there are numerous lighting presets offered along with the purchase. You’ll also be able to synchronize your 3080 with other AORUS devices.
The building quality of this card is of the next level as it is built with a thick metal backplate and reinforced PCI slots for your 8-pin. Moreover, there is a BIOS setting – OC/silent – which allows you to choose the profile of your fans.
5. EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra
Specifications
| Model | EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra |
| VRAM Memory | 10GB GDDR6 |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1800 MHz |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort (v1.4a) x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
| RGB Lighting | Yes |
| CUDA cores | 8704 Units |
| Supported resolution | 8K (7680 x 4320) |
| Dimensions | 18.27 x 10.24 x 4.72 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Another best graphics card is here to make your gaming experience amazing. EVGA’s top-notch technical support with a sleek shroud, backplate, and a huge RGB strip on the side makes it stand out in the list of best 3080 series.
Obviously, you are not going to buy this based on the exterior design. Just like its exterior construction, its interior-equipped components make it worth buying. There is a massive heat sinker inside with HDB fans that makes lesser noise than other cards. However, it’s actually a bit smaller than MSI’s RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio, all the while being slightly ahead in terms of performance. We award this with Best Performance RTX 3080 – Buying this is just the cure for all 4K Games.
What it is today is only because of the iCX3 technological cooling system that makes it worth buying. It has a high fin surface area making it the best heat sinker.
It has lifted power limits that make it stand out first in the best graphics cards list.
We’d recommend at least 850W power supply to use this GPU without an issue. So, you’ll be getting the more power and higher frame rates while gaming, if you buy this card.
6. MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X Plus OC LHR
Specifications
| Model | MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X Plus 10G OC LHR |
| VRAM Memory | 10GB GDDR6 |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1740 MHz |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort v1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
| RGB Lighting | No |
| CUDA Cores | 8704 |
| Supported Resolution | 7680 x 4320 |
| Dimensions | 12 x 2.2 x 4.7 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
MSI has yet another release for the RTX 3080 series with the Ventus 3X Plus 10G OC LHR. It has an excellent performance-oriented graphics card with a triple fan arrangement for ultimate cooling. The Ventus focuses on performance for providing value for your video editing and gaming needs. The industrial leading design does not let you feel underpowered at any time due to its balanced features and potential.
The MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC LHR is performance packed with the 2nd generation RT cores. These cores generate 2X throughput for an improved overall experience. The 3rd generation Tensor Cores are not behind as they provide 2X throughput for further increasing the overall potential.
The design of MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X is an exception with the brushed metal backplate. The backplate provides a clear visual to the card finish while strengthening it against rough use. The thermal pads and MSI TORX Fan 3.0 provide exceptional heat dissipation and check the temperature within a controlled range. The dispersion fan blade provides an increased 50% pressure, leaving space for improved overclocking.
MSI has introduced a custom PCB design if you want to push the graphics card to the limits. You can reliably push the card performance to another level with the help of this powerful circuitry. It comes with an additional support bracket to connect the graphics card with the PC for extra reinforcement.
Overall, MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X is a perfect choice if you are willing to spend bucks for a performance-packed graphics card. Its clock is debatable compared to the competition, but the overall cooling mechanism and performance are phenomenal. It comes with NVIDIA DLSS technology that helps boost the rendered image and frame rate using AI. I feel that this graphics card is an excellent investment if you need controlled thermals.
7. ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3080
Specifications
| Model | ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3080 |
| VRAM Memory | 1740 MHz (OC Mode) |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1815 MHz |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort (v1.4a) x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
| RGB Lighting | Yes |
| CUDA cores | 8704 Units |
| Supported resolution | 8K (7680 x 4320) |
| Dimensions | 16 x 9.2 x 3.5 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Now, another ASUS RTX 3080 is on board with the new features. The components used to build this card are of high quality adding up to a better performance. This heavyweight video card is part of the new Ampere series from NVIDIA.
Rog Strix RTX 3080 card features a new sleek design with more RGB lighting effects and cuts. The OC mode has a 1740 MHZ boost clock that shows its compatibility with other requirements. It has 1GB less ram with 10 GB VRAM than the 2080 Ti, but with 50 percent better processing and twice the computational cores, it more than compensates for this.
Moreover, The Super Alloy Power II premium chokes on high-current power stages using advanced technology and GPU Tweak II features to expand the overall performance to monitor the system effectively is awesome.
The heat sinking process is unique. Elaborating this, Axial-tech fans now have 13 blades on the center fan and 11 on the auxiliary fans that dissipate more heat and increase performance.
The new smart look and premium feature made it easy for us to enjoy our games better as it is based on new Ampere chips. The Axial-tech fan is an innovation that also enhanced the working of old generations fan algorithms.
So, if you are looking for a worry-free and Best Looking RTX 3080 GPU to enjoy the ultimate gaming experience than ever before, this is the right choice for you, though the RTX 3080 Ti is also available in the market.
