The latest Steam hardware survey results for March 2025 have revealed an interesting milestone for Nvidia's newest generation of graphics cards. The RTX 5080 has become the first of Nvidia's RTX 50-series GPUs to make an appearance in the widely-watched monthly report, marking the beginning of the new generation's adoption among PC gamers.
A Small But Significant Debut
The RTX 5080 has entered Steam's hardware survey with a modest 0.2% market share. While this percentage may seem small, it represents a significant first step for Nvidia's latest architecture in the gaming market. The appearance comes just two months after the initial launch of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 at the end of January, suggesting that despite well-documented availability issues, some gamers are managing to get their hands on these coveted cards.
Supply Challenges Continue
The relatively small market share isn't surprising given the ongoing supply constraints affecting the RTX 50-series. Both retailers and Nvidia have implemented measures to combat scalping and ensure cards reach actual gamers. Amazon has notably placed several Nvidia GPUs, including the RTX 5080 and RTX 5070, behind its Prime subscription paywall. This approach limits scalpers' ability to purchase available stock, though the cards are still being listed at prices well above their MSRP.
Nvidia has also deployed its Verified Priority Access program, allowing selected Nvidia members the opportunity to purchase Founders Edition RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 cards at MSRP. Despite these efforts, availability remains constrained across the entire RTX 50-series lineup.
Market Position and Competition
The broader GPU landscape on Steam continues to be dominated by older hardware. The RTX 3060 maintains its position as the most popular GPU with approximately 5% market share, closely followed by the RTX 4060. The first '70-class GPU on the list is the RTX 3070 in 8th place with 2.87%, while the RTX 4070 holds 11th place with 2.49% of the market.
AMD remains significantly behind Nvidia in overall GPU adoption among Steam users. The company's new Radeon RX 9070 boards haven't yet appeared in the survey, though AMD has claimed they are the fastest-selling Radeon cards ever. The highest-ranked specifically named AMD card is the RX 6600 with 0.89% share, while a generic Radeon Graphics entry holds 13th place with 2.17%.
Top GPUs in Steam Hardware Survey (March 2025)
- RTX 3060: ~5%
- RTX 4060: Slightly below RTX 3060
- RTX 3070: 2.87% (8th place)
- RTX 4070: 2.49% (11th place)
- Generic "Radeon Graphics": 2.17% (13th place)
- RX 6600: 0.89% (highest named AMD card)
- RTX 5080: 0.2% (first RTX 50-series to appear)
CPU Market Shifts
Interestingly, the March survey also revealed significant movement in the CPU market, with AMD gaining 6.55% share while Intel lost 6.59%. This substantial shift suggests a continuing trend of AMD processors gaining popularity among PC gaming enthusiasts.
RTX 5080 Specifications
- GPU: GB203
- CUDA Cores: 10,752
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR7
- Memory Bus Width: 256 bit
- Base Clock Speed: 2,295 MHz
- Boost Clock Speed: 2,790 MHz
Looking Ahead
As production and availability of RTX 50-series cards hopefully improves in the coming months, we can expect to see their presence grow in future Steam hardware surveys. The RTX 5070 and recently launched AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT will likely make their first appearances soon, providing a more complete picture of how the latest generation of graphics hardware is being adopted by gamers worldwide.