NVIDIA made waves at CES 2024 by announcing refreshed “Super” variants of its RTX 40 series graphics cards, including the highly anticipated RTX 4080 Super. The new GPUs aim to deliver better performance and value compared to the original 40 series lineup.
RTX 4080 Super Offers Improved Performance for $100 Less
The flagship announcement was the RTX 4080 Super 16GB, priced at $799 compared to the controversial $899 launch price of the 12GB 4080.
Early benchmarks show the 4080 Super matching and even exceeding the performance of the RTX 4090 in some games, despite costing $700 less.
“The 4080 Super brings cutting edge performance to enthusiasts at an incredible price,” said Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of NVIDIA’s GeForce business.
The 4080 Super features 7680 CUDA cores and 16GB of 23Gbps GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus. This represents a 10-15% increase in cores and memory bandwidth over the standard RTX 4080.
Key RTX 4080 Super Specs:
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 7680 |
| Boost Clock | 2505 MHz |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 716 GB/s |
| Power | 320W |
The 4080 Super also debuts a new dual-fan cooling design with axial fans and a vapor chamber heatsink for optimal thermal performance.
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Replaced By Faster, Cheaper RTX 4070 Super
NVIDIA is also replacing the $799 RTX 4070 Ti with the new $599 RTX 4070 Super 12GB.
This 25% price cut comes alongside a moderate performance boost over the 4070 Ti. Leaked benchmarks show the 4070 Super scoring around 10% higher in games:
RTX 4070 Super benchmark results vs RTX 4070 Ti Via Neowin
The 4070 Super is equipped with 7168 CUDA cores and 12GB of 21Gbps GDDR6X memory. It is expected to deliver a significant boost over the discontinued RTX 3080 and match last-gen’s RTX 3090 Ti.
RTX 4070 Super Key Specs:
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 7168 |
| Boost Clock | 2310 MHz |
| Memory | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 192-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 504 GB/s |
| Power | 285W |
Lower Mid-Range Refreshes: RTX 4060 Super and RTX 4070
Rounding out the Super lineup are the more affordable RTX 4060 Super and revived RTX 4070:
- The $399 RTX 4060 Super beefs up CUDA cores, clock speeds, and memory over the regular 4060 for faster 1080p and 1440p gaming.
- The refreshed $499 RTX 4070 12GB delivers performance between the 4060 Super and 4070 Super.
Both cards offer DLSS 3 frame generation and advanced AI capabilities inherited from their higher-end siblings.
Why Did NVIDIA Launch “Super” Cards So Soon?
The RTX 4000 series launched late last year to intense criticism over high prices and confusing product tiers.
“NVIDIA mismanaged the situation – they needed to create a clear differentiation in specs and pricing between each model,” said AdoredTV’s Tom Henderson.
The refreshed Super lineup directly addresses complaints over value by cutting launch prices while boosting performance of the entire stack. NVIDIA likely rushed these cards to market to improve their competitive positioning in anticipation of rival AMD’s upcoming 7000-series GPUs.
Enthusiasts and Gamers Rejoice Over Super Cards
The RTX 40 series Supers have been enthusiastically received by reviewers and gamers:
- “[The RTX 4080 Super] easily justifies its existence with vastly improved performance-per-dollar over both its predecessors](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/theyre-not-cheap-but-nvidias-new-super-gpus-are-a-step-in-the-right-direction/).” – Ars Technica
- “We absolutely welcome the price drops and genuine price-for-performance improvements the Supers bring.” – PCWorld
- “The revolutionary power of AI is now far more accessible for PC enthusiasts thanks to NVIDIA’s new value-focused Super lineup.” Via ZDNet
Overall the new Super GPUs address earlier complaints over value and cement NVIDIA’s leadership in bleeding edge graphics technology – which will soon power emerging applications from AI to robotics and autonomous driving.
Super Availability, Where to Buy RTX 4080 Super
The RTX 4080 and 4070 Super cards will be available starting January 19th directly from NVIDIA and add-in board partners like ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, and Zotac.
Retailers are already listing pre-orders for popular custom models:
- ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super OC on Newegg
- MSI Gaming Trio RTX 4070 Super at Best Buy
- Zotac RTX 4060 Super Twin Edge on Amazon
Overall stock levels are expected to meet demand, avoiding repeat shortages of the RTX 3000 series. But popular custom models may see constraints early on.
Gamers seeking the ultimate value GPU should closely watch for benchmark reviews of board partner cards to determine the best RTX 40 series model for their budget.
This wraps up the breaking coverage on NVIDIA’s major CES announcements. The new RTX 40 Supers promise once unattainable performance now available to PC gamers and creators at reasonable prices. Stay tuned for more detailed performance analysis as the cards hit reviewers’ test benches later this month!
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