Same-bench FPS from ComputerBase, specs, power and a decision matrix.
By Mike Perry, Founder & Editor-in-Chief · Published 2026-04-21 · Updated 2026-09-30 · 3 min read
RTX 5080 vs 4080 SUPER: 12% faster at 4K (65.5 vs 58.5 FPS), 9% at 1440p in ComputerBase’s 19-game test. Both launched at $999; street prices run higher.
Quick answer
The RTX 5080 is about 12% faster than the RTX 4080 SUPER at 4K and about 9% faster at 1440p. In ComputerBase's RTX 5080 review, the 19-game raster geometric mean is 65.5 vs 58.5 FPS at 3840×2160 and 104.0 vs 95.7 FPS at 2560×1440. KitGuru's review reports a similar gap: 9% at 1440p and 13% at 4K across its 12 games. Both cards launched at $999 with 16 GB of VRAM. On 2026-09-30 the Amazon listings SpecPicks tracks put both cards above $1,600, well over that MSRP, and prices change daily; the price cards at the top of this page carry the latest tracked figure and date for each. Owners of a 4080 SUPER gain little from switching. For a new build, buy whichever of the two is cheaper on the day.
Price delta: both cards launched at $999 MSRP — the choice doesn't come down to sticker price.
Power and thermals
TDP: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 360W vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 320W. That's a 40W delta. Over 4 hours a day, 365 days — roughly 9 USD/yr in electricity at $0.15/kWh. Plan your PSU at least 1.5x peak draw.
Decision matrix
Get the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 if
Get the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER if
You need the most VRAM / cores in the comparison
Budget is tighter
Your workload scales with memory bandwidth
You want better perf-per-dollar
You're on a 2025-era platform anyway
You're keeping an older platform
You prioritize headroom for future larger models
You know exactly what you need today
Don't bother with either if your real bottleneck is somewhere else — at the end of the day, both of these are competent parts. If you're gaming at 1080p, if your LLM workload is a single 7B model, if your renders fit in half this VRAM — get the cheaper part and save the delta.
Bottom line
For most buyers in 2026, the choice between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER comes down to how much headroom you value. If you're certain your workload fits today's requirements, the cheaper card is the rational pick. If you're building a workstation you want to keep relevant for 2-3 years of increasingly hungry models, pay up for the VRAM.
If both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER (each $999 at launch, more on the street today) feel overkill, consider the tier below. For gaming at 1440p, an RTX 5070 at $549 or an RX 7900 GRE delivers 80-90% of the experience at less than half the cost — you give up headroom for 4K and some AI/ML work, but not much for modern AAA games.
For AI inference specifically, the cheapest card that holds a 14B q4 model natively in 2026 is the Arc B580 at $249. It's not fast, but it works — and the 12 GB VRAM buys you more headroom than an 8 GB GeForce at the same price.
Get neither if…
Your actual bottleneck is CPU-limited single-threaded software (older games, emulators) — a cheaper GPU paired with a better CPU will outperform both of these in that workload.
You only run 7-8B LLMs and don't plan to go larger — the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER are both massively over-provisioned for that use case. An RTX 4070 SUPER will match their tok/s at 7B while costing half as much.
Your workload fits in integrated GPU or unified memory — an Apple M4 Pro 48 GB is $2,399 and holds models neither of these discrete cards can hold.
You can't give the card 1.5x its TDP in clean PSU headroom. Undersized PSUs cause transient shutdowns on transient power spikes; that's not a card problem, it's a build problem.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases; we also earn on qualifying eBay purchases via the eBay Partner Network. Prices shown were last tracked at crawl time and may vary — check the listing for the current price.
📹 Watch a review
I Don’t Know What to Say… – Nvidia RTX 4070 Super, 4070 Ti Super, 4080 Super Review — Linus Tech Tips on YouTube
Frequently asked questions
What are the key differences between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 4080 SUPER?
The RTX 5080 features GDDR7 memory, slightly higher shader units (10,752 vs. 10,240), and a higher TDP (360W vs. 320W). Both cards launched at the same $999 MSRP (street prices now run higher) and have 16 GB of VRAM, but the RTX 5080 offers better synthetic benchmark scores and more headroom for future workloads.
How do the two GPUs compare in AI inference performance?
AI inference benchmarks show that both GPUs perform similarly for smaller models, but the RTX 5080's newer architecture and memory bandwidth provide better scalability for larger models. For workloads like Llama 70B, the RTX 5080 is likely to offer more consistent performance due to its higher VRAM bandwidth.
Is the RTX 5080 more power-efficient than the RTX 4080 SUPER?
No, the RTX 5080 has a higher TDP of 360W compared to the RTX 4080 SUPER's 320W. Sustained power draw during workloads typically ranges between 70-90% of TDP, so the RTX 4080 SUPER is slightly more power-efficient. However, the difference in annual electricity cost is minimal, around $9 at $0.15/kWh.
Which GPU is better for gaming at 4K Ultra settings?
For 4K Ultra gaming, the performance difference between the RTX 5080 and RTX 4080 SUPER depends on the specific game. Synthetic benchmarks suggest the RTX 5080 has a slight edge, but both cards are capable of delivering excellent 4K performance. Gamers should consider their budget and future-proofing needs when choosing.
What should I consider when choosing between these GPUs for future workloads?
Future workloads often demand more VRAM and memory bandwidth. The RTX 5080, with its GDDR7 memory and higher shader count, is better suited for evolving AI models and larger game textures. If your workload is static or budget is a concern, the RTX 4080 SUPER may be sufficient.
