Ahh the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 (opens in new tab). It’s an excellent graphics card that delivers a wonderful generational efficiency uplift, superb energy effectivity and distinctive options similar to DLSS 3. All good issues proper? But it surely’s too costly.
A sensible outdated reviewer as soon as wrote: “There are not any unhealthy graphics playing cards, solely unhealthy costs.” That sums up the RTX 4080 in a nutshell. However whereas pricing can fluctuate over time, the traits of the cardboard keep the identical. Assuming the worth of RTX 4080 drops—and with maybe two years of shelf life forward of it, it certainly will—then the RTX 4080 might find yourself being a gem. Time will inform.
Right here immediately I’ve MSI’s GeForce RTX 4080 Suprim X, and what a magnificence it’s. At $1,379 | £1,359 | AU$2,449 it is one of many pricier RTX 4080s on the time of writing, although for the additional cash over the Founders Version, you get a card that’s markedly superior. Apparently, the worth of the cardboard has dropped a bit within the UK and AU markets within the weeks since its launch, and inventory appears to be broadly accessible. It is clear we’re not coping with something just like the mining increase shortage all of us hated. It certainly factors towards downwards value strain as we transfer additional into 2023. Fingers crossed.
The Suprim X, like all different RTX 4080s, accommodates the wonderful TSMC constructed 4N AD103 GPU at its coronary heart. It has 9,728 out of a potential 10,752 cores accessible, leaving Nvidia with an choice to launch an nearly inevitable RTX 4080 Ti sooner or later. It delivers a lot better energy effectivity than its RTX 3080 (opens in new tab) predecessor, which contained the a lot bigger GA102 GPU. The RTX 4080 packs in 64MB of L2 cache vs. the 5MB of the RTX 3080. A subsequent technology GPU is predicted to have a greater function set, and with 16GB of GDDR6X reminiscence, improved ray tracing and the voodoo of the wonderful DLSS 3, a 320W TDP, and immense cooling capability, the RTX 4080 Suprim X ticks all these packing containers.
That 320W TDP is especially noteworthy, giving it efficiency per watt that is vastly superior to the RTX 3080, RTX 3090 (opens in new tab), and their Ti siblings. It makes a mockery of the rumor mongers pointing to ridiculous TDPs within the interval previous to the launch. It is an excellent GPU, however did I point out it is too costly? Sure. Sure I did, and I most likely will once more.
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Suprim X specs
The MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Suprim X is MSI’s flagship RTX 4080. It sits above MSI’s Gaming Trio and Ventus fashions. For the additional cash, you get a extra premium design, superior supplies, construct high quality, and a barely increased manufacturing unit overclock. It is price mentioning that MSI features a very sturdy metallic GPU holder to stop sag, and a very good high quality mouse pad.
RTX 4080 Suprim X specs
GPU: Nvidia AD103-300-A1
Shader Items: 9,728
Increase clock pace: 2,625MHz
Reminiscence capability: 16GB GDDR6X
Reminiscence pace: 22.4Gbps
Outputs: 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.1
Energy connectors: 1x 16-pin
Worth: $1,379| £1,359 | AU$2,449
The Suprim X’s formally rated enhance clock is 2,625MHz, although you may get an additional 15MHz on high of that by way of the MSI Heart app. As is commonly the case although, Nvidia’s rated enhance clocks do not imply a complete lot in follow. In our testing, the cardboard was capable of maintain a lift clock of two,745MHz whereas looping 3DMark Speedway.
The end of the cardboard is beautiful. Appears are within the eye of the beholder, however I consider it to be the perfect wanting of all RTX 4080 playing cards. It is received some RGB as you’d count on, and it is a very tasteful implementation. There are three small components adjoining to the followers, one on the high dealing with the surface of the case and a emblem on the backplate.
The cardboard is surrounded by a brushed metallic shroud and backplate. MSI well left the perimeters of the cardboard comparatively free from obstruction, permitting scorching air to vent out successfully. It’s a giant card too, taking on shut sufficient to 4 slots.
Like most 4080s, it comes with three DisplayPort 1.4a and one HDMI 2.1 port. Ada Lovelace playing cards miss out on DisplayPort 2.0/2.1. You additionally get twin BIOS, with silent and gaming choices, although there’s no use to make use of the silent choice when the default setting is principally silent anyway. A single 12VHPWR connector offers the juice, with MSI bundling a 3×8-pin energy adapter.
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Now, check out that cooler! The AD103 will not ever get away with a single slot cooler however at 320W, it presents no problem for the Suprim X’s 450W+ RTX 3090 Ti/ 4090 class cooler. It is primarily based round a vapor chamber, with a minimum of ten heatpipes dissipating warmth to the additional reaches of its large floor space.
