Looking for a GTX 1080 Ti graphics card but not sure which one to buy? Here's a complete guide to help you make the best decision.
La Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a powerful video card. If you've got your sights set on one of these monsters, whether it handles triple-digit frame rates or indulges in 4K gaming, you need to choose the right model.
There are actually several manufacturers, each offering multiple versions of this cutting-edge graphics card, but which one is best? That's exactly what we're going to answer here!
So, without further ado, you will now find a list of the best GTX 1080 Ti models , each of which has its own pros and cons, which we will discuss to help you make the best purchasing decision.
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini
Cooling types: open air, dual fan Connectivity: 3x DP, 1x HDMI, 1x DVI
Points in favor of the product:
- Smallest GTX 1080 Ti variant
- A minimalist look that goes well with almost any setting.
Indicates the product:
- Limited overclocking potential
- Louder cooling
About the video card
We're starting this list with a video card made by Zotac. Founded in 2006, this Hong Kong-based company is relatively young compared to some of the other big names. Today they are a trusted manufacturer of Nvidia graphics cards, as well as their own mini PCs and related accessories.
La GTX 1080 Ti Mini is exactly what it sounds like: a very compact version of this powerful GPU. In fact, it's as small as the GTX 1080 Ti.
According to Zotac, it can fit in 99% of computer cases, but doesn't make much of a sacrifice in terms of cooling since the dual fans (90mm + 100mm) can keep temperatures within acceptable levels in most cases.
Appearance
As stated above and obvious from the name, the map is quite compact. It has a rather minimalistic appearance, which allows for better air circulation. It's mostly dark gray except for two stripes on each side that have white LED lighting as well as the Zotac logo.
Additionally, it has a stylish metal backplate that is designed not only to keep things cool, but also to protect the card from physical damage.
Specifications:
| GPU clock | 1506 MHz |
| GPU overclocking frequency | 1620 MHz |
| connection | 3x DP 1.4 1 HDMI 2.0 ports 1xDL-DVI-D |
| Power consumption | 250W |
| Recommended power supply | 600W |
Mining on Nvidia GeForce 1080Ti - how many megahashes does the card produce using other algorithms
We found out that 1080 Ti megahashes on ETH show quite good results. But on such productive GPUs you can mine not only ether. We have compiled a table of NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti hashrate (hashrate) for popular algorithms based on data from whattomine.com. The numbers may be lower than those stated in the reviews, since GPU performance directly depends on the manufacturer and the mining card settings.
| Argon2d-NIM | 400.00 kh/s | Ethash | 39.0 Mh/s |
| Autolykos | 85.7 Mh/s | Ethash4G | 49.0 Mh/s |
| BCD | 35.50 Mh/s | Handshake | 425.00 Mh/s |
| CryptoNightFast | 1.73 kh/s | Hex | 21.00 Mh/s |
| CryptoNightGPU | 2.50 kh/s | KawPow | 21.50 Mh/s |
| CryptoNightHeavy | 1.06 kh/s | Lyra2REv3 | 77.50 Mh/s |
| CryptoNightR | 750.00 h/s | MTP | 3.50 Mh/s |
| Cuckaroo29 | 8.60 h/s | NeoScrypt | 1.90 Mh/s |
| Cuckaroom29 | 4.80 h/s | Octopus | 13.50 Mh/s |
| Cuckarooz29 | 4.60 h/s | PHI2 | 9.50 Mh/s |
| Cuckatoo31 | 1.45 h/s | ProgPow | 21.50 Mh/s |
| Cuckatoo32 | 0.46 h/s | RandomX | 1.03 kh/s |
| CuckooCycle | 7.80 h/s | TimeTravel10 | 50.00 Mh/s |
| Equihash (150.5) | 27.80 h/s | Verthash | 790.00 kh/s |
| Equihash (210.9) | 340.00 h/s | X16R | 31.50 Mh/s |
| EquihashZero | 49.80 h/s | X25X | 6.60 Mh/s |
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti AMP Edition
Cooling types: open air, dual fan Connectivity: 3x DP, 1x HDMI, 1x DVI
Points in favor of the product:
- Good and quiet cooling
- Decent overclocking potential for a card with two fans
- Good build quality
Indicates the product:
- Maximum power consumption is higher than some other models
About the video card
Next we have another Zotac card, albeit at a higher level. Unlike the previous GTX 1080 Ti Mini, the GTX 1080 Ti AMP Edition is a full-size card ready for serious performances. It uses a similar cooling solution in the form of dual Icestorm fans that use brute force to cool the card.
