Nvidia currently leads the industry in terms of performance and fidelity alike when it comes to high-end GPUs, thanks to the unsurpassed lead of the powerful RTX 4090 GPU. This comes even as Nvidia has continued to make inroads with its DLSS tech, pushing boundaries when it comes to Ray Tracing on multiple titles. This holds particularly true at the $1000 mark, where the competition has yet to provide an equalizer in terms of hardware.
It has held onto this lead with not only the monstrous performance upgrades the RTX 4090 offers, but also an option that is easier on one’s pocket: the RTX 4080. Nvidia’s penultimate GPU took on AMD’s fastest offering, the RX 7900XTX, trading blows in rasterization while pulling comfortably ahead in ray tracing, an area where AMD has improved significantly generation on generation, yet still lags behind Team Green.
Which RTX 4080 SUPER Or RTX 4090 SUPER Should One Get In 2024?
The team at Game Rant offers two regularly updated guides that cater to users looking to purchase an RTX 4090 or its penultimate alternative from Nvidia: The RTX 4080 SUPER.
The Best Overall RTX 4080 SUPER and RTX 4090 SKUs
ASUS TUF GeForce RTX® 4090 OG OC Edition
The ASUS TUF GeForce RTX 4090 OG OC Edition is one of the fastest RTX 4090 SKUs on the market, dwarfed only by its more enthusiast-grade RTX 4090 Strix OC alternative.It borrows design features from the last generation RTX 3000 series TUF GPUs, making for a great contrast for users wanting a choice alternative from the more subtle design the current generation TUF GPU offers.The TUF RTX 4090 OG OC is a mouthful, but so is its performance, which sees the factory overclocked GPU rubbing shoulders with some of the best SKUs in the market with relative ease in 2024.
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER AERO OC 16G
The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER AERO OC 16G is a premium, factory-overclocked, white-themed variant of the RTX 4080 SUPER that carries the high-end AERO moniker.With an excellent tri-fan air cooler supporting a vapor chamber and a decent boost clock speed offering in tow, the all-white Gigabyte AERO OC offers much more than the competition at a premium.
TheASUS TUF GeForce RTX 4090 OG OC Editionis Game Rant’s favorite pick because of what it offers in terms of performance, coming in close to its considerably more expensive Strix OC sibling, while being available at a lower cost than most other factory-overclocked RTX 4090 SKUs.
For gamers looking to pick up the RTX 4080 SUPER, theGIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER AERO OC 16Goffers an excellent factory overclock, a white-themed design, and a large cooler that keeps its temperatures in check while clocking in just $100 over MSRP for the Founders Edition on Amazon at the time of writing that contribute to making it an excellent recommendation currently.
The Best Performance-Centric RTX 4080 SUPER and RTX 4090 SKUs
For users needing the fastest RTX 4080 SUPER or RTX 4090 variants, there are plenty of options available, but two of the best trims currently in play are ASUS’s ROG Strix OC lineup and MSI’s Suprim X lineup, both of which feature extensively on Game Rant’s recommendation lists.
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER OC
To say that the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER OC is a high-end variant of Nvidia’s penultimate consumer-grade GPU is an understatement.The ROG Strix OC is one of, if not the fastest RTX 4080 S units out of there, offering a powerful cooler, some of the best ARGB lighting in the business, and a higher overclock than the competition, making it the best performance-grade RTX 4080 SUPER GPU money can buy currently.
MSI Suprim Liquid X GeForce RTX 4090
One of the more distinct cooling designs on the market, the MSI Suprim Liquid X GeForce RTX 4090 takes the top spot for ray tracing graphics cards. This dual cooling system pays off, allowing the 4090 to maintain a high base speed of over 2640 MHz with relative ease. It can be tweaked to as much as 3000 Mhz and above core clocks in some cases.
TheASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER OCoffers ASUS’s latest vapor chamber-based tri-slot cooler that comes with 3 large fans and a design that offers excellent thermals, a unique aesthetic, and plenty of overclocking potential under the hood, making it arguably one of, if not the fastest RTX 4080 SUPER models out there.
