Following months of leaks and online whispers, it looks like Nvidia is finally ready to reveal the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. In a mid-August announcement, the company revealed that it’ll be holding a “GeForce Special Event” today, 1 September 2020, where it’s more than likely that we’ll see the next-gen GPU series for the first time. It’s almost two years exactly since the launch of the GeForce RTX 20 Series, making it the perfect time for Nvidia to release the Ampere-inspired cards.
Here’s all you need to know about the GeForce Special Event, including start times, how to watch it live and what to expect from the event too.
When will the GeForce Special Event take place?
As confirmed by the company in late August, the Nvidia GeForce Special Event is due to take place today, 1 September 2020, at 17:00 BST / 18:00 CEST / 9:00 PT / 12:00 ET. There’s even a live countdown timer on the GeForce event website, with a teaser hyping up the hotly anticipated launch of the next-gen RTX graphics cards.
“21 days. 21 years.” the teaser reads. “Before we enter the future, join us to celebrate the biggest breakthroughs in PC gaming since 1999. And what comes next.”
How can I watch the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 reveal live?
With no large gatherings allowed around the world right now, it should come as no surprise that the GeForce Special Event will be a virtual one, and one that fans can watch live from the comfort of their homes around the world.
You’ll be able to watch the GeForce RTX 2080 reveal via the player embedded at the top of this page, along with the GeForce Special Event website and the company’s Twitch channel too. Those hoping to tune in to the announcement via YouTube may be disappointed though, as the livestream countdown is yet to make an appearance on Google’s platform.
What should I expect from the GeForce Special Event?
Official details are, admittedly, pretty light, but we do know that it’ll feature an address from Nvidia CEO and founder Jensen Huang. Judging by the teaser on the site, it looks like the event will feature a retrospective look at the company’s history of graphics cards before lifting the lid on the new RTX 30 Series.
Nvidia has already released a video, entitled The Remarkable Art & Science of Modern Graphics Card Design, giving us what could be our first look at features of the next-gen GPU series. It casually confirms the much-rumoured cooling and power pin design changes while also giving GPU enthusiasts a better understanding of what drove the design decisions of Ampere, Nvidia’s cutting-edge GPU architecture.
Other rumours about the RTX 3080 include the fact that it could be a serious upgrade over the already-impressive RTX 20 Series. Leaked RTX 3080 benchmarks that appeared online earlier this year suggest a 21% increase in performance compared to the GeForce RTX Titan, which is currently Nvidia’s most powerful GPU tailored for professional use, and a 30% increase compared to the RTX 2080Ti.
It’s likely that Nvidia will release an even more powerful RTX 3080Ti too, offering incredible gains in graphical processing power for gamers and professionals alike.
With only hours until the event, it’s not long until we’ll find out for sure. What are you looking forward to most? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. If you’re new to the world of components and unsure about upgrading your GPU, take a look at how to know if a graphics card is compatible with your PC to make sure you’re buying the right kit for your machine.
Author: Lewis Painter, Senior Staff Writer
Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You'll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.