Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition
There’s nothing basic or generic about this Founders Edition.
Founders Edition cards took a big step forward last generation thanks to the move to a dual axial fan design and away from blowers. The RTX 3080 FE takes another step forward with a unique fan implementation and PCB design. One of the eyecatching design choices is the use of a new 12-pin power connector. The downside of this cable is the placement of the connector. It doesn’t lend itself to perfect cable management.
Physically the card is two slots only and its height doesn’t protrude above the PCIe bracket. This means it will remain compatible in the vast majority of cases, even compact ones that won’t accommodate huge RTX 3080 partner cards. It comes with the standard three DP 1.4a ports and a single HDMI 2.1 port. USB-C has been left out of this generation.
Performance wise, the card lags a little behind the partner cards, but a few frames here and there won’t be missed. It runs a bit hotter too. We recorded a peak temperature of 74c with the fan at 71 percent. At this speed it was definitely audible, but nothing to be alarmed over. It’s significantly better than Pascal generation blower coolers.
The RTX 3080 Founders Edition is a fantastic advert for the RTX 30 series. It’s very affordable, relatively compact and offers a stunning performance uplift. We hope stock continues to be available. It can’t match the outright performance or the cooling capabilities of the much larger partner cards, but at this price and with the performance on offer, such minor compromises are well worth the cost saving.
The Founders Edition is awesome value. We just hope it remains in the market