RTX 5080 fails to keep up with GTX 980 Ti in PhysX benchmark comparison following cut support
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Nvidia recently confirmed that it has dropped PhysX 32-bit support in its latest RTX 50 series GPUs, meaning that playing older PhysX games (with the relevant settings enabled) with high frame rates is now a challenge for those on the latest hardware. Since then, gamers have compiled lists of every game affected by this and gathered performance data from various forums to get a clearer picture of the situation.
We have yet another performance comparison between the brand-new RTX 50 series GPU and a decade-old GPU. The graphics cards in question are Nvidia’s RTX 5080 and the former flagship GTX 980 Ti, put to the test in a PhysX performance showdown in the wastelands of Borderland 2, and the results might have you dusting off our old 980 Ti (well, probably not).
- GPU: GB203
- CUDA Cores: 10752
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR7
- Memory Bus width: 256 bit
- Base Clock speed: 2295 MHz
- Boost Clock speed: 2617 MHz
15 FPS in Borderlands 2, a game that’s 13 years older than the RTX 5080
During the performance showdown, the RTX 5080 was paired with Nvidia’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D, an important detail since 50 series cards can’t use GPU-based PhysX and now rely on CPU-based PhysX. As expected, the results weren’t great. The RTX 5080 struggled to stay above 60 FPS initially, but in more intense physics-based moments, like chucking grenades around your surroundings, FPS dropped to 15, causing heavy lag and stuttering. So, if you’re going to play this game on your new 50 series card – be sure to turn the ‘PhysX Effects’ setting firmly to off.
The GTX 980 Ti, which was released back in 2015 and turns 10 years old soon, provided a much smoother experience with PhysX Effects settings enabled. However, the test had some issues. The biggest was the lack of frame rate display for the 980 Ti, so performance had to be judged visually, and it did look better than the RTX 5080. Users also pointed out inconsistencies, like six grenades being thrown during the RTX 5080 test but only three for the 980 Ti. Because of this, the benchmark isn’t perfect, especially since we also don’t know the specifics on the PhysX settings used, but it’s clear the 5080 struggles.
While this is a fun comparison, the RTX 5080 will obviously outperform the GTX 980 Ti in every single other way. Nvidia-specific PhysX settings are no longer being implemented by developers, but they remain an option in some older games such as Borderlands 2, the Batman Arkham series, and Mirror's Edge. If you’re playing these games on a 50 series card, you can simply opt to avoid PhysX settings altogether, but it does sting to miss out on some fancier visuals.
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