The right graphics card can change how you feel about your game. NVIDIA has been creating some of the most powerful GPUs. It is not surprising that other manufacturers are using NVIDIA platform to create their own customized GPUs. Up until the coming of the RTX series, the GTX series reigned supreme. Irrespective of the recent releases, the GTX 1080 ti cannot be written off in terms of performance.
The choice of graphics card in the market has grown tremendously in the past few years with increasing manufacturers which makes it more tasking for gamers to make their choice. GTX 1080 ti doesn’t come cheap. However, it will be even more costly to buy anything less than the best 1080 ti card. The quick question now will be, what makes one graphics card better than the other? We considered their boost clock, number of fans and how quiet they are, RAM size, and price and here are what we think you should know.
Review of the best Gtx 1080 ti
Each of the 1080 ti comparison clearly states their pros and cons. While the diversity of companies competing for the manufacture of the fastest graphics card can make your search more time consuming, it also ensures more people are carried along, irrespective of their preference. Our list of the best Gtx 1080 ti also takes care of this variety. Have a look.
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti – Best overall
There is everything to love and little to hate about the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. It comes with 9 additional temperature sensors to monitor Memory and VRM. The RGB LEDs indicator keeps you abreast of the GPU, Memory, and PWM Thermal status. One interesting feature of this graphics card is the presence of a safety fuse to protect components from damage due to improper installation or failure of other component.
Another area that the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti stands out is in having asynchronous fan control. The left fan is also the GPU fan and its speed is determined by the GPU temperature. The right fan is the power and memory fan and its speed is controlled by the power or memory temperature. The EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has another layer of protection to your graphics card and system. The boost clock is 1670MHz while the memory speed is 11,000MHz. This product comes with 11GB Ram which is considerably high. This graphics card is heavy on performance as well as on price. If price is not a barrier for you, this is undoubtedly the best gtx 1080 ti to invest for immersive gaming.
Pros
- Boost clock speed is high
- Lightweight at 1 pound
- Asynchronous fan control for better cooling
- Safety fuse to protect components from damage
- Comes with 9 additional temperature sensors
Cons
- Extremely expensive
- A little bulky in size
ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080 TI – Best for cooling
When it comes to staying cool, there are only a few graphics card that can rival what the ASUS GTX 1080 Ti has to offer. This powerful 11GB graphics card with a boot clock speed of 1632MHz combines MaxContact and Auto-Extreme technology to deliver twice more GPU to heatsink contact for increased cooling efficiency. Its unique wing-blade 0dB fans are patented. The combination of three axial fans with a sound of 0dB deliver 105% more air pressure.
The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is VR Ready and delivers 5K gaming with a maximum resolution of 7680 x 4320. This superfast graphics card is not only stylish but colorful. It leverages on the ASUS Aura Sync RGB lighting with additional 4-pin RGB header to deliver a nearly endless spectrum of colors. This is one of the less bulky graphics card you will find. However, it is slightly heavy at 2 pounds. It quickly makes up for this by offering you 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x DVI port for VR headset and can support up to 4 monitors.
Pros
- The fan is noiseless
- High boot clock speed
- Three fans for better cooling
- Offers 5K resolution
- Vast spectrum of colors
Cons
- Slightly heavy
- Not entirely budget friendly
MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1080 Ti – Best for rigidity
It is always heartbreaking to watch when our gadget gets broken. For most graphics card, trouble usually start with the bending of the fan blades which limits their performance. MSI shares your pain and has delivered a Duke with rugged anti-bending strip connected to heatsink which makes this graphics card exceedingly rigid. Beyond the rigidity, the MSI Duke also comes with MSI’s TriFrozr triple fan cooling system which makes use of ZeroFrozr technology. This ensures maximum cooling during a long gaming session.
Like every other high-end competitors, MSI Duke has 11GB video memory with a boost clock speed of 1582MHz. The only features that may be an issued with MSI Duke is that it is slightly bulky and heavy too at 2.71 pounds. However, the MSI Duke has a tailor-made PCB which provides stability at high performance. Also, you will get 2x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI, and DL-DVI-D which is VR compatible. The Duke offers a superior VR performance. The combination of VR audio, physics, and haptics will immerse you in the game and make you feel like you are part of it.
