Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC Review

The RTX 2080 SUPER is here at last. Sure, we've already tested the stupidly fast RTX 2070 SUPER, and we loved the boosted performance of the RTX 2060 SUPER too. All those links are on the last page of this review, so check them out afterwards. However, now it's time for the RTX 2080 series to get a big performance boost. We've tested the Founders Edition here, and a few others linked below, but how do the AIB cards stack up? Let's find out with the Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC! Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC Gigabyte is on a winning streak recently. Sure, they're not pushing the latest innovations when it comes to design. However, by using their well established WindForce cooler designs, which we know work great. They're able to keep their costs down and pass that onto consumers. Plus, the cooler design has years of testing with consumers, meaning they now give their cards an impressive 4-years warranty! Since this is the Gaming OC, it's the high-end version of the Gigabyte range. This means you can expect an impressive overclock right out of the box, their triple-fan WindForce 3X cooling system, a full metal backplate and more. That's compared to the WindForce OC range which would feature a smaller 2-fan cooler and slightly lower clock speeds. Features Powered by GeForce® RTX 2080 SUPER™Integrated with 8GB GDDR6 256-bit memory interfaceWINDFORCE 3X Cooling System with alternate spinning fansRGB Fusion 2.0 – synchronize with other AORUS devicesMetal Back Plate4 Years Warranty (Online registration required) What Gigabyte Had to Say "The WINDFORCE 3X cooling system features 3x 82mm unique blade fans, alternate spinning fan, 6 composite copper heat pipes, heat-pipe direct touch and 3D active fan functionality, together delivering an effective heat dissipation capacity for higher performance at lower temperatures." - Gigabyte Specifications For in-depth specifications, please visit the official Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC product page here. Photo Gallery How We Test We continue to update our testing methods around once per year. As such, we re-test older hardware to reflect changes over time. These can be driver updates, Windows updates, game patches, and more; all of which have an impact on performance figures. Furthermore, we update our test bench to newer and more relevant hardware. This means that our new reviews aren’t always comparable to those of older reviews, so please compare the testing methodology on older reviews should you be trying to compare them with newer ones. Replicate Our Results When it comes to our benchmarks in our reviews, the benchmarks are pretty self-explanatory and kept as simple as possible, although there are a few exceptions. Remember that your choice of a graphics card, CPU, the silicon lottery, and other factors can yield different numbers, and there’s always a margin for error when using any software. Links are provided below, as well as the settings we use. We encourage you to not just look at how one product compares to any other, but how it compares to your own. If you’re looking to build a new system, you should benchmark your current PC using the benchmarks available to you. You should then look at the percentage improvement from your current hardware to the hardware tested here to give you a ballpark figure of how much of an upgrade this will provide you with. Graphics Card Test System Motherboard – Aorus Z390 Gaming MasterProcessor – Intel Core i9-9900K (Stock)RAM – Crucial Ballistix Gaming 32GB (4 x 8GB) 3000 MHzCPU Cooler – Noctua NH-D15SPower Supply – Be Quiet Power Zone 1000WMain Storage Drive – Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GBChassis – Thermaltake Core P5 TGOperating System – Windows 10 64-bitMonitor – AOC 28-Inch 4K Gaming Monitor Additional Hardware Killawatt style electricity usage meter wall plugPrecision Gold N05CC Decibel meter Gaming To gauge performance levels which are easily reproduced time after time, by both ourselves and our readers, we now stick strictly to games default profiles. We now use the “High” profiles for all games or their respective equivalent at all resolutions. V-Sync is always disabled in our testing, as are FreeSync and G-Sync technologies or similar. Graphics card power usage is set to optimised or balance, and the system power mode set to High Performance within Windows and the available GPU driver software. Identical settings are used for all resolutions unless otherwise stated. Games and Settings Used Shadow of the Tomb Raider DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pDeus Ex: Mankind Divided DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pGhost