GTX 1080 Overview
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 was a flagship Pascal card at its time, delivering strong performance for 1440p gaming and still viable for many 1080p/1440p scenarios today.
GTX 1080 Price History & Trends
↘ Decreasing
GTX 1080 Current Price:
$93
GTX 1080 MSRP:
$599
GTX 1080 Peak Price: (05/2021)
$606
You Save:
$513
GTX 1080 Key Specifications
GTX 1080 PassMark Score:
15597
GTX 1080 Value Score:
168
GTX 1080 Pros:
- Great 1440p performance
- Lower power / heat than 1080 Ti
- Still viable in many games
GTX 1080 Cons:
- Limited for 4K at high detail
- Aging architecture vs newer GPUs
- Memory / bandwidth constraints in future titles
How does the GTX 1080 hold up for 1440p gaming in 2025 compared to a budget RTX card?
The GTX 1080 is an excellent entry point for 1440p gaming in 2025, often outperforming or matching the performance of modern entry-level cards like the RTX 4060 in pure rasterization. However, it lacks the frame generation and DLSS upscaling of its rivals.
What is the best driver version for maximum stability and performance on the GTX 1080 in 2025?
While newer drivers include optimizations for new games, some older Pascal cards benefit from legacy drivers around the 530.xx or 540.xx series, which some users report offer better stability and fewer micro-stutters. Test a few older, stable versions.
Is the 8GB of GDDR5X VRAM on the GTX 1080 a bottleneck for new 1440p games in 2025?
The 8GB VRAM is starting to become a significant limitation at 1440p for the newest AAA games. You will frequently need to reduce texture settings from Ultra to High/Medium to prevent stuttering due to VRAM exhaustion.
Is the GTX 1080 a good card for deep learning or AI tasks in 2025 for a hobbyist?
The GTX 1080 is a decent starting point for hobbyist AI/deep learning due to its 8GB of VRAM, but its Pascal architecture lacks the Tensor Cores found in RTX cards, which significantly accelerate these tasks.
What are the common aftermarket cooler upgrades that dramatically improve GTX 1080 thermals and noise?
Popular aftermarket cooler upgrades like the ARCTIC Accelero series or an NZXT Kraken G12 bracket paired with an AIO liquid cooler can significantly drop load temperatures (by 20°C+) and greatly reduce noise levels on the GTX 1080.
What are the telltale signs of a counterfeit or re-flashed GTX 1080 when buying used?
Be wary of models priced suspiciously low. Always run a tool like GPU-Z to check the core name (should be GP104) and VRAM size (should be 8GB GDDR5X). Clocks that are too low or incorrect shader counts are red flags.
Can I use the GTX 1080 for VR gaming, and is it a good budget option for a modern headset in 2025?
The GTX 1080 is still a capable VR card and a decent budget option. It performs very well in older and less-intensive VR titles. For demanding modern VR games, you may need to reduce resolution or detail settings for a fluid experience.
Does the GTX 1080 benefit from enabling Resizable BAR/Smart Access Memory (SAM) on compatible motherboards?
No, the GTX 1080, being a Pascal-architecture card, does not officially support the Resizable BAR feature. This performance-enhancing technology is exclusive to RTX 30-series and newer, or older AMD cards like the RX 6000 series.
How does the GTX 1080's power consumption compare to a modern mid-range card like the RTX 4060 in 2025?
The GTX 1080 has a typical board power draw of 180W. This is significantly higher than the extremely efficient RTX 4060 (115W), meaning the 1080 is a less desirable choice for energy-conscious or small PC builds.
What is the key performance difference between the GTX 1080 and the GTX 1080 Ti besides VRAM?
The GTX 1080 Ti has a more powerful GP102 chip with more CUDA cores (3584 vs 2560) and a wider memory bus (352-bit vs 256-bit) than the standard GTX 1080. The Ti is generally about 25-30% faster.
