RTX 5080 Review in 2026: Performance, vs RTX 5070 Ti, RX 9070 XT and RTX 4090, PSU and Price
The RTX 5080 is the second fastest gaming graphics card NVIDIA sells, and the right one if you play at 4K or on a high refresh 1440p monitor. In TechPowerUp’s 2026 testing it is 14% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti and 23% faster than the RX 9070 XT at 4K, while drawing less power than the RX 9070 XT. The catch is value: the RTX 4090 is still 16% faster, the 5070 Ti costs a lot less, and graphics card prices have climbed sharply this year. If you own an RTX 4080 or 4080 Super, do not upgrade.
Jump to your question:
- Is the RTX 5080 worth it?For 4K, yes. Verdict
- 5080 or 5070 Ti?14% more speed for the extra money. Compare
- 5080 or RX 9070 XT?The real gap
- 5080 or 4090?4090 still wins
- What PSU do I need?850W. Power
- Wait for the 5080 Super?No date yet
We did not lab-test the RTX 5080. Performance, power and noise figures come from TechPowerUp, which had reviewed 14 different RTX 5080 cards by April, and specifications from NVIDIA, ASUS and Palit, read on 8 October 2026. We sell RTX 5080 graphics cards.
- RTX 5080 review: the verdict
- RTX 5080 performance at 1440p and 4K
- RTX 5080 vs RTX 5070 Ti
- RTX 5080 vs RX 9070 XT
- RTX 5080 vs RTX 4090 and RTX 5090
- RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080 Super and RTX 3080: should you upgrade?
- RTX 5080 power supply requirements
- RTX 5080 price in 2026
- RTX 5080 Super: should you wait?
- Which RTX 5080 card to buy
- Quick answers
The RTX 5080 cards we sellPalit GamingPro and GamingPro OC, ASUS TUF Gaming OC, and ASUS ROG Astral OC in black and white. Each product page shows the current price.
ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 16GB Gaming
In stock
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5080 16GB Graphics Card
In stock
Palit GeForce RTX 5080 GamingPro OC Graphics Card 16 GB GDDR7 PCIe 5.0 Black
In stock
ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 White
In stock
RTX 5080 review: the verdict
Buy the RTX 5080 if you game at 4K, or at 1440p on a 240Hz monitor, and want NVIDIA’s full set of DLSS features. If you play at 1440p and care about value, the RTX 5070 Ti or the RX 9070 XT gets you most of the way for much less.
TechPowerUp, which had tested 14 different RTX 5080 cards by April 2026, sums it up as “a very decent card for 4K” whose gains over the last generation are “MUCH less than expected”. Both halves are true. It is fast, quiet on a good cooler and very efficient. It is just not the big leap that the RTX 5090 was.
- Good: second fastest NVIDIA gaming card; DLSS 4.5 and multi frame generation; low power for its speed; overclocks by around 11% in TechPowerUp’s tests; 16GB of fast GDDR7 memory.
- Not so good: only 12% faster than the RTX 4080 Super at 4K; the RTX 4090 is still quicker; 16GB rather than 24GB; prices well above launch.
| RTX 5080 specification | NVIDIA reference |
|---|---|
| CUDA cores | 10,752 |
| Boost clock | 2.62GHz |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR7, 256-bit |
| Total graphics power | 360W |
| Recommended PSU | 850W |
| Power connector | One 16-pin, or 3x 8-pin with the adapter |
| Upscaling and frame generation | DLSS 4.5 with multi frame generation; DLSS 5 neural rendering |
RTX 5080 performance at 1440p and 4K
The RTX 5080 handles almost any game at 4K with high settings, and turns 1440p into a high refresh rate experience. Ray tracing at 4K usually needs DLSS turned on.
The chart below uses TechPowerUp’s April 2026 results from its 14th RTX 5080 review, the most recent full test with current drivers. We rescaled them so the standard RTX 5080 is 100, which makes every other card easy to compare.
At 1440p the gaps shrink, because the CPU starts to hold the fastest cards back. The RTX 5080 is 8% ahead of the RTX 4080 Super there, against 12% at 4K. If you play at 1080p, this card is wasted on you.
The newest game. In TechPowerUp’s benchmark of Gears of War: E-Day, released this month, the RTX 5080 ran at 50 FPS at 1440p and 28 FPS at 4K on the top Ludicrous preset, without upscaling. That is why DLSS matters on this card. The RTX 3080, with 10GB of memory, collapsed to 3 FPS at 4K in the same test, which shows what running out of video memory looks like. Our Gears of War: E-Day PC requirements guide has the settings that work.
