With the 2080 Super, Nvidia has introduced its third Super card, and the first reviews are now available. More CUDA cores, more performance, all great? What can the card do and who should consider this upgrade? An overview of the tests
Nvidia’s GeForce 2080 Super is the third Super model featuring Turing architecture, and now the first reviews for the RTX 2080 Super have arrived. The new card from Nvidia has replaced the old RTX 2080 since July 23, 2019. Unlike previous models, buyers had the choice between the reference card (the so-called Founder Edition) and various custom cards at launch. We explain to you …
- What is the Super 2080?
- What do the testers say?
- How does the card perform in benchmarks?
- How does the 2080 Super compare to the 2080 Ti?
- How does the 2080 Super compare to AMD’s RX 5700 XT?
- Is it worth upgrading from the 980 Ti or 1080 Ti to the 2080 Super?
- Are RTX 2080 Super custom designs worth it?
- Who should consider buying it?
- What alternatives are there?
What is the 2080 Super?
Nvidia’s Super Series: The Super models of the 2060, 2070, and 2080 are to be understood as a reaction to the RX 5700 and 5700 XT that AMD successfully launched in early July. The Super models of the RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 replace the old models, but the standard 2060 model remains available as a cheaper entry-level card from Nvidia alongside the 2060 Super.
Founder Editions (FE) are the reference models at Nvidia. They are factory overclocked and offer slightly higher base clock speeds. The second difference lies in the cooler. Here, a radial fan is usually offered, where the custom designs are often superior. Additionally, the Founder Edition of the 2080 Super requires 225 watts, while custom designs only need 215. Otherwise, the models are almost identical.
Innovations in the 2080 Super: Unlike the 2070 Super, which received the GPU of the 2080 series, the 2080 Super retains its original GPU. However, the number of CUDA cores increases significantly, and the 2080 Super receives much faster graphics memory and a higher memory bandwidth. Increased memory bandwidth means that the GPU and VRAM can exchange data faster, which is important for performance-hungry representations like anti-aliasing.
Comparison of the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Super
In comparison, the RTX 2080 Super offers…
- a higher clock rate, both in base and boost clock
- an improved memory speed
- a faster memory bandwidth
- more compute units
|
| RTX 2080 | RTX 2080 SUPER |
| CUDA Cores | 2944 | 3072 |
| RTX-OPS | 57T | 63 T |
| Giga Rays per second | 8 | 8 |
| Boost Clock (MHz) | 1710 | 1815 |
| Base Clock (MHz) | 1515 | 1650 |
| Memory Speed | 14 Gbit/s | 15.5 Gbit/s |
| Standard Memory Configuration | 8 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface Width | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth (GB/s) | 448 GB/s | 496 |
| Power Consumption (TDP) | 215 Watts | 250 Watts |
What do testers say about the 2080 Super?
- According to Computerbase, the “2080 Super is somewhat trapped in its own technology” because all shaders are already active, preventing a significant performance gain. The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, which is not to be challenged, stands in the way.
- The Gamestar notes in their test that the 2080 Super is “the fastest model of the Super trio for smooth gameplay in UHD resolution and maximum details.” The noise and load, especially the price difference to the 2070 Super and the 2080, are criticized.
- For IgorsLab, the new 2080 Super shows great potential at higher resolutions starting with WQHD. 144 Hz monitors can be pushed with reduced settings. Overall, the card offers slightly more performance than the normal 2080, but the price is too high for an upgrade.
- The PCGamesHardware sees the advantage mainly in a “fully active chip,” as Nvidia had used a crippled 2080 chip in the 2060 and 2070 cards. Essentially, the 2080 Super is just a nice upgrade compared to the cards released in 2018.
- For wccftech.com, the 2080 Super increases the gap to the 2070 Super sufficiently but does not come close to the 2080 Ti. There is not much new about the 2080 Super, but it offers a meaningful refresh of the old lineup.
The 2080 Super in Benchmark
2080 Super vs. 2070 Super, 2060 Super and 1080
Where do the data come from? The benchmark considered comes from Gamestar. It calculates the average of all games at a resolution of 2560×1440 (WQHD). The testers tested the new 2080 Super with an i7 8700K (4.7 GHz, all-core turbo of 4.3 GHz) and 16 gigabytes of DDR4 RAM (2,666 MHz).
How does the 2080 Super perform in benchmarks?
Big lead over 2060 Super and GTX 1080: The 2080 Super achieves the most significant performance gain compared to the GTX 1080: Here, Nvidia’s new card is ahead with a 35 percent lead. Likewise, the advantage over the 2060 Super is still 24 percent.
Small lead over 2070 Super: Compared to the 2070 Super, the 2080 Super only offers a performance gain of just under 13 percent. This is mainly due to the fact that both the 2070 and 2080 Super variants operate using the same Turing chip. Therefore, the difference is not as stark as it is with the other models.
High frame rate in WQHD: The 2080 Super also delivers high frame rates at high resolutions with an average of 117 fps. Hence, games with high speeds or rapid movements can be played at high resolutions with high fps – provided you have a 75Hz or even a 144Hz monitor.
Currently, the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC 8G is available at Caseking for €569.90.*
How does the 2080 Super compare against the 2080 Ti in benchmarks?
Techspot tested both graphics cards with an Intel Core i9-9900K at 5GHz, with 32 GB DDR4-3400 RAM and the latest drivers. Ray tracing was not tested.
On average, the 2080 Super is 12 percent slower than the RTX 2080 Ti. While it is about 2 percent slower in Forza Horizon 4, it is nearly 20 percent slower in Fortnite compared to Nvidia’s top card.
How does the 2080 Super compare against AMD’s RX 5700 XT?
