Zooming in on the I/O area, we’re presented with three DisplayPort (v1.4) ports and two HDMI (2.0b) ports. The maximum digital resolution is a whopping 7680×4320 (8K). The I/O plate has large vents to let some of the heated air escape directly out of the chassis. Power is fed to the card through three 8-pin PCIe connectors. However, it’s worth remembering that if you’re playing with headphones or your case is a bit further from where you sit, you’re unlikely to notice the noise. Our Thoughts In comparison to the previous generation’s ROG Strix card, which was pretty big in its own right, this model is significantly larger. This might have been expected due to the RTX 3080’s massive performance upgrade. Needless to say, it’s bigger than the Founders Edition, but it’s worth pointing out that, although it technically only needs two slots, this is a 3-slot card.

Zotac used its IceStorm 2.0 cooler for this card, and this is probably the reason why its version performs better in the cooling department. The 3-fan design, along with a new heat pipe layout, have outperformed the FE card. Given how NVIDIA touted its new fan design, this is a massive win for Zotac. Our Thoughts Super Alloy Power II includes premium alloy chokes, solid polymer capacitors, and an array of high-current power stages. Generation Tensor Cores: Get up to 2X the throughput with structural sparsity and advanced AI algorithms such as DLSS. Now with support for up to 8K resolution, these cores deliver a massive boost in game performance and all-new AI capabilities. In addition to under-the-hood design changes, the ROG Strix features a new face with metal accents that mirror the design aesthetic of ROG and ROG Strix motherboards. Mixing surface textures and materials make a statement when vertically mounted and lit by chassis LEDs. For those who prefer a sleeker, more subtle look, the greyscale colorway allows it to seamlessly blend into the build.

Theoretical Performance

Before we get started, it’s important to point out that NVIDIA’s fan-on-each-side design will be exclusive to its Founders Edition cards. This means the cards you read about today had to use an alternative design. In most cases, this has been the 3-fan design, a tried and tested method for GPU cooling. In terms of size, it is not as large as the other AIB cards, but it still can’t be called small. It will still have the now-familiar overhang in the ATX cases.

Fire Strike (Extreme) is a DX11-based test that runs at 1080p resolution. UL says the graphics are rendered with detail and complexity far beyond other DX11 benchmarks and games. 3DMark Time Spy is a DX12 benchmark designed for Windows 10 PCs. It supports new API features such as asynchronous compute, explicit multi-adapter, multi-threading, and runs at 2560×1440 resolution. The EVGA FTW3 Ultra RTX 3080 graphics card is one of the best choices out there if you’re not looking to splash the cash for the RTX 3090.For gaming benchmarks, we have updated our testing suite to bring more modern titles into the mix. Gone are Battlefield V, F1 2018, Far Cry 5, AOTS:e, and World of Tanks, which were replaced with Metro Exodus, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, F1 2020, and Far Cry: New Dawn. We kept The Division 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The games should provide a good view of the overall performance of the card. Many of these are DX12 games. 1080p (1920×1080) Results Our Axial-tech fan design is optimized for a new, larger heatsink that features more fins and surface area than last gen. The blade count is increased on all three fans, with 13 on the center fan and 11 on the auxiliary fans. The barrier ring on the side fans is slimmed down to allow for more lateral intake and to provide better airflow through the cooling array. The center fan’s extra blades and full-height ring provide boosted static pressure to blast air directly onto the GPU heat spreader. The first thing you’ll notice about the RTX 3080 ROG Strix OC is its size. It’s absolutely massive, and you could easily mistake it for an RTX 3090. The usual 3-fan design and the physical BIOS switch on the card itself are present, with ‘Performance’ and ‘Quiet’ modes available. It’s worth saying that there isn’t much difference between these two modes in terms of performance, but the different sound levels will be much more noticeable. Unlike the previously discussed ASUS RTX 3080 ROG Strix OC, this card doesn’t have a physical BIOS switch option. This might not be necessary, as the cards with this option perform pretty much the same regardless of the switch. Remember when we said that Trinity is similar to the Founders Edition? That’s true, for the most part, but where it counts the most, in performance, Trinity outperforms NVIDIA’s card, if only by a slight margin. Of course, it’s still a notch below some of the more expensive RTX 3080 cards, but it’s still a good card.

Built on their brand new Ampere architecture, NVIDIA’s popular RTX 3000 series is finally here and appears to have already exceeded expectations. Furthermore, the driver problems have also been ironed out to an extent. Right now, getting an RTX 3080 is probably the best gaming choice you can make. Yes, that includes getting a next-gen console. However, the results of benchmarks vary, not only from the other hardware components but also from the benchmarking tool, so take them with a grain of salt. The fan noise and heating department did show improvements, but that was about all. However, if you have proper case ventilation, you shouldn’t be too concerned about this. Our Thoughts The rear of the ROG Strix graphics card sports two PWM FanConnect headers that provide additional DIY flexibility. Chassis fans can be directly attached to the GPU and tuned with a curve that is based on CPU or GPU temperature, providing extra intake or exhaust for demanding 3D tasks.

Generation RT Cores: Experience 2X the throughput of 1st gen RT Cores, plus concurrent RT and shading for a whole new level of ray tracing performance. This limited edition of the ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 3080 features a completely white colorway on top of all the generational improvements to the ROG Strix series. Now’s your chance to build a high-end white-themed gaming rig with the latest in graphics technology.