Leaked benchmarks of Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 5080 GPU suggest a performance boost of up to 22% over its predecessor, the RTX 4080, in Vulkan-based tests. However, the new card still lags behind the RTX 4090 by as much as 19%, according to data from Geekbench. While these synthetic benchmarks provide a glimpse into the GPU’s capabilities, real-world performance may vary.
The tests were conducted on a system featuring AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D, currently the fastest gaming processor, paired with 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory. The RTX 5080 scored 261,836 points in Vulkan and 256,138 points in OpenCL, showcasing a notable performance gap between the two APIs. In Vulkan, the RTX 5080 outperforms the RTX 4080 by 22%, but this lead narrows to just 6% in OpenCL. Historically, 80-class GPUs have surpassed 90-class GPUs from the previous generation, but the RTX 5080 breaks this trend by failing to match the RTX 4090’s performance.
| GPU Name | OpenCL Score | Vulkan Score | % vs RTX 5080 (OpenCL) | % vs RTX 5080 (Vulkan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 373,463 | 366,095 | 145.81% | 139.82% |
| RTX 4090 | 317,436 | 267,112 | 123.93% | 102.02% |
| RTX 5080 | 256,138 | 261,836 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| RTX 4080 Super | 247,399 | 221,908 | 96.59% | 84.75% |
| RTX 4080 | 239,859 | 214,538 | 93.64% | 81.94% |
The RTX 5080 is built on Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture, featuring the GB203 die with 10,752 cores and 16GB of GDDR7 memory. While the 256-bit memory interface could theoretically support 24GB of VRAM, Nvidia has opted for 16GB, the same as the RTX 4080. This decision reflects the company’s market segmentation strategy, which may limit higher memory configurations until a potential RTX 50 Super refresh.
Meanwhile, shipping manifests hint at a 96GB workstation GPU based on Blackwell, likely using 32 24Gb VRAM modules. However, such high-capacity GPUs are unlikely to target mainstream consumers anytime soon.
The RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 are set to launch on January 30, though supply chain issues could constrain availability, potentially driving prices up due to scalping.
While the leaked benchmarks offer an early look at the RTX 5080’s performance, synthetic tests like Geekbench don’t always translate to real-world gaming or productivity scenarios. As always, it’s wise to wait for comprehensive reviews before drawing conclusions.
