MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G desktop graphics card in review

With the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio, we have the second fastest model of MSI's RTX 3080 series in review. Only the new Suprim X series should be able to surpass it in terms of performance. In any case, this is what the technical specifications indicate.

Our test sample from MSI looks a bit outdated when compared to the new Suprim X model. Nevertheless, the Gaming X Trio series has established itself well in the last few years and has always squeezed a lot of performance out from the graphics chips thanks to the very good cooling. Another important factor for this is that MSI also increases the TDP and doesn't use the reference model as a guideline. With a good 32 centimeters, the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio is very long and doesn't fit into every case, which should definitely be taken into account when buying.

The workmanship is at a very high level. Unfortunately, the backplate is only made of plastic and not aluminum as usual. The surface could have been used as an additional heat dissipater here. But heat is not an issue with the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio as we found out in the test. RGB lighting is obviously a must, and it attracts attention when the case has a side window.

We've already mentioned the higher power consumption, and to be more precise, the graphics card has up to 340 watts at its disposal. The reference model only had 320 watts. At the same time, this means a more stable and higher boost clock speed under load. To supply the graphics card with enough power, it requires three 8-pin power connectors internally, which means that MSI doesn't use the 12-pin connector of the reference design. Externally, the graphics card offers one HDMI 2.1 port and three DisplayPort 1.4a connections. This allows the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio to output 8K at 60 Hz or 4K at 120 Hz. We were able to confirm this in the test.

The gaming tests that we conducted show very good performance in modern games. Nevertheless, the GeForce RTX 3080 requires high resolutions so as not to be slowed down by the CPU limit. Compared to Asus, our test sample from MSI often has to take a back seat, although the gap is very small and can even be considered a measuring tolerance. Overall, both models are equally fast. Only the GeForce RTX 3090 delivers more FPS at high resolutions. Compared to AMD, Nvidia can assert itself with the RTX 3080 in some games. But AMD can also keep up well with the Radeon RX 6800 XT, and depending on the game, AMD can place itself directly behind the GeForce RTX 3090 with its new graphics card.

Considering only the pure gaming performance, we can recommend the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio without any restrictions. However, the somewhat low VRAM still leaves a bad taste, and unfortunately, this doesn't contribute to the GPU being well-equipped for the long run. Nevertheless, the 10 GB of VRAM is currently still sufficient to bring playable frame rates in 2160p onto the screen. The GeForce RTX 3080 might have a harder time in the future, though.

We use The Witcher 3 (Ultra preset) as an example for the frame progression and frame times. The logged data did not show any negative anomalies. Single outliers are visible, but they didn't affect the smooth gameplay in this case.