The RTX 4080 SUPER from NVIDIA is a highly capable graphics card that targets the top-end enthusiast. This GPU is the third card to release as part of NVIDIA’s ‘SUPER’ refresh offering improved hardware, along with a significant drop in pricing that makes it an extremely competitive option versus AMD’s alternatives. In terms of hardware improvements NVIDIA has put more of a focus on core uplifts, with CUDA, Tensor, and RT cores all receiving a slight boost.
But with a multitude of RTX 4080 SUPER options on the market to choose from, which is the best RTX 4080 SUPER to buy? To determine which card is the best, we’ve rounded up an awesome selection of RTX 4080 SUPER GPUs to choose from that have been tested rigorously to determine which are the best options on the market.
Our Top Pick: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition
The Best RTX 4080 SUPER graphics card is NVIDIA’s Founders Edition option. The Founders Edition card is one of the few options that comes in at the competitive $999 price point while establishing excellent baseline performance that competes with the pricier alternative variants that other manufacturers provide. Needless to say, if you’re looking for the best value RTX 4080 SUPER, the Founders Edition model will not disappoint.
The Best RTX 4080 SUPER GPUs
1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition
NVIDIA’s Founders Edition graphics cards are the mainstay of any Team Green launch, and stand to offer the best value-proposition versus alternative variants from other manufacturers. The reason why the RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition card is such a solid option comes down to its MSRP price point. The Founders Edition model sits at the tantalising $999 MSRP, and is one of the few cards that launches at this exact price.
In terms of performance, the RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition is very capable, handling AAA titles and ray tracing with ease. Founders Edition cards are also thermally strong too, thanks to the larger heatsink design that features across most of the shrouding, air is guided efficiently away from hot components, dissipating heat efficiently and quickly. This card is also one of the smaller options, sitting at 304mm in length which will minimise any case installation issues.
| Key Specs | NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition |
|---|---|
| Video Memory | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit |
| Core Clock Speed | 2.29GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.55GHz |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| RT Cores | 80 |
| GPU Length | 304mm |
| Power Consumption | 320W |
The only major caveat of this particular variant is the rather restricted design. NVIDIA have updated their Founders Edition cards to have more of a stealthy black look, but some buyers will find the minimalist style a bit boring compared to some of the other flashier cards on the market. For those looking for plenty of RGB, the Founders Edition won’t be the best card to pick up.
Pros
- MSRP pricing
- Thermals
- 1440p performance
Cons
- Restrictive design
- No RGB
Suggested Article: Best PC Cases for the RTX 4080 SUPER
2. Palit RTX 4080 SUPER GamingPro OC
Palit’s GamingPro OC variant of the RTX 4080 SUPER is a great option that maximises performance while keeping a lid on thermals. Whilst the RTX 4080 SUPER GamingPro OC is not an MSRP card, the extra cost you’re having to spend will be well worth it for many buyers. On the specs front, because this is an OC model you’re able to leverage a higher boost clock speed capability which will enhance performance across a range of games and applications.
In terms of thermals, the GamingPro OC version utilises three gale hunter fans designed to concentrate airflow, while minimising any vortexes. The meticulous heatsink design also ensures that heat is moved away efficiently from any critical components. And while this particular model is a bit on the large size (coming in at 328mm in length), the stronger thermal capability is definitively worth it.
| Key Specs | Palit RTX 4080 SUPER GamingPro OC |
|---|---|
| Video Memory | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit |
| Core Clock Speed | 2.29GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.61GHz |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| RT Cores | 80 |
| GPU Length | 328mm |
| Power Consumption | 320W |
Taking a look at the design, this Palit variant is an awesome looking card with a contrasting white and black shroud that pops up on the front and top of the GPU. You’ll be able to spot various etchings across the card that add some depth, along with some RGB strips that add to the flair of your PC build. This can also be fully customised within Palit’s ThunderMaster software.
Pros
- Boost speed
- Thermal capability
- Aesthetic
Cons
- Non-MSRP price
- Size
3. Gigabyte RTX 4080 SUPER AERO OC
Gigabyte’s AERO OC cards are some of the best looking GPUs on the market, despite being one of the few cards that sports a fully white design. The Gigabyte RTX 4080 SUPER AERO OC offers an all-white shroud that is perfect for a lighter-themed build. The crisp and sleek white look offers a sophisticated style that any buyer will be fond of.
Aside from the design, Gigabyte has prioritised gaming and thermal performance. As this is an OC model, this particular RTX 4080 SUPER comes with a slightly overclocked boost speed improving performance in games and day-to-day applications. And because this is a triple-fan model with a large heatsink design, thermal performance is also excellent.
| Key Specs | Gigabyte RTX 4080 SUPER AERO OC |
|---|---|
| Video Memory | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit |
| Core Clock Speed | 2.29GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.59GHz |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| RT Cores | 80 |
| GPU Length | 342mm |
| Power Consumption | 320W |
The length of this GPU is going to be the biggest concern for most buyers. Coming in with a length of 342mm, you’ll need to consider your case options as a vast number of chassis may face clearance or installation problems with this larger card.
