NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 SUPER are two nearly identical graphics cards built on the same AD103 chip and Ada Lovelace architecture. Both hold the 86th percentile among all GPUs, and their average benchmark scores are separated by only 0.1% — the RTX 4080 posts an average of 54,247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209. The head-to-head benchmark results show a perfect 5–5 split in wins, making this one of the closest comparisons in the GeForce 40-series lineup. The differences are real but subtle, manifesting in specific API workloads rather than a universal performance gap.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4080 SUPER takes the lead in modern DirectX 12 and compute-oriented workloads. Its clearest win comes in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 6,600 against the RTX 4080’s 6,567 — a 0.5% advantage. It also wins in Geekbench OpenCL with 219,065 versus 214,739, a 2% margin that suggests better raw compute throughput under OpenCL. In legacy DirectX 9, the SUPER scores 381 against 370, a 2.9% edge, and in 2D rasterization (PassMark G2D) it posts 1,270 versus 1,239, a 2.4% gain. The SUPER’s final win is in PassMark DirectX 12, where it scores 134 versus 132, a 1.5% lead.

The RTX 4080, conversely, dominates in Vulkan and several PassMark legacy DirectX tests. Its most substantial victory is in PassMark DirectX 10, scoring 204 against 193 — a 5.7% lead. It repeats that margin in GPU compute, with 20,671 versus 19,822, a 4.3% advantage. In DirectX 11, the RTX 4080 wins 314 to 301, a 4.3% gap. Its Vulkan performance is notable: Geekbench Vulkan shows 263,779 versus 260,075, a 1.4% win. Finally, in PassMark G3D, the RTX 4080 edges ahead with 34,457 versus 34,245, a 0.6% margin.

The pattern is clear: the RTX 4080 SUPER excels in newer APIs (DX12, OpenCL) and 2D tasks, while the RTX 4080 retains an edge in Vulkan and older DirectX 10/11 paths. For users targeting DX12-heavy modern games, the SUPER is marginally better; for Vulkan titles or legacy compatibility, the original RTX 4080 holds its ground.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the same fundamental architecture: Ada Lovelace on TSMC’s 5 nm process, with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.1M per mm². The chip is identical (AD103) for both. The differences arise in the configuration and clock speeds of that chip.

The RTX 4080 SUPER enables more of the AD103 silicon. It has 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, 80 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores. The RTX 4080 is slightly cut down, with 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, 76 RT cores, and 304 tensor cores. Both retain 112 ROPs. This means the SUPER has 5.3% more shading units and RT cores, and 5.6% more TMUs and tensor cores.

Clock speeds also favor the SUPER. Its base clock is 2,295 MHz and boost is 2,550 MHz, against the RTX 4080’s 2,205 MHz base and 2,505 MHz boost. The memory subsystem is similarly enhanced: the SUPER runs GDDR6X at 1,438 MHz (23 Gbps effective), yielding 736.3 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 4080 runs at 1,400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective) for 716.8 GB/s. Both have 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus.

The resulting compute throughput is higher on the SUPER: 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 versus 48.74 TFLOPS, a 7.1% increase. Pixel rate rises to 285.6 GPixel/s from 280.6 GPixel/s, and texture rate to 816.0 GTexel/s from 761.5 GTexel/s. Despite the higher clocks and core counts, both cards have identical power specifications: 320 W TDP, triple-slot width, a single 16-pin connector, and a 700 W suggested PSU.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single benchmark gap favors the RTX 4080 in PassMark DirectX 10, where it scores 204 versus 193 — a 5.7% advantage. This is the kind of margin that suggests the RTX 4080’s lower core count but potentially different scheduling yields better results in that older API. The same card wins PassMark GPU Compute with 20,671 versus 19,822, a 4.3% lead, and matches that percentage in DirectX 11 (314 vs 301).

The RTX 4080 SUPER’s biggest win is in Geekbench OpenCL, where its 219,065 score beats 214,739 by 2%. It also leads in PassMark DirectX 9 by 2.9% (381 vs 370) and in PassMark G2D by 2.4% (1,270 vs 1,239). In modern 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the SUPER’s win is narrow — 6,600 vs 6,567, a 0.5% margin.

The Vulkan result is interesting: the RTX 4080 wins Geekbench Vulkan 263,779 to 260,075, a 1.4% lead, despite having fewer cores. This suggests the RTX 4080’s driver or architectural configuration handles Vulkan’s explicit control model more efficiently. Similarly, in PassMark G3D, the RTX 4080 wins 34,457 to 34,245, a 0.6% edge, which is within typical run-to-run variance but consistent across the aggregate.

The average benchmark scores tell a slightly different story: the RTX 4080 averages 54,247, which is 0.1% higher than the SUPER’s 54,209. This is a negligible difference, effectively a statistical tie. The nearest rivals list confirms this, showing both cards within 0.1% of each other, with the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54,828 (1.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55,698 (2.6% higher).

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 has a marginally higher average score of 54,247, compared to the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 54,209 — a difference of 0.1%.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 SUPER always win in modern DX12 workloads?

A: No. It wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (6,600 vs 6,567) and PassMark DirectX 12 (134 vs 132), but loses in PassMark DirectX 11 (301 vs 314) and PassMark DirectX 10 (193 vs 204).

Q: Which card is better for Vulkan performance?

A: The RTX 4080 wins in Geekbench Vulkan with 263,779 versus 260,075, a 1.4% lead.

Q: What is the core count difference between the two?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has 10,240 shading units and 80 RT cores, while the RTX 4080 has 9,728 shading units and 76 RT cores. Both have 112 ROPs.

Q: Are the power requirements identical?

A: Yes. Both have a 320 W TDP, a single 16-pin power connector, and a 700 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER offers 736.3 GB/s, while the RTX 4080 provides 716.8 GB/s — a 2.7% improvement for the SUPER.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in clock speeds, core configurations, and memory rates. The RTX 4080 SUPER has a base clock of 2,295 MHz and boost of 2,550 MHz, versus the RTX 4080’s 2,205 MHz base and 2,505 MHz boost. Shading units are 10,240 on the SUPER versus 9,728, and TMUs are 320 versus 304. RT cores are 80 versus 76, and tensor cores are 320 versus 304. The SUPER’s memory runs at 1,438 MHz (23 Gbps effective) versus 1,400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective), yielding bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s versus 716.8 GB/s.

Compute rates reflect these changes: the SUPER achieves 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 versus 48.74 TFLOPS, a 7.1% increase. Pixel rate is 285.6 GPixel/s versus 280.6 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 816.0 GTexel/s versus 761.5 GTexel/s. All other specifications are identical: 16 GB GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, 112 ROPs, 320 W TDP, triple-slot width, single 16-pin connector, 700 W suggested PSU, PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, and the same display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a). Both cards are end-of-life, share the same 379 mm² die size, and are built on the same 5 nm TSMC process. The RTX 4080 was released on 2022-09-19, while the SUPER followed on 2024-01-30.