Asus not only swapped out an RTX 4080 Super for an RTX 5080, but swapped it out *again* to match this lucky Redditor with their all-white build.
Sometimes persistence wins out.
When you make a purchase through links on our site, we may receive an affiliate commission. Here's how it works.
The term "RMA" is likely to send shivers down your spine, especially when it's related to something like a graphics card. Returning a faulty component can often be a "put your hands on it and hope for the best" kind of deal, so I'm naturally surprised to hear that Asus has enough heart to not only give a lucky Redditor an upgrade, but also get the right color.
According to the original Redditor's post about the issue, they sent their white Asus ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super OC in for an RMA and took back a black Asus TUF Gaming RTX 5080 when they realized the previous version couldn't be repaired. That's a win, right? Well, not entirely, because the Redditor wanted a white one, like their original RTX 4080 Super, to match their all-white build.
So, what to do about it? Naturally, he asked them to replace it: "After about 6 weeks of emailing and escalating the case to higher level management, Asus finally confirmed the exact card I requested: the ROG Astral RTX 5080 White OC. I sent the TUF back and they even upgraded the shipping to FedEx Standard. The card finally arrived at no extra charge!"
This is an RMA result if ever I saw one. It might sound like a bit much, but honestly, if you have an all-white build and an expensive GPU that's going to break, I can see why it makes sense to at least try to get a decent replacement.
Funny enough, I can talk about this kind of problem with a much cheaper product. A few years ago I sent my Sennheiser HD 599 cream headphones in for an RMA and they returned a new pair... except they were black, not the lovely cream color I sent. But being the lazy weasel that I am, I just accepted my fate and these are the headphones I use to this day.
Real-world gaming performance comparison of RTX 4080 and RTX 5080 Super at 1440p resolution, using upscaling and frame generation where possible.
Black Myth Wukong (1440p High + Upscaling (quality)) Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p RT Ultra + upscaling (quality)) F1 24 (1440p Ultra High + upscaling (quality), 2x FG) Homeworld 3 (1440p) The Prinquality2loscaling Epic (1440p Ultra + Upscaling (quality), 2x FG)
The RTX 5080 performs at least as well as the RTX 4080 Super, and often noticeably better at 1440p.
For just a glimpse of how difficult and frustrating an RMA can be, consider the fact that we recently learned that a faded serial number can kill your chances of RMAing a Founders Edition card. So yeah, swapping the Asus RTX 5080 just to get the right color is pretty sweet. I can only assume the Redditor must have been pretty persistent. And fair enough, because it worked.
All this clearly improves their performance, of course, too. As you can see from the chart above, the RTX 5080 outperforms the RTX 4080 Super and has access to the latest and greatest DLSS technology. Just crack your 40 series cards and don't try the same. Who knows what the RMA gods will have in store for future applicants.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Stay up to date with the most important stories and best deals, as selected by the PC Gamer team.
Contact me for news and offers from other upcoming brands Receive emails from us from our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information, you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy and you are 16 years or older.
2. Best value: AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
5. Best high-end: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
👈 Check out our complete graphics card guide
Jacob put his hands on a gaming computer for the first time when he was about 12 years old. He quickly realized that the local computer repair shop had ripped him off with his build and vowed to never let another soul build his rig again. With this vow, Yaqub the hardware addict was born. Since then, Jacob has led a double life as a hardware geek, semi-philosophical professional, first working as a hardware writer for PCGamesN in 2020, then working on a PhD in philosophy for a few years while working for sites like TechRadar, Pocket-lint, Pocket-lint, and Pocket-lint. The sequel left the brutal mercenary life to join the #1 PC gaming site in the world full-time. He assures us that it is definitely not a carnal thing.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please log out and back in, then you will be prompted to enter your display name.
Linux kernel drops AI contribution disclosure rule, as Linus Torvalds says banning the technology is "absolutely stupid."
If this new hidden program is used, Windows Settings may become more useful and receive faster updates.
Modern Warfare 4 release time and early access explained
'Tiny team is so into Gabe': Former Valve writer baffled by Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's efforts to compete with Steam via vibe coding.