Since the release of the 40-series GPUs, I’ve been eager to try one out, but never had the right opportunity. Recently, Yeston released the RTX 4080 Sakura Sugar Graphics Card , and I couldn’t wait to borrow one from a friend for testing. Beyond the aesthetics, the core goal is to share the 4080’s performance with everyone.
Appearance Overview
Honestly, it’s a pity that Yeston didn’t release a Sakura version this generation. Maybe they wanted to avoid aesthetic fatigue, and I respect this innovative, adaptable attitude—it’s how new ideas keep emerging. The design of the Yeston RTX 4080 Sakura Sugar adopts a summer swimsuit theme,perfectly aligns with the preferences of anime fans.The packaging alone stands out: the swimsuit Sakura artwork is gorgeous, with pink ribbon bows on both sides of the box. The unboxing method amplifies the ceremonial vibe.Inside, besides the GPU, there’s a Sakura-themed comic artbook filled with illustrations and mini-storylines. Maybe Yeston should consider publishing a full Sakura artbook?
This Sakura Sugar iteration uses vibrant, summery colors with a rainbow-like gradient achieved through hot-stamping and laser effects. While creative, the busy design feels slightly overdone compared to the elegant simplicity of the Sakura Series. Still, it’s far more distinctive than generic GPUs. The side panel attempts a translucent tulle effect but falls short in execution. A crystal-clear texture would’ve been stunning—it’s worth keeping an eye out for. The tri-color fans, however, look fantastic when spinning.
Beyond the front panel, the real standout is the RTX4080’s backplate design. Imagine a summer paradise: azure skies, clear ocean waves, palm trees, and a swimsuit-clad Sakura winking at you.，there’s even a fragrance module evoking sea breezes. The backplate’s artwork is undeniably top-tier, paired with a pristine white PCB. Some enthusiasts have modded their GPUs with Sakura Sugar backplates, but I’d advise against it to avoid voiding warranties.
Additionally, the backplate of this GPU not only features Sakura CG artwork but also includes a neon-lit panel that displays a Sakura portrait, adding a touch of cyberpunk flair.
For output interfaces, it includes 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DP 1.4, which sufficiently covers standard monitor connectivity needs. The power connector is a 16-pin design, though an adapter is required—a common approach for this generation of 4080 GPUs.The cooling system is robust: 8 nickel-plated heat pipes, a large heatsink, copper base, and three 100mm fans ensure efficient heat dissipation. Despite lower-than-expected power consumption on TSMC’s process, Yeston retained this overbuilt design. The 15+3 phase power delivery also adds reliability.
For core specs, let’s check via CPU-Z. It matches the reference model: CUDA cores are about 60% of the RTX 4090’s count, with base/boost clocks of 2205MHz/2505MHz, 16GB of GDDR6X memory, a 256-bit memory bus, and excellent bandwidth and power efficiency.
Theoretical Testing
Since the RTX 4080 targets 4K gaming, we tested three benchmarks: Fire Strike Ultra, Time Spy Extreme, and the ray-tracing-focused Port Royal. Scores came in at 13,841, 17,057, and 17,684, respectively—all 20%+ higher than the previous-gen flagship RTX 3090 Ti.
DLSS 3 testing delivered absurd gains: from 38 FPS (disabled) to 130 FPS (enabled), a 242% increase—almost comical, though real-world gaming performance will vary. Still, this drastically reduces the strain of enabling ray tracing.
Gaming Performance
Finally, the most anticipated part: gaming benchmarks. All tests were run at 4K resolution with max preset settings. Let’s see how it handles popular AAA titles.Starting with Cyberpunk 2077—the ultimate GPU stress test. If a card can handle this, everything else is easy. At 4K, without ray tracing or DLSS, the RTX 4080 averages ~60 FPS, though some scenes dip to the 30s-40s. While pushing "Ultra" settings is demanding, slightly lowering details or enabling DLSS ensures buttery smoothness.
In God of War 4,Kratos’ new gear looks absolutely menacing, and swinging the Leviathan Axe feels explosive. At 4K max settings, the RTX 4080 delivers 100+ FPS, with even the most detailed scenes holding 80+ FPS. It’s a flawless, immersive experience.