Recon: Wildlands High Preset1080p1440p2160pBattlefield V DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pBattlefield V DX12 High Preset (DXR Enabled) NVIDIA RTX Cards ONLY1080p1440p2160pMetro Exodus DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pMetro Exodus DX12 High Preset (RT, then RT and DLSS Enabled) NVIDIA RTX Cards ONLY1080p1440p2160pFar Cry New Dawn High Preset1080p1440p2160p The Division 2 High Preset1080p1440p2160p Software Used 3DMark Fire Strike (download)FireStrike Ultra BenchmarkUnigine Superposition (download)4K Optimised BenchmarkHWMonitor (download)GPU-Z (download)MSI Afterburner (download) Noise Everyone has a reasonable noise level preference when it comes to components on a computer. Some can handle all fans at 100% load to keep temperatures down; some want an entirely silent computer. To accurately gauge the noise output of a graphics card, we position a Precision Gold N05CC one meter above our open-air test bench and take an average reading at idle and load. Power Consumption We take power readings during the idle state with no background applications running. Then again at 50% completion of the Unigine Superposition benchmark, using the average as the final published result. Temperatures We take temperature readings after 10 minutes of desktop idle with no background programs running, then take the recorded maximum delivered from Unigine Superposition after a 4K optimised run, confirming the numbers are accurate with HWMonitor. Furthermore, the ambient temperature is always kept +/- 1c from 21c. Synthetic Benchmarks 3DMark FireStrike Ultra - 70003DMark TimeSpy - 11472Unigine Superposition 4K Optimised - 9198 3DMark FireStrike Ultra 3DMark TimeSpy Unigine Superposition Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. Available now on Steam. Shadow of the Tomb Raider Performance 1080p Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1421440p Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1092160p Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 62 Now an experienced covert operative, Adam Jensen is forced to operate in a world that has grown to despise his kind. Armed with a new arsenal of state-of-the-art weapons and augmentations, he must choose the right approach, along with who to trust, in order to unravel a vast worldwide conspiracy. Available now on Steam. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Performance 1080p Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 130.41440p Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 97.92160p Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 52.8 The Ghosts, an elite US Special Forces team, are sent behind enemy lines to wreak havoc, destabilize, and eventually break the alliance between the cartel and the corrupted government. Facing an almighty enemy in a massive and hostile environment, the Ghosts will need to make critical moral choices and engage in tough battles to complete their mission – their grittiest and most dangerous operation to date. Available now on UPlay. Ghost Recon: Wildlands Performance 1080p Ghost Recon Wildlands - 138.011440p Ghost Recon Wildlands - 108.062160p Ghost Recon Wildlands - 64.84 Enter mankind’s greatest conflict with Battlefield™ V in the most intense, immersive, and innovative Battlefield yet. Lead your squad to victory in all-new multiplayer experiences like the multi-map Grand Operations. Fight for survival in Firestorm – battle royale, reimagined for Battlefield. Witness a never-before-seen portrayal of WW2 in the single-player War Stories campaign. Assemble your Company of customized soldiers, weapons, and vehicles – then take them on an expanding journey where every chapter brings a new battlefield. You will never be the same. Available now on Origin. Battlefield V Performance 1080p Battlefield V - 1461440p Battlefield V - 1072160p Battlefield V - 61 Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first-person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created. Flee the shattered ruins of dead Moscow and embark on an epic, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia in the greatest Metro adventure yet. Explore the Russian wilderness in vast, non-linear levels and follow a thrilling story-line inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter. Available now on Epic Game Store. Metro Exodus Performance 1080p Metro Exodus - 97.931440p Metro Exodus - 75.722160p Metro Exodus - 46.78 Seventeen years after a global nuclear catastrophe, civilization re-emerges from the chaos to find a world dramatically changed. In Hope County, Montana, the remaining populace has gathered into different groups, each with their own rules for survival. In this new world order, the vicious Highwaymen, led by