NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Unboxing & Preview

[W1zzard]

We go hands on with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition, which was announced just a few days ago. This first "Ampere" card comes in an amazing packaging that further supports the product's ultra-high-end premium look and feel. We also take a closer look at the new 12-pin power connector.

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[goodeedidid]

This is the best ever design of a GPU. Nobody from the partners has done anything like this IMO. To be clear this is definitely ultra polished end-consumer product. It isn't in any way a "reference-design".

 

[Shou Miko]

It's defiantly a new design than what we are use to when we are talking about ref or founders edition cards lets see how temps are gonna be maybe this time around anyone buying the RTX 30 series FE cards won't feel the need to get another cooler for their cards.

 

[phill]

Looking forward to the main review

Thanks @W1zzard as always

 

[Rob94hawk]

Very good looking card! Can't wait to see the actual performance reviews in 8k!

I'm betting gaming in 4k is going to be the new norm.

 

[Chomiq]

Now we need someone like evga to come up with a 12-pin bridge for cable management.

 

[Deleted member 50521]

SO CLOSE! Yet so far. I laughed so hard at this one because of what W1zzard wrote:

"photography of the card, no disassembly, no plugging in, no installing, no powering on, no performance results or hints of any kind."


Man this is like the electronic's version of ultimate blue balling and tease.

 

[BoboOOZ]

Nice design, clean and very aesthetic, but the location of the power connector ruins the aesthetics... Too bad.

 

[ppn]

The genius designer on payroll is obsessed with hourglasses and the letter S for some reason. the PCB designer likes to draw fishes, maybe one day we can see turtles.

 

[Vya Domus]

It isn't in any way a "reference-design".

Huh ? Reference design just means the default PCB layout and cooling that Nvidia makes. This is very much a reference design, like every other thing they've ever made.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Huh ? Reference design just means the default PCB layout and cooling that Nvidia makes. This is very much a reference design, like every other thing they've ever made.

This is actually not a reference design, it's a custom design for "founders edition", this design is NOT going to be used as "reference" by any other AIB as it's nvidia-only.

a "reference" design is offered to AIB, which means they can use it themselves, or not(in which case, it's said that the AIB is using a custom PCB). In this generation, there is no reference design, it will be all custom designs(so far).

a reference:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1301662570101661696

 

[trparky]

Huh ? Reference design just means the default PCB layout and cooling that Nvidia makes. This is very much a reference design, like every other thing they've ever made.

I think he's referring to the fact that this card doesn't have that "reference design" feel to it and that it actually looks and feels like a card worthy of being released by nVidia as versus something that looks like crap. This is nVidia saying "This is the way it should be done boys!"

 

[Gan77]

I ask the author to indicate the area of the cooling system fins in the review.

For example:

 

[Vya Domus]

I think he's referring to the fact that this card doesn't have that "reference design" feel to it and that it actually looks and feels like a card worthy of being released by nVidia as versus something that looks like crap. This is nVidia saying "This is the way it should be done boys!"

Ever since 700 series no reference card has looked like crap, they're obviously focusing on looks a lot.

This is actually not a reference design, it's a custom design for "founders edition", this design is NOT going to be used as "reference" by any other AIB as it's nvidia-only.

a "reference" design is offered to AIB, which means they can use it themselves, or not(in which case, it's said that the AIB is using a custom PCB). In this generation, there is no reference design, it will be all custom designs(so far).

a reference:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1301662570101661696

Just because it's not going to be used by AIBs it doesn't mean it's not a reference design. I am certainly not going to debate this FE/reference nonsense that Nvidia made up themselves.

On top of that "reference design" is more than just the layout and cooler, it includes things such as what components to use, current limits, voltage limits, etc.

 

[Kapone33]

I am definitely interested to see how that GPU design effects CPU and RAM thermals.

 

[btarunr]

SO CLOSE! Yet so far. I laughed so hard at this one because of what W1zzard wrote:

"photography of the card, no disassembly, no plugging in, no installing, no powering on, no performance results or hints of any kind."


Man this is like the electronic's version of ultimate blue balling and tease.

We are clock-blocked by NVIDIA's NDA.

 

[trparky]

Ever since 700 series no reference card has looked like crap, they're obviously focusing on looks a lot.

And by a lot, they surpassed the looks of every reference card ever made in the past. Like @W1zzard even said, it has a very Apple-like attention to detail and product finish. I don't think I've ever seen that level of attention from nVidia in the past from their reference boards.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

We are clock-blocked by NVIDIA's NDA.

BTW, there's something i'd love to ask about the airflow, the metal cowl has two holes leading to the front cooler, so how come the airflow is "blocked" there?, are the central triangular cooling stacks outlined by solid metal walls?

because if not, then air should go towards those stacks from the front fan as well

 

[Caring1]

Nice design, clean and very aesthetic, but the location of the power connector ruins the aesthetics... Too bad.

No reason they couldn't have made a Quadro style plug at the end of the card.

 

[elemelek]

Probably was asked already. When is the NDA for reviews lifted?
Thanks!

 

[The Foldinator]

I really liked(like) the first sight of this specific cooler and wondering the PPD on this GPU , now all i have to do is rob a bank..

 

[Kapone33]

Probably was asked already. When is the NDA for reviews lifted?
Thanks!

Sept 14

 

[Liviu Cojocaru]

Probably was asked already. When is the NDA for reviews lifted?
Thanks!

I think is Monday the 14th

 

[iO]

Why on earth is that Y-cable so short?! You could have been able to hide it behind the mainboard tray if it just would have been made like 5 cm longer...

 

[Mistral]

That "optimal airflow model" might turn out to be a bit rough on tower coolers. Would it be possible to include your thoughts and observations on that in your review, W1zzard?