It’s been two years, so it’s time to wave goodbye the well run 2000 series and say hello to the 3080 series. Based on the specs we have seen and tested, it by and large absolutely superior to the 2000 series. But the question still needs to be asked do we need it?

Reasons to Buy the Nvidia 3080

#1 For Future Proofing

This is likely the single greatest reason to buy the Nvidia RTX 3080. With the massive notable improvements compared to the 2000 series, you will likely be set for the next 5-10 years graphics wise. Why do we say the next 5-10 years? Here is our analysis of gaming performance.

We used Microsoft Aircraft Simulator 2020 to stress test these cards. Not we never give 100% as there’s no such thing as a perfect graphics card

To test the cards, we used the following metrics:

• Wrote FPS
• FPS increases and decreases due to in game effects
• Differences when different features are added to in game objects
• FPS when number of objects have been decreased

As one can see, the noticeable performance increase showcases the sheer power of this magnificent card. Testing has showcased that the RTX 3080 was able hold well against attempts to break the game, withstand several actions at one time, and handle graphics card straining effects such as explosions

#2 3080 is cheaper than the 2080 by a noticeable degree

Nvidia 2080 price comparison

The base 3080 price is $699 while 2080 variant that’s closest in terms of performance (2080 Ti) costs frequently between $1100 and $1500. With a massive jump in performance capabilities, it renders the need for the 2080 TI or Super essentially null. If those where your initial options, then the 3080 will be much bigger bang for your buck.

Reasons To Not Buy The NVIDIA 3080

#1 First Edition Bugs

The first thing a large majority of gamers understand, is to never buy the first edition of any product due to probability of bugs or glitches in the product. This comes from experience with games like Fallout 76 which was loaded with glitches (or features as the Fallout community calls it), to the notorious Red Ring of Death, various incidences burned into the minds of gamers everywhere. As a result, glitches could even be minor nuisances like improper fan speeds or clicking sounds appearing. Therefore, there is a need to be patient and wait for reports of glitches.

Murphy’s Law dictates that “what can go wrong will go wrong”, and the RTX 3080 is not immune. What is possible is that there would be frequent “hiccups” by the graphics card, FPS decreases, loading errors etc. What actually happens, will be seen in the coming weeks.

#2 Accessibility and Supply

Photos from Ebay

An issue that has reached national news was the absolute abysmal failure that was the RTX 3080 release. Within barely a few minutes (or even seconds) of release, the status of stock went from “coming soon” to “out of stock”. Nvidia released an apology for the release blaming scalpers and not anticipating the sheer demand of the product. Upset consumers revealed on Reddit and Twitter evidence that scalpers where using bots to buy RTX 3080’s in bulk with the goal of reselling the units at an increased cost.

Nvidia has announced counter measures for the next 3080 drop including:

• Implementing Captcha
• Tracking each purchase made and if it’s revealed that a bot was used, the purchase would be cancelled
• Improved server strength
• API security for the store

The Verdict:

Buy the cheaper 2060 or 2070 ($299 and $350) until next edition of 3080. Those two provide 4K gaming support, incredibly quick rendering capabilities, at a more affordable price. When the 3080 Super comes out, a large chunk of potential problems will be resolved for a minimal price increase.