INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 Review - SFF Ready for 4K

Small enough to fit in a Mini-ITX build, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 is one of the most powerful SFF-Ready 4K gaming GPUs on the planet.

INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 - SFF Ready for 4K
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Manufactured by INNO3D with an MSRP of $999.99
19 minutes read time
TweakTown's Rating: 91%
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The Bottom Line

A compact, SFF-Ready MSRP model that is easily one of the smallest GeForce RTX 5080 models on the market. With excellent 4K gaming performance and the arrival of DLSS 4 (with Multi Frame Generation), it might be small, but it really packs a punch.

Pros

  • 4K 120FPS performance
  • DLSS 4 is a game-changer for image fidelity and performance
  • Multi Frame Generation is impressive technology
  • A compact two-slot SFF-Ready GeForce RTX 5080
  • Less than half the size and weight of most partner cards

Cons

  • Modest raw performance uplift over the GeForce RTX 4080
  • An $899 MSRP would make it the high-end GPU to get in 2025

Should you buy it?

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Introduction

When it comes to gaming GPUs, the general rule is that the higher up the stack you go in terms of configuration and performance, the bigger the component gets. In the GeForce RTX 5080 realm, it's not uncommon to find cards with complex cooling solutions, three large fans, and enough weight and thickness that a GPU brace is required for installing it in the traditional horizontal orientation. Compact high-end enthusiast 4K gaming GPUs are rare, which makes the new INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 so impressive - it's an SFF-Ready card that won't have any problem fitting into a small gaming build.

A quick look at the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3

Considerably lighter and more compact than even NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition model, INNO3D's design is perfect for putting together a compact 4K gaming rig - perhaps something that could sit underneath a large 4K OLED TV next to a console like the PlayStation 5. That's the idea that first popped into my head when connecting the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 up after testing a number of larger GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. Of course, going smaller means that, as an MSRP model, there's no out-of-the-box overclocking. There's undoubtedly a little wiggle room to push performance a little higher; however, that will necessitate a more aggressive fan curve than the almost silent profile you get.

The INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 is every bit the 4K gaming GPU as other models, delivering excellent but not mind-blowing performance at this resolution. That comes down to the modest gen-on-gen uplift NVIDIA's latest 80-class GPU offers over the GeForce RTX 4080, with INNO3D's MSRP reference spec design performing around 19% faster than the RTX 4080 and 15% faster than the RTX 4080 SUPER. This comes from our 14-game average looking at raw 4K gaming performance across a wide range of titles. However, it still has an excellent performance and offers greater overall value to gamers at half the price of the flagship GeForce RTX 5090.

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With the arrival of DLSS 4, NVIDIA's suite of AI-powered tools for boosting performance and image fidelity has been leveled up for the GeForce RTX 50 Series. The new Transformer model for DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction is a game changer. Multi Frame Generation delivers on its promise of smooth and responsive high refresh-rate gameplay. And with RTX Neural Rendering on the horizon, games will not only run faster on a GPU like the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 but look better, too. As a compact GPU perfect for an SFF build, DLSS improves the overall efficiency for a cooler and quieter PC gaming experience.

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RTX Blackwell - NVIDIA's Gaming Architecture for the AI Era

Below is a summary of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell architecture, applicable to all models.

NVIDIA describes 'Neural Rendering,' which includes all previous versions of DLSS and the brand-new DLSS 4, as the 'next era for computer graphics.' They're not alone; the Lead System Architect for the PlayStation 5 Pro console, Mark Cerny, recently said that ray-tracing is the future of games and that AI will play an integral role in making that happen. DOOM: The Dark Ages developer id Software shared a similar sentiment, adding that the arrival of DLSS was an 'inflection point' for PC game visuals and performance and on par with the arrival of dedicated GPUs and programmable shaders.

