Way back in the distant era of mid-2016, Nvidia dropped the GeForce 10 series of graphics cards. Those cards largely cost more now than they did when they were introduced, thanks to Bitcoin miners, of course. However, their primary use, as gaming cards, has been their biggest selling point. However, the 10 series isn’t top dog anymore: the 20 series is here. How do the GeForce RTX 2080 and GeForce RTX 2080 Ti stack up? Are they worth their price? Let’s get into it!
GeForce RTX 2080 and GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Review Roundup
Technical Specs
These new cards run on Turing GPU architecture, which is a bleeding-edge three-pronged approach. This provides a huge benefit to performance and efficiency, using three separate centers. Namely, this new architecture allows the cards to incorporate deep learning AI functions into real-time graphics. While this has been seen in workstation GPUs, it’s brand new to commercial gaming cards. And yes, you can bet that means these suckers are pricey.
The other big benefit granted by this new architecture is ray tracing. Put simply, ray tracing is a new way to render lighting, shading and reflections. Between ray tracing and the deep learning, or DLSS, these are set to be the defining features of the 20 series. Most games don’t have a way to use this bleeding edge tech yet, but many are coming down the line.
Bottom Line
When it comes to practical testing, the verdict is in: these cards are bananas. The RTX 2080 blows the 1080 Ti out of the water across the board. The 2080 Ti, of course, is the absolute cutting edge of high-end graphics. Overclocking is a breeze with these cards, bringing a great amount of future-proofing to these 4K-capable cards.
That said, if 4K is your focus, you’re going to want a 2080 Ti. That’s going to se you back: the 2080 Ti has a $1,000 MSRP, and the Founders Edition is $1,200. The 2080, while not as great for 4K, is still capable of ray tracing and DLSS. It’s a great option for those looking to stay current without breaking the bank. It retails at $700, or $800 for the Founders Edition.
For the time being, these cards are likely overkill for most users. However, if you are currently running middling hardware and want to upgrade, consider getting a 20 series card. Additionally, if you’re building a bleeding-edge rig for future-proofing your gaming experience, these are absolutely the best of the best for the time being.
