Performance benchmarks and conclusion

Test setup

Here are the specifications of our test rig:

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X CPU
• MSI MEG X570 Godlike
• Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD
• Windows 10 Home 64-bit
• ASUS ROG Swift PG43UQ 4K Gaming Monitor

We'll be comparing the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Suprim X against the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080 Ti OC and their Founders Edition counterpart.

The following synthetic benchmarks and games were run, with the games chosen from a wide range of genres to give a better indication of performance across different segments:

• 3DMark
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Total War: Three Kingdoms (Battle)
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Metro: Exodus
• Watch Dogs: Legion

3DMark

3DMark is a synthetic benchmark that tests graphics and computational performance at different resolutions, starting at 1080p and going all the way up to 4K. A series of two graphics test, one physics test, and then a combined test stresses your hardware in turn to assess its performance.

The MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has a marginally higher boost clock than the ASUS model, clocking in at 1,830MHz to the latter's 1,815MHz. In 3DMark, the MSI card took a narrow lead across the board, posting a 5% lead over the Founders Edition card in Fire Strike Ultra. 

1080p Benchmarks (Max Settings)

The MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Suprim X cuts through all the games we tested at 1080p like a hot knife through butter. As in 3DMark, the performance difference between it and the other two cards is negligible at best. 

1440p Benchmarks (Max Settings)

The MSI card puts on a similarly strong showing at 1440p. It's ahead of the Founders Edition and ASUS cards in most of the games tested, a slim lead that's testament to the sheer performance it brings to the table. 

4K Benchmarks (Max Settings)

At 4K, the MSI card continues to flaunt its performance chops. Performance differentials with the other two cards rest on razor-thin margins. Metro: Exodus proves a bit more of a challenge than the other games tested, with performance dropping well below the vaunted 60fps.

Ray Tracing Benchmarks (4K, Max Settings)

With ray tracing turned on, Metro: Exodus continues to challenge the cards thoroughly. Still, there are no noteworthy differences in performance among the three. 

Temperature and power

When it comes to thermal performance, the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Suprim X shines. It's the coolest card of the lot, albeit by a small margin. The massive cooler is clearly putting in the work here and you'll need every bit of that surface area to keep the GA102 GPU cool. Once you factor in that the MSI card is also clocked higher than the cards compared against, the cooling performance showcased by MSI is quite impressive.

Conclusion

Testing the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Suprim X is kind of like dropping a few hundred bucks on a fancy meal at a posh restaurant. It is chock-full of delectable delights and masterfully executed, but you're not quite sure if it's 400 bucks worth of delicious. I feel the same about the MSI card. It  is super-fast, runs cool, and looks absolutely stunning. It's a winner in every sense of the word. But I'm still not sure if it's S$3,288 worth of amazing.

It's difficult to justify the price when the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080 Ti OC performs very similarly and costs nearly S$500 less. Get this only if you really want the cream of the crop, intend to game at 4K and have the cash to burn.