With the arrival of the Blackwell generation and the GeForce RTX 50 Series, AI is now being used to accelerate programmable shaders with the brand-new RTX Neural Shaders. Yes, these are actual neural networks that use live game data, and the power of Tensor Cores to do everything from compress textures, render lifelike materials with a level of detail impossible to match using traditional rendering methods, and even use AI to partially trace rays and then infer "an infinite amount

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

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RTX Mega Geometry is incredible in its own right; it essentially increases a scene's geometry detail and complexity (triangles or polygons) by up to 100x. 100 times the detail, it's hard to wrap your head around - but the added benefit in a game like Alan Wake 2 is dramatically improving the performance of the game's Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing mode. With DLSS 4 and RTX Neural Shaders, NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series and RTX Blackwell architecture (which includes the same AI optimizations as data center Blackwell) can be viewed as the turning point for PC gaming - the moment when AI becomes integral to everything from designing a game to programming and then finally rendering it on a 4K display to play.

DLSS 4 includes more goodies than NVIDIA's highly touted new Multi Frame Generation technology, but let's start there. DLSS 3's version of Frame Generation has evolved with DLSS 4, powered by Blackwell hardware and software, and an innovative use of AI to generate frames 40% faster while using 30% less VRAM. Switching to a new model also means that Frame Generation and Multi-Frame Generation could soon come to GeForce RTX 20, 30, and RTX 40 Series owners. DLSS 4 benefits all GeForce RTX gamers.

However, with the 5th Generation of Tensor Cores in the GeForce RTX 50 Series delivering 2.5X more AI performance, NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs can execute five complex AI models - covering Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and Multi Frame Generation in a couple of milliseconds. Part of the reason it happens so quickly is the addition of hardware Flip Metering, which shifts frame pacing to the Blackwell display engine - the result is frame rates of up to 4K 240 FPS and higher without stuttering issues. With up to 15 of every 16 pixels generated by AI, the result is up to 8X the performance when compared to native rendering or rasterized performance.

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DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction are also switching to a new 'Transformer' model, with over double the parameters and four times the compute requirement. This is one of the most exciting aspects of the GeForce RTX 50 Series, as it pushes DLSS into a new realm of image quality and performance. The best part is that it will work on all GeForce RTX GPUs; however, there will be a performance hit compared to running it on an RTX 50 Series GPU. Already available in games, DLSS 4's Transformer model is another DLSS 2.0-like moment for the technology, and the results speak for themselves.

Even better, DLSS 4 is being integrated into the NVIDIA App with a new 'DLSS Override' feature that allows users to experience the latest tech without waiting for a path or game update. DLSS 4 is built to be backward compatible, with 75 games and apps supported.

It doesn't stop there, as the new AI Management Processor (AMP) allows AI models to share the GPU with graphics workloads. As a result, expect to see digital humans in games alongside AI assistants like NVIDIA's Project G-Assist become more prevalent in the coming years. This filters down to the creator side, with AI assistants for streamers, who will also benefit from the GeForce RTX 50 Series' expanded creator features.

RTX Blackwell introduces 4:2:2 chroma-sampled video encoding and decoding. The ninth-generation NVENC encoder also improves AV1 and HEVC quality. The flagship GeForce RTX 5090 supports up to three encoders and two decoders to deliver a 50% gen-over-gen improvement in speed compared to the GeForce RTX 4090. The GeForce RTX 5080 adds a second decoder compared to the GeForce RTX 4080. The RTX Blackwell is a game changer for creators and editors, especially with the new low-voltage and cutting-edge GDDR7 memory that dramatically improves memory bandwidth and speed.

Specs and Test System

Specifications

Here's a look at the specs for the flagship GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, the GeForce RTX 5080 and GeForce RTX 5090, compared to the previous Ada generation.