Likewise, while the Strix OC SKU of the RTX 4090 is also an excellent option, it trades at a much larger premium versus other RTX 4090 SKUs. This makes the compact, but highly performantMSI Suprim Liquid X GeForce RTX 4090a great alternative that keeps up with the competition, albeit at a price tag that is much more forgiving than many of its alternatives that can cost another $400-500 for similar results.
Why Is The RTX 4080 SUPER A Game Changer?
A major complaint that most users had with the RTX 4080 was that while it offered a significant performance jump versus the RTX 3090/3090 TI, it paled in comparison to the RTX 4090, which offers more VRAM, nearly identical performance-per-dollar and a much more future-proof next-generation candidate.
When Price Is A Major Factor
Much of this centered around the pricing of the RTX 4080, which had an ask of $1200 for the elusive Founder’s Edition, with most of its aftermarket SKUs trading at a significantly higher price ratio. Compared to this, the RTX 4090 seemed like a clear bargain, clocking in at a $1600 ask for its FE, and aftermarket SKUs that easily trade for $200 or more above that.
In the days after launch, both the RTX 4090 and 4080 were hard to find, especially at MSRP. Users looking for the latter were still less disappointed and, as supplies improved, they could easily find the RTX 4080 on shelves, even as the RTX 4090 remained a rare sight.
Enter The RTX 4080 SUPER: The New Penultimate King
When Nvidia launched the RTX 4080 SUPER at the start of this year, it aimed to correct these issues. The RTX 4080 SUPER received a bump up in CUDA cores, an increased boost clock that would see AIBs push it even further in their OC models, and a matching 5% increase in stream processors and RT cores that see it register just a little above the RTX 4080 in multiple gaming benchmarks.
It also received a much-needed $200 price cut that curried considerable favor among gamers, as Nvidia looked to cater to enthusiasts still on the fence between the RTX 4070 Ti and the RTX 4080 previously, even as AMD offered a more cost-effective solution under $1000 before the RTX 4080S’s launch.
This also kicked off an ongoing debate about what GPU to get for gamers, enthusiasts, and productivity users. The gap between Nvidia’s best GPUs has ballooned from $400 to $600, the performance bump notwithstanding.
How Does The RTX 4080 SUPER Fare Versus The RTX 4090 In 2024?
Users upgrading to the RTX 4080 SUPER or, alternatively, the RTX 4090, would like to know how both GPUs fare against each other. While there is no denying that the RTX 4090 continues to command the top spot, the RTX 4080 SUPER’s positioning does tend to leave users second-guessing if the additional cost is worthwhile.
RTX 4080
RTX 4090
9728
10240
16384
76
80
128
16GB GDDR6X, 256 Bit
24GB GDDR6X, 384 Bit
Version 3, backward compatible
Gen 4.0, backward compatible
4K at 240Hz or 8K at 60Hz with DSC, HDR
$1199
$999
$1599
$950-1100
$1700-1900
For those curious about how the RTX 4080 SUPER and the RTX 4090 compare against each other on a chart (with the now-replaced RTX 4080 thrown in for good measure), the chart above sums up both, the RTX 4080 and the RTX 4080 SUPER’s similarities as well as the RTX 4090’s significant advantage in terms of hardware in addition to the price premium it currently commands as of August 2024.
The RTX 4080 SUPER vs The RTX 4090: Performance Revisited
The Nvidia RTX 4090 continues to be king of the hill when it comes to performance, as it comes with a massive 60% increase in CUDA core counts with faster, higher bandwidth and higher capacity GDDR6X memory. This makes it a more future-proof platform, commanding a significant lead over the RTX 4080 SUPER and its predecessor, the RTX 4080.
