GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Custom Card Roundup

By Chris Comiskey on September 27, 2018 | Featured Stories GeForce RTX GPUs

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti represents the top echelon of graphics cards. Based on the advanced NVIDIA Turing architecture and new RTX platform, it also brandishes 11GB of GDDR6 memory with 14 Gbps of speed, AI-enhanced graphics in games, advanced programmable shaders, improved VR support, and real-time ray tracing: an amazing technology that creates incredibly realistic graphics through use of lifelike lighting, reflections, and shadows.

 

The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Founder’s Edition additionally comes with a 13-phase iMON DrMOS power supply and a factory overclock of 1635MHz on the boost. It also has a state-of-the-art stock cooler, with a lightweight, die-cast aluminum cover, a full-sized vapor chamber, and two quiet 13-bladed fans.

Positive reviews for the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti are already available through reputable sites such as PC Gamer, Engadget, Ars Technica, IGN, PC Mag, and many more.

Thanks to a gamut of NVIDIA partners worldwide, there are now plenty of custom GeForce RTX 2080 Ti’s available, with specialized coolers, new thermal designs, and extra room for overclocking. Some of these cards have certain functions in mind, such as self-contained liquid cooling, added fans, or artistic appeal. But even with these differences, every custom GeForce RTX 2080 Ti has a unified purpose: to give you the best, most potent, most efficient graphics performance available.

Of course, lots of card choices means lots of decision making, and if you go in blind, it might feel overwhelming. But don’t fret—this roundup is designed to put your mind at ease. We’ve included vital info in each card’s entry, including specs such as the price, required power connectors, card sizes, and the manufacturer’s website.

All said and done, it comes down to your own tastes. You might find that a certain card’s LED strips and colors match your existing case style, which could very well be the most important factor. Or, perhaps you’re a power-user, seeking loads of fans and a maximized cooling system to overclock the card to dizzying new heights. These are just a few examples, and depending on your situation, there could be others. The best bet is to land on a few of concrete desires, and go from there.

You should also be aware that many custom RTX 2080 Ti’s route their exhaust inside your case, instead of out of it. Unless you’re aiming for a blower-based solution, ensuring good airflow inside your chassis is ideal. Luckily, it’s pretty simple to get your airflow optimized.

When you're shopping for a custom GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, have a look at the web in addition to visiting brick and mortar outlets, as sometimes you’ll find better prices and limited-time deals online.

*Please note, all prices are those as of publishing, and are subject to change. Cards without current pricing are listed as TBD.

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC Edition

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.75-Slot
MSRP: $1,240
Manufacturer’s Product Page

ASUS adds a pair of their exclusive wing-bladed fans into the Dual GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC Edition, which they claim creates 105% static pressure over the heatsink compared to traditionally designed fans. Each fan is additionally IP5X dust-resistant, and with ASUS’s 0dB tech, they’ll only spin up once the card’s temps go over 55°C. Underneath those fans is an almighty 2.7 slot aluminum heatsink, which ASUS claims allows for exceptional overclocking potential. On the rear of the card’s PCB is an aluminum backplate with a black and white color style. According to ASUS, the entire graphics card undergoes rigorous testing with all the most popular games, and they subject it to 144-hour stability tests, which ASUS claims ensures reliability even under the most extreme circumstances.

ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Turbo

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: $1,210
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Adopting a more traditional blower-based cooler (one that shoots the exhaust out of the back of the card, rather than into your case), the ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Turbo should appeal to those with smaller chassis or a paucity of case fans. The shroud has been completely revamped, and the areas around the single 80mm dual-ball bearing fan are raised up. ASUS claims that this specialized design creates a helpful buffer if you run two of these GPUs in SLI. The card also has an angled back section that’s meant to direct air more efficiently into the fan. Speaking of the fan, it’s IP5X dust resistant, and ASUS claims it lasts twice as long compared to sleeve-bearing fans. And just like the ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC Edition, ASUS claims that this GPU undergoes a lengthy and exhaustive stress-test with all the latest and greatest games, as well as a 144-hour stability routine.

ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.7-slot
MSRP: TBD
Manufacturer’s Product Page: Coming Soon

A trio of Axial-Tech fans and a 2.7-slot monstrous heatsink call the ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2080 Ti home. The fans are IP5X dust resistant, and the blades are longer than those found on traditional fans. There’s even a barrier ring surrounding each fan that ASUS claims makes them stronger and increases downward air pressure. ASUS’s 0dB tech stops the fans entirely when they’re unneeded, and fires them back up again when required. The heatsink got 20% larger compared to the last-gen ASUS STRIX coolers, and its heat spreader contains MaxContact technology, which ASUS claims allows for twice the surface area contact with the GPU. Further adding to the card is an Auto-Extreme production process, which according to ASUS, removes human error, fortifies components, makes for flux-free integration, and provides strict quality control.

Not stopping there, ASUS added a long metal brace to the top and front of the graphics card, as well as dual-BIOS switch with a performance mode and a quiet mode. The cooling shroud and backplate additionally offer RGB LEDs, which are Aura Sync compatible with other ASUS hardware.

Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Advanced OC

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.25-slot
MSRP: N/A—EU Only
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Colorful’s iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Advanced goes for a highly technical appearance, with a space grey cooling shroud and a middle section that resembles a red energy core, bolstered with RGB LED lighting (fully customizable through the iGame Zone II software with up to 16.8 million different colors). The metal shroud has upgraded armor complete with alloy casting, and the card is cooled by Colorful’s Silver Shark 2.0 setup. The configuration involves an aluminum heatsink, a power supply heat sink, a network of five 8mm pure copper heat pipes, and an iGame vacuum copper plate, which is filled with a copper powder and a cooling liquid. The three 90mm fans each brandish 11 blades with streamlined surfaces. Colorful claims that their Silver Shark 2.0 cooler improves overall cooling performance and allows for superior airflow and heat dissipation.

If you like the design of the GPU, but you’re looking for different clock speeds, have a look at the Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Advanced.

Note: The iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Advanced and iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Advanced OC are only available in Europe.

Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Vulcan

Power Connectors: Three 8-pin
Size: 2.5-slot
MSRP: N/A—EU Only
Manufacturer’s Product Page: Coming Soon

Colorful’s iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Vulcan is only available in Europe, and takes on a sharp, mean looking visage. It’s covered in silver and black trim, with recessed RGB LED lights under the front edges. It relies on three fans with triangle-embossed fan blades, and a long aluminum heatsink for cooling duties.

EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Gaming Ultra

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.75-slot
MSRP: $1,250
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Incorporating the new iCX2 cooling system with nine additional thermal sensors, EVGA claims their in-house dual-fan and heatsink combo makes the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Gaming extra cool and quiet. EVGA constructed the VGA fans with Hydro Dynamic Bearings, along with new blades and rotational directions. You can also pick a red, white, or black trim color around the outside edges of the fan shroud, adding some nice customization. You can also pick up EVGA’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Gaming, which retails for $1,200, and has a similar design and fans, albeit with a widened heatsink for additional cooling. Both the cards have RGB LED strips for added personalization.

EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.75-slot
MSRP: $1,349
Manufacturer’s Product Page

EVGA’s FTW series continues with their GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming. It has a vast, transparent cooling cover and your choice of red, white, or black trim underneath. Each of the three Hydro Dynamic Bearing fans have redesigned fan blades and rotational directions. The heatsink below them spans the entirety of the PCB, and EVGA claims their iCX2 setup makes this GPU 14% cooler and 19% quieter than their prior iCX tech.

You’ll also want to keep an eye out for the EVGA GeForce 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra (available soon) which has a very similar cooler, but with alternative boost and core clock speeds.

Gainward GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Phoenix GS

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.5-slot
MSRP: N/A—EU import only
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Available only in Europe, the silver and black Gainward GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Phoenix GS commands a colossal 2.5-slot cooler with a trio of fans, a long heatsink, and a full metal backplate with a white Phoenix logo spreading its wings to fly. The “GS” stands for Golden Sample, which Gainward claims allows for rock-solid stability even under intense overclocks.

You can also purchase the Gainward GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Phoenix, which uses the same 2.5-slot cooler, but with different clock speeds.

GALAX GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Power Connectors: Twi 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: TBD
Manufacturer’s Product Page

GALAX’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti relies on vapor chamber heatsink and a blower-style design. With the single fan churning away near the back of the shroud, all of the hot air is routed outside the back of your case. This, combined with the dual-slot design, make it friendly to smaller systems without loads of internal fans.

The same card is also available in Europe under the KFA2 brand.

