Professional’s Score
Professionals
- DLSS Multi Body Era is a game-changer in suitable titles, driving snappy new ranges of smoothness by growing body charges fourfold, tightly paced.
- Nice 4K and 1440p efficiency
- Tightly engineered Founders Version mannequin by some means squeezes into a reasonably quiet two-slot design
Cons
- Very small efficiency improve over present RTX 4080 Tremendous outdoors of DLSS 4 video games with Multi Body Era
- A lot slower than RTX 4090, a lot much less the RTX 5090
- Increased energy draw requires a extra succesful energy provide
- 16GB reminiscence capability underwhelms in a $1,000 GPU
Our Verdict
The GeForce RTX 5080 presents negligible enchancment over the 4080 Tremendous’s efficiency, which is a large bummer — but additionally presents a very game-changing characteristic in DLSS 4 Multi Body Era, which supercharges body charges and visible smoothness. It’s positive to be controversial.
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing At this time
“Oh, so that’s why the GeForce RTX 5080 costs less than everyone expected.”
That thought struck my thoughts the moment I noticed the place Nvidia’s new $999 graphics card fell in our gaming benchmarks. The extravagant $1,999 GeForce RTX 5090 managed to make use of a tantalizing mixture of brute pressure and DLSS 4 innovation to bully its technique to the highest of the efficiency charts. The nonetheless costly, but extra attainable RTX 5080 takes a extra reserved strategy, and delivers disappointing efficiency positive aspects in consequence. It’s barely beats the 4080 Tremendous it’s changing, a lot much less the still-ferocious RTX 4090, regardless of being one of the best graphics card out there in its weight class.
That makes DLSS 4, the brand new technology of Nvidia tech that may insert as much as three AI-generated frames between each historically rendered body, much more essential to the RTX 5080. It’s a very magical characteristic to mess around with, sending body charges and visible smoothness hovering, however is it sufficient to make up for a GPU that, frankly, delivers a poor generational efficiency uplift?
Sure, imagine it or not — DLSS 4’s new capabilities supercharge how your video games really feel, imbuing even janky performers with stunning pace and snappiness.
Woof. This one’s going to be sophisticated. Watch Adam and Will’s video beneath for a benchmark-by-benchmark evaluation of all of the exams we’ve run. Right here, we’ll give attention to the important thing particulars that would-be RTX 5080 patrons must know earlier than dropping a cool grand on Nvidia’s newest — and positive to be controversial — fanatic graphics card.
Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5080 isn’t a lot quicker than the 4080 Tremendous
Once we analyzed the RTX 50-series’ tech specs after their reveal, I identified that the RTX 5080 solely has about 10 % extra CUDA cores than the 4080. Structure enhancements, a better energy draw, and the transfer to cutting-edge GDDR7 reminiscence might additionally assist enhance efficiency, however the RTX 5080 wasn’t prone to be a humongous leap ahead.
Sadly, it solely offered an ungainly foot-shuffle ahead in our gaming benchmarks.
Throughout our suite — which makes use of a mixture of totally different recreation engines, genres, and ray tracing ranges — the GeForce RTX 5080 finally ends up simply 15 % quicker at 4K decision than the $999 RTX 4080 Tremendous. (The vanilla 4080 launched at $1,200 earlier than flopping and being changed by the cheaper Tremendous.) That’s deeply disappointing. You hope to see a 25 to 30 % efficiency enchancment in a brand new graphics card technology.
Some video games carry out higher or worse. In Murderer’s Creed Valhalla the uplift was solely 10 %. In Cyberpunk 2077, a recreation developed with deep Nvidia collaboration, the RTX 5080 ran 32 % quicker than the 4080 Tremendous. However typically, count on to see a couple of 15 % uplift in most video games.
The GeForce RTX 5080’s uncooked efficiency is much more disappointing should you’re trying to pair it with a excessive refresh-rate 1440p monitor. At that decision, the 5080 is simply 11.5 % quicker than the 4080 Tremendous on common.
That also makes the RTX 5080 one of the best graphics card round for high-end 4K and 1440p gaming, regardless of the modest gen-on-gen enhance.
From a uncooked rendering perspective, the GeForce RTX 5080 is likely one of the worst generational upgrades in latest reminiscence. This graphics card is barely quicker than its predecessor, and the RTX 5080 falls properly behind final technology’s RTX 4090. That growing old behemoth runs 15 % quicker than the 5080 at 4K.
Sigh. And due to that…
DLSS 4 will make or break the RTX 5080
Watch the Full Nerd gang talk about their DLSS 4 and Multi Body Gen expertise within the time-stamped video above.
The GeForce RTX 5080 has an ace up its sleeve, although: Nvidia’s flat-out superior new DLSS 4 know-how.
Extra particularly, the brand new Multi Body Gen characteristic unique to GeForce RTX 50-series graphics playing cards. It builds atop the Body Era characteristic launched within the 40-series. Whereas the older Body Era inserts a single AI-generated body between two “traditionally” rendered frames to extend body fee, Multi Body Gen inserts as much as three AI generated photos between frames to ship body charges hovering even greater. In the meantime, Nvidia’s mandatory-for-Body-Gen Reflex know-how helps to drive down the latency launched by the AI frames.