It also comes with a 60% increase in RT cores and stream processors (SMs) and commands a maximum TDP of 450W versus the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 320W. All of this combined roughly translates to a performance gain of around 30% over the RTX 4080 SUPER. This is a massive improvement, especially considering GPUs tend to get increasingly expensive as one targets the more premium enthusiast-grade side of the spectrum.
Nvidia’s RTX 4080 SUPER: Enthusiast Grade Value For Money King?
The RTX 4080 SUPER has found favor with gamers looking to splurge on a next-generation GPU without wanting to spend the $1500, or more, that the RTX 4090 goes for. It is powerful enough to warrant a next-generation upgrade, but allows users to spend the money saved on components such as a new CPU, motherboard, or, alternatively, a RAM or SSD upgrade.
At the same time, it is considerably far apart from the RTX 4090 in terms of performance, arguably even to the point that the larger, more powerful Ada Lovelace-based GPU dwarfs it in virtually any side-by-side benchmark comparison. The good news is that the competition is in a similar situation.
AMD’s RX 7900XTX and its lower-end 7900XT GPU do not compete with the RTX 4090, with AMD stating that it did not believe there was a market at the sub-$1500 price tag. While the demand for the RTX 4090 tends to show that, it is not the case for Team Green’s GPU, at least. What this does mean, in a nutshell, is that the RTX 4080 SUPER is still miles ahead of its competition, excepting the RTX 4090, and will be, for the foreseeable future, a viable upgrade option and one to build a platform around.
Finding The RTX 4080 SUPER: Availability Is King
Unlike the RTX 4090 and the RTX 4080, which launched in markets where plenty of scalping and price gouging by retailers, 3rd party sellers, and even individuals ruled the day, the RTX 4080 SUPER has generally seen much better availability. Its availability is arguably even better than the RTX 4090, for certain SKUs that continue trading at a premium over their stated MSRPs.
This allows users to snag a bargain that often saves an extra $50 to 100 or more or allows them to splurge on a more premium option. While there are cheaper RTX 4090 models available that come close to MSRP, it has yet to be seen below the MSRP for a Founder’s Edition, unlike the RTX 4080 SUPER, which often dips down to the $950 mark for a variety of SKUs.
This makes the RTX 4080 SUPER cheaper than the RTX 4090 overall, both in terms of cost and availability alike for gamers looking to score their next GPU upgrade.
While users might have plenty of qualms, and justifiably so when it comes to the pricing of the current generation RTX 4000 series (and to a lesser extent, AMD’s RX 7000 series GPUs), both the RTX 4090 and the RTX 4080 SUPER are well-equipped to power high-fidelity 4K experiences at playable frame rates currently. This is particularly true thanks to them leveraging tech such as Nvidia’s DLSS3/3.5 and upscalers to support titles, while offering users the ability to play the same with Ray Tracing.
While the RTX 4090 is a class apart from the competition, something that is also reflected in its pricing, it does still happen to be the fastest GPU for gaming at the time of writing and one could argue it warrants the premium it trades at. Its AI and workstation applications also come into play for most users, who could also be creators as well as gamers.
The RTX 4080 SUPER fixes the RTX 4080’s pricing and availability problems and is more aggressively positioned to take advantage of users looking for a more moderately priced upgrade from a high-end RTX 3000 series GPU in 2024.
FAQ
Q: Do I Need A New PSU For An RTX 4090?
While Nvidia’s RTX 4090 (and higher-end RTX 4000 series GPUs in general) comes with the newer 12VHPWR connector, it does tend to work with a variety of older PSUs provided they meet the GPU’s power requirements which start at 850W, pushing higher for higher-clocked and custom-cooled AIB variants.
For users getting a new PSU or building a new PC, getting an ATX 3.0 PSU with the new 12VHPWR connector can make life easier in terms of cable management and organization when considering the RTX 4090.
Q: How many more CUDA Cores Does The RTX 4090 Have Versus The RTX 4080 SUPER?
Nvidia’s RTX 4090 has 16384 CUDA cores versus the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 10240. This represents a 60% increase over its lower-end enthusiast-grade sibling.
