MSI RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 SUPRIM X Review

Conclusion

It’s difficult when summing up modern graphics cards, because the manufacturers have absolutely nailed on the consistency of the GPUs themselves, to the point where there is never really a bad one nor a golden one. Similarly the automatic boosting negates any of the fun from the old days when we used to get special high OC models. The card will always reach whatever limit it can. Naturally this limit is affected by the quality of the power components and the cooling. Power components are very close across cards because they have a target to hit. Only in the cooling is there any difference to be found, but even here the majority of high end RTX cards – 3080 and 3090 – use a triple fan design.

As you can see from our testing the two MSI Suprim X cards match very closely to their competitors in the performance charts. If we had to be supremely (ha) nitpicky then we’d say that the RTX 3090 Suprim X was, just about, better compared to its rivals than the RTX 3080 which was a bit more in the middle of the pack. Everything is relative of course and when the difference in frames per second can be measured on the fingers of one hand then whichever you choose you’ll be pleased.

So if the performance is the same across the cards, and the temperatures are similar, noise is about the same, and price is on par, it means we’re stuck with looks as the only differentiating factor between the Suprim X and other RTX Ampere cards. Here it’s very much a matter of personal taste, but we prefer the looks of the MSI Suprim X to their Gaming X Trio. The brushed finish to both the fan surround and backplate is very attractive, and the contrasting brush directions lend a pleasing 3D optical illusion effect. Additionally the side lighting is plentiful. If you’re a big fan of having ALL the RGB lighting in your case – and we are – then the Suprim X will be right up your alley.

The only negative we have is the name, and not merely because our fingers always want to type supreme. It doesn’t exactly roll of the tongue, and it’s also one of those names that will require an explanation when discussing it; “What GPU have you got?”. “A MSI Suprim”. “Don’t you mean Supreme?”. “No Suprim, it stands for something but I can’t remember what”. Normally we could ignore it but it’s printed large on the back of the card. Ho hum. Let’s be honest though, if that’s all there is to complain about then MSI have done well, as always.

Regardless of which of the two MSI Suprim X cards you choose you can be certain of having an excellent take upon their respective Ampere formulae, and they win our OC3D Performance Award.

  

Discuss the MSI Suprim X range in our OC3D Forums.