twin sisters Mickey and Lou, travel from place to place bleeding people dry of all available resources. As the Survivors try to defend their lands against the Highwaymen's relentless onslaught, it's up to you to come to their aid and lead the fight. In the latest instalment of the award-winning Far Cry franchise, you are the last line of defence in a transformed, post-apocalyptic Hope County. Help the community of Survivors grow stronger, craft a makeshift arsenal through Turf Wars and cross-country Expeditions, and form unexpected alliances to fight for survival in a dangerous new frontier. Available now on UPlay. Far Cry New Dawn Performance 1080p Far Cry New Dawn - 1321440p Far Cry New Dawn - 1172160p Far Cry New Dawn - 66 Seven months have passed since a deadly virus hit New York City and the rest of the world, crippling the population. When the virus hit, The Division, a unit of civilian sleeper agents, was activated as the last line of defence. Since then, Division agents have been fighting relentlessly to save what remains. For The Division, the stakes are higher than ever. Washington, D.C. – the most heavily protected city on earth – is at risk, leaving the entire nation on the brink of collapse. If Washington, D.C., is lost, then the nation falls. As a Division agent who has been in the field for seven months, you and your team are the last hope to stop the fall of society after the pandemic collapse. Available now on UPlay. The Division 2 Performance 1080p The Division 2 - 1791440p The Division 2 - 1282160p The Division 2 - 69 Currently, Ray Tracing is only available on Nvidia graphics cards. We only test this feature on RTX class cards at the time of writing. It can be used on some other cards in an emulated format, but not one that is well suited to benchmarking. Since SUPER is replacing non-SUPER cards, we have not tested the "older cards" just yet. The only exception being the RTX 2080 Ti, which hasn't been given a refresh release. Ray Tracing Performance Power Consumption Temperatures Acoustics Overclocking Performance How Much Does It Cost? At the time of writing, the Gigabyte RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming OC was showing as pre-order on Amazon UK for £719.99. That works out about £70 more than the current RTX 2080 Gaming OC, albeit only £10 more than the non-SUPER MSRP/launch price. We've also been informed that a Gigabyte TURBO edition will be available for MSRP pricing. Overview The new Gigabyte RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming OC is certainly no slouch when it comes to delivering impressive performance. It may look pretty much the same as any other Gigabyte RTX card, and in many ways, it is pretty similar. However, the new boosted chipset is the real star of the show. From the first benchmark to the last is was nicely ahead of the standard RTX 2080 cards. Sure, you pay a little more, but you get more performance too. Plus, it's really closed the gap on the RTX 2080 Ti series of cards, while still being a huge wad of cash cheaper too. A nice middle-ground for the enthusiast PC gamer who only has moderately deep pockets. Gaming For 1080p gaming, this card is an absolute monster. Sure, it's overkill if you're using 1080/60, but for 144Hz and above, it's going to tick all the right boxes in any game you throw at it. The same is true for 1440p gamers, as hitting north of 100 FPS will prove to be an easy task. That's good news for those with high-end G-Sync monitors and ultra-wides, which often have 100Hz+ G-Sync panels, so no issues here. Personally, I'm a 4K gamer and thought the RTX 2080 was a great card for the task. However, the boost to SUPER saw framerates go from the mid-to-high 50 FPS area and more comfortably into 60 FPS+ at High settings. It seems then that the Gigabyte RTX 2080 SUPER is well suited to just about any resolution and refresh rate. Added Value Gigabyte hasn't gone too crazy here, but you do get a few perks with this card. Of course, you get Nvidia features like Ray Tracing and DLSS, which delivered competitive performance overall, The Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC scored 80 FPS at 2160p in Shadow of the Tomb Raider DXR. However, you also get a backplate, a good amount of display connections, a dash of RGB lighting, and that fantastic four-year warranty. Should I Buy One? This card isn't cheap, I know that much, but it's also pretty competitive overall. It's one of the better-priced RTX 2080 SUPER cards, but it's certainly not the slowest and competes with more expensive models easily. The warranty alone is a big bonus for me. However, overall, I think that getting this close to RTX 2080 Ti levels of performance and saving £100's on the price makes it most tempting of all.