NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Graphics Card (Pre Owned)

NVIDIA's GTX 1080 Ti card was launched in March 2017 and was touted as NVIDIA's fastest GeForce card and the world's fastest GPU at launch. The card is built on the GP102-350-A1 chip, a close variant of the GP102-400-A1 chip used in the Titan X (Pascal). According to NVIDIA's own benchmarks, it is approximately 35% faster than the reference GTX 1080.

An interesting feature of this card is that it has one less memory controller than the Titan X (11GB vs. 12GB), but the GDDR5X memory is clocked at a higher rate (11 Gbps), resulting in roughly the same overall memory bandwidth. This clever engineering gives this card nearly equal performance to the Titan X, at a much lower price.

Performance and Architecture

The GTX 1080 Ti features 3584 CUDA Cores, 224 Texture Mapping Units (TMUs), and 88 ROPs. The reference base clock is 1480 MHz and the boost clock is 1582 MHz, which can go up to 2 GHz with overclocking. Custom/AIB variants (e.g. MSI GAMING X, Gigabyte) offer boost clocks of 1620-1683 MHz with different OC/Gaming/Silent modes. The GP102 chip features approximately 12 billion transistors and 6 graphics processing clusters (28 SMs).

The card also includes DirectX 12 and OpenGL support, along with features like NVIDIA GPU Boost, G-Sync, VR Readiness, and Adaptive Vertical Sync. Its power design is also quite advanced—a 7-phase dual-FET power delivery system uses two FETs per phase to better distribute current and spread heat over a larger area.

Memory and memory bandwidth

The card features 11GB of GDDR5X video memory, running at speeds of up to 11 Gbps over a 352-bit memory interface (up to 11124 MHz in some OC variants). This provides memory bandwidth of up to 484 GB/s, which was the fastest GDDR5X solution at the time. NVIDIA chose GDDR5X over HBM2 memory because it offered higher capacity and better bandwidth at a lower price at the time.

Display Output and Connectivity

The GTX 1080 Ti typically features 2-3x DisplayPort 1.4, 1-2x HDMI 2.0b, and some variants offer Dual-Link DVI-D outputs (though the Founders Edition removed DVI for improved cooling). This card handles both 4K gaming and VR with ease. The PCI Express 3.0 x16 interface makes it compatible with any modern motherboard, and SLI configurations are also supported.

Cooling and Build

The Founders Edition featured a vapor-chamber cooling design that was considered more efficient and silent than the previous generation. Custom AIB variants (such as the MSI GAMING X TRIO, Gigabyte AORUS) come with a triple-fan design, RGB lighting, and a metal backplate, which helps keep the card at a stable temperature even under heavy 4K gaming loads.

Things to keep in mind during installation

Ensure the card is properly seated in its PCIe x16 slot and the power connectors (6-pin + 8-pin) are connected. The TDP is 250W, so the recommended PSU is 600-650W. Since this is an older card, download the driver from NVIDIA's legacy driver list.

Who is this graphics card for?

The GTX 1080 Ti is now only suitable for users who already own this card and want to use it for older AAA games, esports titles, or 1080p-1440p gaming setups. This card is no longer recommended for new purchases, as modern mid-range cards offer much better performance at a lower price and lower power draw. However, this card remains a special choice for vintage hardware collectors and those reusing old high-end builds, as it is considered one of the most iconic cards of the Pascal generation.

GTX 1080 Ti Specifications Table

GTX 1080 Ti Price (New vs Second-Hand)

Note: This card is a 2017 flagship model and was widely used during the crypto mining era, so when purchasing it second-hand, be sure to check the card's mining history, fan bearings, and thermal paste lifespan. This card has been discontinued, so most purchases are made from the second-hand market.