NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5080 has been on sale for most of 2026 as a 16GB card. The question this November is whether to buy one at today's UK price, step down a tier, or hold out for a rumoured memory upgrade that has not been announced.
Forge PC has not tested the RTX 5080. The figures below come from NVIDIA's official specification sheet and from SpecPrice's stock-checked UK shop prices on 13 November 2026.
Official specifications
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5080 page lists the following:
Spec | Official figure |
|---|
CUDA cores | 10,752 |
Boost / base clock | 2.62 GHz / 2.30 GHz |
Memory | 16GB GDDR7, 256-bit interface |
Maximum GPU temperature | 88°C |
Total graphics power | 360W |
Required system power | 850W |
Supplementary power | 3× 8-pin cables via the included adapter, or one 450W or greater PCIe Gen 5 cable |
The required system power figure is NVIDIA's, not a generic "recommended PSU" rule of thumb. If you are planning a new build or a drop-in upgrade, our PSU buying guide is the place to check wattage and connector type, and our upgrade guide covers the practical steps.
UK prices on 13 November 2026
On SpecPrice's dedicated RTX 5080 tracker, updated at 07:56 GMT on 13 November 2026, the cheapest stock-checked new card is £1,499.99 at Scan. AWD-IT's equivalent listing is £1,616.99. SpecPrice's 90-day low for a stock-checked UK shop listing is £1,359.98, recorded on 16 October 2026, so today's cheapest price is back at the recent high of that window.
Nearby cards, taken from SpecPrice's cheapest-by-model table the same morning, look like this:
Card | Memory | Cheapest stock-checked new | Shop |
|---|
RTX 5080 (16GB GDDR7; an example listing is the MSI Ventus 3X OC) | 16GB | from £1,499.99 | Scan |
RTX 5070 Ti | 16GB | from £1,215.00 | AWD-IT |
RX 9070 XT | 16GB | from £819.98 | Scan |
RX 9070 | 16GB | from £731.99 | AWD-IT |
RTX 5070 | 12GB | from £597.99 | AWD-IT |
RTX 5090 | 32GB | from £6,999.98 | Scan |
Shop prices move, and Scan's RTX 5070 listings have often been higher than AWD-IT's opener (Scan was £779.99 the same morning). Treat the table as a snapshot, not a permanent ranking. For broader card advice see our best graphics card guide, and for the mid-range AMD versus NVIDIA pairings see RX 9070 vs RTX 5070 and RX 9070 XT vs RTX 5070 Ti. The wider UK hardware market this November is still expensive by last year's standards.
SpecPrice also listed used RTX 5080s from £1,200.00, including postage. That is a marketplace "used from" figure, not a shop-refurbished price with a named warranty, and it is only about £300 below the cheapest new card.
The 24GB rumour is not a buying plan
Through late 2026, leaks have described a possible RTX 5080 refresh with 24GB of memory, sometimes aimed at early 2027. In November 2026, PC Gamer and HotHardware both reported claims that this plan may have been cancelled, citing industry sources rather than NVIDIA. NVIDIA has not announced a 24GB RTX 5080.
Until there is an official product, treat every version of that story as unconfirmed. Do not delay a purchase you otherwise want to make on the strength of a leak, and do not assume a 24GB card will arrive at a particular price.
Should you buy one now?
Buy a 16GB RTX 5080 now if you want NVIDIA's official 50-series feature set, 16GB of GDDR7, and you are comfortable paying £1,499.99 or more — knowing the same tracker saw £1,359.98 five weeks ago. A 850W-class power supply and a case that can take a modern 360W card are part of that decision.
Look at the 16GB RTX 5070 Ti, or at AMD's 16GB RX 9070 series, if the extra £300–£700 over those cards does not buy you something you will actually use. The 12GB RTX 5070 is far cheaper, but it is a different memory class; see our how much VRAM guide before you trade 16GB away.
Wait only if you already have a card that still does the job, or if you are specifically shopping Black Friday and can live with the risk that £1,499.99 is not beaten. Waiting for an unannounced 24GB 5080 is not a plan.
Our verdict
The RTX 5080 you can buy in the UK today is NVIDIA's 16GB, 360W card, from £1,499.99 at Scan on 13 November 2026. That is £140 above the 90-day low. A rumoured 24GB refresh remains unconfirmed, and recent reporting says it may not happen. If you need the card, buy the 16GB model on a price you can accept — do not hold out for a leak.
