Hey folks! I'm considering an upgrade from my RTX 3090 Ti to the RTX 5080, which I plan to pair with a 7800X3D. While I'm fine with the cost, I'm concerned about the decrease in VRAM from 24GB to 16GB. Do you think this will be an issue in the next 2-4 years? Currently, I game at 1080p but plan to switch to 1440p soon. What do you think?
4 Answers
I wouldn't stress too much about the VRAM. 16GB should hold up fine for 1440p unless you plan to load up on crazy texture packs. Realistically, 4K is where VRAM starts to become more of a concern.
You can't really predict what games will demand in the future. What games are you currently playing? If you're not hitting close to 16GB now, you'll likely be fine. Try super resolution to check your VRAM usage. If you're close, then maybe consider it more carefully.
Honestly, you probably don't even need to upgrade right now! The 3090 Ti is still an absolute monster at 1080p. As for 16GB at 1440p, that's definitely enough for the foreseeable future. Lots of us run the 5080 at 4K without any major issues.
It's kind of funny how Nvidia designs these cards. They want you to spend more for the 5090 by limiting the 5080 to 16GB. My advice? The improved graphics and processing power of the 5080 will probably outweigh the 8GB VRAM loss. But definitely monitor your current VRAM usage; if you're using over 16GB now, that could be a red flag.
You're right; the hardware just wasn't there to make a 24GB 5080 at launch. It’s good to check VRAM usage and adjust expectations.