All 3080 Ti's are in stock at their MSRP's. Which one do you get?

mazeroth

Limp Gawd
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Oct 2, 2015
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Simple question. Which one would you buy, and why? Please, no "I'll take whichever one is in stock" responses.
 
I try to stick with brands with a transferable warranty. MSI and EVGA are my usual go to's.
 
EVGA 3080Ti FTW3 is the one I would buy. They have excellent customer support.
 
I'm a big MSI fan. I pretty much always go with their motherboards and GPUs. They tend to be well-engineered and last a long time.

If I were getting a 3080 Ti, I would get this one:

https://www.msi.com/Graphics-Card/GeForce-RTX-3080-Ti-SUPRIM-12G

Honestly, I think that's what I actually hate most about the whole concept of a GPU shortage. It makes me feel like I'm expected to take whatever I can get, when I'm actually very anal and want to have my pick of models and manufacturers, not be scrambling for whatever I can get. If I'm forced to take whatever I can get, then where's the individuality, the choice? I might as well buy a pre-built machine that will die on me after 3 years if I can't pick the best parts to go into it and just have to get whatever is cheap. Honestly, I have more fun trying to force games to work on a 560 Ti and a 670. Another aspect of it is this... if I were to somehow get an GPU right now at MSRP, I would be fighting with myself with the temptation to resell it on eBay. So just the fact that it's worth that much ruins it for me. I can't enjoy a graphics card if it's worth too much. I'll feel like a sucker every single time I look at that GPU in my system if I buy it at scalper prices, and I'll be tempted to resell it myself if I actually get it at MSRP because I'll feel like I'm throwing good money away putting it into my system. How can I justify holding onto something if someone out there is willing to give me twice what I paid for it? It's too tempting, ruins it for me.

So just the way the entire situation surrounding these cards affects my nerves, judgment, and perception would prevent me from enjoying myself having any involvement with the RTX 30 series, no matter what. I want the shortage to be over so I can get my pick of manufacturers and use the GPU without feeling this pained sense that I'm either a sucker or throwing away free money by not reselling it. There is no situation right now where I could be happy having one these cards, my autism and exacting standards prevent it.

The only way I can imagine it feeling okay is if someone that was either family or close friends who cared about me a lot were to buy it for a special occasion (hopefully at MSRP), get the exact model I want, maybe even customize it a little to show they were thinking of me, and give it so much sentimental value that I wouldn't resell it and might even keep it after it stopped working. That would be the only way I could let myself have one and enjoy one, and not feel like a sucker who missed out on free money, or a sucker who paid too much.
 
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Definitely EVGA, the FTW3 Ultra air-cooled. Best warranty and support, bar none.

Sure as hell wouldn't buy Gigabyte. Their RMA is a huge pain in the ass.
 
Hoping for the FT3 from EVGA, have enough parts to settle for a hydro copper/water-cool the system.
 
Pretty much any of the aftermarket designs. I think the Founder's Edition, with their tiny PCBs and accompanying big heat problems will end up like the reference 980 Ti eventually, where there's a pattern failure that consistently kills them a year or two out of warranty.

If I were going to choose a specific one, it would be the EVGA Hydrocopper, but that's mainly because I think every high end card should be water cooled.
 
Predominately the 3080 Ti FE, main reason is it is a 2 slot card that actually able to cool the GPU. I normally keep video cards 3-5 years and move them around. The smaller size gives better options for new builds and the builds I have now, except now my rigs can pretty much accept any card out. I have not heard of a high failure rate for the 3080 which has been out for some time. If the design was somewhat faulty, by now I would think you would be seeing a higher average failure rate from them. Since the 3080 Ti is virtually the same board design, with additional memory it should at least be as good from what I see (unless Nvidia ended up using cheaper components over the 3080 FE) as the 3080 FE.

As for EVGA, I am not too impressed with the 3090 XC3 Ultra I have, backplate is about as thin as you can do to call it a backplate which very much limits how the heat can be transferred from the backside memory modules. The rather low power limit and out of box performance for a card after tax (at MSRP at Bestbuy) in the $1700 left a bitter sweet taste, much rather have the 3090 FE. This card will soon be converted using EVGA Hybrid cooler, maybe it will go beyond advertised Boost clocks, most cards exceed the Boost card speeds, this one does not out of the box. In fact it sits on or below the Boost clock when loaded. Do like their overall support, useful forums except sometimes they delete valid posts.
 
Anyone but EVGA. The farce around their queues has put the company on my avoid list.
 
One's love of EVGA doesn't change the fact that the "Elite" queue for the 3080Ti was a complete shitshow. Not to mention how they turned "Elite" status into anyone who could spam 100 posts in their forums prior to launch. Then the fact that you couldn't even get near the queue until an hour after you were supposed to be able to. They flat out wasted an hour of my time by their incompetence. And now, I don't think I'll ever see a card from the queue because I couldn't get back to my computer in time after they opened it up again to be within the first half hour or so. Likely, it's months down the line of actual availability.

Additionally, they have several SKUs that they don't actually make other than a token amount on launch day (3080 Black anyone?). So if you put in the queue for anything other than the "Ultra" card which they charge more money for, you never get a card. You know how I know this? I have an early 9/17/20 notification for a 3080 "Gaming" version that they NEVER filled because they can charge an extra $30 for the "Ultra" even though it's the same exact card with the same exact cooler just with a different boost in the card vbios.

But that being said, I did get 2 cards from their queue after I figured out I had to put in for the "Ultra" card first, which are the only 2 cards I've been able to get at retail. I wouldn't necessarily ONLY buy EVGA cards though.

I would absolutely shop around and take what you can get.
 
EVGA 3080 Ti XC3
It's one of few "mini" 3080s that will actually fit in a mini itx case. Unfortunately it seems like the rarest of the bunch.
 
Not to mention how they turned "Elite" status into anyone who could spam 100 posts in their forums prior to launch.
That never changed. They have rewarded 100 posts with elite status for years. Just a nitpick :).
 
If the 3080 ti's are in stock at msrp. I'm getting a 3080 at msrp. I'm just not convinced 2 gigs is justifiable with a 500 dollar price tag. :LOL: (yes I know it's more then just 2 gigs) lol
 
If the 3080 ti's are in stock at msrp. I'm getting a 3080 at msrp. I'm just not convinced 2 gigs is justifiable with a 500 dollar price tag. :LOL: (yes I know it's more then just 2 gigs) lol
2gb and a whopping 10 percent performance for waiting 9 months...

/hugs his evga 3080 FTW3 hybrid bought for $779 pretax.
 
Anything from EVGA since they are the only company not gouging while having the best support.
I agree on EVGA however it should be noted that I signed up for my 3080 @ 809 and eVGa notified me that its my turn but i have to pay 889.00 . Well I just have to look at as an 8 month rental on my 2070 Super.
 
Ditto to every post recommending a liquid-cooled version. That heat needs to get dumped right outside the case.
 
I agree on EVGA however it should be noted that I signed up for my 3080 @ 809 and eVGa notified me that its my turn but i have to pay 889.00 . Well I just have to look at as an 8 month rental on my 2070 Super.
If you kept up with the news, they said they'd honor the original pre hike pricing for several months, but there was a cutoff.
 
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