I have an iffy relationship with graphics card prices at the moment, but this Nvidia RTX 4080 Prime Day deal feels like a step in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, the new-gen GPU is still wildly expensive compared to premium GPUs from yesteryear, However, the fact it's now over $700 cheaper than the RTX 4090 is worth talking about, not to mention you won't have to pay over a grand.
The specific GPU in question is the ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB Trinity OC, down from $1,299.99 to $989.99 at Amazon. The best graphics card contender is one of the new custom models included in Amazon's Prime Day PC deals, with alternatives still sitting over the $1,000 mark.
Its worth noting that the RTX 4080's beefier sibling, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, clearly isn't in the mood for a price cut party, as there are no discounts to be found at Amazon for the flagship card. That's a pity considering enthusiasts looking to build the best gaming PC are likely waiting specifically for that card, and while Nvidia's other high end offering is a powerhouse, we know some of you can't resist the prospect of even higher frame rates.
Should you buy an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080?
There's a lot to love about the Nvidia RTX 4080, as it offers up remarkable frame rates at 4K with ultra settings enabled. Sure, there's a significant gap between it and the RTX 4090, but if we're being honest, the latter feels less like a consumer option and more like an expensive showboating piece. I mean, what's the point selling a GPU the majority of PC gamers can't afford, right?
Well, you could say the same about the RTX 4080 at full price, as with a $1,199 MSRP, it's easy to see why it isn't super popular. Still, if you're looking for next gen 4K performance without compromise, you're looking at either Nvidia's card or the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. The latter red team rival is available for a bit less right now thanks to Prime Day, but there are a few reasons why I'd still opt for the GeForce model.
For starters, Nvidia is pretty much leading the charge when it comes to the latest graphics card tech. Invaluable tools like Frame Generation offer up a way to boost fps without fidelity caveats, while the GPU giant's DLSS 3.5 package now offers up a way to generate even better ray tracing results using AI-powered 'Ray Reconstruction'.
I use an RTX 4080 as my daily driver, and the card's DLSS 3.5 abilities mean I don't have to worry about tweaking settings in the latest games. This is admittedly a luxury I'm not used to, as I would traditionally opt for 70-series cards when building a PC. For the most part, I'm able to run the latest releases at 4K 100fps+, and Nvidia's tech produces mesmerising results in the likes of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
All that aside, I still wouldn't recommend the RTX 4080 to the majority of PC players out there due to its price. The ZOTAC RTX 4080 Prime Day deal helps me tentatively point some specific gamers towards it, but we're really talking about a minority that use the best gaming monitor at 4K and have the funds for a premium card. If that's you, then it's entirely reasonable to consider picking this discounted GPU up. Otherwise, there are far cheaper options out there that can make your 2023 rig dreams a reality.
Today's best Prime Day gaming deals
- Nintendo Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle now $299.99 at Amazon
- PS5: up to $30 off Ratchet & Clank, The Last of Us, Demon's Souls and more
- Xbox Series X: refurbished consoles now just $399.99 at Amazon
- Seagate 1TB Xbox Storage: now just $129.99 (was $219.99) at Amazon
- Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (RTX 4080): now $2,099 (was $2,749) at B&H Photo
- Board games: save up to $25 on Arkham Horror, Disney Villainous and more
- Chairs: Homall and GTPlayer chairs now starting at $89.99
- Desks: up to $150 off Arozzi Arena, Eureka Ergonomic and more
- Controllers: Xbox Elite Series 2 now just $99.99 (was $129.99)
- Gaming laptops: Razer Blade laptops up to $1,000 off
- Headsets: SteelSeries, Turtle Beach, and Razer from $34.95
- Keyboards: Logitech decks now starting at $49.99
- PCs: save up to $300 on prebuilt RTX 4070 rigs
- Projectors: budget projectors now starting at just $79
- Storage: 1TB WDBlack SN850X now $79.99 (was $179.99)
- Streaming: save up to $30 on Blue Yeti mics
- TVs: 4K TVs now starting at $199.99
- Meta Quest: Asgard's Wrath Quest 3 bundle available at Best Buy
- Mice: Razer, Logitech and more now starting at $24
- Mobile: new Turtle Beach Atom controller $10 off
- Monitors: Curved 240Hz monitors from just $139
Of course, we're also rounding up all the staples like the best Prime Day Kindle deals and Prime Day tablet deals as well. We're also getting you prepped for this year's Prime Day iPad deals and Prime Day TV deals as well.