It feels fantastic. Enabling MFG makes supported video games (like Cyberpunk and Alan Wake 2) feel and appear a lot smoother. Think about this testimonial from our 5090 assessment:
“PCWorld contributor Will Smith, who is working on a deeper dive into DLSS 4, delivers even stronger praise: He reports that turning on DLSS 4 makes Star Wars Outlaws, a fun third-person game prone to performance concerns, feel just as good as the legendary Doom 2016, which many gamers consider the paragon of fast-action shooters. “It’s like a whole new game,” he stated.”
I’ve hung out tooling across the streets of Night time Metropolis with MFG lively in Cyberpunk 2077. It’s astonishing how rather more {smooth} and quick all the things feels, particularly in a recreation that runs damned {smooth} and quick to start with. It’s revolutionary.
From a uncooked rendering perspective, the GeForce RTX 5080 is likely one of the worst generational upgrades in latest reminiscence.
Multi Body Gen isn’t free, nonetheless, as the wonderful evaluation by {Hardware} Unboxed above drives dwelling. Your inputs don’t have an effect on the AI frames, solely the historically rendered ones. Nvidia Reflex does an admirable job of holding latency — responsiveness — round native ranges even when churning out most AI frames. The complete 4x MFG mode solely provides a handful of milliseconds of latency in comparison with native rendering, in change for DLSS 4’s pleasant visible smoothness. However the best way the sport feels nonetheless depends on these historically rendered frames.
That perception unlocks a number of others. However the important thing one is that this: You want a excessive base body fee — 60fps or extra, ideally 80fps or extra — earlier than turning on MFG to maintain your video games feeling “right.” In the event you go an excessive amount of beneath that, the enter lag turns into rather more noticeable.
Happily, whereas the RTX 5080 presents solely a mediocre improve over the 4080 Tremendous in uncooked efficiency, the efficiency on supply remains to be greater than sufficient to drive that 60- to 80fps “base rate” that’s so vital for cheap latency with Multi Body Gen. Sure, Cyberpunk 2077 operating at 60fps however augmented to run at 240fps with MFG/Reflex nonetheless feels prefer it’s operating round 60fps, however fixed body pacing that comes with operating a recreation so quick simply seems and feels gooooood, man.
Body Era isn’t for everybody. That stated, I’m delicate to latency. I’m a monitor collector who has a 360Hz 1080p panel solely to play aggressive shooters. I’m a freak who can inform {that a} recreation operating at 240fps with MFG doesn’t really feel like a recreation operating at native 240fps, and due to that I’d by no means use Body Era in multiplayer video games. However the tight body pacing and smoother visuals MFG supplies makes attractive single-player video games feel and appear so a lot better that I unabashedly advocate utilizing it when out there, even when it feels minimally “off” at first. It’s that good.
Higher but, DLSS 4 and Multi Body Gen can be out there in 75 video games and apps when the RTX 50-series launches on January 30. A few of them can be precise recreation updates, when you’ll must pressure DLSS 4 through the Nvidia app in others. However you’ll have loads of video games to mess around in.
That’s nice, as a result of DLSS 4 is the defining characteristic of the RTX 5080. In the event you’re not thinking about AI frames by any means, the outdated 4080 Tremendous would in all probability be a greater buy for you, weirdly sufficient.
The RTX 5080 and 5090 are remarkably skinny graphics card contemplating their efficiency ranges.
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
The RTX 5080 is not any RTX 4090 rival
…properly, except you’re operating a DLSS 4 recreation with Multi Body Era lively.
However aside from that, the RTX 4090 nonetheless demolishes the RTX 5080. It winds up being 15 % quicker than the RTX 5080 on common at 4K decision. Often, the xx80 card of a technology clearly beats the xx80 Ti or xx90 tier from the earlier technology, however that’s very a lot not the case right here.
The newer card’s 16GB of GDDR7 reminiscence doesn’t maintain a candle to the RTX 4090’s large 24GB reminiscence buffer both. The 4090’s mondo capability makes it beloved by content material creators and AI execs alike. If you may get by with 16GB, the RTX 5080’s next-gen Blackwell GPU structure managed to return shut to the RTX 4090 in our Procyon AI textual content technology and Adobe Premiere Professional exams, for considerably much less cash. However 16GB simply isn’t sufficient for a lot of execs engaged on essentially the most strenuous duties lately — and whereas our gaming testing didn’t stress the capability, 16GB appears awfully skimpy for a $1,000 graphics card in 2025.
Rattling, Nvidia’s RTX 5080 Founders Version is sweet
In the event you’re fortunate sufficient to snag an RTX 5080 Founders Version, you received’t be disenchanted. Just like the RTX 5090 Founders Version, the RTX 5080 FE wields delightfully superior engineering tips to squeeze the GPU’s would possibly right into a svelte true two-slot bundle. Which means you may cram it into tiny small form-factor builds. Drooooool.
