Despite being a few years old, the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is still a very powerful graphics card that is able to deliver top-notch raytracing performance, and smooth gameplay at 4K resolution. It was the flagship card of the NVIDIA Turing generation, and as such can still rival even the most powerful RTX 30 series graphics cards that are currently available on the market.
Read more: The Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2022: Top GPUs for Every Budget
Featuring 11GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and 4,352 CUDA cores, the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is a beast of its own. In most PC games, the card is able to deliver more than 100 frames per second at 1440p resolution, and up to 60 frames per second at 4K resolution. As such, the RTX 2080 Ti is an excellent card for competitive gaming at high screen refresh rates, such as 144 Hz or 165 Hz.
If you are wondering whether this card is worth buying in 2022, the answer is yes. The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti may not be as powerful as the current NVIDIA flagship card – the GeForce RTX 3090 – but is much cheaper, and is still powerful enough to deliver great gaming experiences for years to come. In terms of raw performance, the RTX 2080 Ti is still within the top 10 most powerful graphics cards you can buy today, and can outpace AMD’s most powerful RX 6000 series GPUs in raytracing scenarios.
Best Overall:
EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Ultra
Best Value:
EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Black Edition
Best for Overclocking:
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC
Best Air-Cooled:
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio
Best with Water Block:
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XTREME Waterforce WB
Best Design:
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Best Overall: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Ultra
Boost Clock: 1650 MHz | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB-C
- Great 4K gaming performance
- Factory overclocked
- Sleeper heatsink design
- Good crypto mining performance
- High power draw
- Runs hot when overclocked
EVGA is primarily known for its high-performance graphics cards. It currently offers an RTX 2080 Ti, which is still one of the most powerful cards on the market. The EVGA RTX 2080 Ti XC Ultra Gaming is a high-end product, meaning it still holds its price. However, for the given price, you get a total of 4,352 CUDA cores that run at a clock speed of 1,650 MHz, which is more than enough capable of delivering great gaming performance, even in 2022.
Unfortunately, the temperatures of this card can get a bit high, partly because it come with factory increased GPU clocks. The card features 11GB of VRAM, and is able to offer great shading and raytracing performance at both QHD and 4K resolutions. There is also support for the latest version of DLSS, meaning that this card is still quite future-proof, especially if paired with a G-Sync monitor. This PCIe 3.0 graphics card uses two 8-pin connectors and consumes around 300 watts of power. You also get three HDMI ports, one HDMI port, and one USB Type-C port on the back for connecting multiple displays.
Best Value: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Black Edition
Boost Clock: 1545 MHz | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB-C
- Great 1440p and 4K performance
- Strong raytracing performance
- Simple and minimalistic design
- Affordable price
- Runs quite hot
- Not factory overclocked
For some of you, the EVGA brand name will be enough to convince you to buy this graphics card. That may not necessarily be a bad thing, though. EVGA is one of the best NVIDIA GPU manufacturers and their products are of great quality as well as having excellent customer service. If you have had a good experience with EVGA in the past and this card is compatible with your system, go on: this may be the green light you’ve been looking for.
The card has very subtle RGB lighting, and its black matte shroud and metallic backplate give it a very intimidating look. The card is pretty decent for overclocking, and it performs great at both 1440p and 4K resolution. It is a dual-slot card, which is a big plus, since it’s slightly smaller than the other options on this list. The only major downside of this card is that it runs too close to the rated temperature maximum, and that it’s not factory overclocked.
Best for Overclocking: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC
Boost Clock: 1665 MHz | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB-C
- High GPU boost clock
- Stunning aesthetics
- Efficient cooling solution
- Premium PCB components
- Great overclocking potential
- Large dimensions
If you’re looking for a custom designed RTX 2080 Ti graphics card that features excellent overclocking capabilities, you should definitely check out the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC. This graphics card comes with everything you need in a graphics card, with the added bonus of RGB lighting that doesn’t overstate or over assert its presence within your PC case.
The ROG Strix RTX 2080 Ti OC comes with a GPU boost clock of 1,665 MHz, and is the card with one of the highest factory increased clocks on our list. It also features 0 dB fans, which means that the fans on this GPU will stop spinning when the temperature is low enough, allowing you to enjoy your game in silence when it’s safe to do so. The card also comes with a chunky 2.7-slot triple-fan cooling system, which helps keep its temperatures at bay, and allows you to overclock it even further without worrying of overheating the card.
By combining great looks, premium PCB components, and high-end performance, the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 Ti OC proves to be an excellent card that is hard to beat. However, its fantastic features come with a steep price tag, meaning you might want to opt for more cheaper options if you are on a limited budget.