Appearance
Visually, the AMP version is not much different from the Mini version. It has the same dark gray exterior and an almost identical rear fascia, with size being the most significant difference. However, it lacks the white LED lighting found on the Mini.
Specifications:
| GPU clock | 1569 MHz |
| GPU overclocking frequency | 1683 MHz |
| connection | 3x DP 1.4 1 HDMI 2.0 ports 1xDL-DVI-D |
| Power consumption | 270W |
| Recommended power supply | 600W |
Downlock
230 watt:
190 watts:
180 watt:
165 watts:
Unfortunately, AfterBurner does not allow you to edit points below 800 mV (although you can go there by reducing the PL even lower). This does not interfere much, because, as we see, the optimal ratio is higher.
In our opinion, it is optimal to have a speed of 690-700 sols at 190 watts.
Yes, an increase of 60 Watts will add 70 Sols (60W for 70 Sols - 2 times worse than mining on old 7th generation AMD cards), is this a logical ratio?
IMPORTANT! All other points from those found are set equal in frequency to those found.
We get STEPS:
We can already walk along these steps manually, decreasing or increasing the power limit (PL) parameter.
It is interesting to do this automatically, more on that below.
IMPORTANT! Often Tishka (as the very expensive and powerful 1080ti is affectionately called) does not allow you to immediately save points (especially under load) or changes them according to its internal algorithm. Because of this, you have to expose them several times.
To check that the points are saved correctly, switch to another map, and then come back and check the curve points.
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 GAMES
Cooling types: open air, triple fan Connectivity: 3x DP, 1x HDMI, 1x DVI
Points in favor of the product:
- Excellent cooling
- Great for overclocking
Indicates the product:
- Not everyone will like the design
- Energy consumption is above average
About the video card
Like Zotac, EVGA is another trusted and respected Nvidia partner, although it's been around for quite some time. They offer over a dozen GTX 1080 Ti options, but today we'll see the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 GAMING .
EVGA FTW series graphics cards feature higher factory clock speeds than their conventional counterparts. Overall, the exterior design focuses more on function than form.
The role is to provide the best airflow to enable the higher clock speeds mentioned above, as well as increasing the overall overclocking potential of the card.
Appearance
As you can see, the appearance is a little different from what you usually see on high-end graphics cards.
It has a mesh pattern whose purpose is exactly the same as what we talked about earlier: to provide better airflow. It achieves this goal admirably, although whether its bright metallic appearance suits the owner is very subjective.
Specifications:
| GPU clock | 1569 MHz |
| GPU overclocking frequency | 1683 MHz |
| connection | 3x DisplayPort 1.4 1 HDMI 2.0 port 1xDL-DVI-D |
| Power consumption | 280W |
| Recommended power supply | 600W |
Gaming Performance
In games without a built-in test application, the minimum and average frames per second readings were recorded using the Fraps program with the following settings:
Game tests were carried out in resolutions of 1920x1080, 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 with maximum graphics settings, only anti-aliasing settings were changed depending on the resolution.
For the games Battlefield 1, Crysis 3, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt and Watch Dogs 2, the following game segments were used (they were shot on a GTX 1060 6G video card, and monitoring on them has nothing to do with the video card in question):
The following results were obtained:
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition video card
Cooling types: open air, dual fan Connectivity: 3x DP, 3x HDMI, 1x DVI
Points in favor of the product:
- Excellent overclocking potential
- Wide RGB lighting
Indicates the product:
- Very large, takes up three places
- Expensive
About the video card
Gigabyte is another name that many should already be familiar with. And although their Aorus series of gaming products is not as popular as, for example, Asus RoG, they are moving forward confidently.
La Gigabyte Aorus GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition; This is a serious graphics card that will satisfy any enthusiast. While at first glance this may look like a dual-fan card, it actually has three fans, with the first and third "stacked" on top in the middle. This allows the card to use three 100mm fans while being slightly shorter and wider than other cards.
