'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAACgWgP/xAAiEAABAgYBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwQAAQUREiMGBxMUFZL/2gAIAQEAAT8A5YjU21F60qtXZgZqtybbz1ag+YomfpmHdKZKeOnkV73njKP/xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAECAQE/AH//xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAEDAQE/AH//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The RTX 5080 and RTX 4080 are high-end 4K gaming graphics cards introduced to target the premium market. They are both packed to the brim with the latest hardware and technologies like DLSS, allowing for no-compromises experiences in the most demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2. However, you will have to spend dearly on your rendering hardware to get such performance metrics.
In this article, we have compared the two 80-class GPUs in terms of their hardware details and performance details.
Note: Some aspects of this article contain the personal and subjective opinions of the writer.
The Nvidia RTX 5080 and 4080 rank among the most capable 4K GPUs
The RTX 5080 and 4080 are some of the most capable GPUs ever made. They target premium 4K gaming performance in the $1,000 range with beefed-up hardware that is capable of ray tracing, path tracing, multi-frame generation, and other cutting-edge hardware.
Trending
Specs comparison
In terms of the underlying specs, both the RTX 5080, the 4080 Super, and the 4080 are filled to the brim with graphics hardware. All three of the cards pack 16 GB of VRAM, with the newer 5080 packing GDDR7 memory standard, which delivers extra memory bandwidth for even better performance.
However, unlike the flagship 5090, the 80-class offering doesn't push much higher than its weight class. The core counts have received minor boosts, which makes the Blackwell card seem like an incremental upgrade over the last generation instead of a substantial overhaul.
Over the board, the new AI-based technologies like multi-frame generation and transformer model-based upscaling do most of the weight-lifting to justify the new launch. However, most of these features will also be available on the 4080. The gains won't be as high given the lack of hardware optimizations the Blackwell card ships with.
Here's a look at the hardware specs of the three GPUs side-by-side:
In terms of pricing, the RTX 5080 is pegged at the same $999 as the last-gen 4080 Super. This makes both GPUs cheaper than the 4080's launch MSRP of $1,199. At this price, the card is still extremely expensive and is only meant for high-end gamers looking for the best experience.
Read more: Dell Alienware X16 RTX 4080 review
Performance comparison
In terms of raw rasterization prowess, the 5080 is barely faster than the last generation. However, you won't face any major problems while playing the latest titles given how powerful both cards already are.
Regarding gaming performance, the 5080 manages about 5-10% more performance than the last generation. The real difference is visible with DLSS 4 turned on. However, there's a big asterisk of added latency, visual artifacts, and loss of fidelity.
Here's a look at how the GPUs perform in the latest titles. The numbers are sourced from the YouTube channel ElAnalistaDeBits.
As evident from the performance table, the 50 series cards can only be justified when we turn DLSS 4 on. For single-player narrative-driven games, the caveats of DLSS aren't noticeable much. Given how good Nvidia's AI sorcery has gotten, most gamers won't be able to tell the difference anyway.
Nvidia RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080: Final thoughts
Overall, the RTX 5080 and 4080 both are some of the most powerful GPUs in the market. However, the gen-on-gen difference between the two isn't big enough to justify an upgrade. While choosing between the two, the 5080 is a better recommendation, as it supports DLSS 4 and a better balance between CUDA and Tensor cores that enables higher framerate gains with AI.
Additionally, the GPU is based on the PCIe Gen 5 standard and pairs GDDR7 memory, which makes it better suited to last a few years.
