Nvidia’s RTX 4080 Super: A Small Performance Boost with an Intriguing Price Drop
Nvidia has released its final RTX 40-series Super card, the RTX 4080 Super, which offers a slight performance improvement and an intriguing price drop. The new GPU is the third and potentially final addition to Nvidia’s refreshed 40-series lineup, following the RTX 4070 Super and the RTX 4070 Ti Super. While the RTX 4080 Super doesn’t offer a significant performance boost compared to its predecessor, it does come with a $200 price reduction, making it a more affordable option for gamers.
The most notable aspect of the RTX 4080 Super is its reduced price. Priced at $999, it is $200 cheaper than the original RTX 4080, which often sells for even more than its MSRP of $1,199. While the performance improvement is minimal, with the RTX 4080 Super being only around 3-4 percent faster than the RTX 4080, it still offers a more budget-friendly option for those looking to upgrade their GPUs. However, if you want the best GPU for 4K gaming, you will still need to pay at least $600 more for the RTX 4090, which offers approximately 25 percent higher frame rates at that resolution.
The pricing of the RTX 4080 Super also puts the $799 RTX 4070 Ti Super in a tough spot. For an extra $200, users can get nearly 20 percent improved performance with the RTX 4080 Super, making it a more attractive option for gamers. However, it’s important to note that $999 is still a significant amount of money for a GPU. The closest competition for the RTX 4080 Super is AMD’s $999 Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which offers similar performance.
In terms of design, the RTX 4080 Super is similar to its predecessor, the RTX 4080. It features a darker alloy and retains the same size as the RTX 4090. The Founders Edition of the RTX 4080 Super comes in a black color, departing from the silver/space gray aesthetics of previous RTX Founders Edition cards. This change in color may signal a move towards black and white variants for future Founders Edition cards.
The RTX 4080 Super comes with three DisplayPort 1.4 ports and a single HDMI 2.1 port at the rear. While it lacks DisplayPort 2.1 support, this is not an immediate issue as most 240Hz 4K OLED panels currently available on the market do not require DisplayPort 2.1. However, it is hoped that Nvidia will adopt DisplayPort 2.1 for its next-generation cards.
In terms of power requirements, the RTX 4080 Super continues to use a single 12-pin PCIe connector. It is recommended to use at least a 750W PSU, as the GPU can draw up to 320 watts of power during gaming. The RTX 4080 Super ships with the same 16GB of VRAM as the RTX 4080 but offers slightly higher bandwidth and an increased CUDA core count.
When it comes to performance, the RTX 4080 Super excels at 1440p gaming, delivering over 100fps in most AAA games at high or ultra settings. It performs slightly better than the original RTX 4080 at this resolution but still falls behind the RTX 4090, which offers superior frame rates. The RTX 4080 Super also competes closely with AMD’s RX 7900 XTX, with Nvidia’s card offering better ray-tracing performance and DLSS support.
At 4K resolution, the RTX 4080 Super delivers a great gaming experience, with every game tested hitting 60fps or above, except for Metro Exodus Enhanced on extreme settings. While the RTX 4080 Super is around 4 percent faster than its predecessor at 4K gaming, the RTX 4090 still outperforms it by 25 percent. However, the RTX 4080 Super offers nearly 20 percent better performance than the RTX 4070 Ti Super at 4K.
In conclusion, the RTX 4080 Super stands out for its attractive price point, making it a more accessible option for gamers looking to upgrade to 4K gaming. While the performance improvement is minimal compared to its predecessor, the reduced price makes it a compelling choice. With the release of the complete trio of RTX 40-series Super cards, Nvidia has provided options for gamers with different budgets and requirements. The RTX 4070 Super offers a good option for 1440p gaming, while the RTX 4080 Super is ideal for those moving to 4K