Something that also sets this graphics card apart from its competitors is VR Link. Namely, it has an additional HDMI port on the front panel, allowing you to easily connect your VR headset directly to the card.
Appearance
Unlike the first two Zotac models, the Aorus GTX 1080 Ti is far from neutral and understated. It has a massive profile with the unique industrial orange stripes seen on almost all Gigabyte graphics cards, and features extensive RGB Fusion lighting.
It has four stripes on the front of the card that form an X pattern with a central logo, a backlit logo and a fan stop sign at the top, and a third backlit logo on the back.
Aorus RGB Fusion isn't as versatile as Asus AuraSync, but it can still display the spectrum in full color and has five different effects.
Specifications:
| GPU clock | 1607 MHz |
| GPU overclocking frequency | 1746 MHz |
| connection | 3x DP 1.4 3x HDMI 2.0b 1xDL-DVI-D |
| Power consumption | 250W |
| Recommended power supply | 600W |
MSI GTX 1080 Ti GAMING X TRIO
Cooling types: open air, triple fan Connectivity: 2x DP, 2x HDMI, 1x DVI
Points in favor of the product:
- Excellent cooling
- Quiet for a triple fan card
- Elegant design and attractive RGB stripe
Indicates the product:
- Not as fast as some competing models
About the video card
Next we have the GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X Trio, made by MSI, another well-known and experienced hardware manufacturer. As the name suggests, it comes with a triple-fan cooling system.
These are not just any fans, but high quality Torx 2.0 fans with double ball bearings that ensure optimal airflow and silent operation even after years of heavy use.
Appearance
The Gaming X Trio is a bit different from the usual design of MSI graphics cards.
Swap out the aggressive red for a more neutral black and charcoal look with subtle red highlights—a design that's sure to pair better with a variety of settings. Additionally, there is an RGB stripe and backlit MSI logo on the back panel.
Specifications:
| GPU clock | 1544 MHz |
| GPU overclocking frequency | 1683 MHz |
| connection | 2x DP 1.4 2 HDMI 2.0 ports 1xDL-DVI-D |
| Power consumption | 250 W |
| Recommended power supply | 600 W |
Benchmark tests
3DMark Cloud Gate GPU: 142490
Better than AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score: 43370.5
Better than AMD Radeon Pro W6800, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro P5200.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics: 27564
Better than AMD Radeon VII, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
3DMark Fire Strike Score: 19615.5
Better than AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER.
3DMark Ice Storm GPU: 394694
Better than AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, but worse than AMD Radeon RX 590.
3DMark Time Spy Graphics: 9401
Better than NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000, but worse than AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT.
3DMark Time Spy Score: 8684.5
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060.
3DMark06: 33610
Better than NVIDIA Quadro P5000, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060.
3DMark11P: 24935
Better than NVIDIA RTX A5000 Laptop GPU, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI.
3DMark11P GPU: 37671.5
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, but worse than AMD Radeon VII.
Basemark GPU 1.2 Vulkan Medium Offscreen: 1135
Better than NVIDIA GeForce MX450, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000.
Cinebench R10 32Bit OpenGL: 6805.5
Better than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce 930MX.
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit: 160
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU, but worse than NVIDIA TITAN RTX.
ComputeMark v2.1 Normal, Score: 21948
Better than NVIDIA Titan X Pascal, but worse than AMD Radeon VII.
GFXBench: 1521
Better than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, but worse than AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT.
GFXBench 3.0 1080p Manhattan Offscreen: 475.5
Better than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti.
GFXBench 3.0 Manhattan Offscreen OGL: 475.5
Better than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti.
GFXBench 3.1 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen: 480.5
Better than NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q, but worse than NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile.
LuxMark v2.0 64Bit Sala GPUs-only: 6591.5
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, but worse than AMD Radeon VII.
Passmark: 17925
Better than NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER.
SPECviewperf 12 - 3ds Max: 148
Better than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro P5000.
SPECviewperf 12 - Catia: 105
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 Max-Q.
SPECviewperf 12 - Creo: 60
Better than AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, but worse than NVIDIA Titan X Pascal.
SPECviewperf 12 - Maya: 175
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.
SPECviewperf 12 - Medical: 58
Better than AMD Radeon VII, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000.
SPECviewperf 12 - Showcase: 149
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.
