Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU Review

The GeForce RTX 3080 currently sits at the superlative of Nvidia laptop GPU offerings and is usually the graphics processor of choice for flagship gaming machines that are powered with Core i9 or Ryzen ix CPUs, offering the all-time of the best in a portable grade factor.

The RTX 3080 has been bachelor for weeks now, it packs 6144 CUDA cores, 20% more in the RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, and is configurable to a range of power levels which will dictate concluding functioning output, in this case anywhere from 80W to to a higher place 150W. This results in a maximum heave clock range of 1245 MHz to 1710 MHz depending on the configuration. The retention subsystem includes eight or 16GB of GDDR6 on a 256-chip double-decker.

While this presents a salubrious specification bump over the RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, it's substantially different to what yous get on a desktop RTX 3080. Nvidia isn't using the aforementioned GPU die either: this is GA104 on laptops, rather than the GA102 used for its desktop analogue. And then far, this is the just mobile GPU in the series that differs on the actual GPU die being used.

As a result, the laptop role features 48 SMs, down from 68 in the desktop, leading to a significant 29% reduction in CUDA cadre count. Clock speeds can be the same depending on the ability level, just we also come across a drop from GDDR6X retentiveness to just GDDR6 which brings lower memory bandwidth. Of course, this sort of spec differences make sense equally you can't just take a 320W desktop GPU, put it in laptops and call it a twenty-four hour period. However these differences can be confusing for less tech savvy buyers to whom information technology may not be obvious that the desktop and laptop GPUs are drastically dissimilar though they have about the same name.

Function of today's review will exist comparison the performance of the laptop and desktop variants, but we'll also be showing the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU up against other recent mobile products, so you'll get a adept idea how it performs overall.

The examination organization for today'southward benchmarking is the MSI GE76 Raider, a high-terminate 17" system equipped with flagship specifications. The model we received from MSI to test, the 10UH, packs the 16GB variant of the RTX 3080 with a ability range of 135-155W: base of operations limit at 135W with an extra 20W available through Dynamic Boost two.0.

The GE76 Raider also includes a Cadre i9-10980HK processor -- 11th-gen variants will be available soon, but for now we have tenth-gen information -- 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and an ample 17.three-inch 1080p 240Hz IPS brandish. I'one thousand quite a fan of MSI's Raider designs this generation, the build quality is excellent and while this is a bigger laptop, information technology'south not a ridiculously huge organisation; it retains portability without sacrificing on the cooling necessary for an RTX 3080 and Cadre i9 CPU.

Today we are testing the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU at two resolutions: 1080p with Nvidia Optimus enabled, and so the brandish is continued to the iGPU; and 1440p with an external display connected direct to the discrete GPU. Let'south go into the benchmarks.

Benchmarks

First upwardly is Metro Exodus. At 1080p using Ultra settings, the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU is able to sustain 119 FPS on average in our benchmark laissez passer which delivers quite a decent loftier refresh rate feel on modern internal laptop displays. This is 13% faster than the RTX 3070 running at 115W, however it yet ways the RTX 3080 Laptop falls well short of the RTX 3070 in desktops. At 1080p we're 25% behind the desktop RTX 3080 here.

At 1440p it's a slightly more than positive story for the RTX 3080 in laptops. While the margin to the desktop part has grown compared to at 1080p, the RTX 3080 Laptop is at present quite a bit faster than the RTX 3070 Laptop. Now there is a bit of a power discrepancy here, 135W vs 115W, all the same this does mostly announced to exist the case in almost laptops when you expect at how RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 models are configured. In this example the RTX 3080 is 17% more powerful.

Borderlands 3 is an example of a game that when played at 1080p in a laptop is generally going to exist more CPU limited than GPU limited. You can see that here with an case where the RTX 3070 Laptop configured with a Ryzen ix 5900HX slightly outperforms this RTX 3080 Laptop with the Cadre i9-10980HK, now Ryzen isn't always faster in CPU limited games than the Cadre i9 merely in this example it is, so nosotros see performance autumn slightly behind. Information technology'southward important to show these cases as not every game will be GPU limited on your laptop.

At 1440p we become a much better await at how these GPUs actually stack up for gaming performance when GPU express. The RTX 3080 Laptop GPU is 18% faster than the RTX 3070 Laptop, and quite a significant 41% faster than the RTX 3060 Laptop. All the same, the RTX 3080 Laptop still fails to vanquish the desktop RTX 3070, and overall ends upward 16% slower than the desktop RTX 3080 which carries the same proper name.

In Ruddy Expressionless Redemption 2 at 1080p, the RTX 3080 Laptop presents a minor performance increase over the RTX 3070, in the range of 10%. In this title at this resolution, information technology gets demolished by a desktop configuration, coming in 30% slower than the RTX 3080 desktop model and still behind the RTX 3070 for desktops.

