Laptops with an RTX 5080 GPU are proving that you don't have to spend tens of millions of dong more to get performance close to the RTX 5090. Recent benchmarks show the laptop version of the RTX 5080 falls behind the RTX 5090 by just 10 to 15% in most workloads, while costing noticeably less - by as much as 1,000 USD.
In a test run by Notebookcheck, two XMG Neo 16 A25 laptops sharing the same AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX CPU were compared, one with an RTX 5080 and the other with an RTX 5090. That makes for an ideal setup to measure the real gap between NVIDIA's two top-tier laptop GPUs today.
Similar performance at 1080p, a clear gap at 4K
The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the difference is almost negligible. Both cards deliver similar FPS in Final Fantasy XV, and the gap is 5% or less in most other games. This suggests that at Full HD, the CPU is the limiting factor rather than the GPU.
However, at 1440p and 4K, the RTX 5090 starts to show its advantage. In the Port Royal test (1440p), the 5090 beats the 5080 by about 15%, while in Steel Nomad (4K) the gap reaches 18%. Demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate 3 also show the RTX 5090 ahead by roughly 12-15%.
Even so, both GPUs struggle with heavy AAA games at maximum settings. In Monster Hunter Wilds at 4K with Ray Tracing, the RTX 5090 can't reach 50 FPS, while the 5080 drops to 40 FPS. In Alan Wake 2, both fall below 20 FPS with all effects turned on. The RTX 5090 keeps a 13-15% lead across many resolutions, even at 1080p in Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is rare.
Value per frame: the RTX 5080 wins by a wide margin
One of the standout points of the RTX 5080 laptop is its cost efficiency. At up to 1,000 USD cheaper than laptops with an RTX 5090, the RTX 5080 delivers performance that comes very close. In terms of price relative to performance (cost per frame), the RTX 5080 is clearly the more sensible choice for most gamers.
According to experts, the laptop RTX 5090 only really makes sense if you are upgrading from an RTX 30 series card or older, or if you need maximum performance for intensive workloads such as AI and 3D rendering. The RTX 5080, meanwhile, suits players of AAA games, livestreamers, and people doing high-level graphics work without having to invest too much.
In addition, NVIDIA is about to launch laptops with the RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti, aimed at the midrange segment. The desktop versions of the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti are also on the way, promising a new set of options for users at every budget.
The bottom line: If you're torn between buying an RTX 5080 laptop and paying extra for an RTX 5090, think carefully about how you'll actually use it. With performance only about 10-15% lower but a significantly lower price, the RTX 5080 is the most sensible and best-value choice in NVIDIA's high-end laptop GPU lineup right now.