GALAX GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: TBD
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Available in both white and black color styles, the GALAX GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC has two 90mm RGB LED fans, each with a six-slot three-phase design and 11 blades, which GALAX claims reduces vibration, lessens fan noise, increases efficiency, and creates optimal air pressure. Each fan also offers tweakable RGB LED lighting. Underneath the fans is a large vapor chamber with aluminum fins, and behind the PCB is a thick metal backplate. Polishing the card off is GALAX’s Xrystlic duo-layered graphic emblazoned across the cover.

The black version of the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC is also available in Europe through KFA2.

GALAX GeForce RTX 2080 Ti SG Edition

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.5-slot
MSRP: TBD
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Two fans just not doing it for you? How about three? GALAX’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti SG Edition offers exactly that, with each of the 80mm fans armed with specialized blades, which GALAX claims produces powerful cooling along with reduced noise. Working in tandem with the trio of fans is a complex heatsink with three total arrays. Six copper composite heat-pipes snake through the entire configuration, terminating into a generously sized copper base. Adding to that, there’s a matte-black overall color theme, with an aluminum backplate and customizable RGB logos and strips along the top of the shroud.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Windforce OC 11G

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: $1,170
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Gigabyte’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Windforce OC 11G contains three fans, with the center one spinning in the opposite direction as the other two. Gigabyte claims this setup optimizes airflow, lowers temps, and generates better cooling performance. Each fan has triangular edges along the blades, combined with 3D-striped curves along the surfaces. The company’s 3D Active Fan technology causes the fans to only spool up once there’s a need for them to do so. The multi-stage heatsink uses two separate arrays for the MOSFETs, and one central array for the VRAM. All of these sections are tied together by composite heat-pipes which directly contact the card’s GPU. Under all the cooling is a 13+3 power phase design, ultra-durable metal chokes and capacitors, a 2oz copper PCB, and a long metal backplate.

For lighting, there’s an RGB LED Gigabyte logo with 16.7 million available colors, with various effects such as cycling, strobing, static, breathing, and more.

There’s also the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming OC 11G, which uses the same cooler, but with a thicker heatsink and a 2.5-slot footprint.

Inno3D GeForce RTX 2080 Ti iChill Black Edition

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: N/A—EU import only
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Inno3D’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti iChill Black Edition provides a self-contained liquid cooling loop, which should help you reach higher overclocks compared to air-cooling. With improved architecture comprised of a super-conductive 240mm radiator, two 120mm fans, and an in-built pump, Inno3D claims this version is nice and quiet, but still operates 25% cooler than the last generation GTX 1080 Ti reference card. There’s also a TFT color display on the casing, which monitors fan speeds, temps, and overall GPU status. For RGB aficionados, a GeForce RTX logo sits ready for your tweaking.

Inno3D’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti iChill Black Edition is available in Europe only.

Inno3D GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming OC X3

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: N/A—EU import only
Manufacturer’s Product Page

The Inno3D GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming OC X3 is sheathed in a black cover with yellow highlights, comes with three fans (along with 0dB fan-stop) a lofty heatsink, and has RBG lighting. This card is only available in Europe.

Inno3D GeForce RTX 2080 Ti X2 OC

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: N/A—EU import only
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Inno3D’s two-fan, two-slot, Europe-only GeForce RTX 2080 Ti X2 OC is good option for those with a chassis where space is at a premium. It goes with Inno3D’s Jumbo Vapor Chamber cooling tech, has a 0dB full-stop fan mode, and fosters RBG LED strips. This GPU design still sends the hot air inside the tower though, so make sure you have the proper airflow and case-fans setup ahead of time.

MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin & One 6-pin
Size: 2.25-slot
MSRP: $1,250
Manufacturer’s Product Page

If you’re looking to make a visual statement with your GPU, have a good look at MSI’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio. It’s decked out with three stylish fans, the cooler is covered in RGB LED strips (which you can adjust using Mystic Light Sync), and the whole frame is fashioned with a gunmetal color scheme. And those three fans look unique for a reason: they’re crafted with MSI’s TORX 3.0 technology, which includes a double ball-bearing design. MSI claims this configuration minimizes noise and pumps up the cooling performance. Paired up with the fans is a long heatsink, which MSI claims is optimized with advanced aerodynamics. Finishing everything up is a thick metal backplate with MSI’s dragon logo stamped on the surface.

MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Duke 11G OC

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.25-slot
MSRP: TBD
Manufacturer’s Product Page

Continuing along the trend of three fans, the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Duke OC goes for a slightly different style compared to its sibling GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio, with black and silver coloring and a centralized RGB LED area near the top of the card. You can install the MSI Mystic Lighting software to tweak the LED section to your heart’s content, and the trio of Torx 2.0 fans come with double ball-bearings, dispersion blades, and traditional blades all combined together. Just under the fans is an all-encompassing heatsink, which MSI claims accelerates heat dissipation, due to the aerodynamic design. The PCB’s posterior has a brushed metal backplate with silver highlights, which MSI claims strengthens the card.

MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Ventus 11G OC

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: TBD
Manufacturer’s Product Page: Coming Soon

Similar to the Founder’s Edition, the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Ventus 11G OC equips a duo of customized fans. Adding to those is a heatsink with smoothed heat pipes, and a brushed metal backplate with a black finish. MSI’s Zero Frozr technology puts the fans to a halt when the card is idle or in a low-load situation, which MSI claims reduces overall noise.

Palit GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Pro OC

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2.5-slot
MSRP: N/A—EU import only
Manufacturer’s Product Page

With a black, gold, and white cooler cover and a silver honeycomb bracket, Palit’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Pro OC is dressed to impress. Palit claims that the embedded RBG lighting can be set up to change colors—up to 16.8 million different combinations—based on the GPU’s temperature (by using the company’s ThunderMaster software). Palit further claims that their DrMOS hardware permits high current circuits, quieter operation, and minimized heat, making for an incredibly efficient and powerful graphics card. There’s also Palit’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Pro, which employs the same cooler but with different clock speeds.

Both cards are only available in Europe.

PNY GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB XLR8 Gaming Overclocked Edition Triple Fan

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: $1,299
Manufacturer’s Product Page

PNY’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB XLR8 Gaming Overclocked Edition holsters three scythe-bladed fans to tackle the cooling duties. It also has a honeycomb-laden bracket on the connector panel, and only takes up two total slots on your motherboard.

PNY GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB Blower

Power Connectors: Two 8-pin
Size: 2-slot
MSRP: $1,249
Manufacturer’s Product Page

If you’d rather push your GeForce RTX 2080 Ti’s exhaust out of the back of your case instead of into it, PNY’s blower version fits that bill nicely.

ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2080 Ti AMP

Power Connectors:
Size: 2.5-slot
MSRP: $1,199
Manufacturer’s Product Page

ZOTAC’s well-known AMP line-up now has the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti in its roster. ZOTAC buffed up the heatsink compared to last-gen cards with a larger profile and thicker aluminum fins, as well as five 8mm copper heat pipes. ZOTAC claims this upgrade works even better at heat dissipation than their prior AMP cards. Between the PCB and the heatsink is a die-cast metal jacket, and the cooling shroud contains long areas of RGB LED lighting. You can fine-tune the colors, brightness, and modes of the RGB strips by using ZOTAC’s Spectra software. With Active Fan Control, ZOTAC claims each of the three multi-stage-bladed fans automatically adjust rotation based on their location. If one part of the card needs extra cooling while another part doesn’t, only the fan in that zone will turn faster.

For an identical cooler and 2.5-slot size, ZOTAC also has the $1,169 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Triple Fan, which offers different core and boost clock speeds.

 

Get a Custom RTX 2080 Ti for the Ultimate Gaming Experience

Thanks to so many variations and designs, there’s a custom GeForce RTX 2080 Ti out there that’s bound to fit your needs, complete with the same advanced Turing architecture found on custom partner  and Founder’s Edition cards. That means real-time ray tracing, 4K 60FPS gameplay, Deep Learning Super-Sampling (DLSS), enhanced VR features (including USB Type-C and VirtualLink support, Multi-View Rendering, Foveated Rendering, and buffed up NVIDIA VRWorks Audio), NVIDIA Scanner one-click overclocking, advanced programmable shaders, and the fastest memory currently on the market in the form of GDDR6. No matter which custom or Founder’s Edition GeForce RTX 2080 Ti you purchase, you’ll also have GeForce Experience, along with NVIDIA Freestyle, NVIDIA Ansel RTX, optimized game settings, game-ready drivers, NVIDIA ShadowPlay, cool giveaways, and more. You’ll also unlock awesome NVIDIA technologies, such as NVIDIA G-Sync, DSR, HBAO+, TXAA, and many others.

If you’re stuck on which custom card to pick, or what requirements pertain the most to your system and gaming habits, you can always leave a comment below for help from the community, or take a digital stroll over to tech forums or websites for advice, such as Tom’s Hardware, PC Part Picker, PC World, and PC Gamer.

 

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