Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC review: Performance, cooling and efficiency of the Blackwell desktop GPU

The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC delivers solid performance while incorporating the latest advancements from Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture. However, it shouldn’t be overhyped, as its raw performance gain over its predecessor is relatively modest. The GPU’s manufacturing process remains the same at 4nm, limiting the kind of leap seen with the RTX 4000 series. These physical constraints are unavoidable, even for Nvidia. To compensate, AI-powered enhancements have been significantly expanded, particularly with DLSS 4 and MFG. Unlike previous feature rollouts, where gamers had to wait for broad adoption, DLSS 4 is readily accessible on older GPUs. However, MFG (Multi-Frame Generation) remains exclusive to the RTX 5000 series, allowing the RTX 5080 OC to fully leverage its next-gen capabilities. This card shines where AI-driven performance boosts are integrated, showcasing the future of real-time rendering and upscaling. While the raw hardware improvements may seem incremental, the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC proves that the next evolution of gaming isn’t just about brute force—it’s about intelligent performance optimization.

The biggest limitation of this graphics card is its VRAM. It only has 16GB, although the switch to GDDR7 has significantly improved speed. Despite this, there are scenarios where the GPU struggles, sometimes resulting in crashes. Lowering the resolution often helps considerably and is unavoidable in such cases.
The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC is therefore ideal for QHD gaming at maximum settings. In some games, it can even handle 4K resolution without compromising detail. However, performance at 4K varies depending on the title, and further testing will be required to determine its true capabilities across different workloads.

In Germany, the RRP for the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC is €1,499. This represents a significant premium over the Founders Edition, which Nvidia lists at an RRP of €1,179.

The design of the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC differs significantly from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition. Asus has retained the familiar TUF aesthetic, which remains a solid choice in our opinion.

The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC makes an immediate impression with its robust and well-crafted design as soon as it is unboxed. The exterior features a high-quality casing made from a mix of metal and plastic, while the reinforced aluminium backplate provides structural integrity and enhances heat dissipation.
Staying true to the TUF series aesthetic, the design is matte and understated, with subtle yet distinctive accents. RGB lighting is kept to a minimum (it's limited to the logo on the side of the card), adding a refined touch without appearing excessive. This restrained approach is set to appeal to gamers and content creators who prioritise functionality and durability over flashy aesthetics.
A key highlight is the cooling system, which utilises three large axial fans to generate strong airflow and efficiently draw in fresh air.
However, the sheer size of the graphics card should not be overlooked. Measuring just under 35 centimetres in length and occupying four slots in width, it may obstruct adjacent PCIe slots in some builds.
Overall, the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC delivers an outstanding first impression, both in design and build quality.

For this test, we used an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor paired with an Asrock X870E Taichi motherboard. All performance benchmarks were conducted in the graphics card's Performance Mode (P-Mode).
As an alternative, the card also offers a Quiet Mode (Q-Mode), which adjusts the fan curve to reduce fan speed slightly. However, this mode does not affect the maximum power consumption or clock speeds of the graphics card.

The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC shows only a slight performance increase over the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super in synthetic benchmarks. When compared to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition, our partner model narrowly comes out on top, but the difference is just two percentage points—a margin that is unlikely to be noticeable in real-world use.
Against the new flagship, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 the RTX 5080 lags behind significantly. Even the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 maintains a clear lead, outperforming the RTX 5080 by 11 percentage points. In terms of competition from AMD, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX remains a strong contender, even against Nvidia’s second-fastest Blackwell model.

Despite these synthetic test results, benchmark scores do not always translate directly into real-world gaming or productivity performance. As always, actual performance will vary depending on factors such as game optimization, driver updates, and workload-specific demands.

Our test unit falls well behind the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 in overall performance. However, for semi-professional workloads, the RTX 5080 can still be a viable option, as it delivers adequate performance in SPECviewperf 2020.

