MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC Review Leave a comment

Introduction

With the arrival of the brand new GeForce RTX 50 Series, MSI has not solely up to date and revamped its line-up concerning the bodily design, aesthetics, and underlying cooling, nevertheless it’s additionally introducing a number of new fashions and SKUs – with one of many absolute highlights being the brand new VANGUARD design. As for the way it matches into MSI’s line-up, which has the VENTUS design because the entry-level mannequin and SUPRIM as the very best of one of the best, VANGUARD sits barely beneath the SUPRIM – or beside it. This new premium design is all about mixing sch-fi traces and metallic edges with trendy RGB lighting.

A fast take a look at the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC

And to rejoice the launch of the brand new design and the newest technology of GeForce RTX graphics playing cards, MSI has created a restricted variety of MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC LAUNCH EDITION playing cards that ship with restricted version packaging and a thriller Lucky Blind Box the place you get one in all 9 “around the world” collectible figurines depicting the MSI dragon character ‘Lucky’ in a faraway setting. Or native in the event you occurred to reside in Paris, London, or Taipei. MSI was type sufficient to ship us a Launch Edition mannequin, and inside our Lucky Blind Box was the astronaut figurine depicting Lucky on the moon’s floor. This was the one we had been hoping to seek out.

It’s a enjoyable little shock, and the Launch Edition packaging is impressively premium. However, the true prize can be discovering a GeForce RTX 5080 that carried out nicely, with sufficient headroom and cooling prowess to ship a terrific OC expertise. Thankfully, MSI has delivered on this entrance, too. The new VANGUARD mannequin is extra compact than the large MSI GeForce RTX 5080 SUPRIM SOC variant we reviewed earlier, and it is also remarkably quiet even when overclocked past the out-of-box OC you get.

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After completely testing and benchmarking six completely different GeForce RTX 5080 fashions, we have discovered that though the reference spec for NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition design reveals a modest gen-on-gen efficiency uplift over the GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 SUPER, this may dramatically enhance with overclocking.

Regarding premium fashions just like the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC, bumping up the enhance clock pace by 200 MHz delivers as much as 10% further efficiency in some titles when gaming in 4K. This makes the GeForce RTX 5080 a terrific card, and OC fashions or these with wonderful cooling are those to control.

RTX Blackwell – NVIDIA’s Gaming Architecture for the AI Era

Below is a abstract of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell structure, relevant to all fashions.

NVIDIA describes ‘Neural Rendering,’ which incorporates all earlier variations of DLSS and the brand-new DLSS 4, because the ‘subsequent period for pc graphics.’ They’re not alone; the Lead System Architect for the PlayStation 5 Pro console, Mark Cerny, just lately mentioned that ray-tracing is the way forward for video games and that AI will play an integral position in making that occur. DOOM: The Dark Ages developer id Software shared the same sentiment, including that the arrival of DLSS was an ‘inflection level’ for PC sport visuals and efficiency and on par with the arrival of devoted GPUs and programmable shaders.

With the arrival of the Blackwell technology and the GeForce RTX 50 Series, AI is now getting used to speed up programmable shaders with the brand-new RTX Neural Shaders. Yes, these are precise neural networks that use reside sport information, and the ability of Tensor Cores to do the whole lot from compress textures, render lifelike supplies with a stage of element inconceivable to match utilizing conventional rendering strategies, and even use AI to partially hint rays after which infer “an infinite amount

of rays and bounces for a more accurate representation of indirect lighting in the game scene.”

RTX Mega Geometry is unbelievable in its personal proper; it primarily will increase a scene’s geometry element and complexity (triangles or polygons) by as much as 100x. 100 instances the element, it is laborious to wrap your head round – however the additional benefit in a sport like Alan Wake 2 is dramatically bettering the efficiency of the sport’s Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing mode. With DLSS 4 and RTX Neural Shaders, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell structure (which incorporates the identical AI optimizations as information heart Blackwell) might be seen because the turning level for PC gaming – the second when AI turns into integral to the whole lot from designing a sport to programming after which lastly rendering it on a 4K show to play.

DLSS 4 consists of extra goodies than NVIDIA’s extremely touted new Multi Frame Generation know-how, however let’s begin there. DLSS 3’s model of Frame Generation has developed with DLSS 4, powered by Blackwell {hardware} and software program, and an revolutionary use of AI to generate frames 40% sooner whereas utilizing 30% much less VRAM. Switching to a brand new mannequin additionally signifies that Frame Generation and Multi-Frame Generation might quickly come to GeForce RTX 20, 30, and RTX 40 Series homeowners. DLSS 4 advantages all GeForce RTX avid gamers.

