The GeForce RTX 4080 is an enthusiast-class graphics card by NVIDIA, launched on September 20th, 2022. Built on the 5 nm process, and based on the AD103 graphics processor, in its AD103-300-A1 variant, the card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. This ensures that all modern games will run on GeForce RTX 4080. Additionally, the DirectX 12 Ultimate capability guarantees support for hardware-raytracing, variable-rate shading and more, in upcoming video games. The AD103 graphics processor is a large chip with a die area of 379 mm² and 45,900 million transistors. Unlike the fully unlocked GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which uses the same GPU but has all 10240 shaders enabled, NVIDIA has disabled some shading units on the GeForce RTX 4080 to reach the product’s target shader count. It features 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. Also included are 304 tensor cores which help improve the speed of machine learning applications. The card also has 76 raytracing acceleration cores. NVIDIA has paired 16 GB GDDR6X memory with the GeForce RTX 4080, which are connected using a 256-bit memory interface. The GPU is operating at a frequency of 2205 MHz, which can be boosted up to 2505 MHz, memory is running at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective).
Being a triple-slot card, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 draws power from 1x 16-pin power connector, with power draw rated at 320 W maximum. Display outputs include: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. GeForce RTX 4080 is connected to the rest of the system using a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 interface. The card’s dimensions are 310 mm x 140 mm x 61 mm, and it features a triple-slot cooling solution. Its price at launch was 1199 US Dollars.
Key Features:
- Ada Lovelace Architecture
- High Count of CUDA Cores
- The RTX 4080 16 GB features thousands of CUDA Cores (around 9,728), delivering extensive parallel processing power for both game rendering and GPU-accelerated tasks in creative software, data processing, and moderate AI workflows.
- Fourth-Generation Tensor Cores
- Facilitates advanced AI operations like DLSS 3, which includes Frame Generation for boosted frame rates. These Tensor Cores also accelerate AI-based content creation tools (denoising, upscaling, style transfer) in professional or hobbyist applications.
- Third-Generation RT Cores
- Elevates ray-tracing performance over previous generations, handling real-time lighting, reflections, and shadows at resolutions up to 4K without bogging down frame rates. Ideal for gamers and designers who demand physically accurate visuals.
- 16 GB of GDDR6X Memory
- GDDR6X VRAM
- Boasts 16 GB of fast GDDR6X memory, offering sufficient capacity for high-resolution textures, large 3D scenes, and multi-stream 4K editing.
- 256-bit Interface & High Bandwidth
- Provides rapid data transfer between memory and GPU cores, helping maintain consistent performance in both gaming and content creation tasks at high resolutions.
- Advanced DLSS and Ray Tracing
- DLSS 3 with Frame Generation
- Tensor Cores enable AI-driven upscaling plus Frame Generation, significantly boosting FPS while preserving (or enhancing) visual clarity, especially in GPU-intensive games at 1440p or 4K.
- Real-Time Ray Tracing
- With third-gen RT cores, the GPU can produce near-cinematic lighting, shadows, and reflections in real time, benefiting both gaming and professional visualization.
- Optimized Cooling and Power Delivery
- Custom Cooling Solutions
- AIB (Add-In Board) partners typically outfit the RTX 4080 with substantial heatsinks, multi-fan or hybrid cooling designs, ensuring stable clock speeds under extended load.
- Power Requirements
- With a TDP typically around 320W, the card may require a reliable power supply (800W+ recommended) and careful chassis airflow, but remains more power-efficient compared to the flagship 4090.
- Advanced Display and Connectivity
- HDMI 2.1 & DisplayPort 1.4a
- Supports up to 4K 120Hz (even 8K at lower refresh rates) on compatible displays, facilitating next-gen visuals for both gaming and productivity.
- NVIDIA G-SYNC & Reflex
- Enhances competitive gaming by minimizing input lag and eliminating screen tearing, ensuring smooth, responsive gameplay on G-SYNC-compatible monitors.
- NVIDIA Studio Drivers (For Creators)
- Performance in Creative Software
- Specialized Studio drivers optimize GPU performance in applications like Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and others, guaranteeing stable workflows and fast rendering.
- AI-Based Creative Tools
- Tensor Cores handle AI-driven features such as auto-reframing in video editing, AI-based color matching, or advanced photo editing tasks.
Applications:
- 4K Gaming & Beyond
- AAA Titles: Allows ultra settings at 4K with high frame rates, especially when combined with DLSS 3.
- Competitive Esports: At lower resolutions (1080p/1440p), the card can deliver extremely high FPS, benefiting from NVIDIA Reflex for reduced latency.
- Professional Content Creation
- 3D Modeling & Rendering: Accelerates physically-based rendering, real-time previews, and large 3D scene manipulations in software like 3ds Max, Maya, or Cinema 4D.
- Video Production: Smoothly handles 4K/8K multi-layer timelines in Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, offloading encoding/decoding tasks to GPU hardware.
- AI and Data Processing
- Light to Moderate AI: Tensor Cores and 16 GB VRAM can handle smaller deep learning models for development or production inference tasks.
- Data Visualization: GPU-accelerated tools (e.g., RAPIDS) benefit from parallel processing, enabling interactive data analytics for moderate data sets.
- VR & AR Experience
- VR Simulations: Ensures stable frame rates for VR gaming or industrial training solutions, while the large memory can store complex, high-fidelity scenes.
Why Choose the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB?
- High-End Performance Without the Flagship Cost
- Delivers near-flagship speeds for 4K gaming and advanced creative tasks but at a lower price and often slightly lower power demands than the RTX 4090.
- Future-Proofing with Ada Lovelace
- Leverages next-gen architecture, supporting advanced features like third-gen ray tracing, DLSS 3, and upcoming driver/engine optimizations.
- 16 GB GDDR6X Memory
- Provides sufficient VRAM for high-resolution textures in gaming, multi-4K editing, or handling large scenes in 3D modeling without excessive swapping.
- AI & Ray-Tracing Powerhouse
- Excels at both real-time ray tracing in gaming and AI-accelerated tasks in content creation, bridging multiple workflows on a single system.
- Versatile Workloads
- Ideal for gamers seeking high FPS in AAA games, content creators needing GPU-accelerated workflows, and AI enthusiasts exploring neural network training or inference.