8. NVIDIA RTX 3080 Founders Edition
Specifications
| Model | NVIDIA RTX 3080 Founders Edition |
| VRAM Memory | 10GB GDDR6 |
| Max. Clock Speed | 1710 MHz |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort (v1.4a) x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
| RGB Lighting | No |
| CUDA cores | 8704 Units |
| Supported resolution | 8K (7680 x 4320) |
| Dimensions | 7.87 x 7.87 x 3.94 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The NVIDIA GeForce Founder’s edition RTX 3080 arrived in 2020, is just another tremendous creative GPU made for the next-gen Ray-tracing settings with the newly launched fan spinning system. Its flattest design encourages advanced air-cooling systems. The alternate fan spinning technology allows you to dissipate a large amount of heat within seconds that improves performance.
Its thermal design construction also includes a dual-axial flow that delivers high thermal performance. This card is a smart suite built with the highest technology tier with 8704 CUDA cores, 10GB G6X memory, and various HDMI 2.1, 1.4a Display ports. Compared to previous super cards, this graphics card holds high-performance abilities with a unique aesthetic design that overtakes previous models.
It is a fresh solution to old problems with tons of complimentary software features. Moreover, it supports VR applications that are the next step to technological innovation. It has revolutionized PC gamers to interact with their favorite games at 4K-8K resolution.
Overall, the design of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 is so simple and is an ideal choice to get if you want pocket-friendly equipment. It is durable and entangles ultra-performance materials through which GPU performance improves up to high-end.
All in all, it is the best budget RTX 3080 for 4K gaming. If USB-C isn’t a big issue and you need 4K gaming at high settings, you must try this card.
Conclusion
The list of the best RTX 3080 GPUs presents tough competition based on features and pricing. You won’t regret it if you buy ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 by considering the exceptional performance and low price. It fits you well if performance is first on your priority list and aesthetics is second.
Another graphics card with an impressive aesthetics and performance package is EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra. If you are expecting to get high-performance from RTX 3080 series, then go for this. The budget is the major stop, but you must go for it if you want it and can afford it.
MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio is the best choice if you want the best of all requirements.
Briefing it here, above mentioned graphics cards are the best among all in the RTX 3080 series. I am repeating that buying a graphics card depends upon your requirements. I have enlisted only the top choices by covering up the features, pros, and cons that meet the capabilities that are revolving in your mind.
Standard Benchmarks of RTX 3080 GPUs
RTX 3080 benchmark features include 2nd gen Ray tracing cores, 3rd Gen tensor cores, and the latest Ampere architecture that offers a performance increment of up to 30%. Its microarchitecture cores and memory storage space allow the gamers to install more tools and settings by boosting its space.
The ultra-performance gaming software provides photo-realistic results followed by ray tracing abilities. With improved DLSS versions, NVIDIA promises the best visual quality. There are a variety of options in this series, depending upon the user’s requirements. Effectiveness and efficiency are the promises of NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series.
RTX 3080 VS RTX 2080 Ti – Which one is better?
Advancement comes with every generation. New generations hold more functionality and high performance than the old generations. The same is the case here. RTX 2080 Ti series is the old generation, and RTX 3080 is the new generation. Further, elaborating on the functionality of both generations. The RTX 2080 Super Card has only more memory and capacity than the RTX 3080.
If we talk about RTX 3080, it holds 2x CUDA cores, 2nd gen Ray Tracing cores, and 3rd Gen Tensor cores that sum up to provide 30%-50% more performance than RTX 2080 Ti series.
We can say that those with higher performance requirements should go for RTX 3080, and those with memory requirements should go for RTX 2080 Ti. We have already Reviewed RTX 2080 Ti, so check that for in-depth content. Overall, the RTX 3080 is the best series to display 4K resolution, and it supports high functionality games.
Frequntly Asked Questions
For overclocking, high performance video editing, crypto mining, or other high-end tasks, you should for RTX 3080 graphics card. The card can eliminate heat and cools down your system within seconds.
Yes, the RTX 3080 offer 4K and 8K resolution. If you really want to experience a smooth 4K resolution, you must go for the RTX 3080 new series by installing DLSS AI that allows the extra ray tracing settings.
It depends upon your requirements on how many ports you need to proceed. In RTX 3080 series, there are two newly integrated ports, i.e., DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.
For high-end performance, RTX 3080 requires a power of around 750W to drive up the GPU and get smooth visualization without hurdles. You must be sure of the compatible cables used to connect the power supply unit with the GPU device because the connectors, ports, and cables make a huge difference in performance.
After going through the sources and multiple experiments, the RTX 3080 new series performed 52% better than the previous editions, i.e., RTX 2080 super series. If we examine in-depth sources, we can say that the RTX 3080 series has 30% more power than 2080Ti and 51% more if we consider the 2080 Super.
After testing the RTX 3080 new series on the advanced 4K AAA gaming, a huge performance difference between RTX new generation and the old generation was observed. You can experience the next-level gaming settings by integrating DLSS AI Acceleration with RTX 3080.
Before installing the new graphics card, you must be aware of the compatibility of the motherboard. You should be confirmed if the motherboard is supporting my graphics card or not.
Go through all the above explained GeForce RTX 3080 series to assure yourself. If you want your GPUs to overclock to the next level, you must consider this section seriously. Every graphics card model has its own overclocked edition worth considering.
Right now, as compared to the previous generations, RTX 3080 is not a budget-friendly series. Since it comes with extra features and performance, and power, the new RTX 3080 starts from $1299.
Can you include benchmarks and actual data? This guide is lacking.
Sure, We will add benchmarks in the next update.