RTX 5080 vs RTX 5070 Ti
The RTX 5080 is about 12% faster at 1440p and 14% faster at 4K than the RTX 5070 Ti, in TechPowerUp’s tests. Both have 16GB. Pay for the 5080 only if you play at 4K and want every frame.
- Same memory: 16GB on both, so the 5070 Ti will not run out of VRAM any sooner.
- Same features: both support DLSS 4.5, multi frame generation and DLSS 5.
- Power: TechPowerUp measured 296W in gaming for the RTX 5080 and 279W for the 5070 Ti, so the same 850W power supply covers both.
- Price: in April, TechPowerUp found the 5070 Ti at around $900 and the cheapest RTX 5080 at around $1,200 in the US. That is roughly 33% more money for 14% more speed.
For most 1440p players, the 5070 Ti is the better buy. Our best graphics card guide covers it in full.
RTX 5080 vs RX 9070 XT
The RTX 5080 is 18% faster at 1440p and 23% faster at 4K than AMD’s RX 9070 XT, and about 19% faster with ray tracing at 1440p. The 9070 XT costs far less, so it wins on value, but it cannot match the 5080 for 4K.
The RX 9070 XT is AMD’s fastest current card, and AMD has said it will not make a faster one this generation. TechPowerUp measured it drawing 314W in games, more than the RTX 5080’s 296W, despite being slower. NVIDIA also keeps the lead in upscaling and frame generation, although TechPowerUp says FSR 4 is now close to DLSS in image quality.
In the new Gears of War: E-Day, the gap was smaller: 50 FPS for the 5080 against 47.6 FPS for the 9070 XT at 1440p. Results vary a lot by game. We compare the AMD card in depth in our RX 9070 XT review.
RTX 5080 vs RTX 4090 and RTX 5090
The RTX 4090 is still about 16% faster than the RTX 5080 at 4K, and the RTX 5090 is about 53% faster. Unlike the RTX 4080 before it, the 5080 does not beat the previous flagship.
- RTX 4090: 24GB of memory and more speed, but 391W in gaming against 296W, and it lacks multi frame generation. A used 4090 at the same price as a new 5080 is a reasonable choice if you are comfortable buying second hand and your power supply can handle it.
- RTX 5090: in a different league, with 32GB of memory and 520W of gaming power. TechPowerUp notes it costs more than twice as much as an RTX 5080.
RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080 Super and RTX 3080: should you upgrade?
From an RTX 4080 or 4080 Super, no. From an RTX 3080 or older, yes: the RTX 5080 is about 67% faster at 4K and has 6GB more memory.
TechPowerUp measured the RTX 5080 at 12% faster than the RTX 4080 Super at 4K and only 4% faster with ray tracing at 1440p. The newer DLSS upscaling also works on older RTX cards, so a 4080 owner mainly misses out on multi frame generation.
From an RTX 3080 the jump is big, and the extra memory matters more each year. You also gain DLSS frame generation, which the RTX 30 series never had. Our RTX 40 Super vs RTX 50 comparison covers the older cards in more detail.
RTX 5080 power supply requirements
NVIDIA and ASUS both recommend an 850W power supply for the RTX 5080. Do not go below that on a new build.
NVIDIA rates the card at 360W total graphics power. In games, TechPowerUp measured 296W for the reference card, and up to 388W for the factory overclocked ASUS ROG Astral, whose default power limit is raised to 400W. The highest short spike it recorded on the reference card was 423W, and spikes like that are what trip a weak power supply.
The card uses one 16-pin connector. NVIDIA includes an adapter for three 8-pin cables, but a power supply with a native 16-pin cable is tidier and safer. Our best power supply guide lists 850W units that fit.
RTX 5080 price in 2026
NVIDIA launched the RTX 5080 at $1,000 in the US, and its Founders Edition sold in the UK for £949 in 2025. In 2026 graphics card prices have risen sharply because of the memory shortage, so expect to pay well above those figures.
- April 2026: TechPowerUp found the cheapest RTX 5080s at around $1,200 in the US and €1,190 in Europe.
- Last 12 months: German retail prices for RTX 50 cards rose 66%, according to 3DCenter’s tracking reported by Wccftech on 7 October.
- June to September: the average NVIDIA card price on PriceSquirrel rose 41.3% across Europe, reported by PC Guide.
- Today: ASUS’s own UK store lists the ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC at £1,869.99.