At 1440p the results are quite decent for the RTX 3080 Laptop configuration, endmost the gap to the RTX 3070 desktop model and delivering an experience consistently over 60 FPS using High settings. The RTX 3080 Laptop is now xx% faster than the RTX 3070 Laptop which is twice the margin nosotros merely saw at 1080p, and while it'southward nevertheless 30% slower than its desktop equivalent, y'all'll become a decent feel here.

In Assassinator's Creed Valhalla at 1080p, we see a smaller than usual margin betwixt the laptop and desktop variants. Here the laptop model is merely 21% slower. We also encounter a pocket-size but good for you margin between the RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 for laptops, at xiv%, not too bad in this sort of championship.

That margin holds steady at 1440p, merely now the RTX 3080 Laptop is within touching distance of the RTX 3070 in the desktop, we're just 5% slower hither. Getting essentially the performance of an RTX 2080 Ti in a laptop at simply 140W or so is pretty impressive given this sort of performance was not possible with prior generation hardware.

These days everyone wants to know how a GPU performs in Cyberpunk 2077 so here are the results. The RTX 3080 Laptop GPU comes in 19% faster than the RTX 3070 Laptop at 1080p, ane of the largest margins we've seen so far in this GPU heavy game running at ultra settings. Every bit such, the RTX 3080 Laptop is also 32% slower than its desktop counterpart.

As this title is then GPU demanding we run into pretty similar margins pop up when testing at 1440p. Once more the margins to desktop cards are not very impressive for the laptop part, however with a few settings tweaks y'all could easily become this game running at over 60 FPS at 1440p

In Sentry Dogs Legion at 1080p, the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU is providing performance slightly backside an RTX 3070 desktop configuration, and almost 15% more frames than an RTX 3070 Laptop GPU. This is over again one of the small margins between the desktop and laptop variants, the laptop variant is effectually 13% slower.

At 1440p the RTX 3080 Laptop is almost matching the performance of the desktop RTX 3070, so that's non a bad upshot for a significantly lower power laptop equivalent, although ultimately it withal falls well short of what the desktop RTX 3080 can do. Meanwhile, in the laptop space the RTX 3080 performs well, delivering 19% better functioning than the RTX 3070 for laptops.

Death Stranding at 1080p is another championship which is CPU express in modernistic laptop form factors, as you can encounter from the results comparing the Core i9 and Ryzen 9 laptops. And so this is some other good reminder that non all games you lot play will benefit from the faster RTX 3080 GPU, as at 1080p we are right on the edge of beingness CPU limited. For this sort of game information technology makes a lot more sense to pick a laptop with a good CPU.

However the situation is very dissimilar at 1440p. Now there is a more noticeable step up in performance comparing the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU to the RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, a 16% performance increment. The margin to the desktop configurations also shrinks, we're now but 22% slower than the RTX 3080 desktop version, and 12% slower than the RTX 3070.

The terminal title we'll exist looking at in item today is Horizon Zero Dawn. This game is GPU limited at 1080p using the Ultimate Quality preset, then again we see about a 15% operation increase moving from the RTX 3070 Laptop to the RTX 3080 Laptop, one of the college margins in our testing then far. However nosotros are nonetheless 26% slower than the desktop equivalent GPU.

At 1440p it's a adequately similar situation, although to be honest the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU is delivering nearly 100 FPS on average here which is a groovy result for a laptop GPU given what we've seen from other models available.

Performance Comparisons

Before jumping into the determination, here's a expect at some head to caput comparisons in a larger range of games.

RTX 3080 Laptop vs RTX 3070 Laptop

When comparing the RTX 3080 Laptop to the RTX 3070 Laptop in a higher power class, most of the time the 3080 will exist delivering between 10 and fifteen percent more performance.

Yet at times the platform will be CPU express, and given the CPU differences here (Ryzen nine 5900HX for the 3070, and Core i9-10980HK for the 3080), we do see slower performance. So that'due south something to keep in mind.

When fully GPU-express using a 1440p external brandish hooked upwards straight to the detached graphics, we no longer see whatever instances of being CPU-limited. On average, the RTX 3080 Laptop configuration is 19% faster, and so this gives you a proficient idea of what is possible in the best example scenario. In full general though, when you factor in the 1080p results, when GPU-limited y'all should be seeing performance 10 to twenty percentage higher than the lower-tier GPU.

RTX 3080 Laptop vs RTX 3080 Desktop

In terms of a laptop vs desktop comparison, at 1080p on average the laptop variant is 25 percent slower. This functioning ranges from just a 10% margin correct up to 35% depending on the championship, and in some of the most GPU demanding games the margin is often around 30%.

