MSI Secretly Launches New GeForce RTX 3080 GPUs With Tiny Retouches

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By Zhiye Liu
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GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G
GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G (Image credit: MSI)

MSI (via VideoCardz) has added the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G and GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G to its existing lineup of custom GeForce RTX 3080 (Ampere) graphics cards.

If you think you've already seen the two graphics cards before, you're not crazy. The new offerings are almost identical replicas of the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio that MSI announced last year. Given the very close resemblance, the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G and GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G could just be mere revisions of the original.

Aesthetically, they employ the same Tri Frozr 2 cooling system with the triple-fan setup. The dimensions (323 x 140 x 56mm) are identical to the original except for the weight. The GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio weighs 1,565g, while the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G and GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G check in at 1,537g. 

MSI obviously did something to the new models to reduce the weight by 1.8%, but we're unsure just what that is. From what's visible, MSI reworked the backplate's design. The backplate on the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G and GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G feature more diagonal cutouts that could help heat dissipation. The backplate on the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio was made of plastic with a composite graphene coating, and it's uncertain if the backplates on the latest models use the same recipe.

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GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G
GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G(Image credit: MSI)

The boost clock speed is the biggest differentiator between the four Gaming models. The GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G arrives with a 1,830 MHz boost clock, which is 15 MHz faster than the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G.

The GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G, on the other hand, appears to be a revised version of the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio 10G. Other than the redesigned backplate, the graphics card rocks the same 1,755 MHz boost clock as the original.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Graphics CardBoost Clock (MHz)Dimensions (mm)Weight (g)
GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G1,830323 x 140 x 561,537
GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G1,815323 x 140 x 561,565
GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G1,755323 x 140 x 561,537
GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio 10G1,755323 x 140 x 561,565

The GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G and GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G are still rated with power consumption up to 340W. Therefore, the graphics cards retain the three 8-pin PCIe power connectors to feed the GPU. The minimum recommended capacity for a power supply is fixed at 750W.

Both graphics cards support up to four monitors simultaneously. The display outputs layout remains untouched with one HDMI 2.1 port and three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Pricing for the GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G and GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Trio Plus 10G is currently unknown.

Zhiye Liu
Zhiye Liu
RAM Reviewer and News Editor

Zhiye Liu is a Freelance News Writer at Tom’s Hardware US. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

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12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Tharkhold
    Pricing? "Unknown" at the moment? We all know what the pricing will be:

    MSRP: Infinity
    Actual price: MSRP + 1.

    /thread
    Reply
  • jpe1701
    These are going to be great 1080p cards when they actually become available to buy in 2 years. Unless the developers start downgrading the graphics to the level of the gpus that people can actually afford with the new status quo. Oh boy I can't wait for a triple fan gt 1030.
    Reply
  • coxbw
    I wonder how long before they stop publishing a MSRP? As it is getting to be meaningless, and show how GREEDY some stores are. Lets face it they have no incentive to sell any item at a lower price,
    Reply
  • watzupken
    So for gamers, MSI is using plastic backplate for the last 4 months since the card was released. When miners are the main ones buying up all the GPUs out there, MSI suddenly releases a version with metal backplate? :cautious:
    Reply
  • Gam3r01
    coxbw said:
    I wonder how long before they stop publishing a MSRP? As it is getting to be meaningless, and show how GREEDY some stores are. Lets face it they have no incentive to sell any item at a lower price,
    Thats the exact point of an MSRP, to show you if a retailer is charging a premium that the manufacturer does not think is reasonable.
    It shows you who, between the retailer and manufacturer, is charging you too much.
    Reply
  • Olle P
    jpe1701 said:
    These are going to be great 1080p cards when they actually become available to buy in 2 years.
    They're a bit too power hungry to be "great", but the price will be right when all the 2nd hand ex-mining cards flood the market...

    coxbw said:
    I wonder how long before they stop publishing a MSRP? As it is getting to be meaningless, ...
    Gam3r01 said:
    Thats the exact point of an MSRP, to show you if a retailer is charging a premium that the manufacturer does not think is reasonable.
    The problem right now is that the MSRP is by no means "reasonable".
    Nvidia's MSRPs are at or below the production cost of the cards.
    AMD's MSRPs can maybe provide some minor profit margin to the retailer. (In Sweden the typical wholesale price is above MSRP.)
    Based on the limited supply of cards all MSRP is way off in terms of modifying the demand to meet the supply.
    Reply
  • sizzling
    watzupken said:
    So for gamers, MSI is using plastic backplate for the last 4 months since the card was released. When miners are the main ones buying up all the GPUs out there, MSI suddenly releases a version with metal backplate? :cautious:

    I expect it is to add an additional heatspreader for the GDDR6X which gets unacceptably hot when mining but is fine under gaming loads.
    Reply
  • blacknemesist
    Olle P said:
    In Sweden the typical wholesale price is above MSRP
    Sweden's minimum wage : low balling 2500 euros
    Portugal's minimum wage : 600 euros

    Same MRSP. Fair and honest. And there are worst cases probably involving Denmark.

    Publishing the same MRSP for everyone in the world as if they have the same funds available is just dumb and insulting, it's the eternal run to grab the carrot that is in front of your noose but in fact it is always out of reach.
    Reply
  • Olle P
    blacknemesist said:
    Publishing the same MRSP for everyone in the world as if they have the same funds available is just dumb and insulting, ...
    Reasonably speaking: When setting a price, should affordability at a specific location be a more important factor than the actual costs?
    These graphics cards are produced in one factory and then shipped worldwide. Variations in cost depends on shipping rates and the costs of running wholesaler and retailer at the location. If anything it's just as likely that the cost of selling a card in a shop located in a small Sudanese town is just as high as selling it in a down town Manhattan shop, so a similar retail price (before taxes) should apply.
    Reply
  • blacknemesist
    Olle P said:
    Reasonably speaking: When setting a price, should affordability at a specific location be a more important factor than the actual costs?

    And that is why people die of hunger, have no medice and rely on external help. When you set prices based on maximizing profit you will have 3 groups : 1 group has a cheap product, 1 group has the MRSP product and the last group gets the shaft.

    But sure lets ignore that the guy in Manhattan can afford to pay the extra tax and transport and it will still be a fraction of his income when compared to the Sudanese buyer.

    Basically you sell goods for the same price for rich and poor countries or country groups included even for goods people need to survive and that is before tax or transport cost the price is already out of reach.
    Reply