The reason is memory. AI data centres are buying the same GDDR7 chips, and our RAM and SSD prices explainer covers why. Each product page on our site shows the current price.
RTX 5080 Super: should you wait?
Not unless you can wait with no date in sight. NVIDIA has not announced the RTX 5080 Super, and reports say it is on hold because of the same memory shortage.
The RTX 5080 Super is expected to bring 24GB of memory using denser 3GB GDDR7 chips. Those chips are in short supply, and TechPowerUp wrote in April that the Super launch looks “quite distant, if ever”. Our RTX 50 Super release date tracker follows every report.
Which RTX 5080 card to buy
Every RTX 5080 uses the same chip, so performance differs by only a few per cent. Pay for a better cooler and quieter fans, not for a bigger factory overclock. Check the length fits your case first.
- Quietest: the ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC. TechPowerUp measured just 26 dBA on its quiet BIOS, which it called highly impressive for this class of card, and very low temperatures. It is a quad-slot card, 358mm long, and its power limit is raised to 400W. It also comes in white.
- Strong all-rounder: the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5080 OC. TechPowerUp measured 62°C, but 35 dBA on the default BIOS. Switch to the quiet BIOS and it drops to 27 dBA at 71°C. ASUS lists it at 348mm and 3.6 slots.
- Shorter and simpler: the Palit GamingPro and GamingPro OC. TechPowerUp’s database lists them at 332mm and triple-slot, and Palit lists a dual BIOS with a silent mode on the GamingPro OC V1. TechPowerUp has not reviewed this exact model, so we have no noise figure for it.
Measure your case before you order. A 358mm card will not fit many mid-tower cases. See all RTX 5080 graphics cards.
Quick answers
For 4K gaming, yes. It is about 14% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti and 23% faster than the RX 9070 XT at 4K in TechPowerUp’s tests. For 1440p, the 5070 Ti is better value.
No. The RTX 4090 is about 16% faster at 4K and has 24GB of memory. The RTX 5080 uses less power and supports multi frame generation.
About 12% at 1440p and 14% at 4K, in TechPowerUp’s 2026 testing. Both have 16GB of memory.
NVIDIA recommends 850W. TechPowerUp measured 296W in games for the reference card and short spikes up to 423W.
For today’s games, yes. In TechPowerUp’s Gears of War: E-Day test at 4K, the 16GB RTX 5080 ran normally while the 10GB RTX 3080 fell to 3 FPS. The expected RTX 5080 Super would move to 24GB.
No. The RTX 5080 is only about 12% faster than the 4080 Super at 4K. From an RTX 3080 or older, the upgrade is worth it.
There is no release date. NVIDIA has not announced it, and reports say the launch is on hold because of the GDDR7 memory shortage.
Yes. NVIDIA lists DLSS 5 neural rendering for GeForce RTX 50 series cards, alongside DLSS 4.5 multi frame generation.
How we know
We are a UK technology retailer and we sell RTX 5080 graphics cards. We did not lab-test the RTX 5080. Performance, ray tracing, power and noise figures come from TechPowerUp’s reviews, mainly its April 2026 review of the PNY RTX 5080 Slim OC, which includes the reference RTX 5080 and every competing card tested on the same system and drivers. We rescaled its relative performance figures so the reference RTX 5080 is 100. Card specifications come from NVIDIA, ASUS and Palit, and we checked each card we sell against its maker’s part number. Prices come from the sources named in the price section, read on 8 October 2026.
Sources
- TechPowerUp, PNY RTX 5080 Slim OC review, April 2026.
- TechPowerUp, ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 Astral OC review.
- TechPowerUp, ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 TUF OC review.
- TechPowerUp, Gears of War: E-Day performance benchmark, 1 October 2026.
- NVIDIA, GeForce RTX 5080 specifications.
- ASUS UK, TUF Gaming RTX 5080 OC specifications.
- ASUS ROG UK, ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC.
- TechPowerUp GPU Database, Palit RTX 5080 GamingPro OC V1.
- Tom’s Hardware, RTX 5080 Founders Edition at £949 in the UK, June 2025.
- Wccftech, RTX 50 series prices up 66% in 12 months, 7 October 2026.
- PC Guide, NVIDIA and AMD GPUs up to 40% more expensive in three months, 29 September 2026.
Images: two frames from Geekerwan’s RTX 5080 review video on Wikimedia Commons (Founders Edition, RTX 3080 and RTX 5080), licensed CC BY 3.0, cropped by us.