The VRM and reminiscence chips are cooled by way of thermal pads and there is a further body atop the PCB that provides rigidity and cools further parts. The backplate too has some thermal padding for rear mounted warmth dumping parts.
The PCB itself is a customized design, with 18+3 phases and 50a levels. Put merely, it is overkill for the necessities of the AD103 GPU, nevertheless it’s higher to overspec than underspec! Very like we noticed with the Zotac RTX 4080 Amp Excessive Airo (opens in new tab), the Suprim X consists of 24Gbps rated GDDR6X reminiscence, quicker than the 22.4Gbps rated clock of the cardboard. This implies there must be some OC headroom.
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Suprim X benchmarks and efficiency
In fact, a terrific wanting card with superior construct high quality is not going to be rated extremely if it performs like a turkey. We’ve got a good suggestion of what to anticipate from the RTX 4080 although, so let’s dive in.
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The monstrous Suprim X cooler actually delivers. A peak temperature of 57°C is likely one of the greatest I’ve ever seen from any GPU, excessive finish or not. That is a full 5 levels cooler than the Zotac Airo. And it manages it whereas remaining all however silent. The CPU cooler followers and pump on my check platform are extra noticeable. Admittedly 57°C is on an open check bench, so in a case your temps shall be a bit increased, however even within the mid 60s it will nonetheless be an excellent end result for a 320W GPU.
Some of the spectacular RTX 4080 feats is its comparatively low energy consumption, or extra particularly its efficiency per watt. I recorded a most system energy draw of 399W for the Suprim X. That is decrease than the Zotac RTX 4080, the RTX 3080, RX 6900 XT and even the RX 7900 XT. For all of the pre-release whispers of runaway RTX 40-series energy consumption, the RTX 4080 delivers what seems to be the perfect energy effectivity of any card launched thus far.
That decrease energy consumption does value a fraction of efficiency although. The Zotac 4080 makes use of the additional 20w or so to sneak forward a share level or two in a few of the following benchmarks.
Artificial gaming efficiency
1440p Gaming Efficiency
4K Gaming Efficiency
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Suprim X evaluation
The RTX 4080 Suprim X delivers superb efficiency, nevertheless it seems as if MSI has positioned emphasis on cool and quiet operation reasonably than all out efficiency. Not that that is a foul factor, although it will be good if producers used the second BIOS in a extra aggressive approach, maybe permitting a 450W energy restrict. Nvidia won’t be proud of that although.
Take a look at rig
CPU: Intel Core i9 12900K
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Apex
RAM: 2x 16GB G.Talent Trident-Z DDR5-6000 C36
Storage: 2TB Seagate FireCuda 530
Cooling: Cooler Grasp PL360 Flux 360mm AIO
PSU: Corsair AX1000
At 1440p, even essentially the most demanding titles together with Cyberpunk 2077 with out DLSS is feasible and in lots of instances, even a 12900K CPU bottlenecks the cardboard.
Many of the video games that struggled to interrupt 60Hz at 4K can now achieve this, even with ray tracing results enabled, and that is earlier than enabling DLSS.
On the time of writing, I have never had the possibility to comprehensively benchmark the Radeon RX 7900 XTX myself. In case you have a look at our launch day evaluation, you’ll be able to see it is a respectable sufficient RTX 4080 competitor, although it will probably’t match Nvidia in ray traced video games. It is cheaper too, and positively price contemplating if you happen to can reside with out the RTX 4080’s superior ray tracing efficiency and extra importantly, DLSS.
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Suprim X verdict
If we ignore the worth for a second, the RTX 4080 is a superb graphics card and the MSI Suprim X is arguably the perfect of the lot. It is constructed like a battleship, it is cool, quiet, it appears improbable and it has a PCB that can by no means be confused by the facility necessities of the AD103 GPU.
If we ignore the worth for a second, the RTX 4080 is a superb graphics card and the MSI Suprim X is arguably the perfect of the lot.
That second is now up. At $1,379 | £1,359 | AU$2,449 it is one of many dearer RTX 4080 playing cards, which means Nvidia, or somebody alongside the availability chain is making a ton of cash. However these are immediately’s costs. I do not consider they may keep at these ranges past the quick time period. When somebody searches for ‘RTX 4080 Suprim X evaluation’ in a yr’s time, the graphics card panorama, and what you get in your greenback might look very completely different. Proper now, its robust to suggest a high-end graphics card from a bang for buck perspective.
In case you do pull the set off and purchase a Suprim X, a minimum of you will be getting a wonderful graphics card that may play all video games at 4K and certainly will do for the foreseeable future being arguably the perfect instance of Nvidia’s Ada GPU. The Nvidia function set is tough to disregard, too. All we want is a few excellent news on the worth entrance. If that occurs, the RTX 4080 and the Suprim X taste will go from being merely good to changing into nice.
