I share the same thrill whenever a new graphics card drops, and my excitement hit a high note when Nvidia unveiled the RTX 5080 along with its groundbreaking DLSS 4 technology. This AI-powered feature promises to elevate visuals and frame rates in ways we’ve never seen before. But as soon as I looked at my aging gaming rig, I couldn’t help but pause.
My trusty RTX 3080 served me well for years, delivering smooth 60 fps at 4K max settings in my favorite titles. However, performance gradually dipped until I was forced to lower graphical settings just to maintain playability. It was frustrating—I game to experience every artistic detail developers pour into their work. Lowering settings felt like turning down the volume on a symphony.
As it turns out, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 is compatible with my older build. I even had a 1000-watt PSU ready to handle the power demands of the newer GPU.
But not everything went smoothly. My setup wasn't ideal, and raw performance was underwhelming. Despite that, and despite my reservations about [ttpp], the multi-frame generation tech left a powerful impression—one that might have finally convinced me of its value.
Installing the RTX 5080 – A Four-Hour Ordeal
Calling my build “grandpa” might be an exaggeration. It features an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, 32GB RAM, and a Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master motherboard (which, as you’ll see, matters). Swapping out a GPU should be straightforward, right?
I assumed the PCIe 8-pin cables from my old RTX 3080 would work on the RTX 5080, so I connected two of them to the three required ports using adapters. Spoiler: It didn’t work. No LED lights, no signal—just silence.
After some frantic searching, I ordered a set of PCIe Gen 5 Type 4 power cables via DoorDash for $44. When they arrived, I rushed to install them, only to discover another issue—the massive chipset fan on my motherboard was physically blocking the PCIe x16 slot. No matter how hard I tried, the card wouldn’t fully seat. Eventually, I gave in and inserted the RTX 5080 into a PCIe x8 slot instead.
With an older CPU and now a reduced PCIe bandwidth, what did this mean for performance? Let’s find out.
RTX 5080 Performance on Legacy Hardware
After running 30 benchmarks across five games, the RTX 5080 delivered average raw performance. But with DLSS 4 enabled, the numbers started to look incredible—numbers Nvidia clearly wants users to see. Though I want to see every pixel artists intended, DLSS 4 made things… complicated.
DLSS 4 is an upscaling technology that boosts both performance and image clarity. What makes it unique on the RTX 50-series is Multi Frame Generation, which uses AI to generate up to three additional frames per rendered one. It works best in supported titles, though some may require manual activation through the Nvidia app.
Equipped with the RTX 5080, I tackled Monster Hunter Wilds, a notoriously demanding title. At 4K Ultra with RT High disabled, I managed only 51 fps. Activating DLAA with standard frame generation pushed it to 74 fps. Switching to Ultra Performance mode brought it all the way to 124 fps. Victory achieved.
Next, Avowed proved brutal. At Ultra 4K with RT on, performance hovered around 35 fps without DLSS. Enabling DLAA and MFG boosted it to 113 fps—a 223% increase. Ultra Performance nearly doubled that again.
Even Oblivion: Remastered gave me trouble, barely hitting 30 fps. With DLAA and MFG, I reached 95 fps, and Ultra Performance spiked to 172 fps.
In Marvel Rivals, latency became a concern. Without DLSS, I recorded 65 fps at 45ms. With DLSS Native + MFG, it jumped to 182 fps, albeit at 50ms. The lowest latency came from Performance mode with standard frame gen—189 fps at 28ms.
Lastly, Black Myth: Wukong benchmark showed 42 fps at Cinematic 4K with DLSS 40%. Flipping frame generation raised it to 69 fps. If multi-frame scaling holds true, x4 could push it past 120 fps.
Needless to say, raw GPU performance alone wasn’t enough. Part of the issue lies in my outdated components and the fact that the RTX 50-series didn’t deliver a major leap in native performance. Yet, DLSS 4 completely changed the equation.
A New GPU Doesn’t Require a Full PC Upgrade
Of course, DLSS 4 isn’t flawless. Since the AI generates imagery that doesn’t exist natively, there are visual trade-offs—minor blurring, texture artifacts, and UI inconsistencies. It’s not perfect, but it’s effective. While I hope developers don’t rely solely on such tools for optimization, it’s a lifeline for older hardware.
If anything, my experience shows that a new GPU can still perform wonders even in an outdated system. I considered removing the chipset fan just to get the RTX 5080 into the x16 slot, but after seeing what DLSS 4 could do, it seemed unnecessary.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire system to enjoy next-gen performance. You may need a stronger PSU (RTX 5080 recommends 850W) or updated power cables—as I did—but that’s often enough. GPUs are expensive and hard to come by already; no need to overcomplicate things.
So while I’m unsure how long this setup will last, DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation bought me enough time to confidently say hello to Wesker—and maybe even take him down.
