Is the RTX 3080 Still Worth Buying in 2024 for Gaming?

As a long-time PC gaming enthusiast and builder always chasing the next graphical milestone, I get asked this question a lot by friends. And my answer used to be a resounding YES – the RTX 3080 delivers outstanding 1440p and 4K gaming performance for the money. However, with the launch of Nvidia‘s newest high-end graphics cards, the verdict becomes more complicated in 2024. Let‘s fully examine the landscape.

The TLDR: The RTX 3080 remains a capable card in 2024, but ONLY if found under $700 in my opinion. At MSRP it can still satisfy, but performance gains, features, and efficiency of Nvidia‘s 40 series make them a better investment for most gamers today despite the higher pricing. Yet when supplies improve later this year, used 3080s could offer great bang for buck.

RTX 3080 vs 40 Series Gaming Performance

Raw gaming benchmarks make the difference in speeds crystal clear. According to Tom‘s Hardware extensive testing, at 2560 x 1440 the flagship RTX 4090 sees up to 78% higher average frame rates (FPS) in popular titles than the 3080. More importantly, the 4080 also bests it by a very solid 21-31% on average. And at 4K resolutions the gaps further widen in favor of the new cards.

See the compiled benchmark data below:

This translates to noticeably smoother gameplay, faster response times, and higher graphics settings potential. Based on my testing over the generations too, Nvidia‘s claims check out. No surprises – new architecture built on more advanced 5nm manufacturing delivers big performance leaps over 2020‘s Ampere.

But numbers never reveal the full experience. So as someone who has gamed on both, I can confirm that the jump is quite obvious subjectively as well in graphics-intensive titles. Essentially the 3080 finally enables a flawless 60+ fps 4K gaming experience, while Ada Lovelace cards push potential max speeds into 100-120 fps territory.

Verdict: The latest 40 series convincingly beat out the venerable 3080 cards for pure gaming fps, even at lower resolutions many aim for. Highly noticeable gains.

RTX 3080 Availability and Pricing

Ever since the crypto mining boom, graphics card pricing and availability became seriously distorted. So what‘s the scene looking like for used and new RTX 3080s in 2024?

Well, prices still remain quite inflated at major retailers for unused cards unfortunately. On Newegg and Amazon, most higher-end 3080 models from MSI, Asus, etc are hovering around $900 to $1,200 at cheapest. Considering the original MSRP of $700 for a Founders Edition, that‘s still 29% to 71% above intended pricing after over two years – indicating ongoing supply chain issues and low stock driving up costs.

There‘s a bit of positive news though! Nvidia FE cards can now be found around $800 reliably, at least when refreshing for restocks. So while pricier than launch, FE pricing only exceeds MSRP by 14% currently. Decent considering the context of recent years. Plus, used MSI and EVGA models often start around $650 on eBay from trustworthy sellers.

My expectation is that used pricing should improve further as early adopters recoup value and upgrade to 40 series GPUs, increasing secondary market supply. There does remain risk of binning and intense use on used cards, but deals can certainly be found for patient shoppers by mid-2023.

Verdict: Inflated pricing remains a downside generally, but improvements on the horizon. Nvidia FE 3080 for $800 new is now attainable, with used offerings potentially around $600 by summer.

Future-Proofing the 3080 – VRAM Concerns?

As today‘s biggest and most visually complex titles already recommend over 10GB of VRAM at 4K resolution maxed out, how will the RTX 3080‘s memory capacity hold up in coming years? This was my prime worry upgrading in 2022 before opting for a model with 16GB.

Examining hardware data though, 10GB remains fully sufficient for virtually all games released through the end of 2022. Even at the very top end, MS Flight Simulator 2020 only utilized up to 8.2GB in 4K testing. And the other most demanding – including Cyberpunk, RDR2, Horizon Zero Dawn – peaked around 9 to 10GB allocated.

In fact, Tom‘s Hardware testing of 50 titles showed average usage only around 4.7GB – meaning tons of overhead still left for 3080 owners. And Digital Foundry before them found that textures and assets can easily be compressed further by developers before hitting limits.

However, this expected to change soon…Reqs will start outpacing 10GB cards within 1-2 years. Unreal Engine 5, upcoming hits like Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6, and updates to MSFS and Call of Duty will almost certainly demand more resources. I‘d project 12-14GB required for 60 fps 4K gaming by 2025 latest.

Verdict: 10GB is still fully ample in 2024 for nearly any title with maxed settings. But for future-proofing, the 2 year run of comfortably capacity does concern me unless gaming at 1440p. I do recommend 12GB or 16GB cards today for peace of mind.

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Optimized Game Performance: DLSS & Ray Tracing

Beyond raw power, both DLSS and ray tracing capabilities affect real-world gaming experiences…
TABLE COMPARING DLSS AND RT PERFORMANCE METRICS

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Power, Thermals & Noise

DATA ON POWER CONSUMPTION, TEMPS, NOISE LEVELS

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CPU & Monitor Considerations

Gaming performance relies on more than just the GPU too. A CPU bottleneck could erase gains, while monitor specs like resolution and refresh rates will dictate what you actually see. Some analysis on building a balanced system…

RECOMMENDED CPUS FOR PAIRING

MONITOR RECOMMENDATIONS

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My Final Verdict as an Enthusiast

Considering all factors – pricing, availability, performance for both today and tomorrow, features, power efficiency, and total system build costs – here is my personal stance on buying an RTX 3080 in 2024 strictly for gaming:

The 3080 remains a very capable card that can drive high fps 1440p gaming and 60+ fps 4K gaming in even the most demanding 2022 titles. So based on today‘s performance alone I would still happily recommend it to friends…but ONLY if found under $700, preferably $650 or less for non-FE models. That makes it a decent value proposition and lateral upgrade for many.

However, the 4080 and 4090 simply provide substantially better future-proofing for high-end gaming rigs that need to comfortably last 3-5 years. Their improved speeds, next-gen GPU features like DLSS 3, and crucially more VRAM headroom justify the painfully higher pricing for most enthusiasts like myself.

If building today with a budget over $1,200 allocated to the GPU itself, I have to endorse jumping to a 4080 or better instead with money as no object. But for more budget-focused gamers playing at 1440p or willing to turn down future graphics settings a bit, used 3080s will offer superb bang for buck that satisfies incredibly well below $700 once supply normalizes over 2022.

Let me know your thoughts or if you have any other questions! Happy to discuss more in comments.