MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 LHR 12GB GDRR6X 384-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink Torx Fan 4 RGB Ampere Architecture OC Graphics Card (RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 12G LHR)
Bottom line: The MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 LHR 12GB GDRR6X 384-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink ($1,189.00 on Amazon as of 2026-10-20 22:13 UTC): 12GB GDDR6X at 19 Gbps on a 384-bit bus for high-res texture headroom; main trade-off: LHR variant caps Ethereum-style hash rates, limiting mining resale appeal.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-20. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ 12GB GDDR6X at 19 Gbps on a 384-bit bus for high-res texture headroom
- ✓ Factory OC boost clock of 1815 MHz out of the box
- ✓ Tri-frame Torx Fan 4 cooling with RGB for sustained Ampere clocks
- ✓ Drives up to 8K (7680x4320) via three DisplayPort 1.4 outputs
Cons
- ✗ LHR variant caps Ethereum-style hash rates, limiting mining resale appeal
- ✗ Triple-fan Gaming Z Trio is a bulky 3-slot card, tight in small builds
- ✗ Only one HDMI port for three DisplayPort 1.4 outputs
- ✗ Ampere generation predates DLSS 3 frame generation on RTX 40/50 cards
Manufacturer description
The GeForce RTX 3080 delivers the ultra performance that gamers crave, powered by Ampere—NVIDIA’s 2nd gen RTX architecture. It’s built with enhanced RT Cores and Tensor Cores, new streaming multiprocessors, and superfast G6X memory for an amazing gaming experience.
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 LHR 12GB GDRR6X 384-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink… using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to our editorial and benchmark analysis across the graphics cards category. Compare with similarly-priced alternatives in the graphics cards category before committing. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for graphics cards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- Memory Speed:19 Gbps.Digital Max Resolution:7680x4320
- Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 LHR
- Boost Clock: 1815 MHz
- Video Memory 12GB GDDR6X.Avoid using unofficial software
- Memory Interface 384-bit
- Output: DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4) / HDMI x 1
Full Specifications
| Brand | msi |
|---|---|
| Output | DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4) / HDMI x 1 |
| Weight | 12g |
| Chipset | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 LHR |
| Model Name | RTX 3080 |
| Boost Clock | 1815 MHz |
| Memory Speed | 19 Gbps.Digital Max Resolution:7680x4320 |
| Model Number | GeForce RTX 3080 GAMING Z TRIO 12G LHR |
| Built-In Media | Graphics card; quick setup guide |
| Number of Fans | 3 |
| Mfr Part Number | GeForce RTX 3080 GAMING Z TRIO 12G LHR |
| Video Processor | NVIDIA |
| Antenna Location | Gaming |
| Graphics Card Ram | 12 GB |
| Graphics Ram Size | 12 GB |
| Graphics Ram Type | GDDR6X |
| Compatible Devices | Desktop |
| Memory Clock Speed | 1815 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 LHR |
| Graphics Description | MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 LHR 12GB GDRR6X 384-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink Torx Fan 4 RGB Ampere Architecture OC Graphics Card |
Performance Data
View gaming FPS, AI inference throughput, and synthetic scores for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 — the core hardware component in this product. Benchmarks sourced from TechPowerUp, PassMark, and the r/LocalLLaMA community.
Which local LLMs fit in 10 GB?
10 GB holds an 8B model at Q4 with a few thousand tokens of context; a 12–14B model needs 12 GB.
- ✅ 7–9B models (Llama 3.1 8B, Qwen 3 8B) — fits at Q4
- ❌ 12–14B models (Qwen 3 14B, Phi-4) — needs 12 GB+
- ❌ 20–27B models (Gemma 3 27B, Mistral Small) — needs 20 GB+
- ❌ 30–35B models (Qwen 3 32B, QwQ 32B) — needs 24 GB+
- ❌ 70B models (Llama 3.3 70B, Qwen 2.5 72B) — needs 48 GB+
Across 17 community runs from 12 sources, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 generates a median 98.7 tok/s on 7–9B models at Q4 (per llama.cpp GitHub (Vulkan performance discussion)).
Ready to buy?
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 LHR 12GB GDRR6X 384-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink Torx Fan 4 RGB Ampere Architecture OC Graphics Card (RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 12G LHR) is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-20. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Graphics Cards
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Best Logitech Gaming Gear in 2026: Mice, Keyboards, and Wheels
- Dual RTX 3090 Setup Guide 2026: PSU, NVLink, Cooling
- Raspberry Pi 5 IOMMU Driver Lands for the Mainline Linux Kernel
- Intel Arc Pro B60 AI Performance: 24GB VRAM Explained
- Voodoo3 3000 PCI Install Guide for Win98 SE in 2026
- DIY Power Supply for a 10-Inch Rack Mini PC Cluster
- 1998 3dfx Voodoo2 SLI Build Guide: Period-Correct Glide Gaming with a CompactFlash Boot Drive
- 4K Gaming PC Build 2026: Cost, Parts, FPS
- Air vs AIO for the Ryzen 7 5800X: Noctua NH-U12S vs CoolerMaster ML240L
- Dumping Big-Box CD-ROM Games in 2026 with an IDE-to-USB Adapter
- Corsair Launches Lightweight Budget HS35 v3 Gaming Headset
- Best Raspberry Pi 4 Starter Kit Bundle for First-Time Robotics Builders in 2026
- Jetson Orin Nano Super vs Coral USB: Which One Runs an LLM?
- Crucial BX500 vs Samsung 870 EVO vs SanDisk SSD Plus: Best Budget SATA SSD
- Best Parts for a Long-Context Local LLM Workstation in 2026
- Best CPU Cooler for AMD Ryzen Builds in 2026
- NVMe vs SATA SSD for Local LLM Model Libraries in 2026
- Raspberry Pi 5 vs Pi 4 8GB for Homelab: Which Should You Buy?
- Best SSD for a Local AI / LLM Workstation in 2026
- Hosting a Period-Correct LAN Party in 2026: Quake 3, UT99, and the Gear That Still Works
- OpenAI Codex Price War vs Running a Local Coding Model on an RTX 3060
- Best Peripherals for a Modern Retro-PC LAN Party (2026)
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build Parts in 2026: 5 Core Picks
- Best Budget Streaming Setup in 2026: 5 Picks Under Budget
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090