However, with the fifth Generation of Tensor Cores within the GeForce RTX 50 Series delivering 2.5X extra AI efficiency, NVIDIA’s newest GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs can execute 5 advanced AI fashions – masking Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and Multi Frame Generation in a few milliseconds. Part of the explanation it occurs so rapidly is the addition of {hardware} Flip Metering, which shifts body pacing to the Blackwell show engine – the result’s body charges of as much as 4K 240 FPS and better with out stuttering points. With as much as 15 of each 16 pixels generated by AI, the result’s as much as 8X the efficiency when in comparison with native rendering or rasterized efficiency.

DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction are additionally switching to a brand new ‘Transformer’ mannequin, with over double the parameters and 4 instances the compute requirement. This is likely one of the most enjoyable points of the GeForce RTX 50 Series, because it pushes DLSS into a brand new realm of picture high quality and efficiency. The better part is that it’s going to work on all GeForce RTX GPUs; nevertheless, there will likely be a efficiency hit in comparison with operating it on an RTX 50 Series GPU. Already obtainable in video games, DLSS 4’s Transformer mannequin is one other DLSS 2.0-like second for the know-how, and the outcomes communicate for themselves.

Even higher, DLSS 4 is being built-in into the NVIDIA App with a brand new ‘DLSS Override’ characteristic that permits customers to expertise the newest tech with out ready for a path or sport replace. DLSS 4 is constructed to be backward suitable, with 75 video games and apps supported.

It does not cease there, as the brand new AI Management Processor (AMP) permits AI fashions to share the GPU with graphics workloads. As a consequence, count on to see digital people in video games alongside AI assistants like NVIDIA’s Project G-Assist turn into extra prevalent within the coming years. This filters all the way down to the creator facet, with AI assistants for streamers, who will even profit from the GeForce RTX 50 Series’ expanded creator options.

RTX Blackwell introduces 4:2:2 chroma-sampled video encoding and decoding. The ninth-generation NVENC encoder additionally improves AV1 and HEVC high quality. The flagship GeForce RTX 5090 helps as much as three encoders and two decoders to ship a 50% gen-over-gen enchancment in pace in comparison with the GeForce RTX 4090. The GeForce RTX 5080 provides a second decoder in comparison with the GeForce RTX 4080. The RTX Blackwell is a sport changer for creators and editors, particularly with the brand new low-voltage and cutting-edge GDDR7 reminiscence that dramatically improves reminiscence bandwidth and pace.

Specs and Test System

Specifications

Here’s a take a look at the specs for the flagship GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, the GeForce RTX 5080 and GeForce RTX 5090, in comparison with the earlier Ada technology.

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Built on the same customized TSMC 4N course of, the brand new RTX Blackwell-powered GeForce RTX 50 Series feels extra like an incremental replace somewhat than a dramatic redesign and overhaul over the Ada Lovelace GeForce RTX 40 Series. The structure has seen a number of enhancements, specifically in relation to AI and supporting new DLSS 4 applied sciences like Multi Frame Generation and RTX Neural Shaders which are set to be a sport changer for real-time ray tracing sooner or later. However, sticking with the identical course of node does imply that the GeForce RTX 5080 – on paper – appears to be like similar to the GeForce RTX 4080.

With 11% extra CUDA, Tensor, and RT Cores – albeit next-gen variations of those cores – and an influence ranking improve to 360W from 320W, NVIDIA’s benchmark information it supplied at CES 2025 confirmed a modest 15% uncooked efficiency uplift over the GeForce RTX 4080. Throw DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation into the combination, which, granted, solely is sensible to allow in sure single-player video games, and that 15% grows exponentially.

However, what NVIDIA did not talk was that in the event you take the 2617 MHz enhance clock pace of the GeForce RTX 5080’s reference design and push that to the 2745 MHz of the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC, that 15% uplift turns into 20% or increased relying on the sport. Also, with the VANGUARD mannequin’s wonderful cooling and quiet followers, 2745 MHz can rapidly turn into 2800 MHz and even 2850 MHz – which sees that 15% flip into 25%, a good and respectable generational uplift. Depending on the gaming workload, this brings efficiency very near the GeForce RTX 4090, with the GeForce RTX 5080 drawing much less energy.

