Nvidia RTX 4080 Super vs 4080 – what makes the new version so super?

The RTX series goes Super, so what does that change in the 4080?

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Roll-up, roll-up as we compare the RTX 4080 Super vs RTX 4080 to find what the differences are between them! Nvidia is refreshing its range of Ada series graphics cards. Bringing a boost to what the cards can already perform, but is it that much more? and what has changed? Feel free to also check out our other guides such as the best CPU for 4080 Super, best PSU for 4080 Super, best motherboard for 4080 Super, best gaming monitor for 4080 Super, best PC case for 4080 Super, or the best RTX 4080 Super gaming PC while you’re here.

The initial card of the RTX 4080 came out in November 2022, part of the initial release of the new generation of Nvidia graphics cards. But after plenty of other cards filling the line-up, it’s circling back to the first to improve upon it. The RTX 4080 Super release date was confirmed for the 31st of January 2024, so let’s see what it changes and what the best RTX 4080 Super has to offer.

ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 4080 GAMING OC

Core Clock Speed

2,535 MHz boost, 2,205 MHz base

CUDA Cores

9,728

Memory Size

16GB GDDR6X

Dimensions

357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm

PSU Required

750 W

TBP

320 W

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RTX 4080 Super vs RTX 4080 specifications

Although the Super cards might have been rumored for a while yet, nothing Nvidia aims to put out seems to stay secret. The specs remain unchanged from when they were leaked ahead of the CES announcement.

	RTX 4080 Super	RTX 4080
GPU	AD103-400	AD103-300
CUDA cores	10,240	9,728
Base clock speed	2,295MHz	2,205MHz
Boost clock speed	2,550MHz	2,505MHz
VRAM	16GB GDDR6X	16GB GDDR6X
Memory bandwidth	736GB/s	717GB/s
Memory bus	256-bit	256-bit
Memory clock	23Gbps	22.4Gbps
TGP	320W	320W

With the cards being the same generation and manufacturer, it’s much simpler to see the differences than say AMD vs Nvidia. In that case, we can see what kind of boost the Super name provides an increase in a couple of the specs, so we take a look at what that is specifically.

First off the GPU processor stays on the same AD103, but changing from 300 to 400. This increases the core count by 5.3%, an increase of 512 from the 4080 to the 4080 Super. Immediately we would expect that change alone to provide performance improvements and that’s without even the change in the TGP of the GPU either. This means you get more for the same card power.

It furthers its changes by increasing its clock rate as well. The base and boost clock increased by 4 and 1.8% respectively. Another small jump that can provide a few FPS more. It furthers this in the VRAM department where the capacity might be staying the same but there is a boost to the memory clock and therefore the bandwidth. These increase both by 2.7% and doing so without power increase that combine for a potential boost in performance.

Aside from the these technical specs, the two cards have the same dimensions. You can read more about that in our RTX 4080 Super size guide.

How much better is the RTX 4080 Super than the RTX 4080?

Since the RTX 4080 Super has not yet been released, we don’t have any benchmarks or expected performance gains compared to the RTX 4080. However, based on the spec increases of the Super card we can expect a slight jump in what it can achieve. Combining the increases, it might be somewhere from 2 to 10%. But it’s best to wait and see what it in fact has to offer, as even though it might not seem like much there could be some value to it still.

Currently, the 80 model brings great framerates across the board. As seen in benchmarks like Techspots, 1080p, 1440p, and even 4k are a breeze for the GPU. Easily averaging over 220, 180, and 110 FPS respectively, So it’s even surprising there’s a need for an upgrade in that since it’s more than most require in terms of performance. Unless you’re after fast 4k gaming, and quite can’t get an RTX 4090, then it could be an alternative even if it doesn’t quite reach the same level.

*Update* – there has been some more leaked information which may shed further light on the performance of the new card. Have a read of the following pieces to get the scoop: early Blender scores shows that the RTX 4080 Super is barely an improvement and these leaked RTX 4080 Super benchmarks could ruin launch day for you.

How much cheaper is the RTX 4080 Super than the 4080?

One of the biggest surprises and drawbacks of the RTX 4080 was its price. On announcement, it came with a hefty price tag of $1,199, following the great value of the RTX 3080 beforehand, it was quite the change. This may have not made it a popular choice to go for from the series. As for the 4080 Super, it has been rumored to be cheaper surprisingly, supposedly it is going to launch for $999. As pointed out by MEGAsizeGPU, it shows how Nvidia won’t price cut its cards but instead release cards of similar performance for cheaper. That pricing did in fact come to fruition and the RTX 4080 Super is going to have a $200 cheaper MSRP than the base model. Read our piece on the RTX 4080 Super price tag finally makes it worth upgrading to for more info.

Zotac GAMING Trinity OC RTX 4080 16GB

Architecture

Ada Lovelace

Boost Clock

2,520 MHz

VRAM

16GB GDDR6X

PCIe Standard

PCIe 4.0

Output

3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.1a

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Is the RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4080 better?

Comparing the specs and price of the RTX 4080 Super vs RTX 4080, the Super seems to be the sensible choice. Not only is it cheaper by $200, but it also brings with it an improvement in specifications that should lead to a slight performance increase. We’re not certain how much by, but you’ll definitely be getting an upgrade and better value from the Super card even if it’s just a few FPS differences. We can’t imagine the base 4080 model will continue being produced if it’s being succeeded either so it might not be a necessary choice to make down the line.

If you’re considering the GPU, you may want to see how it compares up against each other. You can find our guides on the RTX 4080 Super vs 4080, 4080 Super vs 3090 Ti & 3090, 4080 Super vs 4070 Ti Super, 4080 Super vs 3080 Ti vs 3080, and RTX 4080 Super vs 4090.