SPECviewperf 12 - Siemens NX: 10
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.
SPECviewperf 12 - Solidworks: 68
Better than NVIDIA Titan X Pascal, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro P600.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 3dsmax-05: 148
Better than AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, but worse than NVIDIA Titan X Pascal.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 catia-04: 105
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 Max-Q.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 creo-01: 60
Better than NVIDIA Quadro P620, but worse than AMD Radeon VII.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 maya-04: 175
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 medical-01: 58
Better than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, but worse than NVIDIA Titan X Pascal.
SPECviewperf 12 – specvp12 showcase-01: 149
Better than NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 snx-02: 10
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, but worse than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 sw-03: 68
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, but worse than NVIDIA Quadro P600.
Unigine Valley 1.0 Extreme HD DirectX: 114.5
Better than NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, but worse than AMD Radeon RX 6800M.
ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Cooling types: open air, triple fan Connectivity: 2x DP, 2x HDMI, 1x DVI
Points in favor of the product:
- Some of the best outdoor cooling systems
- Quiet and efficient fans
- Best RGB Lighting
Indicates the product:
- Among the most expensive models
About the video card
If any company needs no introduction, it is definitely Asus. This veteran Taiwanese hardware manufacturer is one of the most versatile in producing components, peripherals, smartphones and more.
The card we will see here is from his Republic of Gamers brand, the Asus RoG Strix GTX 1080 Ti .
It follows a design philosophy similar to the rest of the RoG brand's graphics cards. It comes with three high-quality dust-proof fans, which combined with a large heatsink and efficient heat dissipation make it one of the best air-cooled options.
Appearance
As mentioned above, the card shares a similar design with other RoG graphics cards. However, it has a highly detailed black exterior, a metal back panel, and extensive RGB lighting. It may not be the most minimalist design, but it will certainly fit well into most settings and will give you a little of that RoG flair while you're at it.
The lighting itself is Asus AuraSync technology, which is currently the most versatile type of RGB lighting for a video card. It can display the spectrum in full color and has six different effects.
Specifications:
| GPU clock | 1518 MHz |
| GPU overclocking frequency | 1632 MHz |
| connection | 2x DP 1.4 2 HDMI 2.0 ports 1xDL-DVI-D |
| Power consumption | 250W |
| Recommended power supply | 600W |
How to choose the best graphics card for you
As you can see, there are quite a few options if you decide to purchase a GTX 1080 Ti. So, what do you need to consider to choose the perfect option?
Cooling
As you may already know, video cards can be air or liquid cooled. However, we decided to only include outdoor options on this list for several reasons:
- They offer better overall cooling. Fans are good for narrower computer cases, but given the sheer size of even the smallest GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards, the fan's disadvantages (higher average temperatures, noise) far outweigh this advantage.
- Liquid cooled cards are not widely available. While they may offer superior cooling, ideal for avid overclockers, we decided not to include either of these cards due to their limited availability, as well as the questionable value associated with their higher price.
The question remains: do you choose a card with two or three fans?
Please note the following:
- Price: Dual-fan cards are usually cheaper
- Size: Dual-fan cards tend to be smaller
- Noise: Cards with triple fans are actually quieter for the most part. Since the card has three fans, they will run slower and therefore quieter. They only become stronger when the card is pushed to its limit.
- Overclocking: Obviously, the three fans will have more air circulating through the heatsink, resulting in better heat dissipation. This obviously results in better cooling and therefore a triple fan solution is ideal if you plan to exceed the factory OC values.
Size
When it comes to size, you need to consider both the length and width of the cards.
Length is critical when placing the card inside a computer case. Generally, the GTX 1080 Ti is a perfect fit for a Midi Tower case, except those that create extra space by reducing the size of the HDD rack.
The width tells more about how the card will fit on the motherboard. That is, due to the huge radiators, these video cards can occupy two or even three slots. This is especially important to remember if you have other PCIe expansion cards installed or plan to install multiple GPUs.
compatibility
The next step is the usual question of equipment compatibility. There are three components that you need to make sure your graphics card works with: the motherboard, the processor, and the power supply.
- Motherboard compatibility is a really simple matter. All you need to do is make sure you have the required PCI 3.0 slot to interface with the card, and since it's a standard today, every motherboard has at least one.
