NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition Review
A Solid Performer
If you’re looking for a graphics card for your computer, you’ll probably be bombarded by options that aren’t sufficient. The latest games require the latest technology. Luckily, we’ve found one of the top graphics cards that money can buy. It’s easily capable of letting you play the newest games, and it’s built for handling multiple tasks at once.
The GeForce 2080 Ti is built for gaming, and it’s one of the few graphics cards that can impress the most picky gamers. It’s powerful enough for most games, and you won’t need to replace it next year. There are higher-quality cards on the market, but none of them offer as much value as the Founder’s Edition GeForce 2080 Ti. That’s not to say that this isn’t one of the best graphics cards you can buy. In fact, buying the higher-quality ones is usually overkill.
So, let’s take a look at some of the features that make the 2080 so good.
Ultra-High Resolution
The Founder’s Edition 2080 is capable of rendering images up to 7680×4320 resolution. This is one of the features that allows you to play the latest AAA titles with ultra-high settings.
You’ll need a gaming monitor that is capable of displaying images in such a high resolution to take advantage of this feature, but it’s nice to have. At least you’ll know that it can handle the most common resolution outputs with ease.
11GB GDDR6 Memory
The 2080 comes with 11GB of V-RAM to ensure that it processes your game’s graphics as quickly as possible. This large amount of V-RAM is critical for smooth gaming. The video files that have to be processed in today’s games are exceptionally large, and a slow graphics card won’t be able to handle them.
If you’ve ever noticed the amount of stuttering that’s present in a standard computer when you play games, it’s most likely because of the V-RAM in the computer’s graphics card.
Built for Streaming
Streaming has been growing in popularity since sites like Twitch and YouTube made it possible for the average person to do. As it grows in popularity, audiences are demanding higher-quality production values from their streamers. In short, they won’t tolerate stuttering video and low-quality graphics.
That’s why NVIDIA built the 2080 to be the perfect streaming card. It’s capable of handling both streaming and gaming at the same time, and it doesn’t sacrifice any graphical power when doing so.
If you’ve been thinking about starting a Twitch or YouTube channel, the Founder’s Edition 2080 will give you an advantage over the countless other streamers out there.
NVLink Compatible
NVIDIA has been offering the NVLink Bridge for quite a while, and they’ve made sure that the Founder’s Edition 2080 is compatible with it. The NVLink Bridge allows you to connect several RTX 2080 cards for maximum performance.
A lot of users will think that it’s overkill to pack that much graphical power into their computer, but it can be necessary if you run really demanding programs. Mod loads that incorporate a lot of 4K texture packs can make it a necessity to combine several cards.
The NVLink is limited to one per customer. So, make sure that you pick the one with the right amount of slots when you check out.
Fast Bandwidth
The 2080’s bandwidth capabilities are fairly extraordinary. It can transfer data faster than 616 gigabytes per second. This is a feature that most people won’t look at, but it helps to increase the speed of the engine as a whole.
CUDA Cores
If you know what stream processors are, then you know what CUDA Cores are. NVIDIA just made their own version of them. CUDA Cores are used to make the most out of the 2080’s GPU. They help it translate and process information faster, and they help it optimize its performance. The Founder’s Edition 2080 has 4352 CUDA Cores. So, it’s safe to say that the engine is optimized to perform well.
Overclocked Speed
The base clock on the 2080 can operate at 1350MHz. That’s enough speed for the vast majority of tasks that you’ll use it for, but it’s not always enough. So, NVIDIA allows you to overclock the 2080, and that allows it to run at 1635MHz. You shouldn’t run into anything that requires more speed than that.
VR Compatible
Gaming with virtual reality peripherals isn’t accessible for everyone. Gaming VR headsets require a lot of graphical power. It’s not easy to insert a person into a realistic world. Luckily, the 2080 is ready for VR right out of the box. You won’t have to run out and buy a new graphics card to try out the latest VR technology.
This isn’t just a bonus feature for the 2080, either. As more companies build their graphics cards with VR headsets in mind, VR will become more accessible for a larger amount of people. So, it helps the gaming industry a little, too.
Conclusion
The Founder’s Edition 2080 Ti isn’t a budget graphics card. It’ll cost you in excess of $1300. However, it does a better job at balancing its price with its features than most other high-end graphics cards. A lot of other cards can cost a lot more, and they provide a lot less power. There are also graphics cards with more features at a lower price, but the individual features aren’t nearly as well developed as the ones in the 2080 Ti. With those, you’re basically paying for a lot of features that aren’t going to make a big difference.
The 2080 Ti was made with the latest technology, and you get a lot of bang for your buck. It’s VR compatible, fast, built for streaming, and it’s future-proof for quite a while. If you’re going to invest in a high-end graphics card, the Founder’s Edition 2080 Ti is going to give you the most for your money.