NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080 has been in the market for quite some time. But it is still one of the better GPUs for 1440p or 4K gaming in terms of price to performance. It’s not as expensive or fast as the best RTX 3080 Ti, but it offers good performance at higher resolution. These past few weeks, prices of the RTX cards have been dropping. Do not buy an RTX 3080 card if it’s more than ~$900 USD. Some third-party (re)sellers are still pricing these cards high, avoid them. Just like the other GPUs, there are plenty of RTX 3080 variants from different AIC partners. But there is only a handful that can be considered the best of the best. Below are some of the best GeForce RTX 3080 available in the market.
UPDATE 2/15/2023: I thought that the RTX 3080 graphics cards would be discounted by now. However, when I check the current market prices, these RTX 3080 are still selling at around $800 to even $1,000 USD. If that’s the case, consider the latest RTX 4080 instead. Check out some of the best RTX 4080 graphics cards here.
TL ;DR – Best GeForce RTX 3080 Graphics Cards (Yet)
Here are the best RTX 3080 graphics cards in alphabetical order. These cards are just the first few variants and there may be more coming soon.
| Model | Boost Clock | Memory Speed | Cooler Type | Size | PCIe Connectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus ROG Strix RTX 3080 Gaming OC | 1905 MHz | 19500 MHz | Triple axial-tech fans | 12.53" x 5.51" x 2.27" | 3x 8-pin |
| Asus GeForce RTX 3080 TUF Gaming | 1710 MHz | 19000 MHz | Triple axial-tech fans | 11.8" x 4.99" x 2.03" | 2x 8-pin |
| EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra Gaming | 1800 MHz | 19000 MHz | Triple fan iCX3 tech | 11.81" x 5.38" | 3x 8-pin |
| Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3080 Xtreme 10G | 1905 MHz | 19000 MHz | Triple fan | 12.56" x 5.5" x 2.76" | 3x 8-pin |
| MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G | 1815 MHz | 19000 MHz | Triple fan Tri-Frozr 2 | 12.72" x 5.51" x 2.20" | 3x 8-pin |
| MSI GeForce RTX 3080 SUPRIM X | 1905 MHz | 19000 MHz | Triple fan Tri-Frozr 2s | 13.23" x 5.51" x 2.40" | 3x 8-pin |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition | 1710 MHz | 19000 MHz | Dual fan Flow-through | 11.2" x 4.4" | 1x 12-pin (2x 8-pin) |
For those who are uninitiated or not familiar with the graphics card in general; all of these RTX 3080 cards are powered by the same 8nm GPU on their PCB. The main difference will be on the clock speeds, cooling design/performance, the looks and aesthetics of the graphics card, power draw and connectors used.
Basically speaking, all GeForce RTX 3080 are based on NVIDIA’s latest Ampere architecture; with 8704 CUDA cores and 10GB of GDDR6X memory.
The boost clock speed and the cooling performance are the two major factors that generally affect the performance of a graphics card. Higher the boost clock speed combined with better cooling design generally results in higher and faster performance. That’s why some cards perform better, even though they are technically the same “RTX 3080”.
Some GeForce RTX 3080 Benchmarks
Below are some benchmark results from our review of the MSI RTX 3080 SUPRIM X to give you an idea how fast an RTX 3080 is.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
Up next is the EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra Gaming graphics card. Not only is this one of the best RTX 3080, but I think this is also one of the “sexiest” graphics cards in the current generation. Just look at those curves and that eye-catching redlining (lipstick) on the front and rear portion of the card.
EVGA’s FTW3 (Ultra) graphics cards feature the company’s latest iCX3 cooling technology and ARGBW LED lighting that is visible on its front-side. The FTW3 Ultra will occupy 2.75 slots, but will only require two PCI slots to mount the card. You can watch more of its features below.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW Ultra Gaming is available on Amazon.com here.
Asus GeForce RTX 3080 TUF Gaming
The Asus TUF Gaming RTX 3080 graphics card offers the best balance of performance and style. This card can’t be considered an “entry-level” or the “budget variant” among Asus’ lineup. Asus has the RTX 30 Dual series and Turbo series (blower-style) that are typically cheaper. Both the Dual and Turbo series doesn’t have the best cooling solution either, which is crucial if you want to maximize the GPU’s performance.
Like the Asus ROG Strix variant, the TUF RTX 3080 also features a triple Axial-tech fan design with dual ball bearings. It doesn’t have any RGB-bling like the Strix. But there is a small RGB lighting on the rear-front-side for the TUF Gaming logo. Performance-wise, it is not that far from the ROG Strix as well; and the TUF variant offers the best value for money compared to the Strix 3080.
Asus GeForce RTX 3080 TUF Gaming is available on Amazon.com here
Asus ROG Strix RTX 3080 Gaming OC
Since this is in alphabetical order, the first on the list is the Asus ROG STRIX RTX 3080 Gaming OC graphics card. Historically speaking, Asus’ ROG Strix graphics cards have been the more popular lineup from the company. It features a striking look with gamer-centric aesthetics and design. They do have other variants like the TUF and Dual graphics cards.