However, setting uncooked efficiency apart for a second, the extra important promoting level for the GeForce RTX 50 Series is the arrival of DLSS 4 – which introduces ranges up DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction in an enormous manner because of a brand new and extra advanced and highly effective AI ‘Transformer’ mannequin. The dramatically improved picture high quality signifies that the extra performative DLSS presets like ‘Balanced’ and ‘Performance’ ship picture high quality higher than or much like the earlier ‘Quality’ preset – which was, till now, the gold customary for upscaling to 4K or 1440p. Essentially, that is free efficiency – highlighting what units the GeForce RTX 50 Series aside from even the GeForce RTX 40 Series.

Granted, including 35% sooner GDDR7 reminiscence within the GeForce RTX 5080 is a welcome addition, as is the improved {hardware} encoding and decoding for video and the arrival of DisplayPort 2.1 for increased decision and better refresh-rate show output. But the promise of RTX Neural Shaders is already one thing you may see in Alan Wake 2. A groundbreaking AI methodology for growing the element in a ray-traced scene improves efficiency within the sport by 10-15% earlier than you get to the {hardware} enhancements and new RT Cores of the GeForce RTX 5080.

Kosta’s Test System

Physical Design and Cooling

To put it proper on the market, MSI’s new VANGUARD design for the GeForce RTX 5080 is good. Featuring the same ‘HYPER FROZR THERMAL DESIGN’ cooling answer because the flagship SUPRIM card, it is extra compact, lighter, and simply as quiet, a testomony to the standard of engineering at MSI. You’ve acquired the identical good STORMFORCE followers (which you may barely hear), a sophisticated vapor chamber for the GPU and VRAM, square-shaped core pipes, and a fin stack designed to scale back noise and direct airflow.

Compared to the SUPRIM, which contains a extra minimal look, the VANGUARD celebrates MSI with the corporate’s iconic dragon emblem and branding on all sides of the cardboard. The two-toned black and brushed metallic gray are trendy, however right here, you have additionally acquired an enormous LED strip that runs diagonally throughout the followers and appears like a lightning bolt when lit up. On the highest and facet, you have acquired little windowed RGB items that look very cool when you customise them to fit your rig’s lighting. All the grooves across the followers double as airflow channels, which is one motive the VANGUARD’s cooling is so spectacular.

Weighing in at 1945 grams and with a 3-slot thickness, it is nonetheless a decent-sized GPU. However, the premium construct high quality that extends to the strengthened PCB, energy supply, and high-quality clay-based thermal pads signifies that it is an OC mannequin that lives as much as its identify and the promise of tinkering with its settings to spice up efficiency even additional with out having to fret about hitting a thermal restrict. The MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC ships with a Dual BIOS, with the Silent mode merely making use of a much less aggressive fan curve to the out-of-the-box overclock.

The Games and Tests

PC gaming not solely covers a variety of genres and types, from indie video games with easy 2D graphics to huge 3D worlds lit by cutting-edge real-time ray tracing know-how. With that, the wants and necessities of every gamer fluctuate. High refresh charges and latency discount turn into extra vital than flashy visuals or enjoying on the highest decision attainable for many who reside and breathe fast-paced aggressive video games. For those that need to reside in a cinematic world and turn into a key participant in an expansive narrative, ray-tracing and high-fidelity visuals are a stepping stone towards immersion.

Our chosen benchmarks cowl numerous video games, engines, APIs, and applied sciences. For the GeForce RTX 5090, all assessments are run at 4K and 1440p and embrace outcomes for performance-boosting Super Resolution applied sciences like NVIDIA DLSS 4 – together with Frame Generation and the brand new Multi Frame Generation. In some ways, DLSS numbers are extra vital in 2025 than native rendering – a title with ray tracing is not meant to be performed with out Super Resolution. Also, DLSS applied sciences like Ray Reconstruction and the brand new RTX Mega Geometry dramatically enhance visible constancy and element in comparison with native rendering. However, our benchmark outcomes are nonetheless sorted utilizing ‘uncooked efficiency’ or native rendering.

Here’s the breakdown of video games, settings, and what’s being examined.

Games and Settings Benchmarked

Path Tracing Games and Settings Benchmarked

Gaming Performance Analysis

Average Gaming Performance – 4K Results

The MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC is a superb gaming GPU and tailored card for 4K or Ultrawide shows. Our full benchmark suite consists of many video games with hardware-intensive ray-tracing results. The common FPS at 4K is 95, which climbs to 117 FPS while you allow DLSS with the ‘Quality’ preset. Compared to the GeForce RTX 4080, you are 23% sooner efficiency, or 19% sooner efficiency in comparison with the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. Go again a bit of additional to the GeForce RTX 3080, and the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC is 90% sooner, on common, for 4K gaming.

