Graphic cards are a big deal in the world of computer gaming. This is why when Nvidia released the GTX 1080, it swept the gaming world off its feet. Although the graphics card is pricier than previous generations, there is no doubt that it puts up a fantastic performance, is highly overclockable, and it has a great design too. With an 8GB video RAM known as GDDR5X and a VRAM speed of 10GHz, the GTX 1080 is quite an impressive GPU graphics card.

But really, how fast is the GTX 1080, especially at 4k benchmark? How valid is the claim by Nvidia that the GTX 1080 is faster than two GTX 980s – its predecessor – in SLI? Before we take a look at the benchmarks, let’s quickly address some key concepts for those who may be new to all of these.

You might find some of these terms confusing, especially if you are entirely new to them. But not to worry, a lot of people don’t know what they mean either, so you are not alone. Let’s begin with a brief explanation of some of these terms.

• Benchmark: A computer benchmark is a standard used to compare the performance or speed of internet connections, software programs, and hardware components. In this case, we are focusing on the graphic card GTX 1080 at 4k benchmarks.

• 4K: This is a display standard for monitors, televisions, and other video equipment with about 4,000 pixels. A common 4k standard is the UHD (Ultra HD), having a resolution of 3,840 pixels wide by 2,160 pixels tall (3840 x 2160 pixels).

• FPS: This stands for Frames Per Second. It measures the number of full-screen images displayed on a screen per second, known as frame rate. The higher the FPS, the better and smoother the gaming experience. For an optimum gaming experience, go for 60 FPS. But if your PC is not too good, stay within 30 to 40 FPS.

Now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the GTX 1080 at 4K and 1440p benchmarks.

Testing Methodology

We will compare the GTX 1080 with a single GTX 980 and dual GTX 980s using the following test bench:

• Processor: Intel Corei7 5930K (clocked at 3.5GHz)
• RAM: 16GB
• Several game benchmarks at 1440p and 4K

1440p Benchmarks

At 1440p, the GTX 1080 lags behind the dual 980s by just two percent in the Shadow of Mordor benchmark. However, when pitched against a single GTX 980, there’s a yawning gap between the two. The GTX 980 has a 37.6 average FPS while the GTX 1080 goes up to 62.8 average FPS. That’s a massive 67 percent performance gap! Gaming at 60+ FPS is quite a different and better experience than gaming at 30+ FPS.

At 1440p, where frame buffer size plays a significant role, the GTX 1080 falls slightly behind the dual GTX 980s by one percent in the BioShock Infinite benchmark. The Pascal card still didn’t gain victory against the dual 980s in Metro Last Light at 1440p. However, it reached up to 45.6 average FPS in the Metro Last Light benchmark at 1440p.

1440p Conclusion

There are not quite many single-GPU cards that can get up to 45.6 average FPS under the Metro Last Light benchmark. For the GTX 1080 to achieve this feat in one of the most graphically demanding games ever is very impressive. If you are looking to max out 1440p games enjoying an average 30+ FPS, the GTX 1080 is the card to get.

4K Benchmarks

The GTX 1080 at 4K takes the lead against the dual 980s by four percent in the BioShock Infinite benchmark thanks to its 8GB video RAM. But more impressively, it played BioShock Infinite maxed out at 4K with an average 65.5 FPS!

However, the GTX could not beat the dual 980s in the Metro Last Light at 4K benchmark. It had a poor rendering at 19.3 FPS, which is unplayable. But that’s not to say the dual 980s were able to make any headway at 4K in the Metro Last Light benchmark. They also had a poor unplayable rendering at 22 FPS.

There’s a pretty massive gap between a single GTX 980 card and the GTX 1080 at 4K benchmark. The single GTX 980 came up to an average 34.6 FPS, while the GTX 1080 went up to an ordinary 59 FPS. That’s a whopping 71 percent difference!

Just as in the Shadow of Mordor at 1440p, the single GTX 980 gives you a 30 FPS gaming experience while the GTX 1080 at 4K benchmark gives you almost 60 FPS gaming experience.

4K Conclusion

The GTX 1080 at 4K benchmark is indeed capable of handling most games with at least 30+ average FP. It might not max out every single game at 4K, but then how many single-GPUs can accomplish that? If your goal is to max out all heavy games at 4k with 60+ average FPS, then you will have to get two GTX 1080 cards.

In Closing

In terms of performance, no previous generation of GPU from Nvidia comes close to the GTX 1080, even at 4K benchmarks. Although it doesn’t quite hit the average 60 FPS setting at 4K, it can still get above 30 or even up to 40 FPS at 4K.

If you are looking for the most powerful and fastest single consumer graphics card in the market, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 is the GPU to go for. It is indeed a 4K-capable card. Although its predecessor, the GTX 980, is an impressive GPU, the GTX 1080 is almost 70 percent faster than the GTX 980 at 4K. Now that’s pretty impressive! The GTX 1080 truly lives up to its billing.