Both the GeForce GTX 1080 SLI and 1080 Ti are top-end graphics that meet the system requirements of most modern games. From this article, you will get to know both the similarities and dissimilarities between the cards.
Let me start with a brief on SLI technology.
Scalable Link Interface, abbreviated as SLI is the brand name of NVIDIA’s multi-GPU technology. The SLI technology is used to combine two or more video cards to produce a single output. You can increase the processing power of your computer by using GPUs that support SLI. So, you can understand that all GPUs don’t support SLI technology.
There are 3 types of SLI configurations 2-way SLI, 3-way SLI, and 4-way SLI. The GeForce GTX 1080 is a 2-way SLI card. In 2-way SLI, 2 GPUs are combined using a 2-way SLI bridge. You know only the 2-way SLI is officially supported by GTX 10 series cards.
Comparison and Difference Between GeForce GTX 1080 SLI and 1080 Ti GPU
Before getting into detailed comparisons and differences, we are providing you with a quick comparison table in order to compare them more conveniently. Have a look –
| GTX 1080 SLI | GTX 1080 Ti | |
| Model | Pascal GP104 SLI | GP102 |
| Pipelines | 5120 – unified | 3584 – unified |
| Base Speed | 1556 MHz | 1481 MHz |
| Boost Speed | 1733 MHz | 1582 MHz |
| Memory Speed | 10 Gbps effective | 11 Gbps effective |
| Bus Width | 256 Bit | 352 Bit |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5X |
| Maximum Memory | 2 x 8 GB | 1 x 11 GB |
| API | OpenGL 4.5, DirectX 12.1 | OpenGL 4.5, DirectX 12.1 / Vulkan |
| Transistor | 14.4 Billion | 12 Billion |
| Features | GeForce Experience, Multi-Projection, G-SYNC, 3D Vision, Multi-Monitor, Adaptive Vertical Sync, SLI, GPU Boost 2.0, etc | PCIe 3.0, HDMI 2.0b, CUDA, DP 1.4, G-SYNC, GPU Boost 3.0, etc |
| Announcement | May 6, 2016 | March 10, 2017 |
As you can see that the SLI has more to offer than the 1080 Ti. But here is a catch. Although the SLI supports multi-GPU configuration, this configuration sometimes fails to utilize the GPUs at their best.
GTX 1080 SLI – Key Configuration
Released in May 2016 the GeForce GTX 1080 SLI is still dominating the market. It is equipped with Pascal architecture offering 5120 Shader Processing Units, 320 TMUs (Texture Mapping Units), and 128 ROPs (Render Output Pipelines).
It can access an 8GB frame buffer of GDDR5X SDRAM through a 256-bit memory interface and the memory clock operates at 1251 MHz. In turbo mode, the core clock speed and the boost clock speed are 1607MHz and 1733 MHz respectively.
It comes with 1 DVI connector, 1 HDMI connector, and 3 display ports. You will also get a pair of 8-pin connectors with it. With a rated board TDP of 360W, the card needs at least a 600W PSU(Power Supply Unit) with the available connectors.
Game Performance Synopsis
The GTX 1080 SLI meets the DirectX 12 gaming requirements and can run top-tier AAA games at 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K.
Based on the performance of the 1070 SLI at Ultra graphics settings and the frame rate, it returns at the popular display resolutions here is a short performance synopsis.
When it is run at 1080p resolution to play FIFA22 it will return an excellent frame rate across the following graphics settings:
Low: 510 FPS
Medium: 401 FPS
High: 270 FPS
Ultra: 193 FPS.
When it is run at 1440p resolution to play FIFA22 it will return an excellent frame rate across the following graphics settings:
Low: 389 FPS
Medium: 306 FPS
High: 206 FPS
Ultra: 147 FPS
A common question we get from gamers that how long NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1080 SLI card will be able to play newly released games. Well, we predict that it can give you a satisfactory service for more than years from now on.
GTX 1080 Ti – Key Configuration
Released in March 2017 the GeForce GTX 1080 TI is still dominating the market. It is equipped with Pascal architecture offering 3584 Shader Processing Units, 224 TMUs (Texture Mapping Units), and ROPs (Render Output Pipelines) is 88.
It can access an 11.2GB frame buffer of GDDR5X memory through a 352-bit memory interface and the memory clock operates at 1376 MHz. In turbo mode, the core clock speed and the boost clock speed are 1480 MHz and 1582 MHz respectively.
It comes with 2 DVI connectors, 1 HDMI connector, and 3 display ports. You will also get an 8-pin connector and a 6-pin connector with it. With a rated board TDP of 220W, the card needs at least a 600W PSU with the available connectors.
Game Performance Synopsis
The GTX 1080 Ti meets the DirectX 12 gaming requirements and can return satisfactory FPS at both the high and ultra 1080p.
We have checked the framing rate from Forza Horizon 5, Far Cry 6, and Grand Theft Auto VI when run at 1080p. It returned 64 FPS from Forza Horizon 5, 58 FPS from Far Cry 6, and 59 FPS from Grand Theft Auto VI.
When it is run at 1440p resolution to play Far Cry 6 it returned 44 FPS.
When it is run at 1440p resolution to play Grand Theft Auto 6 it returned 45 FPS.
A common question we get from gamers that how long NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1080 Ti card will be able to play newly released games. Well, we predict that it can give you a satisfactory service for more than years from now on.
Our Verdict
It is clear by now that both GPUs are relatively good, not more or less superior to each other. Some specs show that SLI has more, whereas some other specs show Ti is better. But if you consider the perfect SLI configuration, SLI will beat Ti. Otherwise, if SLI goes wrong or is improperly configured, Ti will surpass SLI being a single yet powerful GPU.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is 1080 Ti better than 1080?
Ti in Nvidia graphics card stands for Titanium. It basically represents an upgraded version of GPU and provides more enhancements along with more VRAM, bandwidth, etc to confirm better graphic quality. So, it is considerably better compared to the regular GPU.
Can I run GTX 1080 Ti in SLI?
Yes, of course. If your motherboard is SLI-compatible, all you need is two identical SLI-compatible GTX 1080 Ti GPUs. First of all, install them in your computer system. And lastly, activate the SLI configuration from the Nvidia control panel.
How many GPUs are supported by 1080 SLI?
For your information, you can configure SLI using up to two GTX 1080 GPUs by default. The sole reason is that Nvidia does not allow 3-way or 4-way SLI modes no more except for some specific cases.
Final Words
The popularity of SLI technology is decreasing day by day. You can only play SLI-supported games with SLI cards. On the other hand, there is no such restriction for non-SLI cards.
The best-suited resolution for both the GTX 1080 SLI and 1080 Ti is 3840×2160. For optimal performance, it is recommended to use Core i7-6800K 6-Core 3.4GHz CPU and 16GB RAM.
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