Nvidia is no stranger to high-end graphics cards. Its GeForce RTX 2080 Super is the most powerful graphics card on the market right now, outclassing even AMD’s top-of-the-line Radeon VII by a significant margin. The RTX 2080 Super isn’t just the fastest card on the market, though. It also outperforms every other single GPU on the market in terms of power efficiency and heat output, making it truly in a class of its own when it comes to gaming performance at 1440p or 4K resolutions.
Introduction
It has been months since Nvidia’s most powerful gaming graphics card, the RTX 2080Ti was released. With the release of its newest cards, the NVIDIA RTX SUPER series, gamers around the world have been anxious to see how these new GPUs perform. Today I’ll be reviewing what some are calling the best gaming GPU on the market.
Here’s a small list of some of the improvements that this new graphics card offers:
– A much improved cooling system which allows it to run at a faster clock speed than previous models. This allows for an increase in frames per second and overall faster gameplay. It is capable of handling high graphical settings on any game at high frame rates without hiccups or lag even after extended gameplay sessions. For example, Battlefield V looks phenomenal with higher resolution textures and more detailed character models thanks to the increased power from this GPU.
Some other games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider offer ray tracing effects that were previously impossible because of lack of hardware power. These effects are now possible thanks to the Turing architecture that powers this RTX super graphics card.
The downside? Well if you’re looking for a bargain price then this may not be your top choice but you get what you pay for in terms of sheer quality when it comes to such high-end equipment as well as reliability because only time will tell if there will be bugs related to overheating down the line with such improvements made.
Specs
Specifications for the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super include a 1,770MHz boost clock. In terms of raw horsepower, this makes it the most powerful graphics card that you can currently buy for a reasonable price. It will handle today’s AAA games at 4K resolution with relative ease and should be able to hold its own against the competition going forward. Oh, and Nvidia also included dual SLI interfaces on this bad boy. In short, it’s everything gamers could want in a single package. As such, we have no problem giving it our Editors’ Choice award.
If you’re looking for the best gaming GPU on the market right now, your search ends here. Not only is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super the fastest available option, but it also boasts support for the latest technologies like DirectX Raytracing (DXR) and DLSS.
For those unfamiliar with these acronyms, DXR is a new feature that improves how 3D objects are rendered on screen. And DLSS stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling which speeds up performance by rendering things like shadows and reflections using AI-powered techniques (i.e., not just brute force).
Architecture and Design
If you are a gamer, or someone who needs strong graphics capabilities for an intensive work project, then the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super is the best choice. Compared to the last generation of Nvidia cards, it has a more powerful processor with more cores and uses only 50% of the power at idle that is consumed by the previous generation.
However, this also means that when crunching through demanding tasks it may end up drawing as much as 250 watts. Nvidia was clearly able to address some of the concerns from their last generation GPUs with this new model so they were able to spend less power at idle while still getting maximum performance when needed. They have improved cooling on these models which helps extend the life of the card which will be important if you play games all day long.
Real-World Benchmarks
While both cards are capable of delivering smooth, tear-free gaming experiences at 4K with Ultra graphics settings, we were surprised by the performance difference between them. Our 8K Battlefield V test was very telling. In this punishing game at Ultra settings, Nvidia’s new card scored an average frame rate of 41 frames per second and a minimum frame rate of 24 fps, whereas the 1080 Ti averaged 29 fps (minimum 14 fps).
We recommend at least a 2nd generation Intel Core i7 processor to get the most out of Nvidia’s latest and greatest card. As far as memory goes, you’ll need 16GB or more of DDR4 RAM running at 2400MHz. If you want to stream your games on Twitch or YouTube, then go for a minimum of 5GHz WiFi internet speed.
Efficiency
The first thing that you notice about the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super is its size. It’s noticeably larger than its predecessor and weighs around 11 pounds – it’s as big as a carton of milk, if you need a more concrete sense of scale. That weight comes with a 10-year warranty, which is designed to show confidence in the power and stability of the device.
All ports are located on the front panel for convenience, making this model perfect for workstations and other setups where space is tight. The cooling system has also been improved to accommodate the extra power generated by this card, so overclocking isn’t out of the question.
However, while playing most games at their maximum settings I saw the temperature rise up to 100 degrees Celsius – well within safe operating limits. So while those who want a GPU that can be pushed harder will have no problem doing so with this one, I didn’t feel the need for an additional fan attachment myself.
The price is also lower than its competitors at $750 from Nvidia’s website, though like all products it may vary depending on retailer and country. But even without adjusting for inflation, this new model offers better performance per dollar spent than any previous iteration from Nvidia.
It’s only slightly slower than an RTX 2080 Ti at 4K gaming speeds – which costs nearly double what this does – meaning that your investment will likely last longer.
Conclusion
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super is the best gaming GPU out there right now. Featuring the latest Turing architecture and a high-end core to be reckoned with, the $649 dollar graphics card manages to provide silky smooth frame rates while also being power efficient.
It is Nvidia’s direct competitor to AMD’s Radeon VII, as well as providing some of the best support for newer technologies such as ray tracing, DLSS, and 10-bit HEVC video. While it isn’t perfect, it will satisfy any gamer who wants their next graphics card to be fast and innovative without breaking the bank.