Pros
- Superior VR performance
- Comes with revolutionary 360-degree image capture
- Supports DirectX 12 features
- Extremely rigid with anti-bending strips
Cons
- Average boost clock speed
- Heavy and may pose handling challenges
- Not entirely budget-friendly
Gigabyte AORUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti – Best for design
One glance at the elegant design of the Gigabyte AORUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and you will know that you are in for an exciting adventure. To ensure you work at optimal temperature, it comes with WINDFORCE Stacks 3x 100mm fan cooling system with advanced copper back plate cooling. The Gigabyte AORUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti also boasts of 16.8M customizable color lighting with RGB AORUS LOGO. This graphics card was definitely built for extreme overclocking having 12+2 power phases. Interestingly, at 60Hz it can support 8K display.
Like other competitors, the AORUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has 11GB RAM and a boost clock speed of 1721MHz making it a force to reckon with in performance. It is also compact and easy to handle, having a weight of 1.98 pounds. Another area that this product stands out is that it has 4 Years Warranty. To qualify for this, you need to register at the Aorus website. Mind you, this product is for those who don’t mind spending a thousand dollars to optimize their gaming experience.
Pros
- Boost clock speed is higher than most competitors
- Comes with 4 years warranty
- Supports 8K display
- WINDFORCE Stacks 3x 100mm fan for improved cooling
- Customizable color lighting
- 12+2 power phases for extreme overclocking
Cons
- Expensive for those on a slim budget
- Slightly heavy
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Mini – Best for price
Every gamer wants the best performance but can only get their money’s worth. If you have a really slim budget, investing in refurbished products can help you to get the most value. When it comes to investing in refurbished graphics card, the ZOTAC GeForce is the best GTX 1080 Ti you should consider. In fact, it is one of the cheapest 1080 ti you will find within its performance range. Definitely not in the same class with the earlier products we have mentioned but it still offers you a unique gaming experience that you would normally not get at $500 if you were to go for a new product. To further boost your confidence, this product is backed by the 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee.
The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Mini is really small and easy to handle measuring only 211mm x 125mm. The interface of this graphics card is the New Pascal Architecture and is Virtual Reality Ready. It boasts of 4K gaming and can support up to 4 display. However, unlike the competitors, it comes with 8GB RAM. Also, the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Mini weighs 1.9 pounds but many will argue that a product this small should weigh far less. This product clearly outperformed the others in the same price range which is why we included it on our list of best gtx ti.
Pros
- Supports 4K gaming and up to 4 display
- Backed by 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee
- Compact in size
- High Memory clock speed
- Highly affordable
Cons
- Slightly heavy
- RAM size is only 8GB which is far less than competitors
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Gaming – Best for memory speed
The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has a memory clock speed of 11,010MHz which is one of the fastest you would see among graphics card. It also has a larger memory bus width (352 bits) whereas, most graphics card only have 256 bits. Like the other competitors, the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has 11GB RAM. The combination of all these makes this product the best gtx 1080 ti if your focus is on memory—but that is not all you will get when you invest in this product.
There are a few other features which makes the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti to stand out. One of them is the extreme cooling effect. It makes use of WINDFORCE 3x cooling system to deliver optimal cooling effect that lasts throughout your gaming session. It also comes with 8 + 2 power phases for extreme overclocking. Its boost clock is excellent at 1632MHz.you will also get 16.8M customizable color lighting. Apart from its large weight of 3.1 pounds, this is definitely a great buy for those who have their eyes set on speed and performance.
Pros
- Excellent boost clock speed
- More customizable color lighting
- WINDFORCE 3x cooling system
- Larger memory bus width
Cons
- Extremely heavy and may pose handling difficulties
- The price is not budget-friendly
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FE Founder’s Edition – Best for weight
You can bet that it would be hard to find a graphics card that is more portable than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FE Founder’s Edition—and you will be right. It looks just like the previous design comprising of a die-cast aluminum body and 7-phase dualFET power supply. Apart from being portable, this product also has a design that is different from the regular graphics card. This product is designed to stay cool even in environments with thermal challenges. Its cooling infrastructure consists of a radial fan with advanced vapor chamber designed for consistent performance.
