The Nvidia RTX 4080 Super was introduced this year, with boosted specs compared to the existing Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card.
But which specs have been enhanced, and how is that impacted performance? We’re able to answer that question, having recently tested the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super up against its predecessor.
So if you’re not sure which graphics card you should buy, or are considering an upgrade from the RTX 4080, then we’ve created this comparison guide to help make your buying decision easier. Keep reading for the full breakdown.
Price and availability
The Nvidia RTX 4080 Super launched in January 2024 with a recommended retail price of $999/£959. This is surprisingly cheaper than what the Nvidia RTX 4080 was priced at launch, which came in at $1199/£1269.
Nvidia says the Super edition will displace the original RTX 4080 in stores, so the latter will soon no longer be available to purchase from retailers. You’ll still likely be able to find it second-hand though.
Asus Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super ROG Strix Gaming OC at Overclockers UK for £1,3499.99
Specs
Both the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super and Nvidia RTX 4080 are based on the same Ada Lovelace architecture, which means they both support ray tracing and DLSS 3.5.
However, there are a few minor changes to the specs. The biggest difference between the two graphics cards is that the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super has 5% more CUDA Cores than its vanilla counterpart.
Nvidia has confirmed that the RTX 4080 Super will feature 10,240 CUDA Cores. For reference, the Nvidia RTX 4080 has just 9728 CUDA cores. Of course, it’s not a huge increase, so expect a modest performance lift as a result.
In order to maximise the performance gains, Nvidia has also increased the boost clock speed for the RTX 4080 Super. The new graphics card is capable of up to a 2.55GHz clock speed, while the standard RTX 4080 is only able to reach a 2.51GHz.
Interestingly, both graphics cards share the same base clock speed of 2.21GHz, so it’s best to think of the Super variant as being an overclocked version of the RTX 4080, at least when it comes to clock speeds. Nvidia hasn’t increased the video memory for the Super card either, with both seeing 16GB GDDR6X with a 256-bit memory interface width.
Performance
Our benchmark tests show that there’s very little separating the performance between the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super and the RTX 4080. Our synthetic benchmark tests put them neck and neck.
It was a similar story for the in-game benchmark tests. The Super variant did steal a minor advantage in some games: a 2fps boost in Horizon Zero Dawn and 9fps improvement for Borderlands 3. But more often than not, the performance figures came in almost identical.
Both cards excel at 4K gaming though, capable of hitting 101fps in Red Dead Redemption 2 and 57fps in Total War: Warhammer III. However, the similar performance means there’s no reason to upgrade from an Nvidia RTX 4080 to an RTX 4080 Super.
Power draw
Remarkably, our tests show that the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super is actually more power efficient than its non-Super sibling.
Our test PC saw a peak power draw of the 708.6W with the Super installed while running an intensive benchmark test, while fitting in the RTX 4080 saw the wattage jump up to 743.6W.
That means the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super is an ideal option if you’re conscious about keeping your energy bill as low as possible while still benefiting from incredible graphics power. That all said, there really isn’t enough of a difference between the two cards to make a significant difference – again, there’s no need to upgrade from the RTX 4080 to the Super.
Verdict
The Nvidia RTX 4080 Super may well have superior specs to its RTX 4080 sibling, but that doesn’t result in a significant performance difference. The two cards saw almost identical results in our synthetic benchmarks and in-game tests.
You do at least get slightly better power efficiency with the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super, but it’s certainly not enough to warrant an upgrade from the RTX 4080.
The Super model is best thought of as a replacement to the RTX 4080 rather than an enhanced version that can co-exist as a more powerful option. This is illustrated by the price drop, and the fact that Nvidia will no longer supply retailers with new units of the RTX 4080.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
