RTX 5090 vs. RTX 5080 laptop GPU: 30 tests prove that bigger isn't always better

Nvidia’s slew of RTX 50-series GPUs makes a splash in the gaming laptop world, and we’ve tested the first RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 chips and I could not have predicted the results.

I reviewed the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 outfitted with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 16GB graphics chip, and I’m putting that up against the Razer Blade 16, which is powered by the RTX 5090 24GB GPU.

Now, there are a few reasons why the results might shock you, but let’s dive into the numbers and then I’ll explain why the numbers are so interesting.

RTX 5090 vs. RTX 5080: Benchmarks

Let’s get this out of the way. The Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 comes in at 5.5 pounds and 14.05 x 10 x 0.91~1.18 inches, while the Razer Blade 16 stacks up to 4.6 pounds, 13.98 x 9.86 x 0.59~0.69 inches.

Why is that important? Well, the Razer Blade’s size may have affected its thermal efficiency, which can impact its overall performance.

Now, the RTX 5090 took victory overall, as you might’ve expected. However, it surpassed the RTX 5080 on only 22 out of 30 tests. That’s not how it’s supposed to work. If you buy a superior graphics card for more money, you want to see improvements across the board.

So where did the RTX 5080 eke out over the RTX 5090?

The RTX 5080’s first victory was in Assassin's Creed: Mirage (Ultra, 1080p), hitting 145 frames per second over the RTX 5090’s 120 fps. That’s a steep gap.

At 1080p and 1600p, the RTX 5080 saw an average 20-fps bump over the RTX 5090 in Far Cry 6 at Ultra settings. The RTX 5080 swept up the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark as well as both 1080p and native resolutions.

It started getting bumpy when it had to push through at 1600p on a few benchmarks. However, the RTX 5080 killed it on the 1080p, Ultra benchmarks for Monster Hunter Wilds, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Total War: Warhammer III.

Well, Total War is a cheap shot, to be fair. It took away a 0.5 fps victory (yeah, I know). However, Tomb Raider was fair game, as the RTX 5080 beat the RTX 5090 by 19 fps.

What I really want to highlight is the RTX 5080’s win in Monster Hunter Wilds. If you know anything about Wilds you know that it’s terribly optimized for PC, which is why it was exciting to see the RTX 5080 score a 15-frame lead on the RTX 5090. That’s 86 fps vs. 71 fps. A gap like that is noticeable when your fps is in the double digits.

Of course, the RTX 5090 took home a host of victories, 22 to be precise (18 on gaming alone). However, 9 out of those 18 games were the result of a victory falling within 6 frames or less. You’re telling me that this monstrous RTX 5090 offers only a 6 fps bump in half of the games it surpassed the RTX 5080?

What does that mean for you, though?

RTX 5090 vs. RTX 5080: Which should you buy?

To throw the disclaimer out there again, the Razer Blade 16 is a thin-and-light gaming laptop, so it’s naturally going to underperform compared with bigger laptops with the same GPU. It even failed a few tests against a bigger laptop with a weaker GPU, aka the Aorus Master 16.

So what does that tell us? A bigger GPU is not always better.

There are plenty of factors to consider when buying a new gaming laptop, especially if you want it to be one of the best gaming laptops. As we’ve seen here, size may be one of those factors.

As you’re shopping for a new gaming laptop this year, stay tuned to Laptop Mag for our full reviews and benchmarks of 50-series rigs to find the best bang for your buck.