What is the difference between AMD and Nvidia? Techspot tested both graphics cards with the same settings as in the comparison with the 2080 Ti. Ray tracing was not tested.
In comparison between the 2080 Super and the RX 5700 XT, it is evident that the 2080 Super generally performs about 17 percent better in WQHD. The performance difference is most pronounced in Fortnite with a 38 percent lead, while in World War Z, the Radeon card leads by 4 percent. While AMD’s new cards fall slightly short of the performance of the 2060/70 Super models, they cannot match the performance of the 2080 Super.
How good is the 2080 Super in Gaming Benchmarks
Older Game: RTX 2080 Super in Grand Theft Auto 5 Benchmark
In the benchmark by PC Welt using an older game like GTA V, the 2080 Super ranks second. Even in WQHD, Nvidia’s new Super card still offers significantly over 80 fps, which is well utilized by 75 Hertz screens, but at 4K, it drops to just below 50 fps and lower.
Modern Game: RTX 2080 Super in Metro: Exodus Benchmark
The game Metro: Exodus, released on February 14, 2019, puts high demands on the graphics card. With 67 fps, the RTX 2080 Super takes second place, somewhat distanced from the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, and is 7.5 percent ahead of the predecessor card, the GeForce RTX 2080.
Who should consider buying a 2080 Super?
Finally, it remains to be answered who should consider purchasing the new 2018 Super.
GTX 980 Ti or GTX 1080 (Ti) vs 2080 Super
Yes, if you want to play in WQHD with high settings. If you want modern games like Metro: Exodus to run stably at high frame rates in WQHD, you inevitably need a faster GPU: As shown in the recent benchmark from Guru3D, the GTX 980 Ti manages just 33 fps at the highest settings, while the GTX 1080 only achieves 45 fps. The GTX 1080 Ti, on the other hand, performs slightly better with an average of 57 fps. In comparison, the 2080 Super reaches 67 fps.
For a smooth gaming experience above 60 fps at Ultra settings, you need either an RTX 2080 or the RTX 2080 Super and higher. Currently, particularly the overclocked custom cards of the RTX 2080 are available at competitive prices. Otherwise, the GTX 1080 Ti is still a strong card and, with minor compromises on graphics settings, it is also a good choice in WQHD. If you can wait, it’s better to wait for the next generation until more games utilize ray tracing. For the 1080 or 980, there are already more arguments for an upgrade.
Good all-rounder: Among the RTX 2080 custom cards, the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 Gaming OC is recommended: It is a good all-rounder in terms of gaming: It offers sufficient performance, has good energy efficiency, and has a third advantage: According to Computerbase, it is the second quietest graphics card in the 2080 test.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Tip for more performance: If you prioritize performance over good cooling, you should consider the Zotac GeForce RTX 2080 GAMING AMP Extreme. This graphics card offers high performance, nearly on par with a 2080 Super, but at a lower price. RGB fans will also be satisfied thanks to colorful lighting.
The compromise for high performance is heat: At full load, temperatures can reach 81 °C at times, and the power consumption of the Zotac card is also high. If you’re willing to compromise on power consumption and heat, you’ll get one of the fastest 2080 cards currently on the market:
Is it worth buying a 2080 Super for new buyers?
What speaks for the 2080 Super? If you are interested in an excellently optimized Turing chip and the currently fastest video memory, you should get the Super 2080, which is currently the second-fastest gaming graphics card.
What speaks against the 2080 Super? The 2070 Super features the same chip and architecture but offers around 13 percent less performance and is currently significantly cheaper. You should also watch the standard RTX 2080, which is also cheaper than the Super variant and only offers about 5 percent less performance, making it a better compromise, especially since the 2070 Super and the RTX 2080 also offer hardware-based ray tracing. The old 2080 also currently (still) has better cooling than the 2080 Super.
Among the 2070 Super, the ROG Strix Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 from ASUS is recommended. According to Gamestar, the card offers a good boost and decent cooling; if you set the card’s BIOS to Quiet-Bios, you have a great custom card:
- Das Axial-Tech-Lüfterdesign bietet eine kleinere Lüfternabe, durch die längere Lüfterblätter ermöglicht werden, sowie einen Sperrring, der den abwärtsgerichteten Luftdruck erhöht
- Die 0dB-Technologie sorgt für eine niedrige Geräuschentwicklung bei weniger anspruchsvollen Spielen
- Das 2,7-Slot-Design vergrößert die Kühloberfläche, um das Maximum aus den drei leistungsstarken Axial-Lüftern herauszuholen
- Mit dem Dual-BIOS kannst du ohne Software zwischen den BIOS-Profilen Quiet und Performance umschalten
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
How good are the first custom designs of the RTX 2080 Super?
Little improvement in performance: The first results of the first custom cards of the RTX 2080 Super are now available. Comparing them to Nvidia’s reference model, there are few differences: The MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming X TRIO offers just 2% more performance and hardly more boost performance than the reference model, but it scores with lower temperatures and less noise. However, it usually costs around 80 euros more than the reference model. Similar results are seen with other custom cards like the GIGABYTE 2080 Super Gaming OC.
The highest boost (1890 MHz) will come from the Asus ROG Strix 2080 Super in the OC variant. It is currently only poorly available, and thus, no reviews have emerged so far. It is quite possible that it might achieve 2% more performance. However, it has its price: currently, it costs €899. Is that justified?
The potential hidden gem: Radeon 5700 XT. This may indeed be worthwhile when the custom designs are released in mid-August. The AMD card is expected to have greater overclocking potential, bringing it close to an old 2080. However, the reference design is only worthwhile to a limited extent. More on this can be read here:
Are you building a new PC and need a new processor along with your graphics card? Then check out our article on Ryzen 3000, where we provide an overview of the latest processors:
