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RTX 4000 price, is the RTX 4080 too expensive?

What once was the cost of a whole PC you might be spending on one expensive GPU

Updated: Apr 20, 2023 8:42 am
RTX 4000 price, is the RTX 4080 too expensive?

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Nvidia announced its new RTX 4000 series graphics cards in September 2022. The new Ada Lovelace GPUs bring with them, new technologies and plenty of performance gains over previous offerings. These improvements bring along with them other upgrades as well such as DLSS 3.

However, along with the reveal of the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 specifications and release dates, we got a glimpse at the price. Coming out on the 12th of October, the RTX 4090 will set you back $1,599. Although RTX 4080 had two models, the 16GB and 12GB, that was cut down to just the 16GB card.

After some community uproar, the 12GB card was unlaunched as was deemed too confusing. But also those pricings were a lot with the 16GB at $1,199 and the 12GB at $899 but it was in fact a lot different to the 4080. So no wonder it got pulled.

These prices seemingly inflated during the expensive period and didn’t back down. Even after the collapse and fall of those prices, Nvidia seems to think people will still go at them. Nearly double what the 80 model was previously.

ROG Strix RTX 4090 15

Why is the RTX 4080 so expensive?

Now out of the cards announced, the RTX 4080 has the biggest leap in price. We knew with the 4090 it would jump above the RTX 3090 but still less than the 3090 Ti.

However, looking back at RTX 3080, that was set to $699 before the shortage situation. Whilst the 12GB model that came later, jumped another $100, which then comes to $799. And the higher 4080 is adding $400 on top, 50% more. So it’s more in line with the 3080 Ti launch price.

In the UK the RTX 4090 comes in at a £1,269 MSRP. And a key drawback of the card is the price around the world as it is even higher than the US MSRP. Especially as the Founder’s Edition, the cheapest model, is harder to find out there. So it’s another factor that may dissuade people from getting it. Especially the big jump in price over last time without as much performance. And at that price, the 4090 isn’t too far off.

New technologies and increased costs

Now there are some features that can justify some price increases. With the newer architecture, there are further improvements. With it utilizing newer TSMC 5nm production, it had stated that it would be increasing its pricing. Now that all GPU manufacturers use the same foundry it is felt across the board.

It also has further improved its Tensor core generation improving overall performance and utilization of them. It also has introduced shader execution reordering for improved RT calculation. Along with tech to add to further improve DLSS performance.

Furthermore, it adds more to the VRAM capacity of the cards. Although one may remain similar, the higher spec pushes it even further. Even without an upgrade to the PCIe Gen 5 interface, there are plenty of other additions. If the performance is in fact 2-4x faster than the 3080 Ti then it will be worth it. As long as they do keep releasing lower-end cards as something close to a 3060 Ti would do a good job for a fairer price.

RTX 4080 specs and price

Is it worth buying an RTX 4090 or 4080?

Overall, it will come down to the performance of the cards and performance per watt. As with the growing energy pricing you don’t want to be paying a fortune to run the card either. But also if the cost increase relates enough to the uptick in performance.

However, this precedent is worrying. Not long ago you could buy a high-end system for the cost of a singular card. It is a worrying development, and a lot of current cards are plenty powerful for what the demand is for them. Now would be a good time to grab one of those, plenty of high-end cards are on sale. With 3080 Ti and 3090 Tis available. Along with a lot of other options, it means there is still great performance for much better pricing.

But AMD’s RDNA 3 has a lot to offer as an alternative. With good pricing and performance, they are a viable alternative to what Nvidia has to offer.

FAQs

What is the MSRP of the RTX 4000 series?

The RTX 4090 is priced at $1,599/£1,699. Whilst the RTX 4080 is priced at $1,199/£1,269, with the RTX 4070 set to $599 but the TI model is at $799.


With a background in engineering and PC gaming, Seb is a staff writer with a focus on GPU, storage, and power supplies. Also one of tech supports in the office he likes helping and solving problems.

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