That margin is almost the same at 1440p, the RTX 3080 Laptop is 25% slower than the RTX 3080 desktop variant.

RTX 3080 Laptop vs RTX 3070 Desktop

That besides means the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU is also not able to friction match the performance of the RTX 3070 desktop GPU: in our testing at 1440p it's ix% slower on boilerplate. Based on our prior testing of these desktop GPUs, that would identify the RTX 3080 Laptop when running at 135-155W slightly to a higher place the RTX 3060 Ti and slightly behind the terminal-gen RTX 2080 Ti.

Obviously the laptop and desktop variants don't evangelize the same performance, we've known that for a while now, but this does give us a good look at how the margins stack up. Continue in mind this mobile GPU maximum TGP of 155W, which compares to 200W for the RTX 3060 Ti and 250W for the RTX 2080 Ti, nosotros are seeing quite good efficiency to shave off l-100W and nonetheless maintain that level of performance.

What We Learned

My overall thoughts on the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU are similar to my thoughts on the RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, and and then this section needs to be split in 2: first covering laptop GPUs simply, and then talking most the desktop comparison.

Purely talking laptops, the RTX 3080 Laptop provides a decent operation improvement over the RTX 3070 depending on how CPU limited your gaming will be. At 1440p, it's quite good and I think at that place'due south enough power available hither to deliver a shine gaming feel on newer laptop displays that are coming out with a 1440p resolution. At times, this GPU is over 40% faster than the RTX 3060 Laptop in the higher power tier (Max-P) which does enable gaming at these higher resolutions.

This margin betwixt 3070 and 3080 is similar to what we see on the desktop cards, where the 3080 is about twenty% faster than the 3070 at 1440p when more often than not GPU limited. You just have to make sure you are going to exist playing GPU express titles, as the RTX 3080 is powerful enough to run into bottlenecks at 1080p even with a high-finish laptop CPU.

It too appears to be possible to get an RTX 3080 Laptop without paying a ridiculous premium. Take the upcoming Gigabyte Aorus 15P, this is merely i example, but the RTX 3080 model costs 26% more and also packs double the RAM for what should end upward around xv% improve functioning when GPU limited. That'southward surprisingly reasonable.

On the other hand, you will run into situations where laptop manufacturers volition up-spec the RTX 3080 model and charge a larger premium. That's the case with the new 11th-gen variants of the MSI GE76 Raider that I looked at: the RTX 3070 model with a Cadre i7 costs $2,600, but going for the RTX 3080 variant besides forces yous to upgrade to a Cadre i9 processor, and MSI is charging $3,400 or a 31% premium for that privilege.

I was also impressed with the efficiency of this part. The RTX 3080 is now giving laptop gamers just below the ability of an RTX 2080 Ti in a portable course factor. That is if you completely avoid models that run the GPU at 80W, which will no uncertainty exist far worse and not worth the asking price.

At present, when you compare the RTX 3080 against its desktop equivalent, it gets a fleck embarrassing. The laptop GPU is nowhere near the performance of the RTX 3080 on desktops and so these ii products should not have the same name.

In the configurations I tested, the RTX 3080 desktop card was 33% faster than the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU running in the upper range of its ability limits: 135-155W. This margin will only grow with lower ability configurations, subsequently all, the RTX 3080 tin be used all the style downwardly to 80W.

Ordinarily this isn't an issue. You would of course expect a loftier-end desktop GPU to outperform the best laptop GPU simply because a desktop can allocate twice the power budget. But because performance is different – and in this case even the GPU die itself is different – these two products should have distinctly different names to avoid any confusion among buyers.

Nosotros like to explicate this for two reasons: the first is that casual buyers may not do a ton of enquiry into the hardware (due east.thousand. non PC enthusiasts buying gaming laptops). The second reason relates to today's market with horrendous GPU pricing. A talking indicate I've heard several times as of tardily is that "you could either buy a GPU for thousands of dollars on the scalper market or just purchase a gaming laptop." I've even heard some say that gaming laptops are cracking value at present.

But we know that's only true if you ignore the performance discrepancy between laptops and desktops. Yeah, spending $2,300 on an RTX 3080 laptop is a lot more than appealing than spending $2,700 on an RTX 3080 on eBay. Simply is it more appealing than spending $1,600 on an RTX 3060 Ti or RTX 3070? But look... it'south not like anyone is recommending you lot buy a desktop menu right now.

Historically, laptops accept never been as good value every bit desktops for gaming, but it's interesting to see this still playing out today despite reasonably normal laptop prices and awful graphics carte du jour prices.

To conclude, I'll put it this way... the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU falls short in the desktop vs. laptop comparison, but the "RTX 3080 Grand" is a genuinely great laptop GPU. You lot tin can get RTX 2080 Ti-like performance in a portable system and that's merely fantastic.