GPU SpecsGeForce RTX 5090GeForce RTX 4090GeForce RTX 5080GeForce RTX 4080
ArchitectureBlackwellAda LovelaceBlackwellAda Lovelace
ProcessTSMC 4NTSMC 4NTSMC 4NTSMC 4N
CUDA Cores2176016384107529728
Tensor Cores (AI)680 (5th Gen)512 (4th Gen)336 (5th Gen)304 (4th Gen)
AI TOPS335213211801780
Ray Tracing Cores170 (4th Gen)128 (3rd Gen)84 (4th Gen)76 (3rd Gen)
GPU Boost Clock2407 MHz2520 MHz2617 MHz2505 MHz
Memory32GB GDDR724GB GDDR6X16GB GDDR716GB GDDR6X
Memory Interface512 Bit384 Bit256 Bit256 Bit
Bandwidth1792 GB/sec1008 GB/sec960 GB/sec716.8 GB/sec
TGP575W450W360W320W
Swipe / scroll right to see more ->

The 90-class flagship, halo, or Titan GPU in the GeForce line-up is still relatively new - debuting with the GeForce RTX 3090 in 2020. As we saw with the GeForce RTX 40 Series, the difference between the RTX 4090 and the RTX 4080, spec-wise, grew considerably, and that trend continues with the new GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090. On paper, the GeForce RTX 5080 looks like half of the GPU the GeForce RTX 5090 is, with 50% fewer CUDA Cores, Tensor Cores, RT Cores, and even memory capacity - going from 32GB of GDDR7 on the RTX 5090 down to 16GB of GDDR7 on the RTX 5080. And with the same or similar custom TSMC process node as the GeForce RTX 40 Series, the RTX Blackwell-powered GeForce RTX 5080 only features 11% more CUDA Cores, Tensor Cores, and RT Cores than its previous-generation counterpart.

The good news is that the GeForce RTX 5080 arrives at half the price of the flagship GeForce RTX 5090, with an MSRP that is around 20% lower than the GeForce RTX 4080 and on par with 2024's GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER refresh. And even though we haven't got that process node shrink this time (a rarity in the GPU space), the RTX Blackwell architecture includes several design changes built around accelerating AI performance for things like DLSS 4 and the new RTX Neural Rendering technologies set to debut this year.

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The GeForce RTX 5080 includes 16GB of faster GDDR7 memory, which delivers a memory bandwidth of 960 GB/sec - 35% faster than the GeForce RTX 4080's GDDR6X memory. With the introduction of FP4, you've gotten up to double the AI performance of the previous generation. Throw in faster clock speed, and the GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a decent but not mind-blowing performance uplift over the RTX 4080. However, the RTX 4080 brought with it a pretty significant performance increase over the RTX 3080 - for those that upgrade every other generation (which is more common than upgrading every single GPU generation), the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 is an excellent choice. 84% faster for 4K gaming and 62% for 1440p gaming.

As an MSRP model, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 doesn't ship with additional overclocking, so the overall performance is on par with NVIDIA's reference Founders Edition model.

ItemDetails
GPUGeForce RTX 5080
GPU CodenameGB203
ModelINNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3
InterfacePCI Express Gen 5
SMs84
CUDA Cores10752
Tensor Cores (AI)1801 AI TOPS (5th Gen)
Ray Tracing Cores171 TFLOPS (4th Gen)
Boost Speed2745MHz or 2760 MHz (MSI Center)
Memory16GB GDDR7
Memory Interface256-bit
Memory Speed30 Gbps
Memory Bandwidth960 GB/sec
L2 Cache Size65536 KB
TGP360W
Display3 x DisplayPort 2.1b with UHBR20, 1 x HDMI 2.1b
Display OutputUp to 4K 12-bit HDR at 480Hz, Up to 8K 12-bit HDR at 165Hz
Power Input16-pin PCIe (3 x 8-pin to 1 x 16-pin adaptor included)
Dimensions300 x 116 x 41 mm
Weight1080 grams

Kosta's Test System

ItemDetails
MotherboardASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO
CPUAMD Ryzen 9 7950X
GPUNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
DisplayMSI MAG 321UPX QD-OLED 4K 240 Hz
CoolerASUS ROG RYUO III 360 ARGB
RAM32GB DDR5-6000 Corsair DOMINATOR TITANIUM RGB
SSDSabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB
Power SupplyASUS TUF Gaming 1000W Gold
CaseCorsair 5000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case
OSMicrosoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