- As for the CPU , what you need to pay attention to is to make sure that it is powerful enough, that is, not a jam card. What is the bottleneck? Essentially, this means that a weaker processor will not be able to push the GPU to its maximum power. The latest Intel Core i5 processors will suffice for the GTX 1080 Ti, while previous generation Ryzen 5 and i5 processors will create a small bottleneck. Unless you're planning a multi-GPU setup or getting 100% absolute performance on the card, then i7, Ryzen 7, and higher-end CPUs aren't necessary.
- Finally, there is the power source. As you can see from the article, the recommended power supply power for the GTX 1080 Ti is 600W, and the power consumption of most of them is around 250W. Keep in mind that overclocking increases power consumption, sometimes quite significantly. However, if you don't have other demanding components, a 600W power supply will be more than enough.
Manufacturer
It's important to note that all GTX 1080 Tis are essentially the same . Each version comes with an identical Nvidia GPU, and the only things that differ from manufacturer to manufacturer are the cooling quality, factory clock speeds, and appearance.
It's up to you to decide which one best suits your needs in terms of aesthetics and overclocking capabilities, but gaming performance will be about the same.
connection
As you can see, every GTX 1080 Ti variant comes with at least one DisplayPort, HDMI port, and DVI-D port from dual link. So which connection do you prefer?
DVI is almost an obsolete technology. It doesn't support 4K/UHD resolutions and can only provide triple-digit refresh rates at 1080p. Additionally, unlike the other two connectors, it cannot transmit audio.
DisplayPort and HDMI are by far the most popular, with the former being preferred for monitors and the latter for TVs. However, almost all monitors will have a DisplayPort and an HDMI port. DisplayPort supports higher refresh rates at higher resolutions, but this is not relevant given current technological limitations.
When it comes to choosing between the 3x DP / 1x HDMI and 2x DP / 2x HDMI GTX 1080 Ti, it all depends on the settings you want. If you're planning a three-monitor setup, then three DisplayPorts are obviously the best option. On the other hand, if you're going to connect a monitor via HDMI and connect a VR headset at the same time, two HDMI ports are ideal.
Cooling system testing and overclocking
To test the video card with factory and stable gaming overclocking, applications from the Futuremark 3DMark package were used. The room temperature was 25 °C, the case was open, and there was no additional airflow for the video card.
In the Time Spy stability test, the video card at factory settings showed the following results:
As you can see in the graph, the video card in factory mode constantly hit power limits and, as a result, dropped frequencies and voltages in order to keep consumption within 250 W. In this mode, the video card warmed up to a maximum of 70°C at 1400 rpm, and frequencies did not exceed 1936 MHz.
After increasing the power limits alone to the maximum (350 W), the picture changed dramatically.
The GPU frequency increased to 1974 MHz, consumption did not exceed 120% of 140% possible (300 W of 350 W).
The GPU temperature increased by only 2°C and did not exceed 72°C, fan speeds increased to 1500 per minute.
In this mode, the video card achieved the following results:
There were no problems with overclocking. Without changing the fan speed control algorithm and the video card voltage, we managed to achieve a frequency of 2050 MHz for the graphics processor and 1514 MHz (12112 MHz effective frequency) for the memory chips.
The fan speed remained virtually unchanged, barely exceeding 1500 rpm (the noise from the video card was comfortable), and the temperature only increased to 74°C. The result is good, but from such a powerful cooling system, based on the experience of previous video cards in the series, a little more was expected.
At the same time, the results in 3DMark increased slightly - by only 4%
Whether these few percent increases in consumption and temperature of the video card are worth it is up to everyone to decide. We believe that for video cards of this performance level it is more reasonable to undervolt, reducing consumption and temperatures without changing the performance level.
Best GTX 1080 Ti: ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
It's impossible to pinpoint one GTX 1080 Ti graphics card that's optimal for all users, but if we had to choose, we'd have to go with the Asus RoG Strix option.
This isn't the first time we've awarded the top prize to an ROG graphics card, but it's a completely justifiable decision. The card simply has some of the best external cooling systems, the best RGB lighting and adapts to almost any setup.
This is, of course, only our choice.
Each graphics card listed here is a high-quality solution that will satisfy you as long as you consider your own requirements and preferences when choosing a model. report this ad
