A Closer Look
As with any factory overclocked model, you’d expect some level of increased performance, and the Zotac RTX 5080 AMP Extreme INFINITY does just that, at least in theory, featuring a boost clock of 2670MHz, which is slightly higher than NVIDIA’s reference spec of 2617MHz, but is only around a 2% increase. While that may not sound like a game-changer, it’s always interesting to see how much extra performance, if any, that actually translates to in real-world scenarios.
However, what truly sets this card apart isn’t just the clock speed but the overall design and cooling solution that Zotac has opted for. The AMP Extreme INFINITY features their latest IceStorm 3.0 cooling system, which consists of a triple-fan setup with three good-sized fans. These BladeLink fans aim to reduce turbulence and enhance airflow efficiency thanks to their unique design. The idea here is to push more air across the massive heatsink while keeping noise levels down, and as always, we’ll be putting that to the test.
Speaking of cooling, the card features a vapour chamber design with an extended aluminium fin-stack heatsink with copper heat pipes that make direct contact with the GPU die, ensuring efficient heat dissipation. The 34% larger size compared to previous models should, in theory, help maintain lower temperatures even under extended gaming or workload scenarios and now spans the whole of the card, end to end. Additionally, the AMP Extreme INFINITY includes a die-cast metal backplate, which not only adds to the card’s structural rigidity but also acts as a passive heatsink, helping to dissipate some of the heat away from the GPU and VRMs.
Size-wise, this is a big card, but in fairness, all 5080s are, with the exception of the Founders model, which is slimmer, but still large. The Zotac card measures 332mm in length, 137mm in height, and 69mm thick, and that puts it as a 3.5-slot design, meaning that while it’s not quite as chunky as some of the highest-end RTX 5090 models, it’s still one of the larger RTX 5080 cards on the market. That means case compatibility will be something to consider, especially if you’re working with a more compact build, but if you’re looking at getting any RTX 5080, I’m sure you’re taking all of that into consideration. It also weighs in at 2.48kg, so again, it’s on the upper end of the scale.
One of the standout features of this model is Zotac’s Spectra 2.0 RGB lighting, which spans across the side, end, and back of the card, giving it a bold and aggressive look. Unlike other, more subdued designs like the Founders from NVIDIA or TUF from ASUS that we’ve looked at, the AMP Extreme INFINITY leans heavily into aesthetics, making it a great choice for those who want their build to stand out because whether you have this vertically or horizontally, it’s definitely going to do that. I feel that with the huge popularity of fishtank-style cases, the infinity mirror definitely helps the card stand out from the competition. Of course, as you’d expect, the RGB is fully customisable via Zotac’s FireStorm software, allowing you to tweak colours, effects, and sync lighting with other components.
For those who like to have more control over their cooling and performance, the card also includes a Dual BIOS button, offering the choice between an Amplify mode, which pushes the fans harder for lower temperatures, and a Quiet mode, which prioritises reduced noise levels at the expense of slightly higher temperatures. This is a feature we’ve seen on many premium AIB models, but they normally include different clock speeds too, while on the Zotac card, it’s purely a fan speed button and it works slightly differently to other cards too. While other cards have a switch that you change and then boot the card up, the Zotac card actually requires the card to be powered on, press the button and wait for the red light to indicate the performance BIOS or the blue light for the Quiet mode, and then restart your machine. It’s a bit clunky compared to the competition, and I do feel that a better implementation could be done.
Power-wise, the RTX 5080 AMP Extreme INFINITY sticks to NVIDIA’s 12V 2×6 connector with a safety light, capable of delivering up to 360W to the GPU. Given that this is a factory-overclocked model, you can expect power draw to push towards the upper end of that limit and Zotac recommends an 850W PSU as a minimum, though as always, if you’re running a high-end CPU alongside this card, a 1000W unit would be a safer bet.
So, where does the Zotac RTX 5080 AMP Extreme INFINITY sit in the market? With its robust cooling, aggressive aesthetics, and factory overclock, it’s positioned as one of the more premium RTX 5080 options available, but with that comes a price premium of $1349, and as always, the question remains—does the added cooling and design justify that extra cost? That’s what we’ll be putting to the test in our benchmarks, but first, we wanted to see what was capable in terms of overclocking.