In the latest SPECworkstation 4.0 test, the performance gap between GPUs narrows, though the general ranking remains unchanged. Interestingly, AMD once again stands out as a strong choice for professional applications, with the Radeon RX 7900 XTX setting the benchmark in this category.

However, hardware compatibility with specific software is crucial for maximizing performance. In professional environments, dedicated workstation GPUs—equipped with specialized drivers—are generally the best choice for ensuring stability and full software optimization.

The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC delivers more than enough power to handle modern games, but its performance varies depending on the title. A closer look reveals that VRAM limitations can become a bottleneck, as the card's 16GB of memory is only half that of the flagship model.
A clear example of this is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which repeatedly crashed in 4K with DLSS and full path tracing, highlighting the VRAM issue is real. We were unable to complete benchmarks in this case, though even the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 struggled, managing just 17 FPS. The RTX 5080 likely wouldn’t have fared much better. However, this issue was not observed in other games during testing, making Indiana Jones and the Great Circle more of an outlier than a general trend.
For those considering the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC, choosing the right display is equally important. The card is primarily designed for QHD (1440p) and UHD (4K) gaming, but 4K gaming could become increasingly challenging over time—especially when relying solely on rasterisation performance. Upscaling technologies like DLSS may be necessary to maintain smooth frame rates at higher resolutions.

When looking at pure raster performance, Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs do not deliver a substantial lead over the Ada Lovelace generation. However, Nvidia has significantly improved and revamped key technologies, including DLSS and Frame Generation (FG).
With the switch to the Transformer model (DLSS 4), image quality is noticeably enhanced without impacting performance. In combination with FG and Multi-Frame Generation (MFG)—which is exclusive to Blackwell GPUs—frame rates can be massively boosted.
The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC offers a slight advantage over the Founders Edition, despite using the same GPU chip. However, when compared to the Nvidia GeForce Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 FE our test unit still trails by a significant margin.
When comparing native gaming performance to DLSS 4 with MFG enabled, the difference is staggering. With MFG activated, the RTX 5080 OC can achieve a 4x performance boost over the RTX 4090.
Of course, this comparison has its limitations, as the Ada Lovelace flagship lacks support for these new technologies, making it an uneven fight. That said, subjectively, the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC delivers smooth frame rates, even with AI-powered enhancements enabled, as confirmed by P1 frame time values and overall gameplay experience.

Asus has equipped the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC with a high-performance cooling system. The card features three Axial-Tech fans, designed to provide optimal airflow and keep temperatures in check.
In practice, this means the fans remain inactive in 2D mode and only spin at low speeds under light loads. During idle or low-intensity tasks, we measured just 30.3 dB(A) in an open test bench setup, making the card virtually silent.
However, under stress testing, noise levels increase to 42.3 dB(A). While this is not excessively loud, the presence of coil whine is a noticeable drawback, as it remains clearly audible throughout operation.

Fortunately, the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC does not set any new records for power consumption. However, Nvidia has increased the TGP slightly compared to the GeForce RTX 4080, raising it from 320W to 360W. This increase is less dramatic than that of the series flagship, which pushes power consumption up to 575W—a new high for Nvidia GPUs.
In our testing, the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC showed power draw comparable to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090. When considering performance per watt, this represents a significant improvement in efficiency over previous generations. However, with a peak consumption of 487W in stress tests and around 450W in gaming, the RTX 5080 OC is far from being an energy-efficient GPU.

For those planning to install the second-fastest GPU in the Blackwell series, Asus recommends a power supply of at least 850W. Adhering to these specifications is crucial to ensure stable and reliable system performance under load.

The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 OC is a high-performance graphics card that delivers a notable FPS boost with Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture, provided its latest features are utilised.
Asus stays true to its signature TUF design, ensuring that this GPU integrates seamlessly into the TUF series line-up. However, owners of high-end Ada Lovelace cards need not worry—the raw performance gain over the previous generation is relatively modest. The biggest advantages of the Blackwell architecture come from its new technologies, which enable a significant FPS boost in supported games and applications.