Physical Design and Cooling

With physical dimensions of 300 x 116 x 41mm and roughly 1080 grams, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 is less than half the size and weight of some GeForce RTX 5080 models we've reviewed. With its compact two-slot thickness and SFF-Ready form factor, it's a GPU perfect for compact builds or those wanting a card that takes up as much room as a GeForce RTX 4060 or RTX 4070. With a more compact build, the three 88mm fans are much smaller than the fans you'll find on large models - however, the difference here is size-related primarily and not quality.

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With a copper base for the GPU and an aluminum base for the memory, six heat pipes, and generous fins with a metal backplate and vent system, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 has been designed to cool the GeForce RTX 5080 effectively, and its increased power limit of 360W. The default thermal profile is tuned for silent performance, so it's not the sort of GPU you'll hear working overtime to keep the temperatures in check. In practice, this means it runs warmer than NVIDIA's Founders Edition and other premium OC models. Still, it never gets to the point where you absolutely need to increase fan speeds or worry about thermal throttling.

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The design is also clean and minimal, free from RGB lighting, and has a two-tone black and grey look that is robust and great. INNO3D also offers a White variant, so you're covered if you're putting together a white SFF build. It's a design that we loved when it came to the RTX 40 SUPER Series launch a year ago, and the refinements and changes here are all for the better. However, the 'INNO3D' branding on the fans is an obvious sticker - a criticism we'd love to see corrected in future models.

The Games and Tests

PC gaming not only covers a wide range of genres and styles, from indie games with simple 2D graphics to massive 3D worlds lit by cutting-edge real-time ray tracing technology. With that, the needs and requirements of each gamer vary. High refresh rates and latency reduction become more important than flashy visuals or playing at the highest resolution possible for those who live and breathe fast-paced competitive games. For those who want to live in a cinematic world and become a key player in an expansive narrative, ray-tracing, and high-fidelity visuals are a stepping stone toward immersion.

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Our chosen benchmarks cover various games, engines, APIs, and technologies. For the GeForce RTX 5090, all tests are run at 4K and 1440p and include results for performance-boosting Super Resolution technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 4 - including Frame Generation and the new Multi Frame Generation. In many ways, DLSS numbers are more important in 2025 than native rendering - a title with ray tracing isn't meant to be played without Super Resolution. Also, DLSS technologies like Ray Reconstruction and the new RTX Mega Geometry dramatically improve visual fidelity and detail compared to native rendering. However, our benchmark results are still sorted using 'raw performance' or native rendering.

Here's the breakdown of games, settings, and what's being tested.

Games and Settings Benchmarked

GameDetails
Black Myth: WukongA high-impact Unreal Engine 5 test showcasing a detailed cinematic world. The in-game benchmark tool with the 'Very High' fidelity setting without ray-tracing and with DLSS and FSR.
Cyberpunk 2077Competitive multiplayer FPS test with DLSS and FSR. The in-game multiplayer benchmark tool is used with 'Ultra' quality settings.
Counter-Strike 2Competitive multiplayer FPS test running on Valve's Source 2 engine. A stress test mod map is used to showcase CS2 at its most demanding.
Cyberpunk 2077Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used with 'Ultra' quality settings without ray-tracing.
Cyberpunk 2077 (RT)Cinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used with the demanding 'Ray Tracing Ultra' quality setting.
DOOM Eternal (RT)Fast-paced single-player FPS gaming running on the id Tech and Vulkan with DLSS. The Mars Core campaign mission is used to benchmark.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (RT)Cinematic RPG from veteran studio BioWare, benchmarking the action-packed introduction sequence with Ultra quality settings including ray-tracing with DLSS and FSR.
F1 24 (RT)Racing game with hardware-intensive in-race ray-traced visuals and DLSS and FSR. The in-game benchmark tool is used, with 'Ultra High' quality settings on a single lap of the Bahrain track.
Hogwarts Legacy (RT)Cinematic open-world game set in the iconic Harry Potter universe. The halls and rooms of Hogwarts used to benchmark, with 'Ultra' quality settings, ray-tracing, DLSS, and FSR.
Horizon Forbidden WestCinematic open-world test with stunning visuals and DLSS and FSR. The opening section is tested using the 'Very High' quality setting.
Marvel RivalsMultiplayer hero shooter set in the Marvel universe, in-game Practise Range map used to benchmark with 'Ultra' quality settings, DLSS and FSR.
Resident Evil 4 (RT)Capcom's visually impressive remake, Chapter 1 - The Village used to benchmark with 'Max' settings.
Total War: Warhammer IIIAction-packed real-time strategy with hundreds of on-screen characters. The in-game 'Battle' benchmark tool is used with the 'Ultra' quality setting.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2Cinematic third-person action game with impressive visuals. Opening mission tested using 'Ultra' quality setting with DLSS and FSR.

