The RTX 2080 Super is just one place shy of being the flagship model of the entire Turing architecture. The card’s only trumped by the RTX 2080 Ti, which offers about 10 percent more performance. Nevertheless, the RTX 2080 Super is a phenomenal graphics card that should offer excellent performance no matter the title.
Since this card includes about 90 different models from third-party manufacturers, we’ve decided to list the best RTX 2080 Super cards that excel in various categories. Sure, we have the best overall RTX 2080 Super card here but we also have the best RTX 2080 with RGB lighting, the best RTX 2080 Super with a pre-build water cooling block, and many more.
1. EVGA RTX 2080 Super KO Gaming & ASUS RTX 2080 Super Turbo: The most affordable RTX 2080 Super
EVGA’s KO series of cards represent affordable models that offer performance in line with reference cards. And the same case is with the RTX 2080 Super KO Gaming. This is an excellent card for the price because it offers the same level of performance as much more expensive RTX 2080 Super models. You can overclock the card and get exactly the same gaming performance as our pick for the best RTX 2080 Super overall.
We’ve also included the ASUS RTX 2080 Super Turbo model as it is currently the most affordable RTX 2080 Super card. While it’s cheaper than the KO Gaming at the moment, it can get pricier in the future. The KO Gaming card, on the other hand, should stay at this price during its whole shelf life.
2. ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 Super Advanced OC: Best overall RTX 2080 Super
As it was the case with the best RTX 2070 Super, ASUS knocked it out of the park with its ROG Strix OC model. This card comes with serious factory OC along with the amazing cooling system. It also looks rather nice and boasts cool RGB lighting effects. It doesn’t have the best OC potential but it’s very close to the best models.
If you want the best card on the market, get this one or its white variant. Both offer excellent factory OC values but still allow users to overclock them even more. And that cooling system will keep the cards cooler than the competition, even when overclocked.
3. MSI RTX 2080 Super Gaming X Trio & EVGA RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Ultra: Best RTX 2080 Super with highest OC potential
While the ASUS ROG Strix model comes with excellent factory OC values, it isn’t the RTX 2080 Super card with the best OC potential. When it comes to air-cooled cards the throne is reserved for the MSI Super Gaming X Trio and the EVGA FTW3 Ultra. The first one can reach almost 2070MHz for the core and 2300MHz for the memory overclock.
The EVGA FTW3 Ultra is almost as good. This card can reach 2080MHz on the core and 2200MHz for the memory overclock. In both cases, the performance gain is about eight percent. Another important thing is that both cards have excellent cooling systems so they won’t have cooling issues if you decide to overclock them. Finally, we also have to mention the ASUS ROG Strix variant of the RTX 2080 Super. While not the OC champion, this card can reach 2035Mhz core clock and 2320MHz memory clock, which are both excellent results.
4. ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 Super Advanced OC & EVGA RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Ultra: Best RTX 2080 Super with the best air cooling
When it comes to low thermals while under load, there are two winners here. The absolute winner is the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Super Advanced Overclocked, which peaks at only 62 degrees Celsius while gaming. This is much cooler than any other RTX 2080 Super card on the market. The only card that can come close to the ASUS models is the EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Ultra.
This one isn’t that close, but the result of 67 degrees Celsius is amazing when compared to other RTX 2080 Super models. If we had to include the bronze medal, it will be awarded to the MSI RTX 2080 Super Gaming X Trio. This card goes just over the 70 degrees Celsius mark, which is still a very good result.
5. EVGA RTX 2080 Super XC Hybrid Gaming: Best RTX 2080 Super with liquid cooling
If you want an RTX 2080 Super that features water cooling, get the EVGA RTX 2080 Super XC Hybrid Gaming. This card’s amazing. It offers excellent performance, in line with the ASUS ROG STRIX 2080 Super, while it reaches only 52 degrees Celsius while gaming. This is a truly impressive result but bear in mind that this card costs more than most other RTX 2080 Super models. That cooling performance comes at a serious price so think twice before getting this card.
6. Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC Waterforce: Best RTX 2080 Super aith a pre-installed water block
You have multiple choices if you need an RTX 2080 Super card that comes with a pre-installed water block. We’ve picked the Gigabyte model because it’s the most affordable but if you have the money you can get a nicer card.
For instance, another Gigabyte model with a (very) similar name offers amazing RGB backlighting that looks really impressive. RGB aficionados should definitely check that one. Next is the MSI Sea Hawk EK X that doesn’t look as nice as the Gigabyte one but this card has a see-through block that allows for even more impressive RGB effects, shining through the coolant liquid. Finally, we have the EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Hydro Copper Gaming, another solid choice but one that doesn’t come with RGB effects.
