Though released in June 2021, the RTX 3080 Ti is still one of the most sought-after GPUs on the market. This isn't surprising given the power of this 4K-ready graphics card. The GPU was first announced at a virtual event at Computex 2021 where Nvidia revealed both the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to bolster its range of Ampere-based graphics cards.
While it isn't as beefy as the RTX 3090 or RTX 3090 Ti, the RTX 3080 Ti is absolutely no slouch in terms of raw computing power. It can make the best PC games look and run at their very best.
For most of the time since its debut, it's been difficult to find where to buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. This is why I opted to get a pre-built PC with the elusive GPU inside. It was a better option than paying the exorbitant prices scalpers demanded for RTX 30 series cards. However, these availability issues may now be a thing of the past. The top GPUs just fell below MSRP — and it may be time to buy one now.
With all that in mind, here’s what we know about the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti release date
Revealed on May 31, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti was released on June 3, 2021. Given the popularity of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 since its launch, the RTX 3080 Ti hasn't been easy to find unless you're very fast and lucky. It always sells out quickly.
This is all thanks to the semiconductor shortages that have caused a graphics card shortage, while also making it difficult to spot a promising PS5 restock or Xbox Series X restock.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti price
As the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a supercharged version of the GeForce RTX 3080, it’s got a starting price tag of $1,119. That's a good bit pricier than the $699 RTX 3080, but cheaper than the $1,499 RTX 3090.
However, the demand for GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is, as we've said, very high; that’s been the case with all new Nvidia and AMD graphics cards during most of 2020 and all of 2021. Retailers and scalpers have cranked up the price of the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. Nvidia has tried measures to ensure the RTX 3080 doesn't appeal to cryptocurrency miners, but more general scalpers are a separate problem for Team Green. Thus far, efforts to curb these individuals haven't worked.
With that said, the price of graphics cards has dropped in recent months. Unfortunately, GPUs are still difficult to find thanks to the supply chain shortages.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti specs
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $699 | $1,119 | $1,499 |
| Nvidia CUDA Cores | 8,704 | 10,240 | 10,496 |
| Boost Clock (GHz) | 1.71 | 1.66 | 1.70 |
| Standard Memory Config | 10GB GDDR6X | 12GB GDDR6X | 24GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface Width | 320-bit | 384-bit | 384-bit |
| Memory speed | 19 Gbps | N/A | 19.5 Gbps |
| Memory bandwidth | 760.3 GB/s | 912.4 GB/s | 936.2 GB/s |
| Ray tracing cores | 68 | 80 | 82 |
| Maximum Resolution | 7680x4320 | 7680x4320 | 7680x4320 |
| Ports | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a (3x) | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a (3x) | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a (3x) |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti performance
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti targets 4K resolution gaming, much like the GeForce RTX 3080, though aiming to deliver faster frame rates this time. It's targeted at PC gamers looking to upgrade from the old GeForce RTX 1080 Ti or the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, which the RTX 3080 Ti is 1.5x faster than.
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti enables you to not only crank all the graphics settings up in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, but also switch on full ray tracing and potentially game at 120 frames per second or above.
That's a big ask. But the extra memory, CUDA cores and higher clock speeds give the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti a boost over its less powerful sibling.
In short, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti sits between the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090, targeting PC fans who want a graphics card that delivers stellar 4K gaming performance but isn’t overkill for the resolution of their desktop setup.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti outlook
There's an argument that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti isn’t really needed when the RTX 3080 is more than enough for most games. But as game developers continue coming to grips with the capabilities of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, they’ll start to push graphics further, meaning PC games with everything dialed up to the max could demand a lot for even the most powerful GPUs.
As powerful as the RTX 3080 is, it will still struggle to run the most demanding games at 60 frames per second with ray tracing enabled. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti provides a boost to make smooth high-fidelity 4K gaming beyond 60 fps an achievable target. And now that high refresh rate monitors are more readily available, gamers who want compromise-free graphics and performance will see the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti as a tantalizing prospect.
It's unfortunate that the RTX 3080 Ti has been plagued with shortages and has fallen victim to the ongoing graphics card shortage. With that said, it's certainly a graphics card to get excited about (as I can personally testify). If nothing else, you could just buy one of the pre-built rigs from our best gaming PCs roundup.
