Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4080, which vies for a spot among the best graphics cards, launched today. It's the second fastest card right now, according to our GPU benchmarks hierarchy, but the $1,199 MSRP has caused quite a few complaints. Sadly, despite its premium price tag, the Ada Lovelace graphics card is already sold out at most retailers.
Newegg has listed 19 different custom GeForce RTX 4080 models. However, all of them are out of stock (though we've seen inventory come and go over the past hour). A quick search on Best Buy yielded 11 GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards, but none are available for immediate purchase. The GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition, exclusive to Best Buy, is also sold out. Meanwhile, B&H Photo Video has posted up to 24 custom GeForce RTX 4080 SKUs, but like Newegg and Best Buy, it doesn't have any stock.
The GeForce RTX 4090 launch was disappointing as the flagship sold out almost instantly. The GeForce RTX 4080 isn't any different. Scalpers will probably flip the GeForce RTX 4080s on eBay soon enough, but consumers should wait until the retailers restock. Some stores, such as Newegg, sometimes offer the latest commodity as bundled deals. As a result, you may end up with a power supply or some other piece of computer-related hardware you don't need. But, occasionally, it's cheaper than paying the scalper tax.
Another often more expensive alternative is to pick up a prebuilt gaming PC. It's not a good option for users who are only looking for a graphics card upgrade. However, it's a feasible choice for consumers in the market for a brand-new system. It shouldn't take long for companies like CyberPowerPC or Maingear to announce their prebuilt offerings with Nvidia's latest GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card. B&H Photo Video has listed six CyberPowerPC configurations with the GeForce RTX 4080. The machines vary in pricing, spanning from $2,629.99 to $3,109.99.
Despite being a gaming monster, the GeForce RTX 4090 garnered a terrible reputation due to 16-pin power adapter meltdowns, affecting both custom and Founders Edition models. Hopefully, the GeForce RTX 4080 shouldn't run into the same issue since it's a 320W graphics card as opposed to the GeForce RTX 4090's 450W TBP. The GeForce RTX 4080 still uses that dreaded 16-pin power connector, but it doesn't draw nearly as much power as the GeForce RTX 4090.
In our tests with the GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition, we couldn't get the power draw above 330W, even with overclocking. That should mean the GeForce RTX 4080 won't suffer from the 16-pin power adapter meltdowns, unless there's some fundamental flaw with the adapter. Only time will tell.