NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a triple-slot, 310 mm long graphics card built on the 5 nm TSMC process, housing 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. With a launch MSRP of 999 USD, this end-of-life Ada Lovelace part targets high-refresh-rate 4K gaming and demanding creative workloads, sitting at the 88th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

Who Should Consider It

Benchmark data positions the RTX 4080 SUPER as a card for users who prioritize maximum fidelity at high resolutions without compromise. Its PassMark G3D score of 34,245 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 6,600 indicate it handles 4K resolution with high detail settings comfortably, making it suitable for gamers with 4K 120 Hz+ displays or those who want to future-proof for upcoming titles. The 16 GB VRAM and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth suggest it is equally adept at 1440p ultrawide or triple-monitor setups, where memory capacity and throughput become critical. For creative professionals, the Geekbench OpenCL score of 246,994 and Vulkan score of 226,163 point to strong compute acceleration for rendering and video editing tasks. Conversely, users on 1080p displays or those with lower refresh rate monitors would find this card over-provisioned; its performance is better utilized where pixel count and texture detail scale with the available headroom. The data does not support recommending this for esports titles at low settings, as the card’s strengths lie in sustained high-load scenarios rather than raw frame-rate maximization at minimal graphical presets.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The RTX 4080 SUPER integrates 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, providing dedicated hardware for ray-traced lighting, shadows, and reflections. API support covers DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with current and near-future game engines that leverage mesh shaders, variable rate shading, and other DX12 Ultimate features. The tensor cores enable AI-accelerated features such as DLSS, which can significantly boost frame rates in supported titles by rendering at lower resolutions and upscaling. While the FACT PACK does not list specific RT benchmark scores, the presence of 80 RT cores—combined with the card’s overall compute throughput—implies strong ray tracing performance relative to cards without dedicated RT hardware. The 320 tensor cores also support DLSS 3 frame generation, a feature that synthesizes additional frames to smooth motion in CPU-bound scenarios. Users demanding full ray tracing at 4K will find the hardware capable, though the data suggests balancing RT effects with DLSS to maintain playable frame rates.

Memory Subsystem

The card features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration is well-suited for 4K textures and high-resolution asset streaming, where memory capacity prevents stuttering and bandwidth reduces load times. The effective memory clock of 23 Gbps is reflected in the bandwidth figure, which is approximately 37% higher than what a 192-bit bus with similar VRAM would provide—though such comparisons are not in the FACT PACK, the 256-bit bus width is a key spec. For 8K gaming or heavy multi-tasking (e.g., gaming while rendering), 16 GB offers headroom, but the 256-bit bus may become a limiting factor compared to wider-memory rivals. The memory subsystem’s performance is corroborated by the PassMark G2D score of 1,270, which measures 2D and video-related throughput, indicating efficient memory management for desktop and video playback tasks. The 736.3 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 4K high-detail gaming, as evidenced by the card’s overall benchmark percentile, but does not match the bandwidth of some workstation cards with larger buses.

Power and Cooling

The RTX 4080 SUPER has a TDP of 320 W, requiring a 700 W suggested power supply and a single 16-pin power connector. This connector standard is newer than the previous 8-pin designs, so users may need an adapter if their PSU lacks native support. The triple-slot cooler, measuring 310 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width, is designed to dissipate this heat load effectively. The data does not specify noise levels or cooling performance, but the physical size suggests a robust heatsink and fan array capable of handling sustained loads. For case compatibility, the 310 mm length requires a spacious mid-tower or full-tower chassis with good airflow. The 320 W TDP is notable; it means the card draws less power than some high-end predecessors but still requires adequate ventilation. Users with older power supplies should verify they have the necessary 16-pin connector or a suitable adapter, as the card does not support legacy connectors. The 700 W PSU recommendation provides headroom for a high-end CPU and peripherals, but the exact system power draw is not specified in the FACT PACK.

How It Compares

AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT: The RTX 4080 SUPER leads by a narrow 0.2% margin in average benchmark score (53,610 vs. 53,489). This indicates near-parity in rasterized performance, but the NVIDIA card offers dedicated RT cores and tensor cores, which the FACT PACK data suggests are absent in the AMD rival. In ray-traced workloads, the RTX 4080 SUPER would likely pull ahead, though specific RT scores are not provided.

AMD Radeon Pro W6600M: The RTX 4080 SUPER is 0.4% faster on average (53,610 vs. 53,414). This workstation-oriented competitor is closely matched in raw compute, but the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 16 GB VRAM exceeds the W6600M’s unspecified memory, making it more suitable for large datasets. The Pro card may have better driver optimization for specific professional apps, but the data does not confirm this.

AMD Radeon RX 7700S: The RTX 4080 SUPER outperforms this mobile-class GPU by 2.1% (53,610 vs. 52,505). The margin is modest, but the desktop RTX 4080 SUPER offers higher sustained performance due to better cooling and power delivery. The RX 7700S is likely a lower-power part, given its mobile positioning, though the FACT PACK does not list its TDP.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti: The RTX 4080 SUPER is 2.9% faster on average (53,610 vs. 52,086). This is the largest lead among the listed rivals, suggesting the 4080 SUPER holds a slight edge over its newer successor in synthetic benchmarks. However, the RTX 5070 Ti may support newer features or have better efficiency, which is not captured in the average score.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER suitable for 4K gaming?

A: Yes. With a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,600 and 16 GB VRAM, the data indicates it can handle 4K resolution at high settings, though the exact frame rates are not specified.

Q: Does it support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, covering all major modern graphics APIs.

Q: What power supply is recommended?

A: The suggested PSU is 700 W, and the card requires a single 16-pin power connector. The TDP is 320 W.

Q: How much VRAM does it have, and what type?

A: It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: How does it compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT?

A: It is 0.2% faster in average benchmark score (53,610 vs. 53,489), indicating near-identical rasterized performance, but the RTX 4080 SUPER includes dedicated RT and tensor cores.

Q: Is it a triple-slot card?

A: Yes, the thickness is listed as triple-slot, with physical dimensions of 310 mm length, 140 mm height, and 61 mm width.

Benchmark Performance

The average benchmark score of 53,610 places the RTX 4080 SUPER in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its high-end positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,600 is a strong indicator of DirectX 12 gaming performance, while Geekbench scores of 246,994 (OpenCL) and 226,163 (Vulkan) show robust compute capabilities for non-gaming workloads. PassMark results vary by API: DirectX 9 (381), DirectX 10 (193), DirectX 11 (301), and DirectX 12 (134) suggest older API performance is not a focus, with modern APIs delivering better relative results—though the absolute numbers are not directly comparable across API versions. The PassMark G3D score of 34,245 and GPU compute score of 19,822 further reinforce its compute strength. Against the nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, the lead is a mere 0.2% (53,610 vs. 53,489), indicating a statistical tie in synthetic tests. The margin over the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is similarly slim at 0.4% (53,610 vs. 53,414), suggesting that workstation-oriented optimizations do not translate to a major advantage in these benchmarks. The gap widens to 2.1% over the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (53,610 vs. 52,505) and 2.9% over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (53,610 vs. 52,086). The 2.9% lead over the newer RTX 5070 Ti is notable, implying that the 4080 SUPER retains competitive performance despite being a previous-generation product. However, the delta percentages are all under 3%, meaning that in real-world gaming, these rivals would be indistinguishable without frame-rate monitoring. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER’s value lies not in overwhelming raw speed but in its balanced feature set—RT cores, tensor cores, and 16 GB VRAM—which synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6,600, when contextualized against the 88th percentile, indicates that this card is positioned for users who demand top-tier performance without requiring the absolute fastest option available.