Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super vs. RTX 4080

Nvidia launched its GeForce RTX 40 series Super graphics cards to offer more choice to gamers, but the RTX 4080 Super essentially replaced the RTX 4080 and is therefore the best GPU of the two. The GPU launched at the same MSRP of $1,000 but offered a slight improvement to gaming performance with more CUDA cores and a bump to clock speeds. It's not the jump in power we were holding out for, but the RTX 4080 Super remains a good choice for those who don't have deep wallets for the flagship RTX 4090.

Price, specs & availability

New vs. old

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 launched with an MSRP of $1,000. The newer RTX 4080 Super pushed this official price down and the RTX 4080 Super entered the market at $1,000. Nvidia is essentially replacing the RTX 4080 with the Super GPU, which should cause some degree of confusion as the other Super cards were inserted into an existing lineup. The price is by no means affordable, but its slightly bettter performance does mean you'll be getting better value if cards can be found at MSRP.

• 	ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC	Asus TUF Gaming Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
  Interface	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
  Memory	16 GB GDDR6X	16 GB GDDR6X
  CUDA Cores	10,240	9,728
  Boost clock speed	2,640 MHz	2,505 MHz
  Memory bus width	256-bit	256-bit

Comparing the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super against the GeForce RTX 4080 shows just how much of an incremental upgrade the former GPU is. The memory remains exactly the same with 16 GB of GDDR6X VRAM on a 256-bit memory bus. The number of CUDA cores has increased slightly with 10,240 on the RTX 4080 Super versus 9,728 on the RTX 4080. The boost clock speed has also been bumped slightly. What this all results in is a bump in performance that could be written off as a margin of error.

Gaming performance

There's no difference

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 Super are almost identical when it comes to gaming performance. Most modern games will run at 4K with no problems. 1440p performance is excellent and will push the boundaries of your gaming monitor. You'll be able to meet a solid 60 FPS at 4K with settings configured accordingly. It won't be able to meet the 4090 in that all in-game settings could be set to their highest, but with DLSS and other tech enabled through Nvidia's software, you'll have a large smile.

There are notable differences between the two RTX 4080 graphics cards, but these aren't large enough to warrant an upgrade from the RTX 4080 to the Super. For those holding out for an RTX 4080, I'd recommend checking Super availability beforehand. It makes little sense to buy and use the RTX 4080 with the Super now available at the same MSRP. Nvidia is replacing the older RTX 4080 and as such, the RTX 4080 Super is the GPU to buy.

Which GPU is right for you?

I'd recommend buying the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super if possible. It's the better graphics card of the two RTX 4080s, providing more bang for your buck. Nvidia didn't give it much of a boost but the MSRP is the same, providing better value. I would only recommend the RTX 4080 if stock and availability for the Super RTX 4080 is scarce, and even then, I would consider looking at AMD's offerings with the Radeon RX 7900 series.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super is a slightly more powerful GPU but it commands the same price, which is why I don't recommend the normal RTX 4080. This graphics card is an impressive piece of kit for 1440p and 4K gaming. The RTX 4090 is completely out of reach for many gamers and is largely overkill for most setups, which makes the RTX 4080 Super a good middlebound between affordability and flagship performance. You won't be disappointed with this GPU.