Like other high-end competitors, it comes with 11GB RAM with a boost clock of around 1733MHz. it also has 8-pin PCI Express power connector which are similar to what you will find in older models. Its graphics RAM type is the GDDR5X which is faster. Other features of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FE Founder’s Edition that might catch your interest are 3x DisplayPort 1.4 and an HDMI 2.0 port. The gtx 1080 had a dual-link DVI connector which has been eliminated from the gtx 1080. At 1 pound weight, it is also one of the lightest graphics card in the market.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Advanced cooling system for thermally challenged environment
- High boost clock speed
Cons
- Highly expensive
Buying guide for the best Gtx 1080 Ti
Gamers who have no problem spending a thousand dollars on a gaming hardware will usually have no problem with choosing the best gtx 1080ti but this is not the case with gamers with a slim budget. Irrespective of where you fall, finding the right product can still make a lot of difference to how you enjoy your game. When you are set to buy your 1080 ti, there are a few things you have to consider and we have highlighted them below.
Cooling
The hotter the GPU gets, the more its performance will drop. Having an effective cooling system is important to maintain high performance. Some graphics card come with 2 fans while others come with three. The higher the number of fans the better cooling you will likely have. A great cooling infrastructure is necessary for overclocking. If the manufacturer has invested a lot in the cooling infrastructure and can guarantee better cooling, they will not fail to flaunt it. Pay attention to this when you read the product description. Also, some cooling systems are noisy and this can significantly affect your gaming experience.
Compatibility
Some graphics cards are only compatible with a limited number of motherboards and CPUs. Make sure what you want to buy is compatible with your CPU, motherboard, and power supply. It is also important to make sure that your CPU has enough power to handle the graphics card or you may not be able to get its full potential.
VR Ready
Game studios are increasingly migrating some of their titles to VR mode. A graphics card that wants to stay relevant must have a VR link. If you like moving with the trend, this is one of the features you can’t possibly ignore.
Boost clock
The performance of the gtx 1080 ti will depend to a large extent on the speed of the boost clock. A decent boost clock speed should be at least 1500MHz especially if the graphics card is listing at a high price.
Power efficiency
If your graphics card has a high power consumption, you will end up paying the ultimate price in the form of higher electricity bills. Overtime, this might prove really costly.
Ports
The number and type of ports that comes with your graphics card will ultimately determine what you can connect to it. However, if there is anything that you should sacrifice in a graphics card when making your selection, it should be a few ports after the fancy RGB lighting.
Weight and dimension
Take note of the weight and dimension of your graphics card and be certain that it fits perfectly where you want to use it. Manufacturers usually emphasize on this fact too.
Price
The price of graphics card varies widely. Even the cheapest 1080 ti can still be very expensive among gamers with a slim budget. One way you can get more performance is by investing in refurbished. However, before you stake your money on a renewed product, make sure it is backed by some form of warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I play AAA titles with budget graphics card?
Yes, most budget graphics card above $100 will let you play recent games at medium to low settings.
- Which is better between single, double, or triple fans?
Dual or triple fans usually offer better cooling and heat dissipation but are usually more expensive than the single fans. Because of the better cooling the dual and triple fans have better overclocking potentials.
- Can I overclock my graphics card?
Yes. However, the level at which you can do this will vary from one graphics card to another.
- Why do I need a graphics card?
The graphics card takes pressure off your computer’s RAM because it comes with its dedicated RAM. This will generally improve the speed of your computer.
- Can I buy a graphics card for my laptop?
Laptops don’t use graphics card. They usually come with built-in graphics processors which take care of processing the images.
Conclusion
Before you step out to buy a graphics card, make sure you know exactly the vacuum you want to fill. This is because graphics cards are usually awfully expensive. If you must go for the very expensive graphics cards, make sure they have features that meet the minimum requirement we have mentioned in our buyer’s guide. In the end, it is usually a choice between raising your budget or cutting down on your expectations.