Watch GeForce’s product supervisor clarify its intricacies in our video from CES 2025 beneath.
You’ll little doubt discover a slew of monstrous, triple-slot customized RTX 5080s from Nvidia’s normal board companions. Their expansive heft and cooling setups will certainly preserve the 5080 frostier and quieter than Nvidia’s space-constrained Founders Version, however count on to pay significantly extra in return.
Given its small efficiency improve, I’m unsure that paying a steep premium for a customized RTX 5080 makes a lot sense except you’re a fanatic about sound and temperatures. The Founders Version isn’t particularly scorching or cranky sounding, anyhow.
Extra energy, Captain!
The RTX 5080 has a better TGP score than the 4080, which suggests it attracts extra energy. That further energy can be utilized to assist juice clock speeds, however among the enhance comes from the debut of cutting-edge GDDR7 VRAM quick sufficient to soften faces.
It’s a nothingburger in actuality. The RTX 5080 consumed about 8 % extra vitality than the 4080 Tremendous in our take a look at that logs energy all through a benchmark run. However that barely greater energy draw does pack a tangible distinction: Nvidia says an 850-watt energy provide is required to run the RTX 5080, a 100W enhance over the 4080.
Do you have to purchase the GeForce RTX 5080?
Solely think about the RTX 5080 should you purchase into Nvidia’s AI-fueled imaginative and prescient of the longer term, or should you’re operating a graphics card a number of generations outdated and demand top-notch 4K and 1440p gaming efficiency. Regardless of the small efficiency bump, that is the quickest graphics card within the $999 weight class.
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
DLSS 4’s Multi Body Era characteristic should be seen (and felt) to be believed. On PCWorld’s Full Nerd podcast, we in contrast the leap from Single Body to Multi Body Era to the leap from DLSS 1 to DLSS 2. When each applied sciences first got here out, they confirmed promise however had loads of tough edges. With DLSS 2, players agreed that Nvidia nailed it. And whereas it’s not fairly good, Multi Body Era nails it. As soon as extra players get their Dorito-stained paws on RTX 50-series playing cards, and are capable of device round with MFG in 75+ video games and apps, I wouldn’t be stunned if all of the furor over “fake frames” on-line dies down fairly a bit. It’s a literal recreation changer.
However Nvidia is in bother this technology if the plenty don’t embrace Multi Body Era. As a result of in terms of conventional gaming efficiency, the RTX 5080 is not any recreation changer although it’s extra highly effective than all the things in need of the RTX 4090.
It’s a reasonably damned horrible generational improve, really. Eking out a mere 11 to fifteen extra render efficiency than the RTX 4080 Tremendous, on the similar value, at a better energy draw, isn’t compelling by any means. It may well’t come wherever near final gen’s 4090. In the event you don’t like AI-generated frames — possibly you’re delicate to latency, otherwise you give attention to aggressive video games, or you detest the thought of AI frames doubtlessly introducing visible glitches — you could possibly even think about choosing up a 4080 Tremendous to get roughly comparable efficiency for much less money.
If Nvidia didn’t have MFG in tow, this might’ve been a scathing assessment for the RTX 5080 itself. However boyyyyy does DLSS 4’s new tips really feel nice. Multi Body Era makes Star Wars Outlaws, a notoriously janky recreation, really feel simply pretty much as good as Doom 2016. Cyberpunk’s neon Night time Metropolis feels a lot extra alive if you’re racing round at a buttery-smooth 240Hz+, or over 150fps even with the sport’s nuclear RT Overdrive Mode lively.
And that’s the promise Nvidia wants players to purchase into for the GeForce RTX 5080 — heck, maybe this complete RTX 50-series technology. Are you prepared to embrace AI-generated frames and dip your toes into experiences that aren’t presently attainable with conventional rendering alone? If that’s the case, this GPU supplies sufficient grunt to gas these adventures in 4K and 1440p alike.
If not, the RTX 5080 is likely one of the most disappointing GPU releases in a very long time regardless of its prowess. It’s in all probability finest to avoid wasting your money except you’re on a card a number of generations outdated and don’t thoughts spending huge for a giant efficiency improve.
Me? I’m into the MFG imaginative and prescient. However I want Nvidia imbued the RTX 5080 with extra uncooked rendering firepower, so it may very well be an honest improve even for “fake frame” haters. Nvidia didn’t, alas — so now the RTX 5080’s future hangs within the steadiness of these 75 DLSS 4 video games working appropriately at launch.
If DLSS 4 and Multi Body Era carry out like a champ when that wider availability hits, it might usher in a brand new period of {smooth}, AI-supercharged efficiency. But when DLSS 4 winds up suffering from visible artifacts or different points as soon as the floodgates open, it might as an alternative set off an explosion of “fake frames” memes and signal a dying warrant for the in any other case ho-hum RTX 5080 — even perhaps the remainder of Nvidia’s 50-series lineup.
The GeForce RTX 5090 can stand alone by itself deserves, however the RTX 5080 is all-in on DLSS 4. All that’s left us to see is the place the chips fall.
