Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

Averaged over our 22-game-strong test suite at 4K resolution, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition achieves very impressive numbers. It has a 10% lead over the RTX 3080, which means it beats both the Radeon RX 6800 XT and RX 6900 XT, by 11% and 5%, respectively. Another highlight is that NVIDIA's new card is really close to the RTX 3090; the difference is just 1%, impossible to notice subjectively. This also confirms once again that there is no significant difference between 24 GB and 12 GB VRAM, or the gap would be bigger. Against last generation's RTX 2080 Ti, the performance uplift is 47%.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is an absolute monster of a graphics card, delivering RTX 3090-level gaming performance at a lower price. However, the high starting price may still be a turn off for budget-conscious folks that just want to get some PC gaming in.

In more ways than one, the RTX 3080 Ti makes the RTX 3090 obsolete for PC gamers. It’s smaller, nearly as fast, and is more cost effective if all you care about is gaming. Compared to the RTX 3080, the differences are much narrower, even if the price is not.

The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is helluva graphics card for 4K gaming, in much the same way Nvidia's RTX 3090 is. However, a price tag closer to Ampere's finest—and far in excess of the RTX 3080—will see this card only finds its way into the most expensive PC builds around.

At $999 or even $1,099, the RTX 3080 Ti would tempt me a lot more, but $1,199 feels a little too pricey. For most people, an RTX 3080 makes a lot more sense if it were actually available at its standard retail price. Nvidia also has a $599 RTX 3070 Ti on the way next week, which could offer some performance gains to rival the RTX 3080.

Nvidia's new GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition is a fan-freaking-fastic graphics card, but the $1199 price and GPU shortage is going to ruin its legacy.

All told, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti enters the market at a time when there is much more fierce competition, but it is arguably one of the most powerful gaming GPUs money can buy right now.

The Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti is a powerhouse graphics card that delivers an excellent 4K ray tracing performance. If you can afford its steep up-front cost then it’s an excellent choice for any hardcore gamer looking for top-of-the-line performance. However, the gains you get compared to the base RTX 3080, which costs a lot less, make it a hard sell for gamers who don’t need the best performance possible in 4K.

Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is essentially an RTX 3090 in all but name (and memory capacity). It's an exceptional graphics card for 4K gaming with no major weak links, but the Founders Edition cooler isn't quite as impressive in this form and still needs an ugly power adapter. Actual price and availability remain a concern during the crippling worldwide GPU shortage.

Given the state of the market, though, you can expect to spend a lot more than $1,199 if you find the 3080 Ti in stock. And things are even worse if you look to eBay and other secondary sellers, where the supposedly affordable $499 RTX 3070 is selling for upwards of $1,500. That's the price of a computer just for a mid-range video card! But if you're willing to step into this world of madness, at least the 3080 Ti is a capable performer.