Path Tracing Games and Settings Benchmarked

GameDetails
Alan Wake 2Full Path Tracing tested in 4K using the new 'Ultra' setting with DLSS 4, Frame Generation, and Multi Frame Generation. Bright Falls town used to test.
Black Myth: WukongA high-impact Unreal Engine 5 test with DLSS 'Performance' and Frame Generation. The in-game benchmark tool with the 'Very High' setting and 'Full Ray Tracing.'
Cyberpunk 2077In-game benchmark tool used with the demanding 'RT Overdrive' or full Path Tracing mode, with DLSS 4 Performance, Frame Generation, and Multi Frame Generation.
Indiana Jones and the Great CircleFull Ray Tracing tested in this stunning first-person cinematic game, Marshall College walkthrough used to test with DLSS Performance and Frame Generation.
Star Wars OutlawsOpen-world Star Wars game with cutting-edge ray-traced visuals and DLSS 4 technologies tested, including Multi Frame Generation on Toshara.

Gaming Performance Analysis

Average Gaming Performance - 4K Results

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The INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3's 4K gaming performance is excellent, with an average frame rate of 92 FPS - which increases to 114 FPS when looking at DLSS performance using the 'Quality' Super Resolution preset. This is enough to make it roughly 19% faster than the GeForce RTX 4080 and 84% faster than the GeForce RTX 3080. It's also 26% faster than AMD's flagship Radeon RX 7900 XTX. However, NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 5090 is still around 50% faster for 4K gaming.

When it comes to desktop GPUs for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 5080 comes in third regarding performance but first regarding value for money. Results vary depending on the game, the genre, and whether or not it includes ray-tracing or DLSS Super Resolution. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a title that favors Radeon GPUs, which makes it the only game where the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 falls short of Radeon RX 7900 XTX's performance. However, take a look at Cyberpunk 2077 with the Ultra quality ray tracing preset, and the GeForce RTX 5080 is 21% faster than the GeForce RTX 4080 and a whopping 75% faster than the Radeon RX 7900 XTX.

Look at the RTX 5080 versus the RTX 4080, F1 24 runs 14% faster, Hogwarts Legacy runs 20% faster, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard runs 25% faster. Competitive gaming on the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 is also god-tier in 4K, with Counter-Strike 2 running 27% faster on the RTX 5080 than the RTX 4080. Looking at two of the biggest games of 2024, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 runs 27% faster in 4K, while Black Myth: Wukong runs 17.5% faster.

Average Gaming Performance - 1440p Results

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Dropping the resolution to 1440p, you're looking at diminishing returns for the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3, GeForce RTX 4090, and GeForce RTX 5090. Thanks to CPU bottlenecks and other limitations, when you start gaming with a GPU like this, you're better off pairing it with a 4K display or an Ultrawide - which has a pixel count between 1440p and 4K.

