Zotac's GeForce RTX 4080 AMP Extreme AIRO is a tour de force of 4K gaming

Of the three cards in the GeForce RTX 40 portfolio, the RTX 4080 strikes the ideal balance. It delivers incredible performance, doesn't cost an astronomical amount, and is the ideal option for 4K gaming. I used Colorful's RTX 4080 in my gaming rig for the better part of two months now, and it has been a revelation.

I also got the chance to take a look at Zotac's alternative, the GeForce RTX 4080 AMP Extreme AIRO. Awkward naming aside, the card has a lot going for it, and shares a lot of the same design characteristics as its larger sibling, the GeForce RTX 4090 AMP Extreme AIRO. The RTX 4080 variant of the card retails for $1,299 — $100 more than the RTX 4080 Founders Edition — and the best part is that it is available straight from Amazon at its retail pricing.

The slight premium is justified when you look at the design of the card and the fact that it is factory overclocked to 2565MHz, 60Hz more than the standard model. As I already reviewed the RTX 4090 variant of the same card, I'm doing a shorter take here, focusing on gaming performance. If you want to know more about the Ada architecture, head to my Colorful RTX 4080 review.

Here's a high-level overview of the hardware on offer with Zotac's RTX 4080, and how it is positioned against the RTX 4090 and the more recent RTX 4070 Ti:

Most cards tend to have an angular design with aggressive lines, but Zotac went a different direction with the RTX 4080, offering smooth flowing lines that makes the card look a lot more elegant. The curvy design looks striking when slotted inside a gaming rig, and Zotac did a brilliant job with the RGB lighting here — you get lighting zones on all sides, and you get decent customizability.

Like all other RTX 4080 cards, Zotac's offering is absolutely massive, and it is only marginally smaller than the RTX 4090. It comes in at 4.32 lb (1.9kg) and takes up three slots. The aluminum backplate provides much-needed rigidity to the design, and the card uses NVIDIA's new 12+4 pin 12VHPWR connector, with a 3x PCIe 8-pin adapter included in the box.

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One of the things I like the most about the RTX 4080 is how efficient it is at mundane tasks. It consumes just 30W of power while idling, going up to 35W for video playback. For intense gaming, I saw the card go up to 320W, and under full load it can hit 375W in short bursts. Overall, these are excellent gains over the RTX 30 series.

Zotac's RTX 4080 is outstanding for 4K gaming, and it's interesting to see that it outmatches the best of the RTX 30 generation, the 3090 Ti. You'll see a huge boost in all titles over the RTX 3080, with the RTX 4080 able to deliver at least 80fps in most games. 

While the RTX 4090 is faster here, it isn't as good a value as the RTX 4080, coming in at $1,599. So if you want to make the most of a 4K monitor, your best bet right now is the RTX 4080. Make no mistake here; this is one of the best GPUs you can get. 

The RTX 4080 has a healthy lead over the RTX 3080 for QHD gaming, and it is a brilliant choice when paired with a high refresh rate monitor. There isn't as big a delta between the RTX 4080 and 4090 in this particular area, and that makes the former all the more alluring. 

A key talking point with the RTX 40 series is the gains with ray tracing; NVIDIA is doing all the right things here, and that is evident with Zotac's RTX 4080. You'll easily get framerates that are nearly double that of the RTX 3080, and that's just the start. 

Overall, Zotac did a magnificent job with the RTX 4080, and like the RTX 4090, it is an easy recommendation. The stylish design gives the card a lot of character, and it runs rings around all the cards in the RTX 30 series, and is bested only by the RTX 4090. 

Given the halo nature of that card and the fact that you don't get a great value — it's going for $1,800 at the moment — your best choice for a video card in 2023 is the RTX 4080 if you're interested in 4K gaming.