It features three axial-tech fans, and interestingly the center fan rotates in the opposite direction. Underneath the fans is a large aluminum heat spreader; with a 2.9-slot footprint. This is one big chunky graphics card if you ask me. Let’s not forget the RGB lighting on its front-side. Because what is a gaming graphics card without RGB? More RGB means more FPS (joke)!
Asus ROG Strix RTX 3080 Gaming OC Edition is available on Amazon.com here
The Asus Strix RTX 3080 is also available in a Limited Edition Asus Strix RTX 3080 EVA edition on Amazon.com here.
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3080 Xtreme / Master 10G
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 SUPRIM X 10G
The SUPRIM series is MSI’s flagship graphics card variant. It has a dual BIOS feature, enabling users to toggle between Gaming and Silent mode. But when I reviewed the RTX 3080 SUPRIM X, I found that it’s best to stick with the Gaming mode since the card runs silent even in this mode.
Not to mention, there is a small performance bump from Gaming to Silent mode. This is due to the fans being a bit more aggressive, resulting in better temps. And better temps means more room for the GPU to boost higher and sustain it longer.
The MSI RTX 3080 SUPRIM X features an (almost) all-metal design. It is built with a TRI FROZR 2S cooling system that is slightly better than the Gaming X Trio’s cooler. The card itself is bigger and heavier compared to the Gaming X Trio. Not to mention its thermal power limit is a bit higher compared to most of the RTX 3080 in the market. This enables to card to boost higher and longer, resulting in a bit more (FPS) performance compared to other 3080 cards.
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 SUPRIM X listed on Amazon.com here.
With the release of the RTX 30 series graphics card, Gigabyte is introducing an EAGLE variant aside from the usual Gaming OC graphics card. However, Gigabyte’s best component is usually not under Gigabyte branding. Their best is usually under the Aorus brand. And Gigabyte’s best RTX 3080 is the Aorus GeForce RTX 3080 XTREME 10G graphics card.
Gigabyte has not disclosed most of the specs of the Aorus RTX 3080 Xtreme yet. However, this is definitely one “thicc” graphics card; more or less a 3-slot card. It features a triple-fan design with the center fan spinning in the opposite direction. By the way, if I am not mistaken, Gigabyte is the first to implement an alternate spinning fan.
The Aorus RTX 3080 XTREME also has RGB lighting, but I think the most interesting part is its (OLED) display. There is a display at the rear-end side of the graphics card that shows the GPU’s current temperature. That’s definitely a good feature to have. Check out the video below.
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3080 Master is available on Amazon.com here
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X/Z Trio 10G
MSI will be releasing a Gaming (X) Trio and Ventus variant for their first wave of RTX 3080 cards. Currently, the best RTX 3080 from MSI is the Gaming X Trio 10G model. And I think this could also be one of the fastest RTX 3080 in the market as well.
I previously wrote an article about the EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra Gaming being the fastest, thanks to its 1800MHZ clock speed. However, when I checked the specifications of the MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G, it has a boost clock speed of 1815MHz. That’s just a tiny bit faster than EVGA’s. The only question is if the Gaming X Trio’s cooling design can sustain that speed.
The MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio features the company’s Tri Frozr 2 thermal system. It features three Torx Fan 4.0, precision-machined Core pipes, and wave-curved 2.0 fins for improved airflow dynamic that reduces noise. Note: The Gaming “Z” variant has a slightly higher clock speeds than the “X” variant.
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X/Z Trio is available on Amazon.com here.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition
Last but definitely not least is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition graphics card. Unlike NVIDIA’s previous design, their Founders Edition cards or the reference card have significantly improved; especially the cooling capabilities.
By the way, the RTX 30 series Founders Edition is NOT a reference card. It features a custom-designed PCB and cooling solution. That’s why the unique V-shape PCB and the 12-pin PCIe power connector is exclusive to NVIDIA’s Founders Edition alone. So, be careful if you plan to water cool an RTX 3080; the GPU water block might not be compatible with the Founders Edition.
Despite having only two fans on the RTX 3080, NVIDIA has implemented a new flow-through design. And the card itself is mostly composed of aluminum fins that cool the GPU and other components. Now the RTX 3080 FE has a boost clock speed of 1710MHz. This is definitely not the fastest around. But why did I consider this as one of the best RTX 3080 graphics cards?
From a design stand-point, I know that the Founders Edition is a premium graphics card. It doesn’t have a gamer-vibe to it, but it’s definitely more professional and clean looking. Perhaps elegant, and I think the design is simply exquisite. I’m excited to see how this card performs.
Check NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition on Amazon.com here
Which GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card is the best for you? What design or model do you like more? Or if you want something faster, you might want to check the best RTX 3080 Ti or go all in on the best RTX 3090 Ti graphics card.