There are a handful of titles the place the c is round 30% sooner than the GeForce RTX 4080 for 4K gaming, together with Counter-Strike 2 and Hogwarts Legacy. There are video games the place the efficiency uplift, even with overclocking, hovers at round 15% in comparison with the GeForce RTX 4080 and 12% in comparison with the RTX 4080 SUPER. When wanting on the particular person 4K gaming benchmark outcomes beneath, the DLSS quantity is the one to notice as this represents real-world efficiency, particularly with DLSS 4 introducing higher picture high quality than operating the video games natively with TAA.

The solely sport we discovered the place the GeForce RTX 5080 and different NVIDIA playing cards appear to battle is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Not that 115 FPS in 4K with DLSS is dangerous, nevertheless it’s the one sport the place AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 XTX beats the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC in uncooked or rasterized efficiency. However, with the superior ray-tracing efficiency, the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC is 30% sooner than AMD’s flagship for 4K gaming.

Average Gaming Performance – 1440p Results

Drop the decision to 1440p, and the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC’s lead over the GeForce RTX 4080, RTX 4080 SUPER, and Radeon RX 7900 XTX drop to round 10-15% – which isn’t all that thrilling. At this decision, while you get to this stage of efficiency, returns diminish since you run into numerous bottlenecks and limitations. Plus, as a result of the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC is not being careworn, it is a super-efficient 1440p GPU. One of the one gaming workloads the place the GeForce RTX 5080 excels at 1440p is ray-tracing, however solely these titles with a number of RT results enabled or operating them in Full Ray Tracing mode.

Benchmarks – 3DMark Synthetic Tests

3DMark affords a set of artificial benchmarks constructed to check GPUs in numerous situations. 3DMark Steel Nomad is a cutting-edge DirectX 12 benchmark with newer, trendy rendering methods designed to push GPUs to their restrict. The ‘Light’ model assessments at 1440p, whereas the principle Steel Nomad benchmark assessments pure native 4K rendering. Port Royal is a benchmark focusing completely on real-time ray tracing for lighting results like reflections, shadows, and extra.

As the successor to Time Spy, Steel Nomad is the newest artificial 3DMark benchmark designed to check the capabilities of recent GPUs in video games. The 4K check sees the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC ship a good rating of 8331, which is 26% increased than the GeForce RTX 4080’s rating and inside 11% of the GeForce RTX 4090. This consequence does match what we see in some titles, however not all the time. For instance, Horizon Forbidden West, which options related high-quality visuals because the Steel Nomad check, solely runs 16% sooner on the RTX 5080 than the RTX 4080.

3DMark Port Royal has been round for some time; it is a artificial ray-tracing benchmark designed to check the ray-tracing capabilities of a GPU. Here, we see the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC delivers a rating that’s 27.5% increased than the GeForce RTX 4080. This consequence matches what we see in Full Ray Tracing titles like Alan Wake 2, however for probably the most half, the ray-tracing efficiency enhancements of the GeForce RTX 5080 line-up with its uncooked or rasterized efficiency enhancements. This is because of RTX Blackwell and the brand new RT Cores, together with optimizations and enhancements for the brand new RTX Neural Rendering applied sciences like RTX Mega Geometry as a substitute of basic RT efficiency. Once builders add them to video games, RTX Neural Shaders will considerably enhance ray-tracing picture high quality and efficiency on GeForce RTX 50 Series playing cards.

Benchmarks – 4K Gaming

Benchmarks – 1440p Gaming

DLSS 4, Frame Generation, and the brand new Multi-Frame Generation

DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation are spectacular bits of know-how, thanks primarily to the general enhancements to efficiency and latency on the Frame Generation facet and the brand new ‘Transformer’ mannequin for Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction. We used the DLSS ‘Quality’ mode preset for these benchmarks, usually delivering better-than-native picture high quality.

DLSS Frame Generation and the brand new Multi Frame Generation have turn into the main focus of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX advertising, and it isn’t laborious to see why. If you are utilizing these applied sciences accurately, they could be a sport changer for smoothness, latency, and efficiency. And by that, you primarily need at the very least a baseline of 60 FPS or as much as 80 FPS earlier than turning them on. Boosting this efficiency as much as 240 FPS is like watching a magic trick, besides that a number of cutting-edge AI applied sciences work seamlessly collectively. DLSS and Frame Generation exist not solely to spice up the efficiency of titles with ray-tracing however to let PC avid gamers make full use of their high-refresh-rate shows.

