The excitement is palpable as NVIDIA gears up to unveil its highly anticipated GeForce RTX 50 series, set to feature cutting-edge DLSS 4 technology. Among the buzz, a noteworthy mention goes to the ASUS-custom variant of the RTX 5080, which has recently been spotted gracing the listings of a European retailer, revealing a substantial price tag.
With just days remaining until the official launch of the RTX 50 series, a glimpse into the future pricing has been revealed. The European retailer has listed the ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 at a staggering €1,699, complete with a 20% VAT. Converting this into US dollars, the price stands at approximately $1,748, which reduces to $1,456 after excluding the VAT. The peculiar “ASUS Tax” brings the anticipated price for North America to around $1,349. This leads us to speculate that the Founders Edition might be priced somewhere between $1,200 and $1,300—a notable decrease from previous rumors suggesting it might exceed $1,500.
The decision by NVIDIA to introduce the GeForce RTX 5080 at a potentially lower price point could prove advantageous, especially when considering the shaky reception of the RTX 4080’s original pricing. This strategic move might offset previous pricing missteps and establish more favorable public opinion, particularly if the RTX 5080 delivers performance enhancements that outshine its predecessor.
Another exciting development is the anticipated arrival of DLSS 4, an evolution from its predecessor, DLSS 3.5. Known for its superior upscaling and performance boosts, DLSS 4 is confirmed by industry insiders and is set to rival AMD’s upcoming FSR 4 expected to launch alongside RDNA 4 GPUs.
Moreover, anticipation mounts around the technical specifications of the RTX 5080. Reports suggest the card will boast a formidable 10,752 CUDA Cores, 16 GB of the latest GDDR7 VRAM, and a power-intensive 360W TDP. It’s also noteworthy that this model will uniquely feature the fastest GDDR7 memory, with a clock speed of 30 Gbps, distinguishing itself from its peers priced at 28 Gbps.
Scheduled to make a public debut on January 6, the RTX 5080 is poised to hit retail shelves by January 21, setting the stage for a thrilling start to the tech year. As the countdown progresses, the anticipation is building to see how this new lineup will impact the graphics card market and whether it will propel NVIDIA firmly into the future of gaming and technology.