Best Air-Cooled: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio
Boost Clock: 1755 MHz | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin + 1 x 6-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB-C
- Very high factory clocks
- Excellent overclocking potential
- Beautiful heatsink design
- Vivid RGB lighting
- Very heavy
- Requires multiple power connectors
- Huge dimensions
While the ASUS ROG Strix model comes with excellent default overclocking values, it isn’t the best RTX 2080 Ti card for manual overclocking. When it comes to air-cooled cards, the throne is reserved for the MSI RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio.
This model can reach almost 1,755 MHz for the core clock and 2,000 MHz for memory clock. The increase in performance you get with overclocking this card is about fourteen percent. Thanks to its incredibly chunky, but efficient cooling system, you can safely push this card to its maximum limits.
It is also worth saying that this is an exceptionally good-looking graphics card. It has three asymmetrical fans, and it features RGB lighting both on top and in the bottom of its heatsink. Provided you love overclocking and have enough space in your PC for this bad boy, getting this card is a no-brainer.
Best with Water Block: Gigabyte AORUS RTX 2080 Ti XTREME Waterforce WB
Boost Clock: 1770 MHz | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 3 x HDMI, 1 x USB-C
- Absolutely stunning design
- Incredible cooling performance
- Amazing overclocking capabilities
- Dynamic RGB lighting
- Extremely high price
The Gigabyte AORUS RTX 2080 Ti XTREME Waterforce WB is an extraordinary custom designed RTX 2080 Ti graphics card with an extraordinary long name. Despite the fact that it has no fans (only a water block), this is a very heavy GPU, and as such, it is recommended to mount it vertically to prevent sagging.
Speaking of performance, this is an incredibly powerful and cool graphics card. Its factory increased GPU boost clock can be easily increased from base 1,770 MHz up to 2,100 MHz, making it one of the best custom designed RTX 2080 Ti cards for overclocking. The card also stays extremely cool, even under heavy loads, thanks to its very efficient liquid cooling system.
This card can also boast with vibrant RGB lighting, and the fact that it can be fitted even in some ITX cases. The biggest downside of this card is its incredibly high price, but given how well this card performs, its pretty justified.
Best Design: Gigabyte AORUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Boost Clock: 1770 MHz | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 3 x HDMI, 1 x USB-C
- Unique heatsink design
- Excellent build quality
- Factory increased clocks
- Premium PCB components
- Poor overclocking headroom
- Loud fans
If you don’t need to worry about budget restrictions, and you’re looking for high-end graphics card, the Gigabyte AORUS RTX 2080 Ti might be a perfect match for you. The Gigabyte’s AORUS lineup represents the company’s top of the line products, and this card is no exception in that regard. The AORUS RTX 2080 Ti sports a very high boost clock of 1770 MHz, along with the increased memory clock of 14.1 Gbps.
This card can also boast with great cooling system, which includes triple fan design that uses different performance levels for different cooling modes. Besides looking great, this card can also boast with premium AORUS PCB components and great longevity. Unfortunately, this card is a power hog, and it requires a 750 watt power supply and two 8-pin PSU connectors to run. The great thing about this premium graphics card is that it comes with three HDMI ports, three DisplayPort connectors, as well as one USB Type-C port on the back.
Advice for buying the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
If you decided to purchase the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, you might become overwhelmed with the different models to choose from. There are a lot of different models available on the market, with each offering different performance level, so choosing one might prove too hard for you. To help you decide which card is the best for your, here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your next GPU:
- Form factor: Check if the card can fit inside your PC case. Most cards can fit in standard ATX cases, but if you own an ITX case, then you’ll want to get a small form factor (SFF) graphics card.
- Clock speeds: Budget models usually feature reference GPU clocks, while more expensive and premium models come with factory increased clocks. The higher the clocks are, the better the performance of the card is.
- Power connectors: Cards that consume a lot of power usually require additional power connectors to run. Check if your PSU can support the card you’ll be buying, and whether it has enough free GPU power connectors.
- Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 offer better performance compared to PCIe 3.0 interface. Most modern cards support PCIe 4.0 interface, but if your motherboard doesn’t, then don’t worry. Almost all cards are backwards-compatible with older PCIe 3.0 data interface.
- Ports: If you own a multi-monitor setup, then be sure to pick the card with the most ports. Also, if you want to connect your VR device to your card, then be sure to pick up the card with the USB Type-C connector.
- Number of fans: More expensive cards feature coolers with more fans. This ensures that the card will stay cool even under heavy loads. If you want your card to last a long time, and be as quiet as possible, then get the card with three fans.
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