The capabilities of the incoming RTX 5090 may garner most of the attention for the upcoming generation of Nvidia GPUs, but the RTX 5080 is a formidable competitor. We’ve compiled all the information about this card, including its cost, features, and functionality.
Now that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super release is safely behind us, everyone focuses on what Nvidia will release next regarding consumer graphics cards. Look for a little less expensive choice with all the bells and whistles; PC builders will be interested in seeing what the RTX 5080 offers.
Similar to the RTX 5090, few precise specifics are available about what to anticipate from the RTX 5080. Most of the information now available comes from insider leaks by businesses. As such, all of this information should be regarded with a grain of salt until Nvidia formally debuts its next generation of cards.
RTX 5080 leaked specifications
Nvidia officially announced the Blackwell architecture at GTC 2024. Though that announcement was primarily concerned with its AI-focussed chips, some of the available information remains relevant for commercial gaming GPUs.
Nvidia Diamond Foundry GPU headerDiamond Foundry.It is generally expected that the RTX 5080 will use the GB203 chip, a step down from the flagship GB202, which is predicted to be used in the RTX 5090. According to regular leaker Kopite7Kimi, the GB203 will be ‘half of GB202’. This would parallel the difference in performance seen in the Ada Lovelace line between the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080.
It’s becoming more widely accepted that the RTX 5080 will include GDDR7 memory, boosting performance and reducing power consumption. Still up for debate, though, is the memory interface. The RTX 5090 may use the 512-bit memory bus, according to another recent leak from Kopite7Kimi. However, earlier speculations suggested that Nvidia intended to use the current 384-bit memory bus for some of its upcoming devices. This could indicate that the flagship RTX 5090 card is the only one with access to the 512-bit bus, while cards RTX 5080 and lower will continue to use the 384-bit memory bus technology.
Once again, we have an inveterate leaker Kopite7Kimi to thank for the news that the RTX 5080 will feature support for Display Port 2.1 and HDMI 2.1.
An unexpected area of debate has been the power connector. Amidst growing reports of the 12VHPWR connectors used on the RTX 4090 and 40 Super cards melting and causing significant damage, many consumers have hoped that Nvidia was planning on a different connector type for its next-generation cards.
According to Moore’s Law is Dead, Nvidia plans to switch to an entirely new connector type for the RTX 50 series. The leak further suggests that it will be an all-new type of 16-pin connector, but further details are unavailable, and other sources still need to back up this rumor.
If Nvidia persists with the 12VHPWR connector, the power draw will be limited to 600W. However, rumors indicate that Team Green will be pushing the efficiency of the new cards, which suggests that the actual power figures will be considerably less than this.
RTX 5080 price speculation
No solid information is available regarding the anticipated price of the RTX 5080. Based on the anticipated launch price of the RTX 5090, which is around $1699, we can utilize the past Nvidia GPU pricing distribution to approximate the debut price of the RTX 5080, which is approximately $1000.
RTX 5080 release date speculation
Recent information from Taiwanese news publication United Daily News indicates that the first RTX 50 series of cards could be launched as early as Q4 of 2024. The RTX 5090 is expected to be first in line to be unveiled, but a leak from reliable leaker Moore’s Law is Dead suggests that the RTX 5080 is also slated for this same release window.
Should you wait for the RTX 5080?
The 80-suffix cards are a good option for PC gaming fans who want high-end performance without shelling out the big bucks for a top-of-the-line flagship card. In addition, those looking for a bargain might be able to bag a deal at the end of 2024 when retailers are discounting old stock of RTX 4090 or RTX 4080 Super cards to make way for the shiny.