7. MSI RTX 2080 Super Gaming X Trio: Best RGB RTX 2080 Super
There are lots of RTX 2080 Super cards that come with RGB lighting but the MSI model is the easiest to get. It looks rather nice, with multiple RGB LED arrays placed alongside the fan shroud. On top of that, this card also provides excellent performance and great OC potential, making it the best RGB choice.
If you want something more exotic, check out the best white RTX 2080 Super card, it also supports RGB lighting. If you want for the card to light up when you turn it on like it’s the New Year’s Eve, take a look at the Zotac RTX 2080 Super AMP Extreme. Gigabyte models with the water block also feature some wicked RGB lighting. Finally, there’s the Gigabyte Aorus RTX 2080 Super, which is really hard to find but it looks the best out of all RGB RTX 2080 Super cards.
8. ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 Super OC: Best white RTX 2080 Super
For fans of white cards who want to finish their all-white build with a white GPU, there’s the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 Super OC White Edition. Unlike the white Gigabyte card we had in our best RTX 2070 list, we have white fans here. The whole fan shroud is completely white, with only the RGB LED arrays looking like small specks of gray until you turn the card on. And when the RGB lighting is turned on, this card simply shines when combined with a nice and white PC case.
This card’s also a beast when it comes to performance. Based on the regular ROG STRIX RTX 2080 Super card, which is already the best 2080 Super model on the market, the white edition arrives with the highest GPU factory OC of 1890MHz. Memory is overclocked at 1937MHz so together with a serious GPU OC, this card should provide the same level of gaming performance as the best RTX 2080 Super variants.
9. EVGA RTX 2080 Super KO Gaming: Best RTX 2080 Super for SFF builds
Since there aren’t any RTX 2080 Super models with a shorter PCB, like the excellent Zotac RTX 2070 Super Mini, you cannot get a 2080 Super card made exclusively to fit inside every Mini-ITX case. This is why we’ve picked the EVGA RTX 2080 Super KO Gaming as our best choice for SFF build. The card measures 269mm in length, which is short enough to fit inside most Mini-ITX cases.
While it can fit inside most Mini-ITX cases, this card should offer the same performance as any other RTX 2080 Super card. You also get a solid cooling system that should keep this card under safe thermals even if fitted inside a case with less-than-great airflow. In a well-ventilated case you can expect thermals that are in line with the RTX 2080 Super reference card (about 74-75 degrees Celsius).
Is the RTX 2080 Super good for gaming?
The RTX 2080 Super is great for gaming. The resolution of choice could be either 1440p or 4K. At 1440p this is the best GPU for high refresh rate gaming. It allows you to achieve 100fps or higher in literally any game. Just don’t go overboard with the visual settings in some titles. At 4K, this card can run most games at 60fps with almost every visual option turned on. You won’t be able to crank them all to the max though.
And the card’s great for multimonitor setups since the regular rear panel layout includes three DisplayPort and one HDMI video outs. The gaming performance should be pretty good, even on triple monitor setups. But if you play at resolutions higher than 4K, get the RTX 2080 Ti or Titan RTX.
So yeah, this is one of the best graphic cards for gaming at the moment. But now isn’t the best time to buy one. Honestly, as with the RTX 2070 Super, we recommend waiting until September, when Nvidia and AMD should launch their new GPU lineups. Those will bring noticeable improvements in gaming performance with miles better RTX performance. If you need a new GPU wait a couple of months or buy something cheap to last you until September.
And what about work-related usage?
What we’ve said about the RTX 2070 Super stands here. The RTX 2080 Super is a great choice for CUDA-accelerated apps. But since those ask as many CUDA cores as possible, there are better choices out there. Something like the Titan V or the RTX 2080 Ti is better for this type of load if you have the cash. If you don’t, the RTX 2080 Super is an excellent choice.
When it comes to video editing, something like the RTX 2060 is a better choice. Unless you’re dealing with resolutions of 6K and higher. In that case, either get this card or the RTX 2070 Super. Finally, for machine learning, neural networks, and AI-related workloads, RTX Quadro cards are much better choice than this one.
In the end, the RTX 2080 Super is a great card for apps that can use its CUDA cores to the max. But for stuff like video editing or machine learning, there are better cards out there. And now, check out the best RTX 2080 Super cards on the market.
