Is GTX 1080 Still Good in 2023? (Here are the Alternatives)

Updated on January 1, 2023 Chris Martin Blog

If you ask someone to name just one well-known GPU from Nvidia, they’ll probably say GTX 1080. It was ahead of its time when it was launched and outperformed all previous generations.

But GPUs have evolved, and Nvidia’s own RTX lineup has been crushing the competition in the GPU market. But now that RTX cards are the norm, many are wondering: “Will the GTX 1080 be old in 2023?”

The short answer is: No. Even after so many years, it’s not old, because it can play even the most demanding games at around 80 FPS on high settings. However, it’s getting a bit old.

In this article, we’ll go over everything there is to know about the GTX 1080 and why it’s not obsolete. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Brief Overview of GTX 1080

The GeForce GTX 1080 was Nvidia’s first GPU of the Pascal generation and it was a huge success. This was mainly due to the incredible performance boost it offered, as it could run most 1440p games at over 60 FPS.

Today, it’s still one of the best graphics cards for high resolution games like 1440p and 4k. However, 1080p is recommended for games with the GTX 1080.

nvidia geforce gtx 1080
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080

Due to its high performance, it’s more expensive than many other cards. Similar to the GTX 1070 Ti, the RTX 2070 is the closest competitor to the GTX 1080.

This is mainly because the Turing graphics card has RTX, DLSS, and other features that all perform a bit better while still being affordable.

Here are some technical details about the GTX 1080 so you can better understand its capabilities:

ArchitecturePascal
GPU code namePascal GP104
Release Date27 May 2016
Launch Price (MSRP)$599
CUDA cores2560
Core clock speed1733Mhz
Transistors7.2 billion
TDP180 Watt
Texture fill rate277.3
Bus supportPCle 3.0
Length26.7  cm
Height11.1 cm
PSU500 Watt
Memory typeGDDR5
Maximum RAM5 GB
Memory bus width256 bit
Memory clock speed10 GB/s
Memory bandwidth320 GB/s
DirectX12 (12_1)
Shader Model6.4
OpenGL3.5

As you can see, even though it was released so long ago, the GTX 1080 is still quite high-end. That just proves it isn’t obsolete, at least not yet.

Is GTX 1080 Outdated?

Well, as I said, no.

The GTX 1080 is a bit old, but it’s still a good card. The GTX 1080 is still capable of playing newer games at 1080p or 1440p resolution.

Most of the time, it manages to do that at over 60 frames per second. So it’s clear that the GTX 1080 isn’t obsolete yet. But it’s a bit old and doesn’t have RTX.

That doesn’t change the fact that it’s really good, and considering how old it’s, the GTX 1080 is impressive.

GTX 1080 Performance

When it comes to gaming, the GTX 1080 is amazing. Although it’s a bit older, it has 8 GB of VRAM, which is a lot even by today’s standards.

It gives you more than 80 FPS when playing in 1080p and stays above 60 even in very demanding games with high graphics settings.

The GTX 1080 isn’t recommended for 4k gaming because most games can only run at 30 FPS. However, you can change some settings or turn down your graphics to achieve more than 30 FPS.

On the other hand, less demanding games like shooters offer over 100 FPS at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions. also 4k works well, with an average frame rate of 60 FPS. So it’s not hard to see that the GTX 1080 performs well.

GTX 1080 FPS Benchmark

To put their performance in context, here’s an FPS comparison of the GTX 1080 in a few popular games—

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

SettingFPS
Medium 1080p92
High 1080p83
Ultra 1080p63
4K / 1440p33

Battlefield 5

SettingFPS
Medium 1080p166
High 1080p142
Ultra 1080p123
Ultra 1440p98
Ultra 4k53

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

SettingFPS
Medium 1080p134
High 1080p113
High 1440p74
High 4k42

Far Cry 5

SettingFPS
Medium 1080p113
High 1080p104
Ultra 1440p77
Ultra 4k42

Far Cry New Dawn

SettingFPS
Medium 1080p111
High 1080p108
Ultra 1080p98
Ultra 1440p82
Ultra 4k47

Forza Horizon 4

SettingFPS
Medium 1080p140
High 1080p137
Ultra 1080p112
Ultra 1440p93
Ultra 4k65

Red Dead Redemption 2

SettingFPS
Medium 1080p96
High 1080p53
High 1440p35
4K / 1440p21

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

SettingFPS
High 1080p108
Ultra 1080p98
High 1440p64
4K / 1440p32

Metro Exodus

SettingFPS
High 1080p74
High 1440p45
High 4k28

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

SettingFPS
High 1080p74
Ultra 1080p81
High 1440p56

As you can see, the GTX 1080 is great at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles a bit at 4k. However, with a few tweaks, you should be able to use 4k without a problem. Still, you shouldn’t use a GTX 1080 for 4k because it’s not made for it.

On average, the GTX 1660 manages 129 FPS at 1080p, 80 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4k. It’s ideal for gaming at 1080p and 1440p.

Can You Stream With a GTX 1080?

