I wasn’t shocked when Nvidia lastly unveiled the GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs throughout CES 2025. Not solely had I seen a number of upcoming PCs with “next-gen Nvidia” graphics playing cards at occasions earlier than CES, however there had additionally been months of rumors and leaks—lots of which have been correct. Sure, I knew RTX 50 playing cards have been coming, however I didn’t know the reveal would persuade me to improve my gaming PC.
I purchased a gaming PC with an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti nearly three years in the past, and it has finished a wonderful job of operating the perfect PC video games at 4K decision and over 60 frames per second with settings set to Excessive and even Max. I used to be so happy with the expertise that I skipped the Nvidia RTX 40 sequence. Nevertheless, I’ve needed to decrease graphical settings extra ceaselessly as video games have grow to be extra graphically demanding. That’s an indication that it’s time for me to improve.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 graphics playing cards will probably be out there quickly. Of these 4, I’ve my eyes on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080. I’ll clarify why beneath.
My PC is (sort of) historic
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
My present gaming PC may not have spectacular specs now but it surely was sort of a monster again once I had NZXT construct it for me. It has an eleventh Gen Intel Core i7 11700KF CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32GB of GDDR4 RAM, 1TB of SSD storage and an ROG Strix Z590-E motherboard.
In all equity to my rig, it’s nonetheless fairly able to dealing with most video games as long as I correctly tweak the settings or let the Nvidia Expertise app configure them. However with video games changing into extra demanding, my PC is displaying its age. On condition that and what the RTX 50-series guarantees to ship, I believe now’s the perfect time for me to improve my gaming rig.
Stability of value and efficiency
(Picture credit score: Nvidia)
I’m positive you’re questioning why I’m not eyeing the Nvidia RTX 5090 i.e. the king of the RTX 50-series lineup. Don’t get me flawed, the RTX 5090 may be very tempting with its monstrous 32GB of VRAM and enhanced AI capabilities. Nevertheless, for those who’ve researched the RTX 5090 then I’m positive you already know why I’m choosing the RTX 5080. The RTX 5090 is one heck of an costly GPU!
Swipe to scroll horizontallyGPU nameStarting priceGraphics memoryRTX 5090$1.99932GB GDDR7RTX 5080$99916GB GDDR7RTX 5070 Ti$74916GB GDDR7RTX 5070$54912GB GDDR7
At launch, the Nvidia RTX 5080 will value an eye-watering $1,999. That’s nearly half what I paid for my present rig again in 2022. Toss in different parts I need, reminiscent of a 14th Gen Intel Core i9 14900K CPU, 64GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB of SSD storage — together with a motherboard, energy provide, and PC case (amongst different issues), and I’m more likely to spend a small fortune on a brand new gaming rig.
If I can decrease the price of my subsequent gaming PC by $1,000 by choosing an RTX 5080 as an alternative of a 5090, that looks as if the smarter play.
Outlook
Whereas I’m excited in regards to the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series playing cards, I gained’t make a closing buying determination till we’ve examined the brand new GPUs ourselves. Not solely do I need uncooked efficiency metrics, however I additionally need to see how graphically demanding video games like Cyberpunk 2077 profit from DLSS4 — particularly at excessive graphical settings.
The Nvidia RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 arrive on January 30. If the previous card lives as much as the hype, then it’ll be time for me to construct an all-new rig. If not, maybe I’ll avoid wasting more money and purchase its extra highly effective sibling. Both approach, 2025 ought to be the yr once I improve to a brand new PC — and it’s all on account of Nvidia and its spectacular (on paper) graphics playing cards.
Extra from Tom’s Information
