Our Verdict
The RTX 4080 Super represents more than just a refresh of its predecessor; it’s a strategic relaunch aimed at addressing the original RTX 4080’s reception. While the card itself doesn’t boast significant performance improvements, it’s the aggressive $200 price cut that stands out, making it a more compelling option for gamers. This adjustment in pricing not only enhances the card’s appeal but also positions it more favorably against stiff competition, particularly from AMD’s RX 7900 XTX, which offers similar performance at a comparable price point.
Pros and Cons
Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the RTX 4080 Super:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Priced at a more understandable level | Still priced too high |
| Great gaming performance | No tangible performance gains over RTX 4080 |
| Super efficient GPU | AMD’s RX 7900 XTX remains stiff competition |
| Lovely matte black shroud |
Performance Analysis
The RTX 4080 Super enters the market with a performance profile that closely mirrors its predecessor, the original RTX 4080. The card’s enhancements in terms of shader count are minimal, leading to negligible performance gains that fall within the margin of error for benchmarking variance. This suggests that the new iteration of the card is not about pushing the envelope in raw performance but rather about offering a more attractive value proposition through its price cut.
When placed head-to-head with the AMD RX 7900 XTX, the RTX 4080 Super shows that it can hold its own, with the competition being particularly fierce in rasterized gaming scenarios. The price cut plays a significant role here, as it makes the RTX 4080 Super generally more affordable than the higher-end, overclocked versions of the RX 7900 XTX, while maintaining competitive performance, especially in ray-traced titles.
Ultimately, the RTX 4080 Super is a testament to strategic pricing and market positioning rather than a leap forward in technological prowess. It’s a move that acknowledges the original RTX 4080’s pricing missteps and aims to correct course in a highly competitive market.
Nvidia RTX 4080 Specs
The RTX 4080 Super is equipped with the full AD103 GPU, which means it comes with all the Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) that the chip can support. This translates to 80 SMs and a total of 10,240 CUDA cores. While these numbers are impressive, they represent only a modest increase from the original RTX 4080, which featured 76 SMs and 9,728 CUDA cores.
In terms of memory, the RTX 4080 Super offers slightly faster GDDR6X memory at 23Gbps compared to the 22.4Gbps of the original card. However, this increase is not substantial enough to make a marked difference in performance. The card also maintains the same amount of L2 cache as its predecessor.
Despite these incremental updates, the RTX 4080 Super’s benchmarks reflect its close kinship with the original RTX 4080, showing only a 2% and 1% increase in performance at 1440p and 4K resolutions, respectively. These marginal improvements are within the expected range of benchmarking variance and do not significantly alter the card’s gaming capabilities.
Overall, the RTX 4080 Super’s specifications and benchmarks solidify its status as a high-performing graphics card, but one whose main attraction is the revised pricing rather than a leap in performance.
The Verdict
The RTX 4080 Super emerges as a strategic relaunch rather than a new frontier in graphics technology. It’s a card that acknowledges the original RTX 4080’s shortcomings, particularly in pricing, and aims to rectify them with a more palatable $999 MSRP. This price adjustment is a significant move, aligning the card’s cost with its silicon composition and performance capabilities relative to the top-tier RTX 4090.
While the RTX 4080 Super may not excite with new performance heights, it does offer a solid gaming experience, especially in 4K with ray tracing. The card’s value is further underscored by its positioning against AMD’s RX 7900 XTX, which remains a formidable competitor. The RTX 4080 Super’s pricing and ecosystem support could tip the scales in its favor for some consumers.
In conclusion, the RTX 4080 Super’s relaunch is a successful recalibration of expectations and market positioning. It’s a powerful graphics card that now sits at a more justifiable price point, making it a viable option for gamers looking to invest in the RTX 40-series without reaching for the top shelf.