Yes, but it depends on the resolution. It can be used for smooth streaming if you stream in 1080p resolution. The GPU delivers high frame rates, and streaming isn’t significantly affected.

However, if you stream at 1440p and play high-end games, the performance might not be as good. But even at 1440p, you can play less demanding games like shooters without problems.

When you play high-end games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in 4K, you’ll notice a significant performance drop. This is because the GTX 1080 isn’t capable of handling 4K even without streaming.

Since 1080p is best for the GTX 1080, it’s only recommended to stream at this resolution. 1440p can still be fine if you stream shooters or games with low requirements.

Is the GTX 10-Series Outdated?

Just as the GTX 1080 isn’t old, neither are the other cards in the GTX 10 series. They can still work well for you and perform well.

It’s not obsolete yet, but the performance and price of the older 10-series GPUs are being supplanted by newer generations of GPUs.

The Nvidia RTX graphics cards, for example, have great performance for their price. So the 10-series could be obsolete in about 4-5 years, when games will likely need more powerful graphics cards.

A good example of this is the RTX 2080, which isn’t all that new anymore, but still offers a huge performance boost compared to some of the GTX 10-series cards. So the GTX 10 series isn’t yet obsolete, even if it’ll be in the future.

Why is GTX 1080 Still Expensive?

The GTX 1080 is so expensive because it hasn’t been produced since 2019.

Nvidia stopped producing 10-series cards so that the RTX 20-series cards, which are better in almost every respect, could conquer the market. Some retailers still have GTX 1080s, but most have been sold or replaced.

As a result, it’s almost impossible to get a brand new GTX 1080 now, as they’re out of stock and out of production. Even if you manage to get one, it’s probably refurbished.

Renewed products are almost always used, and it’s impossible to tell how much they’ve been used. You’ll either get a new card that’s almost perfect, or an old card that’s been used for years.

Is GTX 1080 Discontinued?

Unfortunately, this is true. After the release of the next generation RTX GPUs, especially the RTX 2070 and 2080, the GTX 1080 was discontinued.

Nvidia decided to discontinue the GTX 1080 lineup because these RTX GPUs cost about the same as the GTX 1080 and perform significantly better. This is unfortunate, but a good company gets ahead by selling only the best product to its customers.

You can still find a GTX 1080 at flea markets and sites like eBay that sell used items. If you really want it, keep your eyes open – you might find it for a good price!

Is GTX 1080 Worth It?

No, that isn’t the case.

The GTX 1080 is no longer worth it because you can get a better GPU for the same price, and because it has been out of production since 2019, it’s now extremely expensive.

However, demand for GTX 1080 cards is still high, so prices are over $800 in some cases. By then, you could have bought an RTX 2080, which has a better price-performance ratio and offers better performance.

Even though it’s rare, you can still sometimes find a GTX 1080 for around $500. Still, it’s not worth it because an RTX 2060 Super would be better and cheaper.

Overall, it’s no longer worth it, and there are cheaper alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can GTX 1080 Run VR?

Yes! GTX 1080 is a great choice for virtual reality because it can run VR games and regular games. So, GTX 1080 is a great choice if you want to play VR games at 1080p or 1440p.

Is the GTX 1080 good for 1440p 144Hz gaming?

Yes, depending on the game. Even if you lower the settings, super demanding graphics-focused games will not perform well with the GTX 1080 while maintaining 144 fps. If you want 144 FPS on 1440p, you should play lower-end games or lower your settings.

Should I get a GTX 1080 Ti instead?

It might be exciting to think about getting a better version of the card, but it’s not a good idea. You should not upgrade to a GTX 1080 Ti because it has the same issue as the non-Ti version in terms of production being halted. It would be hard and expensive to find a GTX 1080 Ti, and by the time you did, you could have gotten a better graphics card.

Can GTX 1080 Run 4K?

Yes, but only just. When it comes to 4k gaming, the GTX 1080 isn’t so great, especially since newer games require more powerful graphics cards. Although running 4k with the GTX 1080 is not recommended, it can run most games at around 30 fps.

What Does “Super” Mean on a GTX Graphics Card?

To simply put, “super” means that it is a model in between the “normal” version and the “Ti” version. This means it will have more CUDA cores than the regular version, which will make it better for gaming.

Conclusion

If someone asks you if the GTX 1080 is obsolete, you should be able to answer quickly. The GTX 1080 isn’t yet obsolete and can still be used for up to 5 years, or until more demanding games come out that require more powerful GPUs.

Even now, the GTX 1080 is great for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but since it’s been out of production for so long, it’s no longer worth it because of the prices.

That’s because it’s only available on reseller websites, where it can sell for as much as $800. Plus, you can’t even tell if it’s new or used cards. So it’s not completely obsolete, but it’s not particularly valuable either.

Recommended graphics card list:

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
About Chris Martin
Chris Martin is a professional tech writer. He's been covering tech tutorials, hardware reviews, and more as a professional writer for over seven years now and it doesn't look like he'll be stopping anytime soon! In addition to writing about the latest gadgets on the market, he also covers topics such as how to set up your home network or troubleshoot any computer problems you may have.

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