Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
I suspect the RTX 4080 Super will be unsatisfying to some people . That does n’t make much sense , considering the RTX 4080 Super will replace the floor RTX 4080 , but for a marketplace fixated on generational improvements and diminished pct wins , it looks like a unsatisfying GPU .
Nvidia set the cake low , claim carrying out improvements in the low single digits . The trial run I run for ourRTX 4080 Super reviewshow even diminished increase — around 1 % on average , often round up from less than a undivided per centum tip . So , what ’s so super about this supposed Super refresh ?
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
It ’s all about the price . The RTX 4080 Super is $ 200 cheaper than the base model , come in at $ 1,000 . operation matters — if the RTX 4080 Super was purely dull , that would be a problem — but it weigh so much less than price . The RTX 4080 ’s renewed lease on life at its new terms brings up a innkeeper of interesting questions about how authoritative value is for GPUs , and how performance always require more setting .
No bad GPUs
There are very few truly bad GPUs . fresh entries on the list of theworst GPUs of all timeare few and far between , and in each genesis , we might only see one rightfully bad graphics card . The most late example that comes to judgement isAMD ’s RX 6500 XT , which struggled in functioning due to its PCIe configuration .
In most cases , GPUs are unsatisfying because the price and operation are out of form . When reviewing a GPU , the focus is almost entirely on price and public presentation , and how that proportion is balanced . I ’ve written previously abouthow crucial toll isfor a GPU review , and that remains true today . Other elements of a computer graphic card are loose to overcome . Too loud or live ? Buy a card from a unlike brand with a better cooler . Is it too big to fit in your case ? Seek out a low - visibility model .
There are other thing to talk about — look like VRAM , which has been a focal point of GPU brushup over the past twelvemonth , and architecture , which dictates how the card will behave in unlike destiny . It all boil down to execution in these cases , though . When we see problems , it ’s commonly large architectural issues that plague an intact propagation of graphics posting , or asinine design determination to save a bit of Johnny Cash ( I ’m looking at you , RX 6500 XT ) .
Under normal context , it ’s all about the proportion between terms and operation . Make no mistake , a price reduction can turn a bad GPU into a unspoilt one . That ’s exactly the billet the RTX 4080 Super is in .
The original RTX 4080 was n’t a good card . It was crazily fast , but it represent a monumental generational price increase . The deed of myoriginal RTX 4080 reviewwas “ the mathematics does n’t sum up up , ” and that obtain truthful . At $ 1,200 , the scorecard was 25 % cheaper than the RTX 4090 and 30 % slow . I ’d await to see those numbers swapped when liken two high - end GPUs . You usually get more for your dollar bill as you move down the production line , not less .
Now , the RTX 4080 Super is 38 % cheaper and around 24 % slower . It correct the value dynamic that was so off before by delivering more public presentation for each buck you pass compare to the most expensive GPU has Nvidia has .
The competitive landscape
Nvidia does n’t exist in a vacuum , and there ’s still AMD to contend with . The RTX 4080 not only struggled due to its note value drop compare to the RTX 4090 , but also the time value proposition equate toAMD ’s RX 7900 XTX . At release , the RX 7900 XTX was 17 % cheaper than the RTX 4080 while being around 5 % deadening . That includesray tracinggames , too . If you ignore those , the RX 7900 XTX is in reality a bit faster .
It ’s not an unfamiliar situation for Nvidia and AMD . Team Red comes in at a low-toned price for a slight sacrifice in performance , while Nvidia charges more for an overall more premium experience boosted by features likeDLSS 3.5 .
The trade - off just was n’t worth it before . With the RX 7900 XTX come in at $ 1,000 and the RTX 4080 at $ 1,200 , you ’d have to save up a good chunk of variety for largely similar operation . The dynamic between these two GPUs really boiled down to this : Is DLSS 3.5 deserving $ 200 to you ? And it most type , it was n’t .
Now , the RX 7900 XTX still costs $ 1,000 , while other AMD GPUs like the RX 7900 XT have drop in price since launching . With the RTX 4080 Super now at the same price , it looks a good deal better . You ’re take militant public presentation for the same price , but now Nvidia has the advantage with features .
What a difference price makes
Performance involve more circumstance . Assuming there are n’t overt outlet with a GPU , it ’s always important to contextualize performance with price . If you did n’t , then theRTX 4090would be the best GPU ( the most expensive and powerful ) andAMD ’s RX 7600(the least expensive and powerful ) would be the worst of the current propagation . That ’s manifestly not true . They both reach different performance marks for different price . Each has their place .
With the novel location of the RTX 4080 Super , it ’s a more compelling GPU that it once was . Nvidia did n’t need to change the performance at all , really . The card puts on full presentation how important pricing is when you ’re shopping for a graphics card .
It ’s also an important reminder about how tricky purchasing decisions are when it comes to PC hardware . There ’s a constantly moving scale of price and performance when fresh computer hardware is released and older ironware goes on cut-rate sale , making it tough to know when the right time to strike is . The RTX 4080 Super is proof , at least , that you do n’t have to just accept prices if you do n’t concord with them .
It ’s a good idea to wait on an climb if something seems off with the pricing of the artwork scorecard you ’re concerned in . Hopefully , if there ’s a GPU that you do n’t fit in with the pricing of , it will come down sooner rather than later on .