1440p and 4K shows with a 240 Hz refresh price have gotten more and more frequent, and Multi Frame Generation helps you hit this refresh price ceiling. The result’s a smoother gaming expertise with improved movement readability and responsive controls. With DLSS 4’s new enhanced Super Resolution, it is a showcase for the way AI is getting used to enhance gaming in 2025 – as a result of this stage of efficiency can be inconceivable to realize in any other case except you need a 2000W GPU the scale of a PC case. Even although there are some artifacts (now and again), Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Cyberpunk 2077 are completely two titles the place DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation ship.

Path Tracing Performance

Path Tracing, or Full Ray Tracing, arrived with the GeForce RTX 40 Series and DLSS 3 and is leveling up with the GeForce RTX 50 Series and DLSS 4. It’s solely attainable because of AI applied sciences like DLSS Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and RTX Neural Shader know-how like RTX Mega Geometry. It’s designed particularly for these applied sciences, and we’re solely together with native or rasterized efficiency to spotlight simply how intensive it’s on a GPU as highly effective because the GeForce RTX 5080. In reality, exterior of the large improve in efficiency, these video games additionally look notably worse with out DLSS 4.

When immersive cinematic AAA gaming experiences like Alan Wake 2, Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, these are, initially, good video games. The finest visuals on the earth will not make a nasty sport good, however while you pair nice gameplay with gorgeous picture high quality and efficiency, the general expertise is taken to the subsequent stage. Or the next-next-level when Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing is worried. With DLSS 4’s new ‘Transformer’ AI mannequin, Multi Frame Generation, and RTX Mega Geometry, Alan Wake 2 goes from wanting nice operating on a PlayStation 5 or PC with a GeForce RTX 3060 to one thing genuinely mind-blowing. 202 FPS ranges are mind-blowing, because of a mix of {hardware}, software program, and groundbreaking new AI-enhanced rendering.

But even the DLSS 3-powered Indiana Jones and the Great Circle look gorgeous operating on the GeForce RTX 5080 with Full Ray Tracing. This title is ready to get a DLSS 4 improve within the coming weeks (February 2025). Still, it is one other wonderful instance of taking a great-looking sport and enhancing its visuals with Path Tracing.

Temperature and Power Efficiency

Even although the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC is a 360W card, the general energy draw is impressively environment friendly for gaming in 1440p or 4K – which is improbable. And MSI’s VANGUARD design runs cool and silent even when overclocked past the out-of-the-box specs you get. The general energy use is, the truth is, much like the GeForce RTX 4080 – with the 360W energy restrict improve coming into play while you push the enhance clock pace to three GHz, which is feasible with MSI’s VANGUARD mannequin. Interestingly, the idle energy draw varies significantly from RTX 5080 to RTX 5080, which could possibly be a driver-related situation. The 22W of the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC is not excessive, however it’s increased than the 18W of NVIDIA’s Founders Edition card.

Final Thoughts

Looking on the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC GPU’s uncooked efficiency, overclocking capabilities, DLSS 4’s wonderful suite of AI applied sciences for enhancing efficiency and picture high quality, and the way RTX Neural Shaders will form the way forward for in-game visuals, you have acquired one of the highly effective 4K gaming GPUs presently obtainable. The massive criticism we’ve, even with its cutting-edge GDDR7 reminiscence and bandwidth, is that we’d have cherished to have seen NVIDIA introduce the GeForce RTX 5080 at a cheaper price level ($899 and even $799).

Opening the door to this stage of efficiency to extra PC avid gamers is an effective factor. Of course, we’re dwelling in a world the place the worth of the whole lot has gone lately, so you may chalk that as much as wishful pondering.

Ultimately, the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC proves that the GeForce RTX 5080 narrative you might need seen on-line does not inform the entire story. Yes, it is the primary GeForce RTX GPU that does not match or exceed the earlier technology’s flagship in relation to efficiency – however it’s nearer to the GeForce RTX 4090 than it’s the GeForce RTX 4080 or RTX 4080 SUPER. When you look squarely at 4K gaming, the place GPUs like this are correctly unleashed, the GeForce RTX 5080 delivers spectacular outcomes for a GPU technology that has arrived and not using a course of node shrink.

The GeForce RTX 5080’s story is nowhere close to as thrilling because the one we noticed with the GeForce RTX 3080 in comparison with the GeForce RTX 2080, however the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC is a GPU as much as 90% sooner than the GeForce RTX 3080. And for these with an Ampere-era card seeking to improve, you are a large improve. And so far as RTX 5080 fashions go, MSI’s new VANGUARD design is a winner. Not solely when it comes to the way it appears to be like but additionally its distinctive cooling and silent efficiency make it tailored for overclocking and unleashing the GeForce RTX 5080’s true potential.