Is the GeForce GTX 1080 still good in 2026?

It sits at index 11 on our 1-100 scale, ranked 38 of the 47 cards we track, and clears the minimum tier in 17 of 19 games here. Its core speed runs out before its video memory does in every game we track.

What processor should go with a GeForce GTX 1080?

Something around index 30 - the Ryzen 5 1600 is the closest match in our catalogue. Pairing far above that spends money the card cannot use; pairing far below it wastes the card.

NVIDIA graphics

GeForce GTX 1080

Released in 2016 with 8 GB of video memory. On our scale it sits at index 11, which places it 38 of 47 cards tracked here. In every game below, its core speed runs out before its memory does.

verified 3DMark Steel Nomad score 1631 · source

Index 11 is that score divided by the fastest card we track, not a number we typed: 1631 / 14636 × 100.

Performance index

11 of 100

Video memory

8 GB

Clears minimum in

17 of 19 games

What the GeForce GTX 1080 runs

Judged on the card alone. The processor and memory in the same machine can lower any row here, never raise it.

Game	Reaches	Then limited by	Full page
Grand Theft Auto VI	below minimum	core speed	open ↗
Cyberpunk 2077	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Baldur's Gate 3	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Elden Ring	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Counter-Strike 2	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Alan Wake 2	below minimum	core speed	open ↗
Starfield	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Black Myth: Wukong	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Hogwarts Legacy	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Fortnite	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Helldivers 2	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Grand Theft Auto V	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Red Dead Redemption 2	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Monster Hunter Wilds	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Marvel Rivals	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Apex Legends	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Forza Horizon 5	recommended	core speed	open ↗
Palworld	minimum	core speed	open ↗
Destiny 2	recommended	core speed	open ↗

If you were to upgrade

The next step up our ladder is the GeForce RTX 2060 6GB at index 12 with 6 GB - 9% more performance than the GeForce GTX 1080 . That is the smallest genuine move, not the best value - we hold no price data and will not pretend otherwise.

Where to look: GeForce RTX 2060 6GB (no store links yet)

For a balanced machine, pair it with something near index 30 - the Ryzen 5 1600 is the closest match we track.

Questions

Is the GeForce GTX 1080 still good in 2026?: It sits at index 11 on our 1-100 scale, ranked 38 of the 47 cards we track, and clears the minimum tier in 17 of 19 games here. Its core speed runs out before its video memory does in every game we track.
What processor should go with a GeForce GTX 1080?: Something around index 30 - the Ryzen 5 1600 is the closest match in our catalogue. Pairing far above that spends money the card cannot use; pairing far below it wastes the card.