Introduction

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 is here, and it's... interesting. It's not the earth-shattering leap we've seen in some past generations, but it's also not a complete dud. Think of it like a slightly faster, slightly more efficient version of the RTX 4080 Super, but with a few new tricks up its sleeve. Priced at $999 for the Founders Edition, it's definitely more appealing than the launch price of its predecessor. If you're rocking an older card and have been waiting for the right time to upgrade, this might be it. But if you're already on a 4080 or 4080 Super, the upgrade might not be worth it.

This generation, powered by the Blackwell architecture, feels like a more subtle evolution rather than a revolution. The performance gains aren't massive, and even the mighty RTX 5090 doesn't leave the 4090 in the dust. Nvidia is banking on DLSS 4 and its multi-frame generation to make the difference, and for those with high-refresh, high-resolution displays, it might just do the trick. But be prepared to have some of your frames generated by AI – it's the future, whether you like it or not.

Specs and Features

Like its bigger sibling, the RTX 5090, the RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell architecture, which is designed with AI workloads in mind. It packs more CUDA cores than the 4080, with 10,752 spread across seven Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), compared to the 9,728 cores in the 4080. Nvidia has also managed to cram more Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) into each GPC, allowing for more CUDA cores without a massive increase in GPU size. It's like fitting more people into a stadium without making the stadium bigger.

Each SM features four Tensor Cores and one RT Core, totaling 336 and 84, respectively. The Tensor Cores have been a major focus for Nvidia, and these 5th-generation cores are supposedly much more efficient, which is crucial for DLSS 4. Think of it like upgrading from a regular bicycle to an e-bike – more power with less effort.

Another key feature is the new AI Manager Processor (AMP), built directly into the GPU. This AMP is like a traffic controller for your graphics card, directing work to different parts of the GPU more efficiently than a traditional CPU. It's like having a dedicated lane for high-priority traffic, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

The RTX 5080 also comes with 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM on a 256-bit bus. While 16GB is enough for most people, especially at 4K, games are becoming more demanding. With the RTX 5090 boasting 32GB, it would have been nice to see the 5080 get the 24GB found in the RTX 4090, especially since it's being marketed as a 4K card.

Surprisingly, the power demand hasn't increased dramatically, requiring 360W compared to the 320W of the RTX 4080. It's a modest 13% bump, especially compared to the 575W of the RTX 5090. This means the Founders Edition cooler doesn't have to work as hard. Despite this, the RTX 5080 looks remarkably similar to the RTX 5090, with the same gunmetal gray color and flow-through heatsinks. In testing, the RTX 5080 peaked at 77°C, compared to 87°C for the RTX 5090. It's also a dual-slot card, unlike the triple-slot design of the RTX 4080 Super, and it still manages to cool better.

DLSS 4

The real star of the show for the RTX 5080 is DLSS 4, specifically its multi-frame generation (MFG) feature. Many of the improvements to DLSS, like the new Transformer model, will be available on older cards. This new model should improve image quality and reduce ghosting and artifacting, while also reducing the VRAM needed for DLSS. It's like getting a free upgrade to your favorite photo editing software – better results with less effort.

MFG is where things get interesting. It analyzes a rendered frame and motion vector data to generate entirely new 'AI' frames between each rendered frame. The RTX 5080 can generate up to 3 frames from each rendered frame in supported games. It's like having a magician create extra frames out of thin air, making your game look smoother.

However, this can introduce latency, but Nvidia Reflex 2 is here to help. It zeroes out the render queue provided by your CPU, making it provide frame data just as the frame is about to be rendered. It also uses your last mouse position and data from previous frames to predict where you'll be moving. Combined with hardware flip metering from the AMP, it aims to provide maximum smoothness. It's like having a personal assistant who anticipates your every move.