Pros
- Overclocked boost speed
- All-white aesthetic
- Thermal performance
Cons
- Potential clearance issues
- Not MSRP
4. MSI RTX 4080 SUPER EXPERT
Our final RTX 4080 SUPER recommendation is the MSI EXPERT variant. This card rivals ASUS’ ProArt series of cards by offering a more refined and luxury design that provides strong thermal capability and great performance across games and tougher workloads too. The MSI EXPERT variant offers a similar aesthetic and thermal design to NVIDIA’s Founders Edition, with a vapor chamber cooling solution that maximises airflow through guided heatsinks.
The MSI EXPERT version does change things up with a silvery-grey shrouding that is somewhat akin to their very flashy SUPRIM cards. This shrouding encases the entire GPU, providing a consistent and minimalist look across the entire card. I will admit that the interesting aesthetic that this card offers is only visible from the front. This means that mounting your GPU horizontally as opposed to vertically might leave you with a more lacklustre view of your card.
| Key Specs | MSI RTX 4080 SUPER EXPERT |
|---|---|
| Video Memory | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit |
| Core Clock Speed | 2.29GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.61GHz |
| CUDA Cores | 10240 |
| RT Cores | 80 |
| GPU Length | 336mm |
| Power Consumption | 320W |
The RTX 4080 SUPER EXPERT does offer a slight enhancement to the boost clock speed, which will assist performance within a number of games. This GPU also comes in with a length of 336mm, so clearance shouldn’t be much of a problem within the vast majority of modern cases. Overall the MSI EXPERT variant of the RTX 4080 SUPER is a well designed card that strives to offer chart-topping performance, but comes in at a price that will make many buyers reconsider their options.
Pros
- Sophisticated design
- Excellent thermals
- Boost speed
Cons
- Expensive
- Similar to Founders Edition
RTX 4080 SUPER Benchmarks
In order to see how these RTX 4080 graphics cards perform, we’ve tested them within a suite of gaming benchmarks. Our tests primarily target 1440p, but the RTX 4080 SUPER is a more than capable card within 4K games too. For more information on our methodology check out our how we test graphics cards article.
Alan Wake 2
Settings: 1440p, Post-Processing High, Texture Resolution High, Texture Filtering High, Volumetric Lighting High, Global Illumination Quality High, Shadow Detail High, Terrain Quality High, Ray-Tracing: Disabled, DLSS: On/Off, Frame Generation: On/Off
In our Alan Wake 2 benchmark, we did two different runs, one with ray tracing and DLSS, and one without. With these settings disabled, the RTX 4080 SUPER saw an average framerate of 96FPS which is a pretty strong showing. This is the exact same performance that the original RTX 4080 saw, proving how solid the ’80’ range is versus other cards.
When ray tracing and DLSS were switched on, our framerates jumped up to 133FPS. DLSS is clearly putting in a fair amount of work here, but its still great to see that the RTX 4080 outperforms its RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Ti counterparts within ray traced games.
Apex Legends
Settings: 1440p, Anti-aliasing TSAA, Texture Filtering 8X, Model Detail High, VSync Disabled, Effects High, Ambient Occlusion Quality High
In Apex Legends at 1440p high, the RTX 4080 SUPER was able to output an average FPS of 271. This was one of the strongest cards within our benchmarking runs sitting at 3rd place placing it just beneath the RTX 4090 and RX 7900 XTX. Ultimately at framerates this high you’re not really going to notice a difference in performance here, however its great to see that the RTX 4080 SUPER offers solid performance within this fast-paced Esports title.
Cyberpunk 2077
Settings: 1440p, Shadow Quality High, Indirect Lighting High, Reflections High, Crowd Density High, Particle Quality High, Volumetric Lighting High, Motion Blur off, GTAO Quality High, Grass Quality High, Contact Shadows High VSync Off, DLSS/FSR: On/Off, Ray Tracing: On/Off, Textures: High
Cyberpunk 2077 is another game where we test out ray tracing and DLSS, along with no performance enhancement settings too. At 1440p with ray tracing and DLSS 3.0 switched on, the RTX 4080 SUPER was able to offer up 117FPS on average. It is still impressive that the RTX 4080 SUPER is able to offer solid framerates within this title despite it being quite graphically intensive.
When we switched off ray tracing and DLSS, the RTX 4080 SUPER surged up to 141FPS. This card really does thrive in rasterized games, and we’re seeing a clear indicator of that within this benchmark.
F1 2022
Settings: 1440p, Ray Tracing Quality Medium, Lighting Quality Ultra High, Post Process High, Shadows Ultra Hight, Weather Effects Ultra High, Ambient Occlusion HBAO+, Asynchronous Compute On, Texture Streaming Ultra High, Anisotropic Filtering 8x, DLSS: Enabled
In our final benchmarking run we played F1 2022 at 1440p high settings with ray tracing and DLSS enabled. The RTX 4080 SUPER offered an insane 299FPS on average. Realistically you’re not going to ever need framerates this high in a game like F1 2022, but this goes to show how much of a powerhouse the RTX 4080 SUPER is, especially when DLSS is switched on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Power Does the RTX 4080 SUPER Draw?
The RTX 4080 SUPER draws 320W and NVIDIA recommends a minimum power supply wattage of 750W.
How Much Clearance Do I Need?
We recommend at least 50-100mm of extra clearance between the length of your GPU and the max supported length of your PC case.
How Much is the RTX 4080 SUPER?
The RTX 4080 SUPER comes in with an MSRP of $999, but other variants will differ in price.