On the plus side, the GeForce RTX 5080 becomes super efficient at this resolution, with hardly any gaming workloads drawing more than 280W. At 1440p, the GeForce RTX 5080's performance uplift over the GeForce RTX 4080 isn't all that prominent or even noticeable in games like Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and DOOM Eternal. In ray-tracing titles or visually demanding Unreal Engine 5 games, a definite improvement comes from gaming on the GeForce RTX 5080. However, the generational improvement drops from around 19% to 12%.

Benchmarks - 3DMark Synthetic Tests

3DMark offers a suite of synthetic benchmarks built to test GPUs in various scenarios. 3DMark Steel Nomad is a cutting-edge DirectX 12 benchmark with newer, modern rendering techniques designed to push GPUs to their limit. The 'Light' version tests at 1440p, while the main Steel Nomad benchmark tests pure native 4K rendering. Port Royal is a benchmark focusing exclusively on real-time ray tracing for lighting effects like reflections, shadows, and more.

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3DMark Steel Nomad is the official Time Spy replacement, the latest synthetic gaming benchmark designed to push modern GPUs to their limit with cutting-edge effects and rendering techniques in DirectX, Vulkan, and engines like Unreal Engine 5. Steel Nomad Light is a 1440p benchmark, and here, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 delivers a score that aligns with our 4K gaming results. The 4K-based Steel Nomad synthetic benchmark score for the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 sees it outperform the GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 SUPER by 25% and 22%, respectively - a result that is more than a few percent higher than our in-game benchmarks. However, it's a result that can be replicated on an overclocked GeForce RTX 5080.

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Switching over to 3DMark Port Royal, a synthetic ray-tracing benchmark, we also see a slightly higher generational uplift than real-world RT gaming. However, when it comes to titles with cutting-edge Path Tracing like Alan Wake 2 - which we were able to test with both DLSS 4 and RTX Mega Geometry - the Port Royal results for the GeForce RTX 5080 versus the GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 SUPER line up perfectly.

Benchmarks - 4K Gaming

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Benchmarks - 1440p Gaming

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

DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation are impressive bits of technology, thanks mainly to the overall improvements to performance and latency on the Frame Generation side and the new 'Transformer' model for Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction. We used the DLSS 'Quality' mode preset for these benchmarks, often delivering better-than-native image quality.

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When you enable the entire suite of DLSS 4 technologies in a game running on the GeForce RTX 5080 in 4K or 1440p, which includes Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction (in RT titles), and Multi Frame Generation, performance, smoothness, and even image quality is leveled up. It's not the same as rendering a game natively at a particular resolution. Still, it is the future of PC and console gaming - as it also brings efficiency improvements and the ability to target higher resolutions and refresh rates.

The new Transformer model for DLSS 4 Super Resolution is a game changer for image fidelity. It makes the new DLSS 'Performance' and 'Balanced' presets look as good as or better than the previous model's DLSS 'Quality' preset. It's undeniably an improvement, and even though some issues exist (it's still in Beta), it's a big reason to pick up a new GeForce RTX GPU over anything else.

Multi-frame generation, exclusive to the GeForce RTX 50 Series, is also a selling point, but it requires knowledge to get the best experience. Paired with the right game and an input frame rate of at least 75 FPS, the result is like watching a magic trick unfold before your eyes. When tuned to match your display's refresh rate, it strikes the right balance between performance, smoothness, and responsiveness.

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 only possible thanks to AI technologies like DLSS Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and RTX Neural Shader technology like RTX Mega Geometry. It's designed specifically for these technologies, and we're only including native or rasterized performance to highlight just how intensive it is on a GPU as powerful as the GeForce RTX 5080. In fact, outside of the massive increase in performance, these games also look notably worse without DLSS 4.

