NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti in 2025: Is it Worth Getting the Legend of the Past?
Current review for gamers and professionals
Introduction
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is a graphics card that revolutionized the industry in 2018 by introducing real-time ray tracing to the world. Seven years later, in 2025, it remains a topic of debate: some view it as outdated, while others see it as a budget-friendly option for building a PC. In this article, we will analyze how relevant the RTX 2080 Ti is today and who it is suitable for.
Architecture and Key Features
Turing Architecture: The Foundation for the Future
The RTX 2080 Ti is built on the Turing architecture (12 nm), which marked NVIDIA's first step towards hybrid rendering. Key components include:
- 4352 CUDA cores — provide high parallel performance.
- RT cores — responsible for ray tracing.
- Tensor cores — the foundation for DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling).
Technologies That Changed the Industry
- RTX (Ray Tracing): The first mass support for realistic lighting and shadows. By 2025, ray tracing has become the standard, but hardware requirements have increased.
- DLSS 2.0: Artificial intelligence enhances image resolution with minimal quality loss. Modern games increasingly use DLSS 3.5+, which is not available on the RTX 20 series.
- Support for FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR): AMD's technology works on any GPU, including the RTX 2080 Ti, compensating for the lack of DLSS 3+.
Manufacturing Process
The 12 nm process from TSMC looks archaic in the face of the 4 nm chips in the RTX 40 series. However, Turing remains energy-efficient for its generation.
Memory: Speed vs. Capacity
- Type and Size: 11 GB GDDR6. By 2025, this is insufficient for 4K gaming with maximum textures (for example, "Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty" requires 12+ GB).
- Bandwidth: 616 GB/s. This falls short compared to GDDR6X (RTX 3080 – 760 GB/s) and HBM2e (Radeon RX 7900 XTX – 960 GB/s).
- Impact on Performance: Adequate memory for gaming up to 1440p. In 4K, FPS drops are possible due to buffer filling.
Tip: Disable RTX or lower texture quality in 4K to avoid "stutters."
Gaming Performance: Numbers and Realities of 2025
Testing in Popular Titles (Average FPS):
- "Cyberpunk 2077" (4K, Ultra, RTX Medium, DLSS Balanced): 34-38 FPS. Without RTX – 55-60 FPS.
- "Starfield" (1440p, Ultra, FSR 2.1 Quality): 60-65 FPS.
- "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" (1080p, Ultra): 144+ FPS.
Resolutions:
- 1080p: Ideal for esports titles (CS2, Valorant) – stable 200+ FPS.
- 1440p: The optimal choice for AAA games, balancing quality and FPS.
- 4K: Requires compromises. For example, in "Horizon Forbidden West" (High, without RTX) – 40-45 FPS.
Ray Tracing: Even in 2025, the RTX 2080 Ti handles ray tracing at Low/Medium settings, but in projects like "Alan Wake 3," FPS drops to 25-30 without DLSS.
Professional Tasks: Not Just Gaming
Video Editing:
- Premiere Pro: 4K video rendering in H.264 is 30% faster than the GTX 1080 Ti.
- DaVinci Resolve: CUDA acceleration is stable, but newer GPUs (e.g., RTX 4070) process 8K twice as fast.
3D Modeling:
- Blender (Cycles): The 2080 Ti shows 1420 samples/min in the BMW test. In comparison, the RTX 4060 – 2100 samples/min.
Scientific Calculations:
- CUDA and OpenCL support are useful for basic machine learning tasks. However, for training neural networks with billions of parameters, cards with 16+ GB of memory are preferable.
Power Consumption and Heat Output
- TDP: 260 W. In comparison, the RTX 4070 consumes 200 W while offering better performance.
- Recommendations:
- Power Supply: At least 650 W (preferably 750 W for headroom).
- Cooling: A case with 3+ fans is required. Ideally, a liquid cooling system or a tower cooler with 3+ heat pipes.
- Overclocking: Increases consumption to 300 W. Not recommended without a top-tier cooling system.
Tip: Avoid compact cases. The best options are the Fractal Design Meshify 2 or Lian Li Lancool III.
Comparison with Competitors
NVIDIA RTX 4060 ($399):
- Comparable performance at 1440p but lower at 4K.
- Supports DLSS 3.5 with lower power consumption.
AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ($449):
- 12 GB GDDR6, better performance in Vulkan projects (e.g., "Red Dead Redemption 2").
- FSR 3.0 vs DLSS 2.0: parity.
Intel Arc A770 ($349):
- 16 GB memory, but driver optimizations still lag behind NVIDIA.
Conclusion: The RTX 2080 Ti is only advantageous on the secondary market (around $250). Newer cards offer better price-to-performance ratios.
Practical Tips
- Power Supply: 80+ Gold or better. Examples: Corsair RM750x, Be Quiet! Straight Power 11.
- Compatibility: PCIe 3.0 x16. Works without loss on motherboards with PCIe 4.0/5.0.
- Drivers: NVIDIA regularly releases updates, but new features (e.g., Reflex Low Latency 2.0) are not available.
Tip for Gamers: Use FSR 3.0 instead of DLSS 2.0 to increase FPS in modern games.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable price on the secondary market.
- Support for basic Ray Tracing and DLSS.
- Reliability and a time-tested design.
Cons:
- High power consumption.
- Only 11 GB of memory.
- Lack of modern technologies (DLSS 3.5+, AV1 encoding).
Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the RTX 2080 Ti in 2025?
This graphics card is a choice for:
1. Gamers on a Budget who are willing to make compromises at 4K.
2. Upgrade Enthusiasts building PCs with second-hand components.
3. Professionals who need CUDA support for light tasks.
However, if you want to enjoy new games at maximum settings with RTX, consider the RTX 4060 or RX 7700 XT. The RTX 2080 Ti remains a legend, but time does not stand still.