Crysis 3 was famously known as the "ultimate GPU challenge" back in its day, and even now its visuals still hold up remarkably well.The RTX 4080 pushes ~100 FPS at 4K max settings, proving it’s no longer a crisis for modern hardware.
Finally, there's the recently popular "Hogwarts Legacy" - having already sold over 12 million copies and grossed a staggering $850 million. The story immerses even non-Harry Potter fans into its magical world, though the slow-paced tutorial tests patience. Character models lack polish, but the castle environments are stunning, capturing European grandeur and magical charm. With 20+ spells and collectibles, it’s a treat for Potterheads but might feel generic to others.
The RTX 4080 delivers near-perfect performance in Hogwarts Legacy, achieving around 70 FPS at 4K Ultra settings without ray tracing or DLSS - already delivering smooth gameplay.
With ray tracing enabled, the performance breaks down as follows:
Ray Tracing Ultra: 37 FPS
Ray Tracing Ultra + DLSS Quality: 56 FPS
Ray Tracing Ultra + DLSS Balanced: 62 FPS
Ray Tracing Ultra + DLSS Performance: 67 FPS
Ray Tracing Ultra + DLSS Ultra Performance: 68 FPS
For Hogwarts Legacy, enabling Ray Tracing Ultra + DLSS Balanced proves to be the optimal configuration, balancing visual fidelity and frame rates. Interestingly, there’s minimal difference between DLSS Performance and Ultra Performance modes—a likely symptom of the game’s subpar optimization. Installing a community optimization patch can significantly boost performance, making Ray Tracing Ultra + DLSS Quality a viable option for stable gameplay.
For online games, I only tested PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. At 4K resolution with nearly all settings maxed out, it easily exceeds 100 FPS, maintaining over 90 FPS even when scoped in for combat - the experience is truly satisfying. When paired with a mainstream 2K 144Hz gaming monitor, the card can fully utilize the display's potential, delivering flawless target acquisition and buttery-smooth recoil control.
Currently there aren't many games supporting DLSS 3. I only tested Loopmancer - with all settings at Epic quality and ray tracing enabled but DLSS disabled, it runs at around 44 FPS. Enabling DLSS Quality mode without frame generation (DLSS 3) boosts performance to about 72 FPS, while turning on frame generation pushes it above 80 FPS. The performance uplift is even more significant in Ultra Performance mode: without frame generation it achieves 141 FPS, and with frame generation enabled it reaches around 177 FPS. This demonstrates DLSS 3's frame generation technology can further increase frame rates by approximately 10-30%, which is truly impressive.
Yeston’s RTX 4080 Sakura Sugar continues to impress with its bold aesthetic design. While the front panel doesn’t quite match the elegance of the Sakura Series, the backplate’s swimsuit-themed Sakura CG artwork shines, radiating summer vibes that elevate PC build aesthetics. The card also shows refined engineering and material upgrades.Performance-wise, the RTX 4080 is undeniably powerful, handling mainstream AAA titles at 4K with ease. Even with ray tracing enabled, DLSS support ensures minimal compromise. NVIDIA’s DLSS 3 frame generation tech further boosts frame rates, and as more games adopt this feature, 4K ray-traced gaming will become truly effortless.For anime fans and gamers who appreciate Yeston's distinctive design aesthetic, this graphics card remains a solid choice.
Conclusion
Yeston’s RTX 4080 Sakura Sugar continues to impress with its bold aesthetic design. While the front panel doesn’t quite match the elegance of the Sakura Series, the backplate’s swimsuit-themed Sakura CG artwork shines, radiating summer vibes that elevate PC build aesthetics. The card also shows refined engineering and material upgrades.Performance-wise, the RTX 4080 is undeniably powerful, handling mainstream AAA titles at 4K with ease. Even with ray tracing enabled, DLSS support ensures minimal compromise. NVIDIA’s DLSS 3 frame generation tech further boosts frame rates, and as more games adopt this feature, 4K ray-traced gaming will become truly effortless.For anime fans and gamers who appreciate Yeston's distinctive design aesthetic, this graphics card remains a solid choice.