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Path Tracing or Full Ray Tracing is the future of visual fidelity in cinematic or AAA titles. To be playable in 2025 and beyond, it requires DLSS 4, frame generation, and the new RTX neural rendering suite of technologies. Alan Wake 2 is an excellent example of where the technology is headed in the next year or two, as it includes the brand-new RTX Mega Geometry technology for ray-tracing, which on its own improves performance by around 10-15% on all GeForce RTX GPUs. Throw in DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation, and you've got an unforgettable third-person psychological horror experience on the GeForce RTX 5080 that looks significantly better than how it looks running on the PlayStation 5 Pro.

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is another one of those night-and-day moments for image quality, where a great-looking first-person game becomes jaw-dropping once you turn on Full Ray Tracing. This game is getting its DLSS 4 update, which will also introduce RTX Hair technology (another piece of the RTX Neural Rendering suite), which will notably improve its visuals yet again. With 2X Frame Generation, it runs at 130+ FPS on the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 to deliver a smooth, immersive experience. Running on id Tech technology, it's an early look at what we can expect from the highly anticipated DOOM: The Dark Ages - which is launching with DLSS 4 support, Full Ray Tracing, and RTX Neural Rendering.

Temperature and Power Efficiency

INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 Review - SFF Ready for 4K 59

As the smallest and most compact GeForce RTX 5080 we've reviewed, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 also runs the hottest, with temperatures under load hitting 74 degrees Celsius. However, this is in line with the materials INNO3D sent us before our testing and review, which noted that as the GPU has been designed for near-silent performance, the GPU temperature will hit around 74 degrees during heavy gaming workloads. Interestingly, the idle power draw of this model compared to the Founders Edition design is higher, a trend we've noticed across various partner cards.

Final Thoughts

With a modest generational uplift compared to the previous generation, the GeForce RTX 5080 is the first 80-class GeForce card to fall short of the last-generation flagship. NVIDIA hinted at this during the big GeForce RTX 50 Series reveal at CES 2025, and it's a little disappointing. But, when you've got this level of 4K gaming performance, alongside the arrival of the brilliant DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation, it's hard to stay disappointed after you fire up Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, or even Counter-Strike 2. And for those with a GeForce RTX 3080 looking to upgrade, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 delivers - with monumental 4K gains that deliver on that next-gen promise.

INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 Review - SFF Ready for 4K 16

The GeForce RTX 5080 and the RTX 5090 also arrive when you can feel a change or shift in what gaming performance means. It took a few years, but NVIDIA DLSS has ushered in a new era of AI-enhanced gaming across PCs, laptops, and consoles like the PS5 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2. With NVIDIA leading the charge, it also means that the desktop PC still remains the absolute high-water mark for both image fidelity and performance. Games look better and run faster on the GeForce RTX 5080 than any card from AMD's Radeon line-up. Of course, this doesn't cover every game, but DLSS is everywhere, and DLSS 4 is the new gold standard for Super Resolution and Frame Generation.

Although it's not the fastest model on the market, the compact SFF-Ready INNO3D GeForce RTX 5080 X3 is a brilliant choice for those looking to put together the ultimate small gaming rig that could slot in right next to that PS5 or Xbox Series console. From hardware to software, this is next-level 4K gaming.

Performance

87%

Quality

90%

Features

96%

Value

90%

Overall

91%

The Bottom Line

A compact, SFF-Ready MSRP model that is easily one of the smallest GeForce RTX 5080 models on the market. With excellent 4K gaming performance and the arrival of DLSS 4 (with Multi Frame Generation), it might be small, but it really packs a punch.

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* Prices last scanned on 2/6/2025 at 5:27 am CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.

Senior Editor

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Kosta is a veteran gaming journalist that cut his teeth on well-respected Aussie publications like PC PowerPlay and HYPER back when articles were printed on paper. A lifelong gamer since the 8-bit Nintendo era, it was the CD-ROM-powered 90s that cemented his love for all things games and technology. From point-and-click adventure games to RTS games with full-motion video cut-scenes and FPS titles referred to as Doom clones. Genres he still loves to this day. Kosta is also a musician, releasing dreamy electronic jams under the name Kbit.

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