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The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card represents a significant leap in GPU architecture, offering a substantial performance boost compared to the previous generation Turing-based RTX 20 series. While features like real-time ray tracing and DLSS were introduced with Turing, they didn’t fully resonate with gamers as NVIDIA had hoped. The Ampere architecture, on which the RTX 30 series is built, addresses these shortcomings, promising superior performance. The RTX 3080, in particular, has generated significant excitement, outperforming even the flagship RTX 2080 Ti. Gigabyte, a leading hardware manufacturer, is among the first to bring these powerful GPUs to market. This unboxing review takes a closer look at the Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle OC 10G, a member of Gigabyte’s newer Eagle series of graphics cards.

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Unboxing

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle OC: First Impressions

Gigabyte’s packaging design remains consistent, featuring the familiar blue and black color scheme, accented by the new Eagle series logo. This design, while recognizable, offers little in the way of excitement for a new product launch, especially one as highly anticipated as the RTX 3080. The rear of the box mirrors previous Gigabyte offerings, like the RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC and RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC, showcasing the Windforce 3X cooling system and its key features.

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Packaging

Moving past the somewhat underwhelming packaging, the Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle OC itself boasts a noticeably different design compared to its predecessors. The card is substantial in size but surprisingly not as heavy as other triple-fan solutions, such as the MSI RTX 2080 Super Gaming X Trio. The most striking difference is the departure from the symmetrical design of previous Windforce 3X coolers. The RTX 3080 Eagle OC features a stepped shroud and a transparent plastic section highlighting the Eagle logo.

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Front View

Cooling and Design Features

As advertised, this transparent plastic element diffuses light across the Eagle logo and the GeForce RTX branding on the top edge of the card. The three fans arranged in a horizontal row, featuring 3D-striped blades for optimized airflow, are the main visual link to the previous Windforce 3X design. Gigabyte emphasizes the use of graphene nano-lubricant in the fan bearings, claiming a 2.1x increase in lifespan compared to standard sleeve bearings, approaching the longevity of double ball bearings while maintaining quieter operation. This claim will need to be verified in long-term testing.

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Logo

The card’s thickness is primarily due to the large heatsink, which incorporates multiple copper heat pipes and a substantial copper plate covering the GPU die and surrounding memory chips. This comprehensive cooling solution promises stable operation even under heavy load. This design proved effective with the Gigabyte RX 5500 XT Gaming OC, maintaining stability at high temperatures, unlike cards with less robust memory cooling solutions, like the Sapphire Pulse RX 5500 XT 4G.

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Fan Design

Instead of the new 12-pin power connector found on NVIDIA’s Founder’s Edition cards, the Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle OC uses two standard 8-pin connectors, spaced apart by a color-matched plastic divider. The purpose of this design choice is unclear, but dedicating such a large area to the power connectors seems slightly inefficient.

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Top View

Backplate and Airflow

The backplate, a standard feature on high-end graphics cards, provides structural support and features a cutout that vents hot air directly out the back of the card. This design choice, along with the shorter PCB and the fan configuration that pushes some air towards the rear exhaust, clearly takes cues from NVIDIA’s Founder’s Edition design. This airflow strategy leverages the case’s rear exhaust fan, and it remains to be seen whether this design proves as effective as intended.

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Power Connectors

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Backplate

Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle Gaming OC 10G – Rear View

Conclusion

The Gigabyte RTX 3080 Eagle OC 10G exhibits significant design changes compared to previous Gigabyte cards, drawing inspiration from NVIDIA’s Founder’s Edition. The increased attention to the card’s front-facing aesthetics, coupled with the larger size, suggests a shift towards vertically mounted GPUs in high-end gaming PC builds. Further testing will be necessary to evaluate the card’s performance and cooling efficiency.