To get the best experience with MFG, you'll want to enable it when you're already getting a decent frame rate, ideally 60 fps or 40 fps if you're feeling brave. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with Ray Tracing Overdrive and DLSS set to performance, the RTX 5080 delivered 59 fps. With 2x frame gen, that jumped to 104 fps, and with 4x frame gen, it hit 183 fps. Similarly, in Star Wars Outlaws, frame rates tripled with MFG enabled. It's like turning up the volume on your game's smoothness.

However, it's important to remember that the underlying frame rate remains around 60 fps, so you won't see a huge increase in responsiveness. The game will just look smoother. It's like adding a layer of polish to your game, making it look more refined.

Performance

While the RTX 5080 doesn't have the same kind of performance leap as some previous generations, it still offers the best performance in its price range. It's a legitimate 4K contender for those who don't want to spend a fortune on the 5090. At 4K, the RTX 5080 is, on average, 11% faster than the RTX 4080 and 8% faster than the RTX 4080 Super. This performance uplift drops at lower resolutions. In synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark, the performance difference grows, suggesting that the card will get better over time with new drivers and more demanding games. It's like a fine wine that gets better with age.

Test System

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo @ 6,000MHz
SSD: 4TB Samsung 990 Pro
CPU Cooler: Asus ROG Ryujin III 360

For this review, the same comparison data from the RTX 5090 review was used, along with testing the RTX 4080 and RTX 3080 on Nvidia Game Ready Driver 566.36. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 7900 XT were tested on AMD Adrenalin 24.12.1. DLSS 4 and frame generation were not used in these tests.

In 3DMark's Speed Way benchmark, the RTX 5080 scored 8,966 points, compared to 7,519 for the RTX 4080 Super and 7,258 for the RTX 4080. That's a 23% difference over the RTX 4080. In Port Royal, which focuses on ray tracing, the RTX 5080 also enjoyed a 24% lead over the 4080, but the lead over the 4080 Super was only 19%. It's like a race where the 5080 is ahead, but the 4080 Super is catching up.

In Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the RTX 5080 hit 140 fps at 4K with the Extreme preset and DLSS set to 'Performance'. While this is enough for most high-refresh monitors, it's not a huge leap over the 129 fps of the RTX 4080 Super and 124 fps of the 4080. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX actually performed better at 145 fps with FSR set to 'Performance'. It's like a close race where the 5080 is in the lead, but not by much.

Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most demanding games, and at 4K with Ray Tracing Ultra and DLSS set to 'performance', the RTX 5080 gets 93 fps, compared to 87 from the 4080 Super and 84 from the RTX 4080. That's just an 11% gen-on-gen improvement. It's like a slow and steady climb, not a sudden jump.

In Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition, the RTX 5080 almost hit the golden standard, netting 58 fps, compared to 53 fps from the RTX 4080. That's a 10% generational lead. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 5080 gets 127 fps at 4K with max settings, compared to 122 fps for the RTX 4080 Super and 120 fps for the 4080. It's like a game where everyone is performing well, but the 5080 is just a bit ahead.

Total War: Warhammer 3 showed one of the 5080's strongest showings, getting 92 fps to the RTX 4080's 76. That's a massive 21% jump in performance. It's like a game where the 5080 is clearly the winner. However, in Assassin's Creed Mirage, the RTX 5080 was only 4% faster than the 4080, likely due to driver issues. It's like a game where the 5080 is having a bad day.

Black Myth Wukong showed similar scaling to Cyberpunk 2077, with the RTX 5080 getting 74 fps at 4K with the Cinematic preset, compared to 68 from the RTX 4080, making for a 9% difference. Finally, in Forza Horizon 5, the RTX 5080 was surprisingly faster, getting 171 fps at 4K with the Extreme preset, compared to 146 fps from the RTX 4080. That's a 17% performance increase. It's like a game where the 5080 is showing its true potential.

Conclusion

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 isn't the most exciting graphics card, especially compared to previous generations. However, it's still a solid performer, especially at 4K. If you've been waiting to upgrade, now might be the time, especially if you can find it at its suggested $999 price tag. It's not a revolution, but it's a worthwhile evolution.